Zach Gibson/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- House Speaker Paul Ryan is taking the unusual step of pushing back on President Donald Trump's proposal to impose stiff traffics on aluminum and steel imports, saying the president needs to take a "smarter way" to avoid "collateral damage."



Ryan, who Monday warned of a possible trade war if Trump carried out his threat, was just one of several Republicans publicly suggesting the president instead target tariffs specifically on "abusers" of U.S. trade policies, especially China, which has been accused of dumping steel and aluminum exports or selling them at an unfairly low price in foreign markets.



There's a big overcapacity problem, Ryan said during a news conference Tuesday. Let's go focus on the abusers of that, and that is why we think the proper approach is a more surgical approach so that we do not have unintended consequences.



Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Trumps campaign trail rhetoric against Chinas trade abuses was much more reflective of the situations reality than his current proposal, which would affect Canada and Mexico more than it would China because those two countries export more steel and aluminum to the U.S.



These tariffs really let China off the hook, Graham said, noting that they could hurt the export of BMWs made in his home state.



There was great uncertainty surrounding Trumps announcement last Thursday, with top officials expressing confusion about what exactly it would entail or how specific he would be. That uncertainty appeared to resonate with Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who said he didnt think Trumps declaration would be the final policy.



That was, as I understand it, not the announcement, he said, referring to the Thursday event - a meeting with industry executives - in which Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent one on aluminum. I know they're still looking at it. We'll see what the tariffs are. We don't know yet, Portman added.



Portman, a director of the Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush, also said he thought Trump should use more of a scalpel approach than his current approach, adding that he has spoken with some White House officials but not the president himself.



While lawmakers focus their public remarks on encouraging Trump to narrow the scope of the tariffs, they are also open to exerting Congresss authority to block them if need be. Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, told ABC News that colleagues are adding their signatures to a letter to President Trump conveying their position and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, planned to send a letter urging the president to focus tariffs on China.



It seems like a very strange action at this time, Hatch said, talking to reporters about Trump's proposal following a hearing.



During the hearing, Hatch warned that the action would blunt the benefits of the $1.5 trillion tax reform bill Congress recently passed.



Congress could pass a bill blocking the president from imposing tariffs on specific industries for a specified duration, but it would likely need to have enough support - two-thirds of the House and Senate - to overcome a presidential veto, assuming Trump rejects such a rebuke to his decision.



The efforts to persuade Trump to back off his hawkish trade approach are bipartisan, with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., also writing a letter to Trump urging him to reconsider.



Going after Canada and our European allies will not only fail to solve the problem of Chinese overcapacity, but also jeopardizes key markets for American goods and strategic relationships that we rely on for our national security, she wrote.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Vous etes confrontes a une infestation par la puce, la punaise de lit ? Voici plusieurs actions qui sont a mettre en uvre pour faire []There is enough food to take ...A group of women from Kirangi and Kuri villages in Gatundu South, Kiambu, on Sunday evening staged a four-hour peaceful demonstration against the increase of bars and alcoholism in the area.

Speaking during the demonstration, more than 100 women from the area expressed their anger and disappointment at losing their husbands and sons to alcoholism.

Domestic violence has been on the rise due to alcohol. In this shopping center, we have only four shops but seven bars, said one concerned mother.

The women further lamented their husbands inability to sire children, adding that many of them have since fled their homes. Others have sold their property and spent the money in bars.

We want our men to stop drinking when theyre not supposed to because they do not even have jobs, lamented another protester.

They also accused police officers from the area of taking bribes from bar owners making it hard for police to shut them down.

The women called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and save their sons and husbands.

The protest comes days after Interior CS Fred Matiangi ordered County Commissioners to launch a crackdown on drugs and illicit brews.

Four weeks ago, Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu launched a similar operation. Waititu engaged more than 300 rehabilitated youths to spearhead the operation by giving them incentives that include meals and a daily Sh300 allowance..

The youth participate in garbage collection, clearing of bushes along the roads and unblocking drainages. They are also involved in destroying illicit brew dens especially along River Chania, where brewers carry out the outlawed trade.The two patients involved in a shocking surgery mix-up at the Kenyatta National Hospital are alive.

In yet another case of Kenyan media making a mockery of itself, it was reported that a UoN student, Angelo Miano, died after the unintended surgery.

The hospital, however, says the reports are misleading and should be ignored.

In a statement, Corporate Affairs Manager Simon Ithai noted that Miano was admitted in critical condition on February 19 after being knocked down by a boda-boda in Kericho.

He was treated in the specialised neurosurgery ward and later moved to the Intensive Care Unit. Miano, who was a second-year Bachelor of Commerce student, died on February 27. He will be buried in Kitale on Saturday.

KNH gave clarifications yesterday after media reported that Miano was one of the patients involved in a mix-up of identification tags leading to the surgical error.

The story on Angelos Miano, whose story appeared in one of the daily newspapers and social media referring to him as one of the patients involved in the unintended surgery was not factual, read the statement.

KNH added that the two patients who underwent surgery were being treated and have made remarkable improvement.

The first patient was admitted to the general surgical ward on February 18, while the second one was admitted to the same ward on February 19. Both had head injuries.

We wish to state that both patients are still receiving treatment in the ward and have made remarkable improvement.

The public should not be confused by the misleading information . the patient said to have passed was received in critical condition and admitted in the specialised neurosurgery ward  the other two were received in the general ward where they are recuperating.

Ithai assured that KNH remains committed to the highest standards of care to patients at all times.

Following the mix-up, an external systems audit has been commissioned to establish the root cause of the incident as well as forestall future occurrences.

The hospitals board said it could take up to one week to conclude investigations.

Doctors at the facility, while defending one of their colleagues  a Neurosurgery Registrar- said the nurses who prepared the patients for the operation were the ones at fault.Mallory Uran McEligot, Silver Trident Winerys membership & industry relations manager, has been awarded the 2018 Rising Wine Star Award for Marketer of the Year by the Luxury Marketing Council of San Francisco.

The award was presented at the Councils 6th annual Wineries Boot Camp on Feb. 28 at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville. Some 300 wine industry marketing, sales and hospitality influentials, representing more than 90 Napa and Sonoma wineries and wine-related organizations, attended.

Uran McEligot received the award in recognition of an industry group she founded, BANG, the By Appointment Networking Group.

Established in 2014, BANGs mission has been "to partner highly-selective by-appointment wineries with other comparable businesses, allowing them to provide elevated services to their clientele," said a news release.

For me, the BANG group is all about Silver Trident Winery and trying to help grow our (direct to consumer) business through my relationships in BANG, Uran McEligot said.

A fifth-generation Napan, Uran McEligot also writes a blog, VineLiving, vine-living.com, an insiders guide to Napa Valley.Find your Zo.

Thats the invitation Tishman Speyer Properties has extended to workers at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, welcoming them to an app-driven world of health, education and pampering  and fighting off rival landlords in a battle to woo corporate tenants by appealing to their employees.

By next month, workers in eight of the 10 New York commercial properties Tishman manages, including the MetLife building, will be able to download the Zo app. It will let them book such amenities as a haircut or educational talk, backup child care, a yoga class or a nap room, all now available at Rock Center. The app will spread to most of Tishman Speyers U.S. properties by the end of the year and eventually to its entire global portfolio, covering a quarter-million employees.

Companies such as Brookfield Property Partners, which operates Brookfield Place New York in lower Manhattan; Silverstein Properties, which runs office towers at the World Trade Center; SL Green Realty, Manhattans largest office owner; and Tishman are working to hang on to tenants and lure new ones away from their foes. The competition is particularly intense in New York, where a surge of construction means tenants can flee to Hudson Yards, the World Trade Center or even across the river to Queens.The tension between union members comes as steelworkers in the U.S. have seen their ranks shrink, in part because of cheaper imports from Canada, Brazil, South Korea and Mexico.

Ten steel furnaces have shuttered on American soil since 2000, said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a nonprofit that supports factory workers, and an estimated 52,000 American workers in the industry have lost their jobs over the same period.

"This is a critical issue for steelworkers who have been really pummeled by imports," said Paul. "They've been struggling in an economy that is otherwise growing."

Automation is also to blame. Tasks that used to take 10 hours for steel workers in the '80s can now be completed in two, allowing plants to produce more goods with fewer people, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute, a trade group in the District of Columbia.

Some groups argue that tariffs wouldn't reverse technology-driven disruption, but they could carry unintended consequences.

The Trade Partnership, a consultancy in Washington, estimated in a study published Monday that tariffs would boost iron and steel jobs in the U.S. by 33,464 positions but slash 179,334 other jobs throughout the broader economy.At his attorney's advice, Schmoll sent letters to his dad's creditors explaining the estate was insolvent, then formally closed the estate according to the probate laws of Montana, where his dad had lived.

A lawyer also can advise you how to proceed if a parent isn't just insolvent, but also doesn't have any assets at all. In that situation, there may not be a reason to open up a probate case and deal with collectors, Sawday says.

"Sometimes, I advise clients just to lay the person to rest and do nothing," Sawday says. "Let a creditor handle it."

YOU NEED TO TAKE METICULOUS NOTES

The financial lives of people in debt are often chaotic  and sorting it all out can take time. As executor of his dad's estate, Schmoll dealt with over a dozen collection agencies, utilities and lenders, often talking to multiple people about a single account. He kept a document where he tracked details such as the names of people he talked to, dates and times of the conversations, what was said and required follow-up actions as well as reference numbers for various accounts.

YOU SHOULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT DEBT COLLECTORS TELL YOUAfter three years in this position, he felt he needed to run his own program and found it at The Buttes, another Arizona property that had recently been purchased by the Waldorf Astoria Group. Wiener said this is where his culinary career really took off. The property went from making half a million dollars in sales to more than $12 million while he was there, and established The Buttes as one of the lead resorts in Arizona.

This position allowed him to broaden his horizons. He got to sit on the board of directors at the Arizona Culinary Institute as well as the Art Institute of Phoenix. He was nominated and won the Manager of the Year award from the Arizona Lodging Tourism Association. He was nominated for Chef of the Year by the Phoenix New Times. The thing, however, that he is most proud of is The Buttes winning the Arizona Lodging Tourism Community Service Award twice in a year. In 2010, when Arizona suffered from wildfires resulting in big loses, Wiener and his team started a special tasting menu, and donated a portion of each sale to help families in need. In the first year, he said, the project generated half a million dollars, on top building three homes in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and creating clothing and furniture drives for the community.Andres, of course, famously stood up to Donald Trump in the summer of 2015, when the Trump was still campaigning for president. Andres decided to back out of his lease at the Trump International Hotel after Trump referred to Mexicans as drug dealers and rapists on the campaign trail. The chef and the businessman would eventually file lawsuits over the whole messy affair, which they settled nearly two years later.

But during his moment on the Oscars telecast, Andres had to remain mum, which is not his natural state. The 10 activists were cloaked in darkness as Common and Day launched into their song. But as Day moved into the chorus, spotlights started to shine on each activist, although ABC producers didnt deign to ID any of them.

But even without identification, many spotted Andress mug on stage. He was the one in a black chefs coat, with his sleeves rolled up, as if he were going to work the line at The Bazaar, his restaurant in Beverly Hills, after the show. He was clutching something red and rolled up in his right hand. He later held the item to his chest, as if it were a sacred object.But Harold Moskowite hit the campaign trail again in 2004 for the 5th District, saying supervisors were overpaid, county fees were too high and county spending was out of hand. He won in tight race that Rippey unsuccessfully challenged in court.

Harold Moskowite retired from supervisorial politics in 2008 at age 82. He noted at his last meeting that during his last term he had often ended up on the losing end of 4-1 votes on a Board he thought imposed too many regulations.

I think different than some of these others, Moskowite said. It seems like the staff brings them ordinances and stuff and the Board just goes along with it ... Of course, I get tired of trying to be one lone vote, but every once in awhile, I have to be. If we all agreed on everything, what would need a board of supervisors for?"

In 2011, Harold Moskowite fell while measuring a pipe spanning a creek and broke his neck. He later described how he drove himself 15 miles to St. Helena Hospital, where he was taken by ambulance to the U.C. San Francisco Medical Center for emergency surgery.

I would say the greatest thing he taught his kids was you create success by working hard, George Moskowite said. I think thats who he was  he was a hard-working rancher, a hard-working man.NapaLearns partners with Napa County public school districts to identify innovative programs that improve student achievement outcomes. Over the last four years, programs seed-funded by NapaLearns and then scaled and sustained by the school districts have resulted in more than 14,000 computers placed in public schools; and, Napa Valley high schools have achieved University of California college-readiness scores along with graduation rates that are higher than state averages.

Most recently, American Canyon High School was recognized for its leadership in robotics and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) by the University of California, Davis. NapaLearns has also co-funded masters degrees for more than 130 teachers in the county. Overall, more than 20,000 students and 1,000 teachers have been impacted by this partnership.

We are very grateful to Trinchero Family Estates for this donation, said Peg Maddocks, executive director of NapaLearns. Renewing their commitment to public education and providing the donation in one lump sum is a testimony to their confidence in our model and the results achieved. This gift allows us to further expand our innovative programs throughout Napa Valley and improve the career opportunities of thousands of more students.One should never  repeat never  judge the true tenor of a political party by what happens at its convention, and last months Democratic gabfest was a case in point.

The Democrats state convention promised more than the usual banality of such events because there are spirited contests this year for the states highest offices, governor and U.S. senator, with the prospect of Democrat-vs.-Democrat showdowns in November in both.

The noise from the podium and in the hallways of San Diegos cavernous convention center was mostly directed at retelling the world that the states Democrats loathe President Trump.

On those rare occasions when they werent excoriating Trump and a Republican Congress for their secular sins, the principals were sniping at each other.

This race isnt personal, insisted Kevin de Leon, the state Senate leader whos challenging U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein  as he essentially accused Feinstein of being out of touch, foolish and weak.

Ive never been fooled into believing that Donald Trump can be a good president, de Leon said in one of several jibes at Feinstein, who is seeking her fifth full term.Penngrove resident Tim Callen, whose elderly mother was living at the facility the night of the fire, expressed surprise Monday that the company's filing included what sounded like blame for the residents and handful of family members who helped them get out. His mother, Ruth Callen, is a plaintiff in the case who said she had to make her way down a flight of stairs on her own in the dark when she typically doesn't walk without a walker.

"It was two in the morning. My mom's 92," Tim Callen said. "It's her fault she couldn't go down the stairs and there's no one there to get her? That doesn't even make sense."

Tim Callen was grateful to the family members who went to the facility when they learned of the fire and helped get dozens of people out before the building burned.

"They did amazing things," Callen said. "I'm just glad they were there."

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Lawsuit: Oakmont Senior Living abandoned residents during wildfiresI wrote this letter almost two years ago and it is even more relevant today. And make no mistake, I support the Second Amendment of the Constitution -- and I even own guns. And I agree that people kill people, but so do guns, especially assault rifles.

"As a Vietnam veteran, I am appalled at the lack of action by Congress on the assault gun and large-capacity magazine legislation. Actually, I am not all that surprised by the lack of action given Congress singular focus on getting re-elected rather than doing the right thing.

"How many innocent deaths will it take before enough members of Congress realize that banning all assault guns and large-capacity magazines is the right thing to do? And it is amazing that, according to several media reports, there are 5 million AR-15s in public hands at the current time. Wow, 5 million!

"As my brother-in-law, who is a lifelong hunter, says, any magazine with more than one cartridge is a waste of time since any decent hunter will only get to take one shot at a time.First things first: I just ordered $100 worth of items online from Dicks Sporting Goods. (Even got a 25 percent discount and free shipping.) They have a store in Coddingtown, too.

Second: I wrote a note of thanks to their chairman and CEO, Ed Stack, to commend him and his whole team for deciding to discontinue the sale of assault weapons, high- capacity magazines  and also deciding to have a customer minimum age requirement of 21 to buy firearms at Dicks.

Their leadership stance is even more important when you learn that Dicks is one of the nation's largest outdoor gear retailers.

Third: I reached out to those courageous Parkland high school students who have spoken out so forcefully as #neveragain. We must join them quickly to create a national movement that can reverse the political power of the leadership of the National Rifle Association (NRA).

Im sure that most NRA members are disappointed in their leaderships unholy stranglehold on politicians that is killing Americans every day.Beloved St. Helena High School counselor Bruce Frank died in January, but thanks to an outpouring of support from the community, his passion for helping students realize their dreams will live on for many years.

Franks friends have raised about $30,000 for a scholarship fund that will be awarded annually to St. Helena students. Checks poured in during the weeks following Franks death, and a fundraiser at Grace Episcopal Church drew 100 people, including many of his former students, who came from as far away as Oregon.

Its mind-boggling how much this community responds to a need, said Craig Bond, one of the organizers of the fund. Once again, St. Helena rallies around its people.

Organizers had aimed to raise $10,000 and offer a $1,000 scholarship each year for 10 years. But the $30,000 tally will allow them to extend that timeline, offer multiple scholarships each year, or do both. Franks wife Jill is working with high school counselor Terri Linder to set the criteria for the scholarship, said Bond.

Bonds Jazz @ 7, made up of Franks former students, gave a rare performance at the Feb. 24 fundraiser. Oak Avenue Catering, Sunshine Foods, Elise Winery, Cook Family Vineyards and V. Sattui Winery donated food and wine for the event, which also featured donated wine that was left over from Franks Jan. 28 memorial service. Grace Episcopal Church provided the venue for free and handled the donations.

The fund is being organized by Craig and Carolyn Bond, Denise and Gene Armstead, Glenn and Gayle Cook, and Heidi Holzhauer.2315  Report of a suspicious man who frequently stands outside of a house on Edwards Street. He plays music on his iPad and dances around in the street. Police checked the area.

Wednesday, Feb. 28

0536  Medical aid for a possible allergic reaction on Mitchell Drive.

0954  Medical aid on Voorhees Circle.

1152  Report of two fires outside of town. Cal Fire said it was a permissible burn day, so they were probably controlled burns.

1240  Police received a third-hand report of possible ICE activity on Vintage Avenue and immediately sent an officer to investigate. As far as police could determine, ICE was not there and hadnt been there. Police didnt receive any other reports regarding ICE.

1454  Report of a boy wandering by himself on the Pope Street bridge.

1636  Medical aid for a person who was hit by a car at Main/Adams.

1652  A car parked on Spring Street was damaged in a non-injury hit-and-run sometime between Friday and Wednesday.

2045  The fire department responded to a non-injury lift assist on Pope Street.Lockheed Martin received a $481 million contract for long-lead-time material in support of the construction of four Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) ships. The MMSC is a lethal and highly-maneuverable surface combatant capable of littoral and open-ocean operation. This contract involves foreign military sales to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The vessels, based on the Freedom-class LCS, will be built at Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin.

Lockheed Martin received a $481 million contract for long-lead-time material in support of the construction of four Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) ships. The MMSC is a lethal and highly-maneuverable surface combatant capable of littoral and open-ocean operation. This contract involves foreign military sales to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The vessels, based on the Freedom-class LCS, will be built at Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin.

The Royal Saudi Navy MMSC on Lockheed Martin stand at SNA 2018



On May 22nd 2017, the KSA expressed its intent to procure more than $28 billion worth of Lockheed Martin integrated air and missile defense, combat ship, tactical aircraft and rotary wing technologies and programs. The agreement includes four MMSC based on the Freedom-class LCS Lockheed Martins industry team is building for the U.S. Navy. The four vessels are part of a modernization program for the Royal Saudi Navy's eastern fleet called SNEP II (Saudi Naval Expansion Program).



Back in October 2015, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced via press release that the U.S. State Department gave its green light for a proposed sale to Saudi Arabia of four MMSC Ships.

From left to right: Decoy launchers, 2x Nexter Narwhal 20mm RWS, 8x Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Saab CEROS 200 FCR, Raytheon SeaRAM and 12.7mm weapon station (manned).



The model on display at SNA 2018 is a new one reflecting the latest and final configuration selected by the Saudi Navy:

- A BAE Systems Bofors 57mm main (while an earlier design was fitted with an Oto Melara 76mm main gun),

- 8x MK41 VLS cells placed forward ahead of the bridge (2x8 cells used to be placed on each side of the helicopter hangar in the earlier design)

- 8x Harpoon anti-ship missiles (in two launchers),

- A Raytheon SeaRAM launcher on top of the helicopter hangar,

- 2x Nexter Narwhal 20mm remote weapon stations (these were Mk38 turrets in a previous scale model unveiled at SNA 2016 however the DSCA release mentionned Nexter's Narwhal 20mm RWS as early as 2015).



Two triple torpedo launchers present on the 2016 scale model appear to have been removed on the final MMSC design.

Our video on the MMSC for the Royal Saudi Navy during SNA 2018



In terms of sensor systems, two CEROS 200 radar and optronic tracking fire control director by Saab are fitted: One forward (on top of the deck house) and the other one back aft, between the harpoon launchers and the SeaRAM system.The main radar system is an Hensoldt (formerly Airbus D&S) TRS-4D AESA Radar. Other sensors likely include a Variable Depth Sonar (likely Thales CAPTAS type), Argon ST WBR-2000 Electronic Support Measure and Threat Warning System. The combat management system is set to be similar to the one fitted onboard the Freedom class LCS: The COMBATSS-21 by Lockheed Martin.

The KSA flag on the MMSC.



Below the helicopter deck is a mission bay area with built in modularity. Hull size and shape, propulsion system, power output, helicopter hangar etc remain unchanged compared to the U.S. Navy Freedom class LCS.

The deal signed in 2017 also include spares, training and other logistics items for the program. A Memorandum of Understanding between Lockheed Martin and Saudi Arabian Military Industries for the parties to work together to build defense capabilities in the KSA to support Vision 2030 and provide for localization efforts associated with Multi-mission Surface Combatants was signed as well.Get a head start on Earth Month with the Emory Earth Festival on March 27. Take a spin with the bike-powered blender, play games and learn about sustainability-related Emory departments, student groups and community organizations.

Celebrate the beauty of art and science and even a combination of the two during the event-packed month of March. Many activities are free or under $10 and you can choose indoor or outdoor events.

The month features two signature event series, among others, in which the Emory community is heavily involved: the Atlanta Science Festival and Tibet Week. Many of the offerings during both are free. Here is just a small sample of what is available:

1. Take a hike, outdoors or indoors.

Just in time for the Move More Challenge, beginning Wednesday, March 7, at noon, an eight-week walking group will meet every Wednesday through April 25. Walk independently or with a group; fun activities and themes are promised. You can choose the indoor option with walks in the Emory University Hospital Tunnel or the outdoor option of walking in Lullwater Preserve. Choose any or all Wednesdays to walk. This exercise is free.

2. Celebrate the rich connections between Eastern traditions and American poetry.

Come to the Jones Room in the Woodruff Library on March 7 at 6:30 p.m. to hear Emory faculty reading Buddhist poems in their original languages, including Japanese, Marathi, Sanskrit, Pali and Chinese. Students will then read Beat poetry in English responding to the Buddhist tradition. A reception will follow. The event, This Tank Full of Dreams: Buddhism, Poetry, and the Beats, is free and open to the public.

3. View some Scandal- ously pleasurable TV.

Emory Cinemathetique's Black Lives on the Small Screen film series features two episodes of the very popular series on Wednesday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m., followed by a discussion with professor Kristen Warner of the University of Alabama. See Season 1, Episode 1 "Sweet Baby" and Season 3, Episode 8 "Vermont is for Lovers, Too." The screenings take place in Room 208 of White Hall and are free and open to the public.

4. Get a grip on the impact of the new tax reform law.

Tax Day looms and though it wont kick in until next year, the new tax reform law will change how taxes are done. Emory alumnus Jodan Ledford will talk about the impact of tax reform, particularly as it will affect employee benefits. Ledford will speak on Tax Reform and Its Impact on Thursday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. in Williams Hall at Oxford College.

5. Strategize for some self-care via a convenient webinar format.

Caregiver Wellness: Take Time for Nutrition offers information on how to prioritize your physical health, which may take a back seat to demands of caring for older loved ones and/or children. Participants will learn strategies for nutritional self-care, such as tips for grocery shopping, meal planning and eating healthy on the go. The information is useful for anyone looking to improve their nutrition. The link for this webinar will be sent out to registrants the day before. The webinar is Wednesday, March 21, at noon; register by March 20.

6. Learn about the magic of cats and dogs.

The popular Divine Felines exhibition at the Michael C. Carlos Museum has inspired a lecture titled The Magic of Cats and Dogs. Learn from exhibition curator Melinda Hartwig about why they were so revered in ancient Egypt, their roles in religion and society and why the Egyptians considered them magical. The talk is Wednesday, March 21, at 7:30 p.m. in Ackerman Hall of the Carlos Museum.

7. Experiment at the Atlanta Science Festival.

A number of the events will be held on Emorys campus, and many are free but filling up fast, so sign up soon. Explore the scientific world through visual arts through the Science .Art.Wonder program on Friday, March 23. Meet artists and scientists on this walking tour exhibit on the Quadrangle from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will also be hands-on art and science activities. Its free and no registration is required.

You can then head over to the Atwood Chemistry Center, where Emorys cutting-edge research is translated into carnival games like Peptide Jenga and Bacterial Telepathy, complete with prizes. Plus, scientists will be on-site to explain the laboratory research hiding behind each fun game concept. Chemistry Carnival runs simultaneously with Science.Art.Wonder and is also free. And on the same day and time, the ever-popular Physics Live! will again feature giant soap bubbles and liquid nitrogen ice cream, among other treats, in the Math and Science Center.

8. Enjoy an evening of beautiful music.

Hear the Vega String Quartet perform quartets by Beethoven, Mendelssohn and the world premiere of Richard Priors Quartet No. 3. Prior holds the Edward Goodwin Scruggs Conducting Chair and is conductor of the Emory Symphony Orchestra and Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra. The free concert by Emorys international award-winning string quartet in residence will be Saturday, March 24, at 8 p.m. in Emerson Concert Hall, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts.

9. Fill your head with ideas, then your stomach with really good food.

The Emory University Earth Festival kicks off Earth Month (in April) with a showcase of sustainability-related student groups, Emory departments and Atlanta organizations. Its in Asbury Circle on Tuesday, March 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and its free. There will be interactive activities including the smoothie-blender bike and a spinning wheel for games.

The Office of Sustainability Initiatives is hosting a raffle for festival patrons who visit a certain number of tables with succulent plants as prizes, and a public recycled-art display and photo booth are also expected. Afterward, head over to the Emory Farmers Market, where with a little  make that a lot of  restraint, you can keep it to under $10.

10. Create a mandala sand painting.Story Highlights Percentage who would like to move is at record high

Colombia, among top desired destinations

Slight majority of adults under 30 say they want to move away

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Venezuelans are fleeing their country in droves amid the chaos in their government and their streets. More than four in 10 residents (41%) in 2017 said they would like to move to another country permanently if they could. This desire is higher than any figure Gallup has measured since 2008 for the country. Up until 2014, no more than 15% of Venezuelans expressed a desire to leave their country and live elsewhere.

Meanwhile, a small majority of Venezuelans say they would like to remain in their country.

These data were collected in the latter half of 2017, between August and November, as violence and hunger overcame the country. During this period, anti-government protesters raided a military base, taking weapons. Meanwhile, many families scavenged for food in garbage bags.

Gallup has tracked Venezuela's descent on a host of measures in recent years. Residents are suffering in their life evaluations, as they have lost a sense of security, faith in their government and the ability to afford food and get quality healthcare.

Venezuelans are likely shocked by the rapid, downward spiral their country experienced in just a matter of years; their country was a powerhouse in Latin America in the 1990s. But a decline in the price of oil, paired with questionable government decisions, sent the national economy into a tailspin -- and with it, residents' sense of stability. Now, many Venezuelans would like to leave the crisis behind them.

Where Would They Like to Go?

Of the residents who say they would like to move away, one in five (20%) say they would like to go to neighboring Colombia. By the end of 2017, Colombian immigration officials have counted more than a half million Venezuelan refugees who crossed the border.

Nearly as many, 17%, say they would like to move to the U.S. The current figure is a somewhat muted level of desire to move to the U.S. compared with the past few years. For those who do seek to move permanently to the U.S., this could prove tricky, however, as changes by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service's asylum application process may make it difficult for Venezuelans to seek asylum there.

Among Venezuelans who would like to move, about two in three (64%) name another Latin American country as a desired destination, including Colombia, Chile (12%), Panama (8%) and Ecuador (8%). Many of these countries have made accommodations for Venezuelans entering their country.

Six percent of those who would like to leave Venezuela say they would like to go to Spain.

Countries Where Venezuelans Would Like to Move, Among Those Who Say They Would Like to Move To which country would you like to move? Country they would like to move to % Colombia 20 United States 17 Chile 12 Panama 8 Ecuador 8 Spain 6 Figures only shown for countries with at least 6% of responses Gallup World Poll, 2017

Who Wants to Leave?

A slight majority of Venezuelans aged 15 to 29 (53%) say they would like to move to another country permanently. Meanwhile, roughly four in 10 adults in the 30 to 44 (44%) and the 45 to 54 age groups report wanting to leave the country.

Among citizens aged 55 and older, less than a quarter (22%) seek to leave the country.

Percentage of Venezuelans Who Desire to Leave, by Education and Age Would like to move to another country Would like to continue living in this country % % Age 15-29 53 46 30-44 44 52 45-54 38 62 55+ 22 78 Education Completed elementary education or less 27 72 Secondary education and some education beyond 47 51 Completed four years of education beyond high school or received college degree 39 59 Gallup World Poll, 2017

##SPEEDBUMP##

Bottom Line

The past several years have been incredibly difficult for Venezuelans. Questionable government decisions have led to a domino-effect crisis that continues to worsen, leaving residents unable to afford basic necessities such as food and housing, and without a sense of security as they walk their streets. Now, many believe they can find better lives elsewhere. And though residents who would like to move skew younger, sizable minorities of older Venezuelans seek to leave their native country as well.

Many have already left for neighboring Colombia, which remains the place most Venezuelans say they would like to go. But their second choice of the U.S. could be problematic given the substantial changes made at the U.S. federal level -- suggesting why the percentage who seek to go to the U.S. is down a bit compared with prior years.

With President Nicolas Maduro running for re-election this spring, a change in leadership could cause many Venezuelans to reconsider a potential move.Story Highlights Japan's favorable rating rises to 87%, among the highest for any nation

China's favorability, still recovering from the 1989 crackdown, climbs to 53%

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' positive views of Far Eastern powers Japan and China have climbed to landmark levels this year, with Japan's favorable rating reaching a new high and China's rising above 50% for the first time in almost three decades.

Eighty-seven percent now say they have a favorable view of Japan, slightly above last year's previous record-high favorable rating of 85%. Over the past 40 years, Gallup has asked the favorability question at least once about 44 different foreign countries. In that archive, only Australia, Great Britain and Canada have ever had a higher rating than Japan's 87% this year.

China's favorability has increased markedly over the past two years, with a majority (53%) now having a favorable view of China for the first time since early 1989. Last year, China's favorable rating rose to 50% from 44% during the previous two years.

Japan's Consistently High Favorability Keeps Rising

At least 80% of Americans have viewed Japan favorably in every year since 2005 -- except 2010, when the percentage dipped to 77%. That represents a vast improvement from the early 1990s, when Japan's favorable ratings dropped below 50% in five of six polls as Americans wrestled with fears that Japan's economy threatened the prosperity of the United States. Those fears receded in the second half of the decade as Americans regained confidence in their own economy, and since 1996, Japan's favorable ratings have been at or above 65%.

Americans' current positive attitudes toward Japan are widespread, as the vast majority of Americans over the past two years have had a favorable view of the country, regardless of age, gender, income, education or political views. Its rating stands at 90% or above with some groups, including men, those with annual household incomes of $75,000 or more, and those with college degrees.

Decades-Long Climb Brings China's Favorability Above 50%

Twice before in Gallup's four-decade trend have more than half of U.S. adults had a favorable opinion of China. In 1979, the United States established diplomatic relations with China, and in September of that year, 64% of Americans had a favorable view of the country. In early 1989, President George H.W. Bush visited China, and in polling conducted a week after the trip, 72% had a favorable view.

That number plunged to 34% later that year in the immediate aftermath of China's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters at Tiananmen Square, and it stayed below 40% in all but two of 12 polls over the next 11 years. China's favorable rating rose to 45% and remained in the 40s until last year.

Unlike Japan, which gets similar favorable ratings from Republicans and Democrats, China fares significantly better with Democrats than with Republicans. Over the past two years, 59% of Democrats have rated China favorably, compared with 42% of Republicans. Views also differ significantly by age, with 67% of those aged 18 to 34 holding a favorable view, compared with 54% of those 35 to 54 and 39% of those 55 and older.

##SPEEDBUMP##

Bottom Line

There have been numerous news stories over the past year about diplomatic tussles between the United States and China -- whether over trade, Taiwan, North Korea or any of several other issues. In spite of the tensions between the two nations, however, China's image among Americans continues to improve. Just as attitudes about Japan grew more positive as Americans became less wary of its economic power, so have positive views of China risen as fear of its economic power has declined.

Meanwhile, Japan has become one of Americans' most favored allies -- the only nation to garner favorable ratings of 80% or above that is neither European nor predominantly English-speaking.President Muhammadu Buhari during a stakeholders' meeting with representatives of ethnic groups and the Taraba State Government at the Taraba Government House in Jalingo on Monday, said more lives has been lost to the Taraba crisis than that of the killings in Benue and Zamfara states.





Buhari said he was in the state to condole with the people and government of Taraba State over the killings in the state, and called on the people to tolerate one another.





"Governor Darius Ishaku and I are here temporarily. We will go at the end of our tenure, but you are permanent with the people at the grass roots, so I charge you to go back and find ways of resolving the crises in your domains. Go and give your people justice for peace to reign.... As a President, I have sources of getting intelligence on happening across the country and so I should not be expected to always go out to the field to make noise and insult the sensibility of Nigerians before it would be known that I am taking actions against the killings"





"There were more killings in Mambilla than Benue and Zamfara states. I chose to visit Taraba first, but I will be going to Benue and Zamfara after I return from Ghana to also condole with the people," he said.





The President also called on the nation's security agencies to arrest and prosecution of any herdsman caught with arms.





While thanking the president for his visit, Taraba state governor, Darius Ishaku said the state has implemented an open grazing prohibition and ranches establishment law as part of the solutions to ending herdsmen and farmers clashes, as well as cattle rustling.





The president remarks on the killings has elicited reaction from some social cultural groups in the state who found fault in the presidents claim that more people were killed in the Mambilla plateau crisis than those of Benue and Zamfara states.





A representative of the Yangdang Cultural Association, Dr Afraid Kobiba, said he had in presentation to the President, highlighted that the crisis that happened in January 2018 saw 68 people were killed, while 15 were still missing in addition to other killings that had taken place in the state in the past.





Kobiba said, "I don't know where he got his facts from, but I think he was misinformed about the crisis in Taraba State."





President General of Tiv Cultural and Social Association, Chief Goodman Dahida, in his reaction, said the President's claim was unfortunate adding that dozens were killed in Adamawa and hundreds in Benue that did not attract the attention of the Presidency.





Dahida said, "The President just told Nigerians where he belongs and the people he belongs to. He is specific about Mambilla killings because his kinsmen were involved.





"In June last year, he sent his cronies to visit Mambilla because the Fulani were reportedly affected in the crisis. I think the President should grow pass ethnic favouritism and treat all Nigerians as one. Every life of Nigerian counts," he said.











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Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.Ningbo and the French city of Nice reach an agreement on the introduction of Nice Carnival on March 1. [Photo by Zhang Qiaonan/ Nouvelles d'Europe]

Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province signed an agreement on the introduction of Nice Carnival with Nice, a large city on the French Riviera on March 1.

The agreement guaranteed that Nice Carnival, one of the world's major carnival events, will be held in Ningbo this autumn. Artistic performances, colorful parades and concerts with French characteristics will be staged for the Chinese audience.

Meanwhile, March 3 has been chosen as "Ningbo Day" at the carnival by the mayor's office in Nice.

Around the event, the two cities are going to conduct extensive and in-depth exchanges and cooperation on culture and tourism.

The Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi said Ningbo and Nice share a lot of resemblances including the affluent port resources and active roles in China's Belt and Road Initiative, laying a good foundation for the bilateral relations.

Wan Yawei, head of Ningbo's publicity department attended the signing ceremony and delivered a speech. He said though the two cities have different cultures, religious beliefs and customs, they have something in common that is worth seeking.

Wan told Zhang Qiaonan, a reporter from the local Chinese-language newspaper Nouvelles d'Europe, that the Nice Carnival will be an important platform for the expansion of China-Europe ties.

He said Ningbo will sign a framework agreement with Nice. The introduction of the carnival is considered as a positive impetus to the collaboration between China and Europe, not only in the fields of culture and tourism, but also in economy, trade and education, according to Wan.

Ningbo held a promotion conference for its tourist resources on that day. Estrosi addressed the event, saying he hopes the local residents would get a better understanding of Ningbo and China. The year of 2018 is the China-EU Tourism Year and Nice is looking forward to more exchanges with Ningbo, the mayor said."When you truly embrace your spirit animal."



Nate Beckman

was this week's winner.



The winner's name will be put into a drawing for a free month subscription or extension.



Look for a new photo Monday.We have had an Airbnb on our farm for about a year and a half and almost every guest has commented on one particular aspect of their stay. Its not the comfortable beds or the wonderful sunsets they are mentioning. Lots of their comments say how much they liked our dog, Howie. Who wouldveAs doctors across Algeria continue their open strike to protest low wages and poor working conditions, a video showing surgeons conducting brain surgery using mobile phone lights after their hospital plunged into darkness has caused outrage, further igniting the wrath against a heavily subsidized yet underperforming health sector.

The video of doctors using lights of their mobile phones to complete the brain surgery went viral on social media. The operation took place in a hospital in the city of Bechar in south-western Algeria where a power cut threatened the life of a patient amid surgery had it not been for the mobile phone lights.

The incident caused outrage among Algerians who decried the deplorable conditions in health facilities in the country.

Many Algerians protested at the lack of emergency back-up power in case of electricity cut in the gas and oil rich country.

Since November, the independent workers association Collectif Autonome des Medecins Residents Algeriens (CAMRA) initiated weekly sit-ins at several hospitals across the country and even declared an open-ended strike in early January.

The government responded to the strike of doctors, pharmacists and medical students with police violence further igniting the protesters wrath against the governments un-held promises.A Moroccan delegation, led by Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, met UN Secretary-Generals Personal Envoy for the Sahara, Horst Kohler in Lisbon this Tuesday.

The Moroccan delegation comprises Moroccos Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Omar Hilale, President of the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region, Sidi Hamdi Ould Errachid, and President of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region Ynja Khattat.

The Moroccan Foreign Ministry had said in a statement announcing this meeting that Moroccos participation in the talks at the invitation of Kohler is part of a continuous cooperation with the United Nations to reach a final political solution to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.

Kohler invited the parties to the Sahara conflict after a series of talks with EU officials in Brussels as well as AU officials in Addis Ababa.

The United Nations opened negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario separatists in 2007, after Morocco presented an autonomy plan for the Sahara that the UN Security Council deemed as serious and credible. Several negotiation rounds were held since then, with the latest taking place outside of New York in 2012, but no progress was made.

Under the autonomy plan, the Saharan population shall have exclusive powers with regard to managing local affairs within the framework of Moroccos sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Polisario and its mentor Algeria discard the autonomy option as they continue to stick to obsolete positions reminiscent of the Cold War era leading to the perpetuation of the conflict and the prolonging of the suffering of the Saharan population held in the Polisario-run camps in southwestern Algeria.

Morocco insists that Algeria is the real adversary of its territorial integrity and the perpetuator of the Sahara dispute through its generous military, financial and diplomatic support for the separatist Polisario front.

Algeria continues to fund and support diplomatically and militarily the Polisario militias which it hosts in the region of Tindouf since the 1970s. The Polisario have been using Algerian territories as a rear base for their guerrilla warfare against Morocco until the UN-brokered ceasefire agreement in 1991.The Israeli prime minister reached for superlatives upon his visit with his buddy the POTUS. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Its hardly surprising that on arriving in Washington, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu would feel grateful toward his host, the president of the United States. After all, Bibis in hot water back home thanks to a corruption investigation that may soon bear evil fruit for the longtime leader of the Israeli right. His biggest, er, trump card both domestically and internationally is his close relationship with the leader of the free world. And that relationship was significantly enhanced by the Trump administrations decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, at the cost of wildly negative reactions from most of the rest of the world.

But still, Netanyahus shout-out to Trump in Washington today was more than a bit over-the-top.

I want to tell you that the Jewish people have a long memory. So we remember the proclamation of the great King Cyrus the Great  Persian King. Twenty-five hundred years ago, he proclaimed that the Jewish exiles in Babylon can come back and rebuild our temple in Jerusalem. We remember, 100 years ago, Lord Balfour, who issued the Balfour Proclamation that recognized the rights of the Jewish people in our ancestral homeland.

We remember seventy years ago, President Harry S. Truman was the first leader to recognize the Jewish state. And we remember how a few weeks ago, President Donald J. Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital. Mr. President, this will be remembered by our people throughout the ages. And as you just said, others talked about it. You did it.

Given Donald Trumps extremely well-known weakness for flattery and, indeed, sycophantic adulation, Netanyahus comparison of Trump to the greatest Anglo-American heroes (Balfour and Truman) of Zionist history made sense. But its the Cyrus comparison that was really clever.

As Tara Isabella Burton explained before Bibi made this statement, Trump-as-Cyrus is the prevailing U.S. Christian right rationalization about their support for him:

The comparison comes up frequently in the evangelical world. Many evangelical speakers and media outlets compare Trump to Cyrus, a historical Persian king who, in the sixth century BCE, conquered Babylon and ended the Babylonian captivity, a period during which Israelites had been forcibly resettled in exile. This allowed Jews to return to the area now known as Israel and build a temple in Jerusalem.

The Cyrus model for Trump has become more prominent after Trumps announcement that the U.S. embassy would be moved to Jerusalem.

While Cyrus is not Jewish and does not worship the God of Israel, he is nevertheless portrayed in Isaiah as an instrument of God  an unwitting conduit through which God effects his divine plan for history. Cyrus is, therefore, the archetype of the unlikely vessel: someone God has chosen for an important historical purpose, despite not looking like  or having the religious character of  an obvious man of God.

For conservative Evangelicals who are already inclined to view Trump as a virtuous pagan who is fighting against feminists, LGBTQ activists, and other liberals to bring back the 1950s, having the Israeli leader they already identify with their apocalyptic hopes for Israel confirm Trumps religio-historical importance is huge.

So this was quite the favor Bibi did for his friend in the White House. And it didnt hurt that Donald Trump lacks the sense of modesty that would make him blush at comparisons to world-historical figures from across the ages.Sam Nunberg. Photo: MSNBC

Onetime Trump campaign aide Sam Nunberg called into several cable-news shows and spoke to multiple newspaper reporters Monday to announce  for reasons unclear  that he would prefer to be arrested than testify on Friday before a grand jury assembled by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Then after a string of bizarre appearances, Nunberg suggested he might be willing to cooperate after all.

The Nunberg drama started with a Washington Post interview in which he invited Mueller to arrest him. Next he called in to MSNBCs Katy Tur, where he made a number of breathtaking statements.

Because this interview was so bonkers between @KatyTurNBC and Sam Nunberg, I'm coming out of transcription retirement.



Nunberg: "What does Bob Muller need to see my e-mails when I send Roger and Steve clips and we talk about how much we hate people?" pic.twitter.com/oosDvI1lB5  Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) March 5, 2018

I was thinking about this today, Katy, I was preparing it. Should I spend 50 hours going over all my emails with Roger [Stone] and Steve Bannon? And then they wanted emails that I had with Hope Hicks, with Corey Lewandowski. Are you giving me a break? Its ridiculous.

Nunberg forwarded news outlets what appeared to be an email from Muellers office and part of his grand-jury subpoena, which directs him to provide all documents related to President Trump and nine of his associates  Stone, Hicks, Lewandowski, Carter Page, Keith Schiller, Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, and Steve Bannon.

Nunberg also said that it was the biggest joke that Trump himself had colluded with Russia.

The Russians and Trump did not collude, Nunberg told the Post. Putin is too smart to collude with Donald Trump.

Yet when Tur asked him if Muellers team had anything on the president, Nunberg said, I think they may. I think that he may have done something during the election. But I dont know that for sure.

An exasperated, often unhinged-sounding Nunberg repeatedly said that he was no fan of Trump, who fired him from the 2016 campaign after a series of Nunbergs racist Facebook posts came to light. He holds particularly bitter feelings toward Corey Lewandowski, whom he has accused of orchestrating his firing.

After the Tur interview, Nunberg, who, it should be noted, has a reputation for making things up, called Jake Tapper at CNN and gave a similarly loopy performance.

In the course of that interview, Nunberg claimed that Trump may have very well done something during the election with the Russians, that Carter Page colluded with the Russians, and that President Trump knew about the infamous June 9, 2016, Trump Tower meeting in advance (Nunberg later claimed he was referring to Trump publicly promising that more Clinton dirt was coming, two days before the Trump Tower meeting). He also spoke casually of an affair between Hope Hicks and Lewandowski.

Im not cooperating with Mueller, he told Tapper. Arrest me.

Tapper attempted to give Nunberg some advice on that subject toward the end, but he didnt seem to be in the mood:

Nunberg: "Do you think I should cooperate?" @JakeTapper: "If it were me, I would." https://t.co/QBKkHJEb7Y  Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 5, 2018

In any case, Nunberg wasnt done with his media blitz. He proceeded to call Spectrum News NY1 and call Sarah Huckabee Sanders a fat slob.

Meltdown complete. Here's Nunberg calling White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders a "joke" and a "fat slob." Jesus. pic.twitter.com/BhVhGWvgqo  Andrew Kirell (@AndrewKirell) March 5, 2018

After the Daily Beast reported that three close friends of Nunbergs worried that he had been drinking before his television appearances, Erin Burnett confronted him about his sobriety on-air.

OOF -- After @ErinBurnett confronts Nunberg about smelling like booze, he denies that he's been drinking, says only thing he's on is anti-depressants. pic.twitter.com/eOsFQpDlAm  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 6, 2018

The White House tried to downplay Nunbergs significance, and reiterated that there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. He hasnt worked at the White House, so I certainly cant speak to him or the lack of knowledge that he clearly has, said Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

And Donald Trump Jr. liked the idea that the media was to blame:

DonaldJTrumpJr liked this tweet: https://t.co/St04KIYb9L  Trump Alert (@TrumpsAlert) March 6, 2018

In a fitting end to the absurd debacle, Nunberg told the Associated Press on Monday night that hed probably find a way to comply with the special counsels requests after all. Im going to end up cooperating with them, he said.

This post was updated to include additional media appearances by Nunberg.North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un shaking hands with South Korean chief delegator Chung Eui-yong. Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images

Even as the president got into a button-measuring contest with Kim Jong-un  and petty insults laced with threats of nuclear annihilation bounced back and forth between the two leaders  the White House insisted that direct talks with Pyongyang would do more harm than good. The United States simply could not engage North Korea diplomatically unless the regime announced that it was prepared to discuss denuclearization, and took some action that signaled its sincerity.

North Korea has now met both those conditions. Or, so South Korea says.

Hoping to build on the goodwill established during the Winter Olympic Games, South Korean president Moon Jae-in sent diplomatic envoys to Pyongyang for talks with the Kim regime this week. They came back bearing olive branches.

The North Korean side clearly stated its willingness to denuclearize, the envoys said in a statement Tuesday. It made it clear that it would have no reason to keep nuclear weapons if the military threat to the North was eliminated and its security guaranteed.

The North expressed its willingness to hold a heartfelt dialogue with the United States on the issues of denuclearization and normalizing relations with the United States, the statement continued. It made it clear that while dialogue is continuing, it will not attempt any strategic provocations, such as nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

So: According to Seoul, North Korea has put denuclearization on the table  and offered to cease its nuclear and ballistic missile tests, in a demonstration of its sincerity.

As of this writing, the Kim regime has yet to corroborate this statement, and the Trump administration has yet to issue any formal response.

Nonetheless, South Korea plans to pursue to peace talks, with or without the United States. During this weeks talks, Pyongyang and Seoul scheduled a face-to-face summit between Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in for late April. That meeting would be held in Panmunjom, the truce village that straddles the border between North and South.

Even if North Korea does confirm its reported offer, theres plenty of reason for the U.S. to view it skeptically. If Pyongyang were eager to forfeit its nuclear arsenal in exchange for a security guarantee from the United States, such a deal could have been made long ago. On the other hand, North Korea has good reason to take Washingtons offer of a security guarantee with several grains of salt. After all, Muammar Qaddafi took the U.S. up on its denuclearization for security deal in 2003  only to be tortured and killed eight years later by rebels whom the U.S. government had backed. More recently, President Trumps handling of the Iran nuclear agreement has given Pyongyang good cause to distrust Washingtons word.

Regardless, tense diplomatic talks are surely preferable to nuclear brinksmanship. North Korea is ostensibly ready to at least feign openness to Americas preconditions. Given the absence of a credible military alternative that doesnt involve hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties, its hard to see why Washington wouldnt come to the table.

Then again, its also hard to see why the Trump administration still hasnt bothered to appoint an ambassador to South Korea.Photo-Illustration: Daily Intelligencer; Photos: Charlie Neibergall/AP, Oscar White/Corbis

While many public figures are complex, dynamic, and riven by cross-pressures, Paul Ryan is simple to understand. He was inculcated at a young age with the works of theorists like Ayn Rand, George Gilder, and Jude Wanniski, all of whom share a belief that the core mission of political life is to protect the earned wealth of the rich from political redistribution by the masses. Cutting taxes for the wealthy is not some minor pecuniary errand to Ryan but a defense of liberty and a moral calling of the highest order.

The main oddity of Ryans career is how poorly he is understood, despite the simplicity of the task. Reporters spent the Obama era expecting him to support a bipartisan grand compromise that would reduce the deficit. They have spent the Trump era wondering why he hasnt rebelled against the president. The straightforward explanation, that he is acting on the basis of his anti-tax principles, has proven oddly elusive.

The latest missive in the grand tradition of failing to understand Ryan comes from the New York Times, which puzzles over his passivity toward Trump. Compare the various theories straining to explain Ryans behavior here against the simple model that he is motivated primarily by low taxes for the rich.

On the one hand, the article quotes a supporter of Ryan, Peter Wehner, who sees Ryans support of Trump as something he has somehow been coerced into. I bold-faced the key terms:

To supporters like Mr. Wehner, Mr. Ryans approach is pure pragmatism and smart politics. Facing a divided Republican conference and a mercurial president of his party, they say, he has little choice but to curb some of his own instincts, work behind the scenes and steer Mr. Trump gently. He also must guide House Republicans into a very difficult midterm election campaign, where his main job is to ensure that vulnerable members get re-elected.

Little choice? Must? Of course Ryan has a choice. He has a wide array of options to express his opposition to Trump, if he indeed felt such a calling. He could allow a vote to release Trumps tax returns. He could have heeded the requests of Senate Republicans or Department of Justice professionals to call off the absurd partisan counter-investigation Devin Nunes is running in his chamber. He could even risk resigning, given the widespread belief that Ryan has no plans to continue his public career past this term. But Ryan doesnt do those things because he is motivated primarily by low taxes for the rich.

Counterposed against Wehners belief that Ryan is justifiably compromising his values to support Trump is the opinion by former supporter Charlie Sykes that Ryan is infuriatingly compromising his values to support Trump. I always imagined that there was room for an alternative conservative vision to Trumpism, and Paul Ryan was ideally suited to be that leader of a non-Trumpist conservative Republican Party, but hes chosen not to assume that role, Sykes tells the Times. Its very disappointing to see hes become so comfortable as an ally and an enabler of Trump. Alternatively, maybe Ryan doesnt want to form a dissident faction against a president who has cut taxes for the rich because he is motivated primarily by low taxes for the rich.

The article posits that Ryans steady support for Trump is coming at the expense of things Ryan cares about deeply:

There are consequences to Mr. Ryans low-key style. Big issues like immigration are languishing with no resolution in sight. Causes that were once Mr. Ryans signature fights  an exploding budget deficit, soaring Medicare and Social Security spending and an entrenched welfare state  are on nobodys must-do list. Even Mr. Boehner, never viewed as a policymaking powerhouse, at least tried to negotiate a grand bargain with the White House that was to slow entitlement spending, cut other parts of the government and raise revenue to balance the budget.

Well, it might seem strange that Ryan has failed to negotiate a grand bargain to cut spending and raise revenue, like Boehner attempted. Except Ryan doesnt care about the deficit and never has, which is why he supported a wide array of deficit-increasing measures the last time Republicans held the presidency, under George W. Bush. For instance, why did Boehners grand bargain fail? Because Paul Ryan opposed it. And why did Ryan oppose it? Because he is motivated primarily by low taxes for the rich.

Heres a news report from 2012: Eric Cantor, the second most powerful House Republican, told Mr. Obama during negotiations over an attempted bipartisan grand bargain that Mr. Ryan disliked its policy and was concerned that a deal would pave the way for Mr. Obamas easy re-election. My source is the New York Times.

The Times today does concede that Ryan has gotten something for his support for Trump: To be sure, Mr. Ryan has had some achievements, notably the rewrite of the federal tax code, which for the speaker marked the realization of a long-held dream. Maybe  thats the whole reason for his pattern of behavior throughout his career. Maybe the man is, I dunno, motivated primarily by low taxes for the rich.Deeply concerned, except this time for real. Photo: Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

Paul Ryan has been fine with President Trumps steamrolling of political norms, naked corruption, and hatred of the basic rule of law. But apparently the House Speaker hits his limit when the president starts threatening the stock market.

President Trumps plan for harsh new steel and aluminum tariffs, expected to be finalized later this week, drew fire from Ryan on Monday.

Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong issued a statement:

We are extremely worried about the consequences of a trade war and are urging the White House to not advance with this plan. The new tax reform law has boosted the economy and we certainly dont want to jeopardize those gains.

The Washington Post reported that members of the House Ways and Means Committee were also circulating a letter expressing their opposition to the tariffs.

Several GOP lawmakers had expressed their contempt for the policy when Trump announced it last week.

And Congress is even considering  gasp  attempting to rein in the president, the Post reports. While Trump does have the authority to issue tariffs, Business Insiders Josh Barro writes that Congress could simply pass a new law stripping him of that power, then try to override his veto. (It seems doubtful the current set of lawmakers would have the stomach for this move.)

On Monday morning, Trump tweeted that Canada and Mexico would only be exempt from the tariffs, which consist of a 25 percent tax on steel imports and a 10 percent tax on aluminum imports, if they take Trump-friendly steps on NAFTA and drug trafficking.

The tariffs, like Trumps threats to blow up NAFTA, are poised to hurt voters in red-state Trump strongholds, as well as the superrich GOP donor class and  everyone else.

But one of the presidents few core political convictions is the notion that the United States is getting taken advantage of on trade. Trump has been railing about this dynamic for decades, and on Monday he showed no sign of backing down from his hard-line stance. As he met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said: Our country on trade has been ripped off by virtually every country in the world, whether its friend or enemy.

He also said the tariffs were 100 percent happening.Nunberg wasnt finished. Photo: Peter Foley/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

At 11:30 on Monday night, Sam Nunberg returned a call from New York. Usually easy to get ahold of, Nunberg had been tied up for hours, busy creating absolute mayhem of a variety not enjoyed by American media consumers since the brief era of Anthony Scaramucci. Hed spent the day mostly on television, making news with explosive comments about his former boss, President Donald Trump, and Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who has subpoenaed him as part of his investigation into Trump, Russia, and the 2016 election. It all began when Nunberg invited Mueller to arrest him during an interview with the Washington Post. Im not going to cooperate! he insisted during a nearly 20-minute on-air talk with MSNBCs Katy Tur, reiterating those sentiments in interviews with Bloomberg News, CNN, NY1, Vox, and Yahoo News. But close to midnight, he seemed to have a change of heart. He told New York, Of course, Im going to cooperate!

Mondays events were a glimpse at what mightve been had Trump not fired Nunberg in August 2015, two months into his presidential campaign, after it was reported that seven years earlier, hed posted several racist comments on Facebook. Trump had fired him twice previously, but quickly rehired him each time. Nunberg maintains that his final firing was the result of infighting, and hes held a grudge against Corey Lewandowski, Trumps campaign manager at the time, ever since.

Nunberg was a political adviser to Trump for the handful of years before the campaign, a relatively placid time when Trump had few such people in his orbit  besides Nunberg, there was Nunbergs mentor, Roger Stone  and when the safe bet seemed to be that the reality-TV star would never actually run for office. I met Nunberg during that period, in 2014. He arranged for me to interview Trump, which was then as easy as getting a recommendation from a single adviser, dialing into the Trump Organization, and enduring a brief hold as a secretary connected you. Nunberg was then as he is now: a colorful character prone to fits of unpredictability and episodes of utter boneheadedness. But unlike some of the figures who have surrounded the president  or surround him still  theres an honesty to Nunberg, which emerges in a willingness to admit when hes screwed up, or apologize, or see himself and his place in the hierarchy of Trump World as it really is. His conversation with New York has been condensed for clarity, though you may still be confused at times, as I am.

On the record, what made you do this today?

Because I didnt wanna spend 80 hours going over emails and sending them news clippings that I send Steve Bannon and Roger Stone. And Im also not interested in any kind of case theyre trying to start against Roger, and I think that they dont like Roger and they want to go after him, and Im not gonna be a part of it.

And by the way, Ive been very clear about this: they can take down Trump! I dont care! Take him down! Take him down!

Have they reached out to Stone yet about doing an interview?

Not as far as I know, and I didnt coordinate this with Roger.

And you got your subpoena today?

No! You know what pissed me off? And this is something you should report: after I was in there for six hours, and I paid for an attorney and we paid to go down there, they then sent me this on Friday and wanted it by 3 p.m. today. Thats why I started calling around and saying Im not giving them shit.

Why do you believe you were subpoenaed?

Because thats the way theyre gonna operate. By the way, if they have something on Trump, take him down! I dont care!

Have you heard from Trump today?

No. He started having Sarah Huckabee Sanders go around. [Audio cuts out, but Nunberg believes the White House was promoting talking points accusing him of substance abuse.] And once again, I would say, she should really shut her fat mouth if she wants to talk crap about me. Im not the one who has a presidential candidate who has a 33 percent approval rating, she does. Shes terrible.

When you were asked that question on the air  were you drinking, or are you okay  were you offended?

Was I offended by it? You know what I was offended by was that Erin Burnett begged me to go on her show, and I think that Erin Burnett asked that question because earlier in the interview, I said Sarah Huckabee [Sanders] should shut her fat mouth. I wasnt talking about how Sarah is fat, I was talking about how shes a big mouth. And I would really suggest she stops talking about me and Roger.

Didnt you call Sarah Huckabee Sanders a slob?

Yeah, I called her a slob. She is a slob!

What does that mean? Like, Trump called Steve Bannon Sloppy Steve  what does that mean?

Steve got Trumps fat ass elected. Trump wouldve lost by 15 points had Steve not gotten involved in the campaign.

Wait, wait  what does slob mean in this case? Like, why is Sarah Huckabee Sanders a slob?

Because she does Trumps dirty business.

I see, so youre not making a judgment about her appearance, youre talking about her personality?

Yeah, Im not making a judgment about her terrible appearance, because that would be very rude and not politically correct. Why would I want to do that? Did I sound drunk? I think that I was just more of myself in these interviews than Ive ever been. Thats what I think it was.

You were just on TV nonstop today after Katy Tur?

Yeah. You know what I loved? I got phoners.

Thats like classic Trump, right?

Right, I was treated like the Sam Champ.

So, what do you think happens next with Mueller?

Nothing! Im gonna cooperate!

Then why did you say youd rip up the subpoena?

Heres what I really didnt like: I dont think its fair for them to ask me for every email communication Ive ever had with Steve Bannon and Roger Stone. And heres the other thing I wanted to use this opportunity for: was to make it very clear to Trump, to the president, that he screwed me over.

You mean by going out there and saying that you dont care if he gets taken down?

Right. I wanted to make it very clear it was inexcusable to me the way that I was treated. Be very fair on this: I worked for him when he was a joke. They can all talk crap about me all they want, they can talk crap about Roger. But heres a fact: Roger and I came up with the special sauce, okay? Just because we didnt go around with Corey and Hope [Hicks] did, Hopes big claim to fame, that they went to those stupid rallies, boo-hoo-hoo. Boo-hoo-hoo! And Ill tell you something, Trump listened to me more after I left.

Did you start talking to him more after August 2015?

No, I didnt! He listened to me more after I left because he started reviewing the stuff I gave him. And when I go in there to a questioning and I can tell that Lewandowski was talking shit about Roger and me? Okay, fine, lets do it! You know what Mr. President? Lets do it. You love Corey? Lets do it. And, you know, Trump will have a bigger problem with me than he will with Roger, because Roger lets him off the hook. Roger and I have a big disagreement, as I said on TV. The disagreement is Roger blames Corey for everything. My issue is Trump let Corey do everything to us. And Coreys a scumbag lowlife, by the way, whos a thief.

[Stone disputed Nunbergs assessment. I resigned. It was my decision. I was far more effective on Trumps behalf outside the campaign. Perhaps youve heard of the Stop the Steal effort or Danney Williams  or The Clintons War on Women? he told New York. I have no animus towards the president but none of these things would have been possible if I had remained in the confines of the campaign.]

When was the last time that you talked to Trump?

Ive not talked to him for a very long time, and Im not gonna talk to him for a very long time after what he did to Steve. Its inexcusable to me. You know what, thats where Roger and I have a big disagreement, too. Trump would not have won that election without Steve. Not with his stupid-ass son-in-law. You know what Trumps falling is gonna be? Trumps falling is gonna be that Trump is loyal and wont do anything to his stupid-ass son-in-law, who, by the way, is a thief that stole money from him.

But 

I wanna know! Heres what I wanna know! And I think in the interest of transparency we should know what Brad Parscale took from the 2016 campaign and if he gave any money to Jared Kushner. [Parscale was the 2016 campaigns digital media director, and was just hired to manage Trumps reelection bid.] I just wanna know it! Maybe Im wrong! Who knows.

When you say that you havent spoken to Trump in a very long time, do you mean, like, weeks, months?

Months.

How many months?

Uh, I dont wanna get into it.

Did he call you the last time that you spoke?

Yes, he called me.

Was it at night?

Yeah, it was at night.

What was it about?

Im not gonna get into it. I think it would hurt me with my thing with Mueller. Im not getting into it.

So what does your lawyer think about all this?

I dont know, I havent spoken to him today. Hes probably not happy.

[Nunberg excused himself to accept another call and then called back at 12:55 a.m.]

When you sat down with Mueller, was it contentious?

Not at all! Once again, heres what pissed me off, and I think I explained this to you before, Im repeating myself: but what really pissed me off is they called me up, I went in, I met with them, and then they give me a subpoena and tell me I have to answer it by 3 p.m. today and they want me back on Friday for grand jury testimony? To start a circumstantial case against Roger Stone? Whether Roger likes me or not, whatever Roger says about me  I think he does like me. As I said, hes my mentor. He trained me. Im not going to help them set up a case against him. I think they dont like him.

Why do you believe theyre setting up a case against him?

Because of the questions I got. I think it was inappropriate when they asked me, do I know what business Roger Stone does, who are his clients?

I want you to tell me, but are you allowed to talk about the questions that they ask you in public?

If I decide to. I didnt get dumped by my lawyer today, so Im happy about that.

Has your lawyer called you like a million times today?

No, he didnt, hes just like, are you getting it out of your system? During the day, I got a text.

Besides asking about Stones clients, what else did they ask about?

I dont know, its a longer conversation. Its one in the morning, can I go to sleep?Thad Cochran finally hangs it up, leaving a very unsettled political situation in Mississippi. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

Its hardly a big surprise that the very senior U.S. senator from Mississippi, Thad Cochran, has announced his resignation from the Upper Chamber, effective April 1, after 40 years in the Senate and 46 years in Congress. Hes been in shaky physical and psychological health for a good while now, and may have been postponing his retirement to get another cycle of federal spending under his belt as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Cochran (or his handlers) may, however, have also been playing some Mississippi politics, delaying the announcement until after the March 1 qualifying deadline for the 2018 elections. That forced Cochrans political nemesis, Chris McDaniel, to declare for an uphill primary challenge to Senator Roger Wicker, instead of becoming an instant front-runner in a special election to succeed the old guy he nearly defenestrated in 2014.

Whatever his motives, Cochran has put his political ally Governor Phil Bryant firmly into the catbird seat with respect to his soon-to-be vacant Senate seat. Bryant will appoint an interim senator until November. Likely prospects include Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves (whose elevation would let Bryant choose the front-runner to become his own successor in 2019) and Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann. And McDaniel could well abandon his race against Wicker to parachute into the special election.

At this point theres no smart money supporting the idea that a Democrat could become competitive in either 2018 race in this bright-red state. But neither did it seem likely when Jeff Sessions resigned his Alabama Senate seat to become attorney general.

The November 6 special election for this seat will be a nonpartisan contest with a majority required for victory, which will likely mean a low-turnout runoff later on featuring a Republican and a Democrat. Almost anything could happen.Higher primary voting for Democrats probably indicates higher enthusiasm at this point, but its a long way to November. Photo: Jessica McGowan/Getty Images

The first regular statewide primary election of this midterm year occurs today in Texas. And when the results pour in tonight, youll probably hear a lot about relatively high Democratic turnout, if early voting patterns (the Democratic early vote more than doubled since the last midterm in 2014) are any indication of whats ahead.

There are several reasons for the focus on Democratic turnout in this primary. For one thing, its the one clear story line thats likely to be available. Texas is a state that requires a majority vote for party nominations, so a lot of the competitive primaries wont have winners tonight, but instead will produce finalists for a May 22 runoff. For another, Texas (like Georgia and Arizona) is widely perceived as a strongly Republican state whose demographics are slowly but surely driving it toward a more competitive posture. In 2016, Donald Trumps margin of victory in the Lone Star State (9.2 percent) was lower than in Iowa (9.6 percent). The more optimistic Democrats see 2018 as a year when that great gettin up morning of parity with Republicans could arrive ahead of schedule. And finally, the buzz over the primaries reflects a reality that Texas has in common with other states around the country: an abundance of Democratic candidates, particularly in suburban congressional districts with vulnerable incumbents. More primary candidates tend to produce more primary votes.

The more difficult question is whether high levels of primary voters have any reliable predictive value for the general election. Data journalist Nate Cohn takes on that question today, and concludes that, well, its complicated, and may depend on the particular state or district, and most definitely on whether presidential primaries are involved. But in general, a primary surge is a good thing:

Nonpresidential primaries are relatively low-turnout affairs that provide a clue about which sides base is more engaged. Thats extremely important in midterm elections.

Indeed, a regular primary surge is probably more significant than the kind of special election boosts in Democratic turnout weve seen in 2017 and 2018, where turnout is normally very low. And thats particularly true if Democrats are suddenly attracting a lot of votes in areas normally dominated by Republicans, like upscale suburbs:

In Texas, Republicans are counting on the states G.O.P. tradition to insulate them from Mr. Trumps unpopularity. Thats especially true in well-educated, suburban districts like Texas Seventh or 32nd District, where Mr. Trump lost but Republicans traditionally have a 2-to-1 edge in the primary vote. In theory, that kind of Republican tradition should be a meaningful drag on Democratic chances compared with the typical area where Mr. Trump was defeated.

Strong Democratic showing in a partisan primary in Texas would indicate that Republicans cant count on vestigial partisan strength to insulate them from Mr. Trumps distinct weakness among college-educated voters.

Thats another way of saying that Trump could be helping turn red areas blue. We wont know for sure until November. Texas is a state with no registration by party, so the composition of the primary vote for either party can be fluid. But for suburban swing voters, the experience of voting for a Democratic candidate could be habit-forming, at least so long as the 45th president is in office. And along with energized Democratic partisans, they could form a powerful coalition, even in Texas.President Trump confused by too many Koreas. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Saturday night, in the middle of a comic speech at the Gridiron Club, President Trump wandered into a completely serious riff about North Korea. It was headed for disaster and now were talking, he announced. They, by the way, called up a couple of days ago; they said, We would like to talk, Trump said. And I said, So would we, but you have to denuke.

The claim that Trump had spoken with North Korea confounded foreign policy observers. It was not clear whether Trump was describing a direct conversation or messages sent through diplomatic channels, reported the Washington Post.

The answer turns out to be: neither. Trump was describing a conversation with South Korea. An official from the National Security Council tells Yonhap News Agency, a South Korean publication, that Trump was referring to his March 1 phone call with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. So Trump was close, geographically, but instead of describing a breakthrough exchange with the totalitarian enemy that is developing nukes and threatening to kill us, he was describing the democratic ally that has no nukes and is trying not to be killed.

Trump was right that it was a Korea, but he had the wrong one. There are so many Koreas these days, it is hard to keep track.Michael Cohen, the real-life Barry Zuckerkorn. Photo: BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images

It appears President Trump may have dodged the consequences of one shady habit, conducting extramarital affairs, by indulging in another unscrupulous habit: refusing to pay his employees.

Last month Michael Cohen, President Trumps longtime personal lawyer, released a statement that seemed to suggest he paid Stephanie Clifford  a.k.a. Stormy Daniels, the porn star who claimed she had an affair with Trump  $130,000 of his own money right before the 2016 election. Supposedly, it had nothing to do with his boss.

Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly, Cohen said.

A Wall Street Journal report released on Monday suggests its possible Cohen wasnt reimbursed for the payment  but not for lack of trying:

Mr. Cohen said he missed two deadlines earlier that month to make the $130,000 payment to Ms. Clifford because he couldnt reach Mr. Trump in the hectic final days of the presidential campaign, the person said.

Ms. Clifford was owed the money in return for signing an agreement that bars her from discussing an alleged sexual encounter with Mr. Trump in 2006, people familiar with the matter said.

After Mr. Trumps victory, Mr. Cohen complained to friends that he had yet to be reimbursed for the payment to Ms. Clifford, the people said.

In his carefully worded statement, Cohen said he used his own money to facilitate the payment to Clifford, and records show he set up an LLC in Delaware on October 17, 2016, to make the payment to her attorney. While Cohen noted that he was not reimbursed by Trumps business or campaign, he did not rule out the possibility that he was reimbursed by Trump personally.

The Journal also reported on Tuesday that First Republic Bank flagged Cohens transaction as suspicious and reported it to the Treasury Department. Its not clear when that occurred, but it was previously reported that the bank used by Cliffords attorney, City National Bank in Los Angeles, launched it own internal inquiry in September 2017. The year-long lag is unusual, and suggests that the bank may have received more information about the transaction  possibly a subpoena or a visit from regulators. Special Counsel Robert Muellers team would not comment on whether it prompted the inquiry.

Cohen and Trump might have violated the law even if Cohen was just acting on his bosses presumed wishes, and still hasnt been reimbursed. Mueller probe aside, Cohens payment could be seen as an illegal campaign donation if his intent was to shield Trump from the political fallout of a porn star going public with her tawdry tale of spanking and Shark Week viewings just before Election Day. Theres no limit on what candidates can donate to their own campaign, but if Trump eventually paid Cohen back, he might have violated campaign-finance laws by failing to report it.

Experts say, however, that its unlikely Trump and Cohen would see serious penalties for the crime. (Former senator John Edwards was tried on similar crimes, but the jury was deadlocked on most charges.) On the other hand, the presidents attorney seems almost determined to make the situation worse.Oklahoma teachers havent had a pay raise in a decade. Photo: Sue Ogrocki/AP/REX/Shutterstock

With the tentative approval of a pay raise deal by the West Virginia legislature that will likely end that states nine-day teachers strike, the next front on the labor battle shifts to Oklahoma, where teachers are similarly aggrieved and seriously considering a walkout at some point in the next few weeks.

Oklahomas teachers actually rank lower than West Virginias in average pay; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Sooner State is dead last. As in West Virginia, teachers are leaving the state  or in some cases commuting from Oklahoma across state lines  in alarming numbers, producing widespread vacancies.

Dozens of Oklahoma schools, particularly near the Texas and Arkansas borders, have also cut back to four days of school a week to cut costs but also to better compete for teachers who might be interested in having three-day weekends.

Larry Cagle, 54, who teaches an Advanced Placement course at Edison Preparatory School in Tulsa, said he makes $34,500 a year to work at one of the best schools in the state  less than he could make at a nearby QuikTrip gas station.

As New Yorks Eric Levitz explained recently in a piece on Democratic special election wins in Oklahoma, Republican governor Mary Fallin embarked on a supply-side tax-cutting experiment in Oklahoma similar to that undertaken in neighboring Kansas by Governor Sam Brownback, with similar results: a chronic fiscal crisis that led to particularly poor funding for public education. Fallin is term-limited this year, but she is currently the second-most-unpopular governor in America, with an approval ratio of 28/61 (according to Morning Consult). So pressure for reversing her fiscal policies is pretty intense, particularly among those who care about school quality as an important asset in economic development.

But securing revenues to fund higher pay for teachers has been a problem in the GOP-controlled legislature, where a supermajority is required to raise taxes. In 2016, voters had the chance to fund a $5,000 pay boost for every teacher via a one-cent increase in the state sales tax, but rejected the ballot initiative by nearly a three-to-two margin amid arguments about which tax source was most appropriate for funding education.

So when the Oklahoma House failed to pass a bill earlier this week that would have raised oil and tobacco taxes to fund a $5,000 pay raise, fed-up teachers began to mobilize, and the West Virginia strike and its apparent success may provide the impetus to go ahead with similar actions. Teachers in Tulsa (supported by their superintendent and school board) are talking about a work slowdown as early as next week. But a statewide walkout seems increasingly likely, according to the Tulsa World:

A variety of proposals for how to go about a teacher walkout or statewide school shutdown are still under consideration by various groups of teachers and school district leaders around the state. Two ideas circulating widely on newly formed social media groups are for teachers not to return from spring break, which is March 19-23, or not show up for work on April 2 

The Oklahoma Education Association [the NEA affiliate in the state] announced Monday that it would be putting forth a detailed revenue package and statewide school closure strategy at a news conference at 1 p.m. Thursday in Oklahoma City.

Theres precedent for a teachers strike in the state; it happened in 1990, and produced a bill in the legislature that both raised pay and provided more state money for education generally. A lot of Oklahoma teachers believe its time to confront balky lawmakers again.Marcus Hutchins was still recovering from the night before as he settled into a lounge at the Las Vegas airport one afternoon this past August. Hutchins, a 23-year-old cybersecurity researcher, had come from his home in rural England in part to attend DefCon, the worlds biggest computer-hacking conference, and in part to take a well-deserved vacation.

Three months earlier, a North Korean cyberattack known as WannaCry had crippled the British health-care system and caused a billion dollars in losses across 150 countries. The damage could have been much worse  tens of billions, by one estimate  but a few hours after the attack began, Hutchins figured out how to stop it, almost by accident, while sitting at a computer in his bedroom at his parents house.

That act made Hutchins the closest thing cybersecurity had ever had to a global celebrity. Oops! I Saved the World, read the cover of the New York Daily News. Cyber Geek Accidentally Stops Huge Hack Attack. Edward Snowden congratulated Hutchins, and strangers recognized him at Heathrow. Hutchins had gone to DefCon the year before and found the convention unpleasant  I remember slowly moving down a packed hall in a sea of people who smelled like they hadnt showered in days  but in 2017, Cisco invited him into the VIP section at its party. A year earlier, Id never have gotten in, Hutchins said. At six-foot-four, with hair that adds an inch or two, Hutchins was easy to spot, and conferencegoers asked him to pose for photos that they put online with the tag #WannaCrySlayer.

The post-WannaCry attention had been a bit overwhelming for Hutchins, but he loved Vegas. He stayed in an Airbnb with the citys largest private pool, lit up a bin Laden target at a gun range, and drove around in a friends rented Lamborghini. Hutchins didnt gamble, but he hung around the casino floor to get free drinks. About to cross turn up at a club in clothes I bought on the way off my bucket list, he announced on Twitter as he went to the nightclub XS to see one of his favorite groups, the Chainsmokers. He wasnt even mad when he lost his credit card and ID. Chainsmokers was definitely worth the lost wallet, he said.

In short, Hutchins was having the kind of Vegas experience that a 23-year-olds dreams are made of  so much so that he was oblivious to the American law-enforcement agents who were watching him in Nevada. Hutchins didnt know it, but before he came to the United States, a grand jury in Wisconsin had indicted him, alleging that, three years earlier, he had coded a piece of malware called Kronos that could steal peoples online banking information and conspired to sell Kronos to cybercriminals  charges that carried a maximum 40-year sentence. The legal system has struggled to deal with the reality that between the poles of white hats, the good guys, and black hats, who use their skills to do harm, many of the worlds cybersecurity experts got good by probing the large gray area in the middle. Whatever Hutchins had or hadnt done years earlier, he now seemed to be one of the good guys  a hero, even  and a prosecution like this threatened to fray the already fragile connection between hackers and the government at a moment when the internet can use all the help it can get. All of which left Hutchins surprised, as he sat in the airport tweeting about his eagerness to start investigating a new cyberthreat, when several federal officers walked up and said they needed to ask him a few questions.

One Saturday in February, Hutchins walked into a bar in Santa Monica wearing black Etnies skate shoes, a gray T-shirt, and Apple headphones he kept in his ears until he met me at a table in the back. After his arrest last summer, hed had a long weekend in jail, followed by a court date in Milwaukee, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges. A hacker hed never met paid his $30,000 bail, though he wasnt allowed to return to the U.K. (During intake at a halfway house, Hutchins, whose mother is Scottish and father is Jamaican, said an employee insisted on listing him as African-American, despite Hutchinss noting that he was neither. America is the only place that could try so hard to be politically correct that they just end up being plain racist, he said.)

With nowhere else to go while awaiting trial, he had moved to L.A., where the cybersecurity company he works for is based but where he knew almost no one. At one point in October, he couldnt recall having had a conversation with another human being for two weeks. Not Going Home November is over and Im halfway into Dont Go Home December, Hutchins wrote on Twitter, where he has documented his life with surprising candor for someone facing a federal conspiracy charge. Pretty pumped for Just Stay In America January.

Hutchins had been living under decreasing levels of surveillance  house arrest, a curfew, a GPS monitor on his ankle  but much of his old life had fallen apart around him. A girl hed been seeing off and on stopped talking to him, and when a friend suggested Tinder, Hutchins pointed out that Im under federal indictment, dont have a car, and cant go out between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. didnt seem like a very good pickup line. He spent his days playing video games, learning to cook  this was his first time living away from home  and day-trading cryptocurrency: One night, Hutchins got drunk and shorted bitcoin, and a subsequent crash paid the rent on his L.A. one-bedroom for three months. His defense team was working pro bono, but hed just been forced to sell most of his holdings to help cover the legal fees that came with retaining two immigration lawyers and another attorney to explain to me where the fuck Im supposed to pay tax. He wasnt allowed to work and was having trouble sleeping. The FBI took everything from me, Hutchins told me. My job, my girlfriend, my bitcoin.

Hutchins is a self-described introvert and pessimist. (I dont really like people, he deadpanned.) But he also has the youthful confidence that comes with knowing he possesses one of the worlds most in-demand skills: By his own estimate, there are only five people in the world  I know of three, but five is a round number  with his particular expertise. When I asked about his post-WannaCry life as a mini-celebrity, he objected to the modifier. He was annoyed at those who defended him by saying he wasnt skilled enough to have made Kronos in the first place. I dont know what hurts more, Hutchins said. That people think Im a shitty person or that people think Im that bad at programming.

One of the few bits of solace Hutchins had found in L.A., once a judge removed his ankle bracelet, was surfing, which he had learned to do growing up in Ilfracombe, a town of 11,000 on the southwestern coast of England. Hutchins was a competitive swimmer and excelled at Surf Life Saving  lifeguarding as a sport, essentially  but he was now out of shape compared with a shirtless photo hed recently seen from those days, which he described as biceps for days. I asked what had happened in the intervening years. Computers, he said. Computers and weed.

Hutchins started learning to code when he was 12. By high school, his skills were advanced enough that administrators blamed him for an attack that took down the schools servers. (Hutchins maintains his innocence.) He went on to a local technical school for two years, where he found the computer-science offerings primitive. In 2013, he started a blog. Malwaretech.com featured wonky posts in which Hutchins detailed his amateur explorations into reverse engineering, a critical cybersecurity job in which researchers dissect malware to figure out how it works. In a post titled Coding Malware for Fun and Not for Profit (Because That Would Be Illegal), Hutchins declared that he was so bored with the malware being produced that he had made some himself, assuring readers that, before you get on the phone to your friendly neighborhood FBI agent, he had designed the malware so it couldnt be deployed.

The FBI took everything from me. My job, my girlfriend, my bitcoin.

A year later, Hutchins started looking for a job in cybersecurity. He says he applied to GCHQ, the British equivalent of the NSA  his resume included links to his blog and a childhood swimming certification  but the background check took ten months. By then, hed become interested in tracking botnets, the giant networks of poorly secured computers, baby monitors, and other devices that cybercriminals use to deploy malware. I was never trying to make a career out of it, Hutchins said. I was just kind of bored. But in 2015, Salim Neino, who runs Kryptos Logic, a computer-security firm in L.A., saw Hutchinss blog posts about a major botnet called Kelihos and offered him a job without even meeting him. He was extremely talented, Neino said. You can teach certain things, but in computer security, raw talent is almost irreplaceable.

Suddenly, at 22, Hutchins had a six-figure salary, two employees reporting to him, and the ability to work remotely from three computer monitors in his bedroom on his own schedule. (My first question upon waking up and seeing the clock said 9:30 was a.m. or p.m.? #DreamJob.) He quickly developed a reputation in the world of InfoSec, or information security, as being an unusually generous member of the community: A researcher in Bulgaria said Hutchins helped him track a botnet there for free. In 2017, he was invited into an initiative run by the U.K.s National Cyber Security Centre to recruit the best and the brightest in cybersecurity to collaborate with the government. Hutchins maintained a hackers natural skepticism of authority but came to believe that public and private cooperation is essential to securing the internet. The sense of power that comes with such connections could also be exhilarating: If Hutchins had information to share or a question to ask, he could quickly get in touch with British intelligence or someone at the FBI.

Hutchins at his arraignment last August. Photo: Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai?Motherboard/Vice Media

Hutchins had been on a weeklong staycation last May when he woke up to reports that computers around the U.K. had been hit by a new strain of malware called WannaCry that demanded a bitcoin ransom. Such ransomware attacks had become so common that he thought little of it and left to get lunch with a friend. But when he returned, new victims were appearing by the minute: more than a dozen British hospitals, a Spanish telecom company, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, police departments in India. The malware took advantage of EternalBlue, a Windows vulnerability discovered by the NSA, which had not reported it to Microsoft in order to use it for the agencys own purposes. (EternalBlue had recently been exposed by a group of hackers calling themselves The Shadow Brokers.) I picked a hell of a fucking week to take off work, Hutchins said on Twitter.

Hutchins got a sample of WannaCry from a friend and began picking it apart. He quickly noticed that the code included a seemingly random domain name iuqerfsodp9ifjaposdfjhgosurijfaewrwergwea.com  that was unregistered. To Hutchins, the code suggested that WannaCry was regularly pinging the domain; if he registered it, he thought he might be able to direct the traffic to a sinkhole, which would allow him to monitor the attack. After a quick conversation with Neino, Hutchins bought the domain on NameCheap.com for $10.69.

When Hutchins registered the domain, he unknowingly activated a kill switch in the code that stopped WannaCry from spreading. In the U.K. alone, the attack resulted in an estimated 19,000 canceled doctors appointments and forced five emergency rooms to turn away patients, but Hutchins saved 92 other facilities from attack and had intervened early enough in the American workday to keep WannaCry from spreading widely in the U.S. Everyone was clapping online, Dan Tentler, an InfoSec friend of Hutchinss, told me. Who knew you could basically save the world by accidentally kill-switching malware?

Two days later, a friend called to tell Hutchins his picture was in the Daily Mail. Hutchins had given interviews pseudonymously, as MalwareTech, but he feared reprisal from the WannaCry hackers and had taken great pains to maintain his OpSec, hacker shorthand for operational security. (The rest of us call it privacy.) Most of his friends in Ilfracombe didnt know what he did for work, partly because he couldnt talk about it, and most of his InfoSec friends didnt know his real name. Hutchins had tried to keep pictures and information about himself off the internet, avoiding services that asked for his physical address, but hed slipped up a year earlier when he got way too drunk and agreed to some group selfies, which the British tabloids had found.

Suddenly, Hutchins was everywhere. (Surf Europe magazine: Marcus Hutchins could well be the most famous UK surfer since Whams Andrew Ridgeley.) With journalists staking out his home, Hutchins hid inside, slipping out once by leaping over a wall in the back, wearing a hoodie, to go to his favorite fish-and-chips shop. Eventually, he granted an interview to the Associated Press; when the reporters asked Hutchins to spell his last name, he was so nervous he left out the n. A month later, when he began looking into another ransomware attack and ordered his standard Cyber Attack Survival Pack  two pizzas and two liters of Dr Pepper  the delivery guy recognized him and asked whether he was investigating the new malware. His Twitter following quintupled, which was cool, though he tried to remain detached about it, posting a photo of the ocean with a digital-age koan: 50k new followers wont bring you happiness, but the sea will.

His reception in the cybersecurity world was even more adoring.

Hutchins delivered the keynote at a conference in Copenhagen, and at another event, when he started talking to a girl he thought was cute, he was bombarded by so many people asking him for photos that she got fed up and left. In July, during an interview with a cybersecurity website, he was asked whether black hats could make as much money by coming to the good side. Hutchins pointed out that the hackers behind WannaCry, one of the largest cyberattacks ever, had made off with just $135,503  roughly what a malware researcher like him made as a salary without the risk of being caught. But Hutchins had also expressed doubt that many would switch teams. Several months earlier, in a conversation about a group of black hats who had supposedly come clean, Hutchins declared on Twitter, Bad guys who come to the good side rarely become good guys, remember that.

The six-count indictment against Hutchins accused him of building malware known as Kronos, a banking Trojan that could surreptitiously install itself on a computer and steal passwords and other information entered into financial websites. It first appeared in 2014, after Hutchins had finished school but before he had found work, and it spread in part via Kelihos, the botnet hed been tracking when he got his job. In addition to creating the malware, Hutchins was accused of conspiring to sell Kronos to cybercriminals for $2,000 and advertising it on AlphaBay, a dark-web marketplace the FBI has since shut down.

To obtain a conviction, the government would have to prove not only that Hutchins had built Kronos but that he intended it to do harm. According to prosecutors, Hutchins admitted to creating Kronos while being questioned following his arrest at the Vegas airport. (His attorneys say he was sleep-deprived and intoxicated during the interview.) The FBI also showed Hutchins 150 pages of online chat logs in which he allegedly talked to an unidentified co-defendant about selling Kronos and how to split the proceeds. During a phone call from jail, prosecutors say, Hutchins described the chats as undeniable. The government usually doesnt go after someone unless they credibly could win, said Katie Moussouris, a prominent hacker who works to foster better relations with government agencies.

The cybersecurity world was stunned. It was rare for an individual hacker to become a hero, as Hutchins had, and disconcerting for that person then to be charged as a cybercriminal. Some turned on him, speculating, without any real evidence, that Hutchins had been behind WannaCry all along and had discovered the kill switch only after the attack had grown out of control. (The U.S. and other governments have blamed the attack on North Korea.) Researchers who worked with Hutchins were spooked. This is bad, wrote one member of a cybersecurity forum. We need to assume for the period he was among us, any and all traffic was compromised and could be, along with our names etc., in the hands of various adversaries.

Things got worse for Hutchins a month after his arrest, when Brian Krebs, a journalist who covers cybersecurity, published an exhaustive article connecting Hutchins to a variety of online user names  Touch My Malware, Da Loser, Flipertyjopkins  that had apparently engaged in low-level cybercrime when Hutchins was a teenager. Da Loser had bragged about a password-stealing program he had created; Flipertyjopkins posted a YouTube video explaining how to use a particular piece of malware. Krebs emphasized that the alleged crimes were fairly small-time and that he had found no evidence connecting Hutchins to Kronos, but the article fed rumors circulating on InfoSec forums that Hutchinss past wasnt pure.

Still, many in InfoSec were quick to defend him. A lot of people do have criminal pasts  or criminal presents  but we also have a lot of experience with people getting arrested for no good reason, said Robert Graham, a security researcher. Hutchins had worked with law enforcement many times, including during WannaCry, when he publicly thanked the FBI for its help. Hutchins also sent a curious tweet in 2014  Anyone got a kronos sample?  that suggested he had learned about Kronos along with the rest of the security community (or was trying to distance himself from his handiwork).

Some of the skepticism lay in the InfoSec communitys distrust of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, a 32-year-old law that is behind many cybercrime prosecutions in America, including the case against Hutchins. Both law enforcement and the security community generally agree the law is antiquated  its definition of a computer cites typewriters and handheld calculators  and it has produced several questionable prosecutions. One issue has been figuring out how to handle young hackers whose intentions are not always clear. In 2010, Stephen Watt, a former programmer at Morgan Stanley, was convicted of writing code used in a credit-card-theft ring called Operation Get Rich or Die Tryin. Watt hadnt actually deployed the malware, received no money, and claimed not to know what it was being used for. Judge Nancy Gertner, who heard Watts case, told me she found herself in a difficult position when it came to sentencing  prosecutors argued for five years in prison, the defense wanted probation  and settled on a two-year prison sentence. People lost money, and he deserved to be punished, but he was also a kid, Gertner said.

While the teenage exploits that Brian Krebs uncovered were troubling, many security researchers saw themselves in the allegations. How does someone like Marcus become so talented? Neino, his boss, said. The best security researchers need to expose themselves to real threats. A lot of researchers hang out in underground forums and befriend criminals. Cybersecurity also has a long history of bad guys who become good. Kevin Mitnick spent five years in prison for various cybercrimes in the 90s but now runs a security company that consults with the FBI. Amit Serper, who is now 31 and helped stop a major Russian cyberattack last summer, told me that he and many others in the field had done things as a teenager that could be counted as illegal. Nearly everyone I spoke to from the InfoSec world cited research suggesting the human brain doesnt fully form until people reach their mid-20s. Many of the most talented cybersecurity experts, they point out, honed their skills by testing boundaries as teens. I call this period the Age of Rage, Moussouris told me. It might be about feeling important for the first time in your life and being recognized as powerful. Its the first time you taste that feeling we all yearn for  significance.

Even prosecutors had acknowledged in court that Hutchinss alleged crimes were historical and allowed Hutchins full access to the internet while awaiting trial, which was unusual and suggested they no longer considered him a threat. If Hutchins made money from selling Kronos, it likely wasnt much  he allegedly complained in chat logs about how little he received  and while Kronos had hit banks in countries ranging from Canada to India, it was a relatively minor piece of malware. In a set of guidelines from 2014, the Department of Justice cited several concerns beyond innocence or guilt in determining whether to bring a prosecution under the CFAA, including the increased need for deterrence. It seemed possible that Hutchinss intervention during the WannaCry attack had made him a visible target. Or perhaps the government was pressuring Hutchins to provide information  about WannaCry, Russian hackers, or something else  that he was otherwise reluctant to offer.

Even Hutchinss defenders say if hes guilty some punishment is in order, but his prosecution also sends a mixed message. Hutchins had been a model of public-private cooperation at a time when the government was having difficulty recruiting cybersecurity talent. (James Comey irritated the community in 2014 when he said the FBI struggled to hire people because some of those kids want to smoke weed on the way to the interview.) Some security researchers said they would stop sharing information with the government in protest. It just gives people in the community a feeling of persecution, Jennifer Granick, who works on cybersecurity for the ACLU, said.

While the government has tried to improve its outreach to hackers  the DOJ is hosting a panel at South by Southwest this month about teaching ethics to hackers  relatively little is being done to nudge talented young people toward the light, which could leave someone with Hutchinss skills and a still-developing moral compass feeling adrift. Around the time Hutchins was allegedly coding Kronos, he was also on Twitter trying to figure out how to get a job, asking about resume formatting and whether to join LinkedIn. At one point, he worried that he might not be able to get a job at all. From this angle, even a critical reading of Hutchinss story could be hopeful: Having once done things he shouldnt have, he had realized that doing good was more rewarding, financially and otherwise, than doing bad. We can fit in a car the number of people who do this for fun  the defenders of the internet, Tentler, Hutchinss InfoSec friend, said. If you wanna have a good relationship with hackers, its probably not a good idea to destroy their lives.

Hutchins in Los Angeles last month.

A few days after we met for beers, Hutchins and I took a walk along Venice Beach. When we had parted ways the other night, Hutchins had told me he was going to meet some friends and get so drunk I dont remember anything. He said hed invite me along, but he wasnt sure the others would be okay with it. Its a bunch of InfoSec people, he said. Theyre all paranoid.

While Hutchins objected to parts of the Krebs article, he admitted that I think everyone can see I have some shady things in my past. But he didnt think this was so unusual. Most of cybersecurity has done something they shouldnt at some point, he said. We only talk about the people who get caught. Hutchins said he knew of one cybercriminal who masquerades as a white hat and is sometimes quoted as an upstanding security expert in the press. And, he said, other cybercriminals would sometimes disappear from forums and then pop up months later working for the government.

After wed been on the boardwalk for half an hour, Hutchins paused and looked toward the sea. All this time, Ive never actually just walked on the sand, he said. He had gone to the waves and back to surf, but hed never thought to just take a stroll. As we walked along the water, still wearing our shoes, Hutchins said that hed previously felt little desire to leave Ilfracombe. His friends were there, real estate was cheap  hed been planning to use his savings and his bitcoin earnings to pay $400,000 in cash for a large house  and there seemed to be no professional point in moving to London or San Francisco when he could stop a global cyberattack from his bedroom. But his time in L.A. had revealed a wider world, one in which he could go to multiple clubs playing the Chainsmokers, rather than the one club in Ilfracombe, and where apps would deliver food at the odd hours he liked to keep. Hutchins assumed that he would have to go back to the U.K. after the case, regardless of its resolution, and there was no telling when he would be able to return.

Most of all, Hutchins was bored, and he wanted to work again. Not having access to my botnet-monitoring stuff is depressing, he said. While Hutchins declined to discuss details of his case, except to maintain his innocence  the trial is still pending, though such cases often end in settlements  he feared the damage was already done. Cybersecurity is a business based in trust, and he worried that the allegations alone made him unemployable. (He had recently noticed a number of Twitter bots commenting on his case with anti-American bents, which he speculated could be someone trying to use his case to divide the American cybersecurity community.)

As we walked up to the Santa Monica Pier, Hutchins grew wistful, thinking back to moments that could have led him anyplace but here. He was convinced, for instance, that he had become a target after WannaCry, which would mean that the greatest moment of his life had led directly to the worst. The world has never been more dependent on people like Hutchins, with their deep mastery of the digital systems undergirding things the rest of us take for granted. He seemed to realize this could be both a privilege and a burden. I liked the connections and the power, Hutchins said as a violinist played Tale As Old As Time on the pier. Now Im not sure it was worth it.

*This article appears in the February 19, 2018, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now!

*This article has been corrected to show that Eternal Blue was exposed by the hacker group The Shadow Brokers, not by Wikileaks.Imagine going to the DMV, except instead of renewing your tags, youre asking permission to look at pornography. Photo: Thad/Getty Images

Its been well-documented that the rise of tube sites at the turn of the decade, where users can watch pornography for free, has decimated the adult-film industry. No longer was porn locked behind paywalls; instead sites like Pornhub have become wildly popular (and, thanks to a savvy PR team, eager to offer up insight into the sexual proclivities of online porn viewers).

Rhode Island Democratic state senators Frank Ciccone and Hanna Gallo likely dont care about restoring porn sites to their former glory days, but they do seem eager to have people pay for porn online again: The duo has introduced a piece of legislation that, if passed, would require all ISPs operating in Rhode Island to block sexual content and offensive content by default  unless ISP users were willing to provide proof that they were 18 and pay a one-time fee of $20 (the money would go to the states commission on human trafficking).

Ciccone and Gallos law is pretty broad in defining the term sexual content, deeming it anything that runs afoul of the Rhode Island State statute that deems sexual content as anything that shows the act of sexual intercourse, normal or perverted, actual or simulated as well as masturbation. Ciccone and Gallos law would also require ISPs to block access to patently offensive material, which is termed as anything so offensive on its face as to affront current standards of decency. Two other statutes in the law would also require ISPs to block access to any site set up for the purposes of facilitating prostitution, as well as any site hosting child pornography (which is, of course, an international crime already  though ISPs have traditionally not been on the hook for preventing it).

Want to look at adult content? Ciccone and Gallos law would have you submit a request in writing that you be allowed to look at adult content, present identification proving that you are 18 or older, get a written warning about the dangers of being allowed to look at the unfiltered internet (which, as someone with a brain poisoned by too much online content, fair enough), and pay the state $20.

Enforcing this law would be extremely difficult, to say the least. There are somewhat reliable lists of adult sites kept by companies that help parents keep porn away from their kids that ISPs could rely on, and content filtering in general is somewhat sophisticated in keeping kids away from truly foul stuff while still allowing them on Wikipedia for a science project. The problem comes from the section about anything so offensive on its face as to affront current standards of decency, language which is wildly imprecise. Not only does it closely mirror a section of the 1996 Communications Decency Act about patently offensive material that the Supreme Court eventually struck down due to being overly broad and vague, but it just boggles the mind at who, exactly, would be in charge of deciding where the line falls. Does photography from a war zone count? Video of knee surgery? Would half of fanfiction.net suddenly be verboten in Rhode Island?

To date, the United States has made its uneasy peace with smut online by placing the burden on website operators themselves, not ISPs. Under current net-neutrality rules, its illegal to require an ISP to block access to lawful content. Then again, Ajit Pai and the FCC have recently moved to repeal those laws.

More broadly, there are ten ISPs that currently operate in Rhode Island. Would each be responsible for setting its own standards as to what it blocks and doesnt block. Would getting my broadband via Verizon Fios mean I can look at the Egon Schiele paintings, but Comcast would shut me down?

The law does carry some teeth: If any ISP was found to be in violation of the law, the attorney general can file a civil suit where the ISP would face fines of up to $500 for each piece of content reported, but not blocked. Its not hard to imagine a scenario where an enterprising attorney general could find one objectionable site left unblocked and sue an ISP for an astounding amount. Even a site that hosted only, say, 100,000 pieces of content (Pornhub, for comparison, currently hosts 5 million videos) would mean a $50 million fine for the ISP. Any ISP operating in Rhode Island underneath such a law would take the smart course and simply clamp down any and all content that in any way could be construed as offensive. (Under the proposed law, users who think something like, say, the pictures of Robert Mapplethorpe shouldnt be banned would simply report to a call center or reporting website where, if the content is deemed kosher, it would be unblocked within five days of the initial report. Easy peasy!)

Ciccone and Gallos bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, a place where, traditionally, legislation goes to languish and die.

Its easy to mock Ciccone and Gallos legislation; its a remarkably inept piece of lawmaking that stands little chance of passing and even less chance of standing up in court on any sort of legal challenge. But we are in a strange new age now where hard-core streaming pornography is easily available to young kids  and nobody seems quite sure what effect (if any) itll have on them. Ciccone and Gallos law is laughable, but its an attempt to regulate something that remains a source of deep anxiety for many parents.Respected and seasoned businessman Dr Martin Aliker has been described as a rare breed who has steered many businesses to the pinnacle in the country.

This was last week at the launch of his book The Bell is Ringing, which details his life both at the business and social level. Aliker is 90 years old.

Dr Martin Aliker at his book launch

The book launch, held at the Kampala Serena hotel, was hosted by Johnnie Walker Blue Label, a brand sold by Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL), a company on whose board he served for 43 years (1962-2005), with several years as the board chairman and a shareholder.

UBL managing director Mark Ocitti said: Dr Aliker is a rare cask. A cask is a large barrel-like container used for storing quality liquids typically whisky. Very few casks have the quality required to store exquisite drinks like Blue Label. The wisdom he has secured and the inspiration his lifes story gives are not found amongst many.

In the book, Dr Aliker describes his childhood in his homeland Acholi, his education throughout high school at Kings College Budo to Makerere University and Birmingham University in the United Kingdom.

He also details his works as Ugandas first and most successful dentist in private practice, chairman of the Uganda Argus and his life in exile in the 1970s.

Aliker also describes the period he worked with Presidents Yusuf Lule and Godfrey Binaisa; his role as foreign affairs minister and an emissary for President Museveni to President Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan.

UBL board chairman Dr Alan Shonubi said Dr Aliker was a bold man set aside from the rest because of the marks of greatness he leaves everywhere he gets a chance to work.

Aliker has served on many other boards, including Monitor Publications and Uganda Clays Limited.

amwesigwa@observer.ugGovernment has dismissed figures circulating that over 300 people have so far died of the nodding disease syndrome since 2007 when it was first reported in Uganda.



Health minister, Dr Ruth Aceng told a press conference in Kampala that according to official records only 137 deaths have been recorded in Amuru, Lamwo, Omoro, Pader and Kitgum districts.

A nodding disease victim

The cause and origin of nodding is yet to be discovered. A 2017 report by a parliamentary committee on Gender, Labour and Social Development found that medication given to nodding disease patients ticks up their food and sexual appetite or libido.

This revelation, according to the report, complicates the treatment of the disease, which makes its victims constantly nod their heads.

The high libido due to drugs, according to the report, forces some victims to rape their peers. Some people speculate the disease is an after-effect of the war that ravaged the region for at least two decades.

Aceng said Amuru district registered 4 deaths which occurred between 2016 and 2017 while Lamwo district recorded 10 deaths between 2012 and 2018. Kitgum district registered 33 deaths, most of which occurred between 2012 and 2014.

Omoro district according to Aceng had 9 deaths between 2015 and 2017 while Pader had the highest number of deaths at 81 to date. Aceng says only one death has so far been registered this year. The person who died this year according to the minister was under treatment but he unfortunately drowned in a river.



She says the burden of the nodding syndrome by districts currently stands at; 806 cases in Pader, 544 in Kitgum 339 in Lamwo, 323 in Gulu and Omoro, 58 in Amuru, and 13 in Lira, making a total of 2,143 cases to date.



The nodding diseases syndrome continues to arise emotions in northern Uganda with some leaders saying the government has not done enough to provide support and care to those suffering from it.



Deputy speaker of parliament, Jacob Oulanyah also Omoro County MP is the latest politician from northern Uganda to complain against failure by government to support those suffering from the disease. Oulanyah in a televised interview accused the government of neglecting children suffering from nodding disease syndrome in northern Uganda.



Oulanyah was critical of the manner government has handled the situation of the children saying the plight of those suffering from the syndrome was getting worse especially following the closure of the special centre last year.



"It is mortifying for government to ignore these children. A government that does not care for its children is a government with no future," Oulanyah said in television clip that has been shared on social media.



"If you travel to northern Uganda and look at these children, you cannot believe that they live in Uganda. And this problem is not new. Why has government abandoned these children as if they are not Ugandans?" Oulanyah asked.



Minister Aceng, in what appeared like a response to Oulanyah's outburst said the government has continued to provide funding to districts affected by nodding syndrome. She revealed that Shs 1.8 billion has been disbursed to date towards nodding disease in the north.

Nodding syndrome is according to World Health Organisation (WHO) is neurological condition with unknown cause or origin. It was first documented in Tanzania in the 1960s, then later in South Sudan in the 1990s and in northern Uganda in 2007.South Sudan President Salva Kiir

The leadership in South Sudan is using oil revenues from Nile Petroleum Corporation - NilePet, the national Oil & Gas Corporation of South Sudan to fuel the ongoing conflict, a new investigative report by Global Witness indicates.



The report titled Capture on the Nile shows that the state-owned oil company has fallen under the direct control of President Salva Kiir and his inner circle, and is being used to funnel millions in oil revenues to the country's brutal security services and ethnic militias, with limited oversight and accountability.



"While South Sudan's population continues to suffer a senseless war and economic crisis of their leaders' making, Nilepet is failing its true constituents, serving instead, the interests of a narrow canal, and being used to prolong the brutal conflict," Michael Gibb, a campaign leader for Conflict Resources at Global Witness said.



The report draws on secret documents and first-hand testimony to detail the means by which one of South Sudan's most significant economic institutions has been co-opted to serve the personal aims of President Kiir.



In one of the documents, the managing director of the Nilepet received a letter requesting a payment of over $1.5 million, for expenses incurred by South Sudan's security services.

The letter signed by the then minister of Petroleum and Mining Stephen Dhieu Dau also made reference to an earlier communication by Lt. Gen. Akol Koor Kuc, the director general of South Sudan's Internal Security Bureau (ISB), a division of the feared and powerful National Security Services (NSS).



The letter was accompanied by an itemised list which includes hundreds of thousands of dollars for transportation, accommodation, and food for ISB personnel and South Sudanese army (SPLA) troops deployed "in and around the oilfields," including the conflict areas of Wau, Paloch, and Malakal, in Upper Nile State.



The bill also includes over $900,000 for vehicles taken by the SPLA in the same areas, though supposedly during earlier operations in 2013/14. A few months before the letter was sent, a fresh military offensive had engulfed Upper Nile.



The report alleges that Nilepet appears to have become the vehicle of choice for connected elites wishing to evade scrutiny of financial transactions worth millions, linking the company directly to arms transfers and the patronage system at the heart of the conflict.



It adds that Nilepet's role in bankrolling South Sudan's security services and conflict not only takes it well beyond its intended role as a commercial oil company but has significant consequences for democratic and civilian oversight of South Sudan's security.



"This is not the function Nilepet was meant to serve. But like many of South Sudan's institutions - like South Sudan itself - it has been captured by powerful elites that have enlisted it in service of their own aims, rather than those of the South Sudanese people," the report reads.



It says Nilepet's successful capture has made it a critical component of the war economy. As a private company, Nilepet is able to operate in near total secrecy. The report details how this secrecy has been used to finance military operations, arms transfer to ethnic militias, and conceal the looting of millions in 'letters of credit' intended to help imports of essential goods as South Sudan's economy deteriorated.



"South Sudan's security forces are able to operate with alarming impunity, driving cycles of violence and oppression," said Michael Gibb.

"Nilepet's ability to finance these operations without scrutiny or oversight is critical and must be tackled as a first step towards confronting this rampant impunity while also creating the economic conditions for peace after years of brutal civil war."



Global Witness is recommending a renewed focus on the economic drivers of South Sudan's conflict; including its oil sector, and increased engagement with the international companies and traders that connect Nilepet to international markets.



They say that while South Sudan is a producer of crude oil, it lacks capacity and infrastructure to refine this into the fuel its population relies on. As a result, Nilepet is deeply integrated into global oil supply chains, including international refineries and commodity traders, without which it would be unable to raise revenues.



The report says the international trading partners could play a key role in challenging and holding it accountable. Gibb also emphasized that the international companies that Nilepet deals with have a responsibility and opportunity to use their influence to drive reform and transparency at this critical moment in South Sudan's conflict.



He says indifference tantamount to complicity in the face of clear evidence of Nilepet's role in the war economy. A separate United Nations panel of experts report found that Nilepet provided financial authorisation for the purchase and transfer of small arms and ammunition to the Pandang Dinka, one of the local militias recruited to fight with the government in Upper Nile state in 2015.

These weapons were, according to the UN report, transferred to the militia through Akol Koor's Internal Security Bureau (ISB). Similarly, in their extensive account of the conflict in Upper Nile during this period, The small arms survey found that Pandang Dinka militia groups rapidly became the central actors in an offensive struggle waged against the Shilluk for control of the east bank of the White Nile."



They report that these militias often operated in concert with the government's SPLA troops, though outside of the official military command structure. Their weapons and ammunition were supplied by the ISB under the command of Akol Koor.



The Republic of South Sudan is yet to officially comment on the Global Witness report. Kiir while attending the EAC Heads of State Summit in Kampala last month said foreign agents were using the conflict in his country to target its oil.Cabinet has approved the amendment of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Act which will see the Fund remain the basic national scheme and continue to collect all mandatory contributions by workers in the formal sector.

The proposed amendments, passed by cabinet yesterday, also provide for voluntary saving with NSSF for both workers in the formal and informal sector, rendering the Retirement Benefits Sector Liberalization Bill 2011 before parliament irrelevant.

Addressing the press at the Uganda Media Centre this morning, Janet Mukwaya, the minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, noted that government could not allow liberalizing the pension sector.

Opening up mandatory contributions would complete the surrender of both the banking and non-banking financial sector to foreign capital because indigenous firms would have a very limited role to play, she said, reading from a statement.

NSSF has demonstrated steady progress in its performance. Its total assets today stand at about Shs 9 trillion.

Furthermore, Mukwaya said cabinet has proposed for voluntary contribution by workers over and above their mandatory contribution and voluntary contributions by self-employed persons.

Currently, the law only permits enterprises with five employers and above to make a mandatory contribution to NSSF. An employer contributes 10 per cent while the employee contributes 5 per cent of their salary to the monthly contributions. With the amendment, a worker would now be able to contribute more than 5 per cent.

Among other proposals suggested by cabinet; is the provision for mid-term access of voluntary benefits on such terms and conditions that may be set by the NSSF Board. Cabinet also approved amendment of the law to allow government to borrow from the Fund instead of borrowing from the likes of World Bank or commercial banks.

NSSF averages Shs 77 billion collections per month and in June last year, the Fund hit the Shs 100 billion mark for the first time in its history. In 2016, the fund collected Shs 785 billion from contributing members up from 688 billion collected in 2015.

Mukwaya added that across many countries in Latin America and Central Europe with liberalized pension sectors, the number of workers covered by private schemes declined gradually.

She attributed this to the fact that most private pension schemes were mainly interested in recruiting workers whose wages made profits for sponsors and fund managers.

Ghana has a mixed system where security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) (which is the equivalent of NSSF Uganda) and the private schemes collect 13 per cent and five per cent respectively of employees monthly pay.

However, evidence shows that most of the private schemes concentrate in the urban regions of Accra and leave the upcountry areas uncovered. Only SSNIT covers each and every part of Ghana, Mukwaya said.

She, therefore, concluded that NSSF remains the most reliable in guaranteeing benefits. In addition, Uganda as a state has a primary duty of providing social security to her citizens.

The new law will also create a three-party NSSF board comprising government representatives, employers representatives and workers representatives to improve managerial governance.

Finally, I would like note that old age poverty remains a key challenge in Uganda today. Today, about 406,000 of the 1.4 million older persons are considered poor. This is a challenge we must tackle and tackling poverty starts during work age life. I therefore urge all workers in the country to start planning for their retirement, she said.

ahukanamercy@gmail.comThe Police Disciplinary Court has dropped six more charges against Muhammad Kirumira, the former Buyende district police commander citing lack of evidence.

Kirumira was dragged to the Police Disciplinary Court in February this year for alleged torture, extortion, bribery, corruption, neglect of duty, unlawful arrests, excessive use of authority, and discreditable or irregular conduct. He was dramatically arrested on February 1 from his home in Bulenga along Mityana road when police personnel cut out his house doors to gain access into the house where he had locked himself.

Muhammad Kirumira

This afternoon, Kirumira asked the Police Disciplinary Court chaired by Denis Odongpiny to drop the charges of bribery, unlawful arrests, neglect of duty, discreditable or irregular conduct, torture and extortion, saying there was no evidence implicating him.

Court particularly dropped a case in which Kirumira was accused of beating Ibrahim Bukenya, a hawker in 2013 while at Kawempe police station. Bukenya also accused Kirumira of eating his 'rolex' ( chappati and fried eggs) without his permission. The charge was dropped after his accuser failed to turn up in court and likewise switched off his know mobile phone number.

Kirumira further claimed that he was being harassed by some people on tramped up charges despite serving diligently to save the people of Kampala from criminals.

Odongpiny asked police prosecutor, Catherine Tusemerirwe whether she had any submissions regarding Kirumira's defense. Tusemerirwe said she didn't have any substantial evidence to pin Kirumira over the said charges.

In his ruling, Odongpiny noted that he had listened to the submissions by both Kirumira and prosecution and found that the accused had no case to answer since there was no evidence implicating him.



Court therefore dropped the charges leaving Kirumira with only three charges including scandalous behaviour, corruption and excessive use of authority.

He explained that a committee will be established to try Kirumira for the scandalous behaviour when he was denied bail by the Disciplinary Court and stormed out of the dock without saluting the court members, saying his team will form part of the witnesses.



The charges of corruption and unlawful use of excessive authority will be handled by the Police Disciplinary Court. He adjourned the matter to March 20 to allow Kirumira to prepare his defense.



On February 8, the same court dropped two charges of torture against Kirumira. Court dropped the charges of grounds that the principal witness, Pius Kato was dead while court found the other witnesses ineligible to testify against the officer because of conflict of interest.A pregnant woman went to Ugandas largest hospital to deliver her baby.

After her labor stalled, she was wheeled to the operating room, where her newborn was delivered by caesarean section. When the woman awoke from surgery, her baby was gone. No one at the hospital would tell her what had happened to her child.

Another woman went to the same hospital to deliver twins. When she woke from surgery, she was handed one baby, instead of two.

The hospital said the other child had died, but there was no explanation of what went wrong and she was given no body to bury. Months later, the hospital turned over a body, but DNA testing proved it did not belong to the grieving parents.

No mother should have to experience the pain of losing a child. When the hospital cannot explain what happened or even hand over a body for burial, it is a clear violation of the constitutional right to health. Ugandas High court agreed in a January 2017 ruling.

So, why hasnt the hospital fully complied with the courts order that it changes its policies to ensure this doesnt happen again?

As a human rights lawyer, I hear heartbreaking cases like this all too often. Our clients deserve justice. It is not enough for us to win these cases in court. We want proof that the hospital is taking steps to protect these precious lives.

We rejoiced last year when Lady Justice Lydia Mugambe ruled that Mulago National Referral Hospital had violated the parents right to health and freedom from torture when it failed to produce their babys body.

The plaintiffs were denied an opportunity to carry out burial rituals for their child, which in my view would have constituted a fundamental part of their healing process, Justice Mugambe said in her decision. By denying them the opportunity to bury their baby, the defendants compounded their pain and subjected them to more psychological torture.

It has been more than a year since the court handed down its ruling, which included financial damages to the bereaved couple and required that the hospital take steps to safeguard babies. We have received no report from the police, hospital or government on any progress toward improving hospital procedures.

We are seeking some simple, inexpensive fixes. Place surveillance cameras in the maternity wing to monitor the movement of babies. Hold midwives accountable when babies in their care disappear. Develop protocols for moving babies around the hospital to ensure they are always accounted for.

Some may say that the government cannot afford to install such safety measures in a public hospital. Yet in the financial year 2016-17, the public hospitals returned billions of shillings to the government treasury.

Rather than spending money on paying legal fees and damages for rights violations, I am urging the executive director of Mulago National Referral hospital to invest in making systems that work for the people who use them.

That means establishing policies at Mulago Hospital to respect the movement and safety of babies, dead or alive. The Uganda Nurses and Midwives council should hold its members to account when babies in their care vanish.

Every life in this country matters. We must ensure our public hospitals are doing all they can to protect our newborns.

The author manages strategic litigation at the Center for Health, Human Rights and Development in Uganda. She is a 2018 Aspen New Voices Fellow.The doors were unsealed for journalists at the National Museum in central Tehran, which is now celebrating its 80th anniversary, a day ahead of the public opening.

"Some were definitely easier to transport than others", said Judith Henon, one of the experts sent by the Louvre.

The 40-day show reflects France's determination to use cultural diplomacy as it seeks to rebuild ties with Iran that have been strained recently by a dispute over Iran's ballistic-missile development.

"This completely unprecedented exhibition... allows us to make the link between this glorious moment and relations that date back to the 19th century". Rouhani said France and Iran share the same priorities in Syria of ridding the country of "terrorism", and helping the Syrian people.

This one-day trip is also seen as evidence of the balancing act that France and other European nations find themselves in, following Donald Trump's promise to withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal if major flaws aren't fixed.

"As a result of that, it was the French that set up the antiquities service here in 1930", said Cuny. It was signed by the United States, China, France, Russia, Britain, Germany and the European Union.

In a statement, the Louvre said its worldwide strategy was directly influenced by French diplomatic priorities.

Lots Of Democrats Running For Governor; Heated Texas House, Senate Races

Many Democratic voters in Texas will vote in the Republican primary when they believe they'll have more influence there. Early voting turnout for Republicans also increased, growing from 16,293 voters in 2014 to 20,134 voters in 2018.

Iran's ballistic missile capacity and position "worries us enormously", Le Drian said last week at a news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

In an ironic twist, the Louvre in late 2017 opened its first overseas branch in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates which accuses Iran of destabilizing the Middle East and has broken off diplomatic relations.

While French leaders, including President Emmanuel Macron, have criticized Iran's missile program, French companies like oil giant Total SA, carmaker Renault and airplane manufacturer Airbus have bullishly entered the Iranian market after the atomic accord, complicating any possible sanctions.

The range of Iran's ballistic missiles is only 2,000 km.

University links are another branch, with some 1,700 Iranians now studying in France.

"Whatever disagreements we may have with Iran, we want to keep and develop a cultural relationship with Iranian society", a French diplomat told Reuters.Spotify: Using a Hacked App Could Get You Banned

The streaming service, which launched in 2010, generated $3.6 billion in 2016 and raised it to nearly $5 billion in 2017. Spotify is said to have 159 million users around the world with 71 million of those on a paid premium subscription.

'Ex-Russian spy' critically ill after suspected exposure to unknown substance

A nearby pizza chain, Zizzi , has been closed by Wiltshire Police as a precaution while the investigation continues, said police. He was one of a handful of prisoners released by Russian Federation as part of a swap in 2010.

Oscars 2018: For Jewish nominees, a night to forget

Major awards events that not only count the Oscars among them but also the Super Bowl and the Grammys suffered a drop in ratings. She was the first person to be nominated in a song and acting category for the same film.

President Trump threatens to impose tariffs on cars imported from the EU

However, Trump fired back in a tweet on Saturday. "They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there". Trump stoked further fears of global turmoil on Friday by claiming " trade wars are good " and "easy to win".

Chelsea boost as Iniesta breaks down in Barcelona win

Barcelona will be eyeing up an incredible treble with the club booking their spot in the Copa del Rey final opposite Sevilla. He carried on playing so we thought it wasn't too bad, but we're not sure.

Cowboy Honored as Big 12 Player of the Week

The Big Ten wrapped up its tournament on Sunday but all other multi-bid conference tournaments will take place this week. Kansas' path to the title game runs through either Oklahoma State or Oklahoma and the victor of the Kansas State vs.

Marcus Rashford's progress praised by Manchester United's Jose Mourinho

Mourinho cited Sergio Romero as an example of a player who does not play regularly for his club but who plays for his country. The manager will want to strengthen the team and that's part of being a Manchester United player.

Storm uncovers Revolutionary War era ship in Maine

It was most likely a sloop or a schooner - sailing ships with one or two masts - about 60 feet in length, he said. The shipwreck is normally covered by sand, but became a curiosity when it was uncovered in 1958.

Investors Trading Alert: McDonald's Corp. (MCD), Marathon Oil Corporation (MRO)

Prudential Financial, New Jersey-based fund reported 1.32 million shares. 503,671 are owned by Klingenstein Fields And Ltd Co. Michael , worth $607,079. $413,864 worth of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: MPC ) was sold by Nichols Rodney P .

Brexit: Sinn Fein meets with European Union negotiators over Irish border issue

It will be put to the test this week as negotiations between British and European Union officials resume in Brussels. Meanwhile, former prime minister John Major said customs checks along the border would be unavoidable post-Brexit.

Pizza Hut's Pizza-Ordering Sneakers Are Back

Pizza Hut's current deal of $5.99 medium two-topping pizzas (must purchase at least two) will be available through the Pie Top II. This essentially allows you to pick up your pizza when it arrives without having to miss any moment of March Madness .

China boosts defence spending to $175 bn, three times that of India's

The proposal would provide the Pentagon with $617 billion and an additional $69 billion to fund ongoing wars in fiscal 2019. The Chinese government says its defense spending this year will grow 8.1 percent from 2017.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp provides Mohamed Salah update ahead of Porto clash

Sergio Conceicao, unlike Klopp, has several important members of his squad on the sidelines ahead of the trip to Anfield. One such player is Adam Lallana , who has had a season to forget so far thanks to a long injury layoff.

US killer storm: Five dead, state of emergency

A 37-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene after his pickup truck was caught under a pine tree in MA . Falling trees killed five people, including two boys, across the region, according to local media and police.

Chris Christie thinks Jared Kushner should resign

President Donald Trump's friends and confidantes are reportedly more anxious about his emotional health than ever before. Turns out, being the son-in-law of President Donald Trump doesn't get you as far as you might think.Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump said the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem will cost $250,000 in a meeting at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday - not the $1 billion he says his staff estimated - but his remarks created confusion.



"We'll have it built very quickly," Trump said. "A lot of people wouldn't be doing it quickly like that. But we're going to have it built very quickly and very inexpensively."



"They put an order in front of my desk last week for a billion dollars. I said, 'A billion? What's that for?' I said, 'We're not going to spend a billion dollars.' And we're actually doing it for about $250,000. So check that out," he said.



"Now, it's temporary, but it'll be very nice. Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars versus a billion dollars. Is that good?" Trump said.



It wasn't clear whether Trump might have been referring to State Department plans to quickly modify the current consulate in Jerusalem while a new embassy is built. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said last month that the U.S. ambassador and a small staff will begin working at the temporary embassy this spring, with plans for a new embassy facility to open on the compound by the end of next year.



White House press secretary Sarah Sanders tried to clarify Trump's remarks in a press briefing on Monday.



"I think the point is that he's making is he's going to do it faster and far less expensive than a billion dollar project as was projected," said Sanders.

In December, Trump announced his controversial plan to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem  a decision that has been met by praise - and criticism  from leaders around the world.



Jerusalem was a wonderful thing. And I know it was very much appreciated said Trump. That was a decision that I had to make. Many presidents were discussing whether or not to make that decision and they promised it in campaigns but were never able to do what they should have done. So I was able to do it.



In the Oval Office, Netanyahu thanked Trump for following through on his promise.



Other leaders talked about it, said Netanyahu. You did it. I want to thank you on behalf of the people of Israel.



Trump said that he may visit Jerusalem for the opening of the new embassy.



In addition to discussing the embassy move, the two were expected to discuss ongoing Middle East peace negotiations and the United States nuclear deal with Iran.



I think we have a very good chance, Trump said of finding a solution for peace between Israel and Palestine. This is the hardest deal. This is years and years of opposition and frankly hatred and a lot of things, said Trump I will tell you that if we could do peace between Israel and the Palestinians, that would be a great thing for the world. It would be a great thing for this country and for everybody. So we're working very hard on it.



Netanyahu named Iran as the greatest challenge facing the United States and Israel in the Middle East. Iran must be stopped. That is our common challenge, said Netanyahu. If I had to say what is our greatest challenge in the Middle East to both our countries, to our Arab neighbors, it's encapsulated in one word: Iran. Iran has not given up its nuclear ambitions.



Jared Kushner, who Trump put in charge of handling negotiating Middle East peace, but who recently had his security clearance downgraded to secret, attended the meeting with Trump and Netanyahu, according to a White House official. Sunday at Blair House, Kushner met with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Assistant to the President Jason Greenblatt, and Ambassador David Friedman.



The two leaders last met at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This will be the fifth time Trump and Netanyahu have met.



On Tuesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu will meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.He moved to pry management of the hotel from the hands of the Trump Organization, which does not own the property but has a contract to manage it until 2031.

The action by Panama's government resolves a 12-day stand-off between President Trump's family hotel business and Orestes Fintiklis, a private equity investor who sought to drop Trump's management company and brand.

The Panama hotel would be the fourth property that removed Trump's name since he won the 2016 presidential election.

"Today, this dispute has been settled by the judges and the authorities of this country", Fintiklis said.

"Our investment has no future so long as the hotel is managed by an incompetent operator whose brand has been tarnished beyond fix", Orestes wrote to his fellow hotel owners in a January email obtained by the AP.

The ejection appears to be lasting - a worker was photographed on Monday pulling the "TRUMP" name off a marble sign in front of the property.

Fintiklis bought 202 of the hotel's 369 room units past year, assumed control of the hotel's condominium owners association, and quickly moved to kick the Trump Organization out.

Chris Berman Allegedly Left "Threatening and Racially Disparaging" Voicemail to Jemele Hill

The suit alleges that male executives and talent at ESPN "keep scoreboards naming female colleagues they are targeting for sex". One of those incidents is the "threatening and racially disparaging voicemail" she says Berman left for Hill.

Already the subject of litigation and arbitration complaints, the dispute escalated last month, when the Miami-based Fintiklis came to the property with termination notices for Trump's management team, only to be turned back by Trump security officials.

For the past week, the 70-story building in Panamas capital has been the scene of shoving matches between rival security guards, repeated visits by police, power outages and reports of documents being shredded.

The fight ended quietly when a Panamanian judicial official accompanied by police came to help enforce Fintiklis' claim to the property. CIM Group signed a deal with the Trump Organization in November to remove its name from the former Trump Soho in NY - now the Dominick - citing poor performance since the election. More than a half dozen of Trump's security officials were seen leaving the hotel.

Mr Fintiklis argued after the deal closed in August that the hotel had been mismanaged by President Trump's staff.

A representative of the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Donald Trump's hotel executives have been ousted by police officers from Panama's Trump Hotel, as officials stepped in to resolve a standoff between the United States president's company and the property owners.

Crews immediately began stripping President Trump's name from the building.26 dead, 12 injured as truck skids off in Gujarat's Bhavnagar

At least 26 people are feared dead as a truck in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district toppled and fell into a drain on Tuesday morning. The truck that was carrying wedding guests fell into the drain near Umrala on the Bhavnagar-Rajkot Highway.

IShares MSCI Kokusai (TOK) Rises 0.85% for Mar 3

Quantitative Advantage LLC bought a new stake in iShares Edge MSCI USA Value Factor ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $24,145,000. Toronto Dominion Bank increased its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Spain ETF by 23.0% in the 2nd quarter.

Lenin statue razed in Tripura's Belonia town, CPM blames BJP workers

BJP spokesperson Mrinal Kanti Deb said he was not aware of any such incident, but even if they took place, they weren't approved by BJP.

Crown Prince Meets Sheikh al-Azhar in Cairo

The Red Sea Project, made up of some 50 islands, will offer a nature reserve, diving on coral reefs and heritage sites. The Saudi visit comes three weeks ahead of an election where former general Sisi is seeking a second term.

Kyrie Irving Out vs. Bulls with Knee Injury Described as Soreness

And then we were aggressive in taking the ball to the basket. "We're looking at one another like, 'Should we tell him?'" he said. We're filming! He just runs out. "Coming into this game we had the mindset we needed to get out on them early and we did that".

Dwayne Johnson Totally Owns His Razzie Award for 'Baywatch'

And the film scored all of 18% on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer , likely leading to its 2018 Razzie nomination. However, he's not immune to the occasional misfire, which in this case is Baywatch .

Apple is reportedly launching a cheaper MacBook Air this year

A manufacturer of mobile displays and touch panels is reportedly expecting to get more orders for LCD modules from Apple. The original MacBook Air was not updated for three years, so major changes inside it certainly can not be avoided.

Presents a conceptual smartphone Vivo APEX

The handset also comes with a System in Package (SIP) technology which the company claims will deliver a Hi-Fi audio experience. The screen stretches to nearly the edges of the front of the phone to give it an unprecedented 91 percent screen-to-body ratio.

The Shocking Twist on Tonight's 'Bachelor' Finale

"Sometimes when I'm doing these little getaways with Becca , I think about what it could be like with Lauren ", Arie says. Arie went on to confess that he felt like a "monster" for breaking Lauren's heart without a valid explanation.

France's Le Maire Expects Digital Tax Of Around Two Percent

As Le Maire said, it's easier and faster to implement a lower rate and tweak it later, rather than to go for a higher rate from the start and risk longer negotiations.

InfoWars' Alex Jones is about to be shut out of YouTube

As it stands, the main Alex Jones Channel does not appear to be running any ads before its videos at all . However, some claim they were "unaware" that InfoWars has multiple channels.

President Trump threatens to impose tariffs on cars imported from the EU

However, Trump fired back in a tweet on Saturday. "They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there". Trump stoked further fears of global turmoil on Friday by claiming " trade wars are good " and "easy to win".

Chelsea boost as Iniesta breaks down in Barcelona win

Barcelona will be eyeing up an incredible treble with the club booking their spot in the Copa del Rey final opposite Sevilla. He carried on playing so we thought it wasn't too bad, but we're not sure.

Washington becomes first state to approve net-neutrality rules

The FCC is facing its own legal challenge from net neutrality supporters. Companies like Facebook, Google, and Twitter supported the 2015 rules.

Ofgem introduces 12-month backbilling limit

However, there's already a voluntary agreement to help protect energy customers from back-bills older than 12 months. For example if you physically block access to a meter, tamper with your meter, or have stolen energy.Jazayeri's comments came as French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian was in Tehran to hold talks with Iranian officials over different issues.

The Iranians insisted on rejecting worldwide action aimed at containing the development of the missile program, and President Hasan Rouhani insisted on maintaining the nuclear agreement and supporting the "central government in Damascus".

The French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrived in Tehran early on Sunday March 5, 2018 met with Iran's SNSC Secretary Ali Shamkhani and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also made a point to mention France armed dictator Saddam Hussein during the bloody 1980s Iran-Iraq war.

According to the Iranian presidency website, Rouhani and Le Drian discussed developments in the Middle East, namely in Yemen, Lebanon and Syria.

Remains of Downed USS Lexington Found Near Austrailia

The sunken ship was recognized as the USS Lexington , which was sunk by Japan's navy during a battle between May 4 and 8, 1942. Mr Allen said that as Americans, the expedition crew owed a lot to those who served and sacrificed with courage and honour.

Le Drian should avoid adopting any negative position against Iran if Paris seeks to bolster relations with Tehran, said Velayati.

Talks are expected to focus on Iran's involvement in the Syrian Civil war and Iran's ballistic missile program, which both Le Drian and French President Emmanuel Macron have criticized Iran's missile program in recent weeks, with Le Drian stating that Iran's ballistic missile capacity anxious France "enormously".

Still, Le Drian told The Times of Israel he is not "an emissary of Trump", and "there's still a lot of work to do on Iran's missile program". He said that France "must put pressure on the United States to meet its commitments under the deal and not to allow it to present illogical and illegal demands". International Atomic Energy Agency director general Yukiya Amano said Iran was, as of today, "implementing its nuclear-related commitments" under the deal.

The deal was struck between Iran and six world powers - the United States, Britain, Russia, France, China and Germany - and confines Iran's nuclear activity to the laboratory.

Under the non-binding Resolution 2231, Iran is required not to manufacture ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads or can be developed later to carry nuclear warheads.Tonya Illman was walking on the beach when she discovered the bottle sticking out form the sand, she told ABC News.

"It just looked like a lovely old bottle, so I picked it up, thinking it might look good in my bookcase", Illman said.

They dried the note back home and found it was dated 12 June 1886, and had been thrown from the German ship Paula, as part of an experiment into ocean and shipping routes by the German Naval Observatory.

Experts have confirmed that this is an authentic message from a German ship.

Inside an old Dutch gin bottle lodged in sand, they found a note handwritten by the crew of a German ship in 1886.

A message inside the bottle is dated June 12, 1886, and it was thrown overboard from a German sail vessel named Paula, 600 miles from the Australian coast.

"The note was damp, rolled tightly and wrapped with string".

The family then took the message to the Western Australian Museum, where Ross Anderson, assistant curator of maritime archaeology, was tasked with investigating its authenticity.

Prehistoric baby bird fossil sheds light on avian evolution

The skeleton was almost complete - only the feet, most of the hands, and the tail's tip were missing, they write. The almost complete skeleton was amongst the smallest known Mesozoic avian fossils ever discovered.

The previous record holder was a bottle found 108 years after it had been dropped into the ocean.

Researchers believe the bottle and message probably washed up there within a year of being jettisoned but lay buried in a layer of damp sand which helped preserve it, until a storm surge or similar weather event uncovered it more than a century later.

To confirm the discovery, the Western Australian Museum reached out to the Netherlands and Germany and found the ship captain's journal. The last message bottle was found in Denmark in 1934.

Details from the Illmans' message matched Paula's maritime records, and Anderson also compared handwriting samples with captain's entries in Paula's meteorological journal.

The bottle and note are now on display at the WA Museum in Perth.

WA Minister for Culture and the Arts David Templeman said he was "delighted" with the loan, adding: "It is truly an impressive find and thanks to the wonderful global and interdisciplinary cooperation of science and research, it can now also be shared with the world".

"It said, "will the finder please return this to the nearest German embassy or the authority who threw it overboard", a surprised Kym Illman said. To think that this bottle has not been touched for almost 132 years and is in flawless condition, despite the elements, beggars belief.It was a bland, bureaucratic statement-but its implications could be profound.

"Don't forget China's great and Xi is a great gentleman".

The announcement wasn't surprising, but many didn't expect it to come so soon. The US amended its constitution in 1951 to limit presidents to two terms.

Chinese leaders in the past have vowed not to ape the western political systems. So many had assumed Xi's fight was still ongoing, given how deeply entrenched corruption is in China. He began his second term as party boss in October. Domestically, it would rupture what has been a stable system of succession.

To enhance ecological protection, China will reform and improve the ecological and environmental regulation system, strengthen regulation over the use of natural ecological spaces, roll out a compensation system for ecological and environmental damage, and improve the compensation mechanisms for ecological conservation. "If Mao liberated China and Deng made China rich, Xi wants to make China powerful", said Dukalskis.

And the atmosphere is apparently poised to get worse; as one White House official warned the Post, "We haven't bottomed out".

Still, Beijing moved to a system virtually unique in the history of Communist governance, one that emphasised the notion of collective leadership and allowed the country to enjoy regular, orderly transitions of power for nearly four decades. That predictability is now in question. The new change in Chinese Communist Party's constitution will be submitted to the lawmakers at the annual full session of the National People's Congress going to start on March 5.

The real challenge for China, however, is not about Xi's economic policies. He has also extended his country's influence to the south and west, all the way to Pakistan, with his efforts to build infrastructure in developing nations.

United Airlines Might Not Replace Bonuses With a Lottery After All

This is scratching a lottery ticket", another pilot reportedly wrote. A top prize tier victor would receive $100,000 in cash. The memo was obtained by the Chicago Business Journal.

China on Monday hiked its defence spending to 8.1 per cent of its GDP, pegging its economic growth at 6.5 per cent in 2018.

Under Trump's plan, steel products will face a 25% tariff, and aluminium goods 10% because the U.S. was victim to "unfair trade".

China's unique model also produced an economic miracle. Some of Xi's supporters believe he needs more time and more authority to implement them. It is determined to lead the world in fields like solar and wind power, electric cars and artificial intelligence. Maybe he wants to manage that process.

Xi breaks precedent by lacking a clear successor. Such a scenario is possible.

Xi has been a strong leader for China.

"Should Liu He become the PBOC chief, China may move towards a super regulator model, which will give the central bank more power to combat financial risk", Tommy Xie, China economist at OCBC Bank in Singapore, said in a note.

The official media justified the increase to United States dollars 175 saying that, although slightly higher than the previous two years, the growth rate is the third time to dip into the single digit since 2013, following 7.6 per cent in 2016 and 7 per cent in 2017.

AMIDST the flurry of news about Hope Hicks and Jared Kushner and this week's Trump reality show on guns, it would be easy to miss what's happening in China.A new report from Wall Street Journal cites Xiaomi's Chairman Lei Jun, who said his company plans " to start entering the market by end 2018, or by early 2019".

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi says that it plans to enter the US smartphone market in late 2018 or 2019, according to report from The Wall Street Journal. Xiaomi now sells fitness trackers and other accessories in the USA, so there's already some infrastructure in place for the company to expand upon. However, Xiaomi deals exclusively in consumer electronics rather than telecoms equipment, so it may be able to strike deals with U.S. carriers without facing roadblocks from Washington. It's expected that they do partner because it will give them a critical advantage in entering the US market.

Huawei was also to launch the new Mate 10 Pro flagship in the U.S. through AT&T but got canceled just before its announcement. Having access to wireless carriers to sell smartphones is critical in the USA market, which Huawei CEO Richard Yu acknowledged earlier this year at CES.

Google Asks for Check for Zagat

But Google gradually started emphasizing its own data-based findings over the user reviews that were Zagat's stock in trade. The parties to the deal did not disclose the amount being paid for Zagat.

It will be interesting to see if Xiaomi can get a different consideration from USA carriers and politicians than Huawei. For starters, Xiaomi isn't exactly a household name in the US - especially in a market that is dominated by names like Apple and Samsung, and to a lesser extent Motorola and LG.

As Chinese tech manufacturers continue to pursue USA market penetration, they have received sideways glances from regulators keen of Beijing's cyberespionage interests and spheres of influence in the information domain.Women fund managers proved their worth last year with assets under management (AUMs) rising 32 per cent to Rs 3,06,500 crore and generated solid returns within their peer groups. In 2016, total assets managed by the women managers stood at Rs 2,32,000 crore, according to a report by mutual fund Morningstar which throws light on the performance of the female fund managers ahead of the International Women's Day on March 8, 2018.

The number of women in fund management in India has been gradually going up over the years, but the numbers show that we still have a long way to go, says the report. Of the total 291 fund managers who handled open-ended mutual fund products in 2017, a meagre 24 were women.

Hence, the representation of the fairer sex in this profession remained low at 8 per cent. These low numbers are below global standards with many Asian countries showing highest representation of women in the mutual fund industry, the report said.

The figure is marginally higher compared to 18 women out of 269 fund managers in 2016. The report further noted that these 24 women managers cumulatively manage assets worth Rs 3,06,500 crore, which is about 15 per cent of the total assets under management for open ended funds.

Interestingly, the report observed that women managers have generated solid returns within their peer groups.

"As we dig deeper into the data we find that out of the total assets managed by women fund managers, 61 per cent of the AUM outperformed the benchmark/peer group average over 1-year basis, 81 per cent over 3-year basis and 86 per cent over 5-year basis," the report said.

"Thus, over the long-term funds managed/overseen by women managers have delivered significant outperformance versus peers," it added.

Lakshmi Iyer, CIO (Debt) and head of products at Kotak Mahindra Asset Management, Bekxy Kuriakose, head, fixed income at Principal PNB Asset Management, Sunaina Da Cunha, fund manager at Birla Sun Life Asset Management and Anju Chhajer, senior fund manager at Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management, are some of the leading names in fund managing business on the fixed income side.

Roshi Jain, fund manager at Franklin Templeton Asst Mgmt (IND), Sohini Andani, fund manager at SBI Funds Management and Swati Kulkarni, fund manager at UTI Asset Management Company, are well known for managing equity funds, the report said.From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...Host of Peace FM's Flagship programme "Kokrokoo", Kwami Sefa Kayi, appears sickened by the filth that has swallowed up the Capital city, Accra and other parts of the nation and the nonchalant attitude Ghanaians have towards ensuring good environmental sanitation.



He wondered how Ghana, after achieving 61 years of independence, still battles with sanitation problems.



In the last 20 years, waste management has become a key part of campaign promises of political parties, as the city authorities struggle to cope with the waste generated by residents daily.



Certain parts of Accra, the capital for instance, is the scene of littered refuse, raw sewage sipping through choked drains and open defecation.



Piles of refuse have also engulfed some markets, major highways and several communities in the city.



Even in so-called affluent and well planned areas, the insanitary conditions and heaps of garbage that one is confronted with, is an eye-sore.



It was therefore not surprising when the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, Andrew Barnes, recently asked Ghanaian authorities to up their game to meet President Akufo-Addos promise to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa by 2020.



The President, addressing chiefs and people of Jamestown in April last year, pledged his commitment to make Accra the cleanest cities in Africa by the end of his tenure.



But now, that commitment seems to be a fluke.



Addressing the issue on his platform on Monday, Kwami Sefa Kayi, affectionately called Chairman General, quizzed "the filth in Accra is shocking. So, will we look on like this?



Whiles enjoing Ghanaians to cultivate habits that prevents littering the environment, the reigning GJA Journalist of the year called for punitive measures to be instituted against offenders to deter prospective ones from littering around.







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoSenator Dino Melaye has lamented that Nigeria no longer marks important days. He said this on Tuesday in a post on Instagram.



The lawmaker was reacting to Ghana's Independence celebration. In attendance were President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President, Bukola Saraki among others.



Melaye who is attending the celebration alongside President Buhari took a swipe at the Independence Day Celebration in Nigeria, which he said has been turned into a low key event in the Presidential Villa.



Dino Melaye posted a picture of the colourful event and wrote, I feel sad and ashamed this morning as I physically see the cultural and national demonstration of love, unity and purpose exhibited by Ghanaians here at the Black Star Square in Accra- Ghana as Ghana celebrate their 61st independence and 25 years of uninterrupted Democracy.



It is sad that My President and eminent Nigerians watch this glamour and respect for heritage which Nigeria as Regional Champions lost years ago. We have stop celebrating anything in Nigeria. I.e Independence day, Democracy day and Childrens day. Our Independence Day is now a low key event in the Presidential Villa.



The Question is how did we get here and why did we get here! We are here president and citizens of Nigeria clapping for our 'younger' brother Nation Ghana! What a shame. The reasons for the fear of National celebrations are the colossal injustices in the land. We as leaders at all levels must be fair and just to all.



As long as we twist justice and flow in the gown of injustice and hypocrisy we will never openly celebrate like Ghana is doing today. We must decide to re-think and re-build. Altogether we have failed. We must bring back our long lost reputation. As a child, I always look forward to celebrations like this.



What will my children and their generation look out for? God will ask us all, leaders of Nigeria our roles in getting to this abysmal level. Hope Mr President and all of us present in Accra today will learn a huge lesson from Ghana. Congratulations Ghana, Africa is proud of you.

Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Cerveza Polar







Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar







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LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares?



























Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano...



Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos:



Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias.



Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera.



No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje.



En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio.



Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida.



Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella.



Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal.



Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista.



Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen.



Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che?



Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio.



Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora.



Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo.



Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo.



Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania.



No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar.



Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga.





Alguna duda?



Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino



Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia.



OZ1



OZ2



OZ3



OZ4



Homenaje a Jason Galarraga



La Victoria de Samotracia



Odalisca



Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008



























La Sierra Nevada de Merida



Nuestro precioso Churum Meru



Homenaje a Picasso



Autoretrato



Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola?

La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.

Mi profesion?

Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.

Sal en la Coca Cola?

A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.

De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:

Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto

Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)

azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)

Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas

Mucha Cafeina

Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio

Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe

Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion

El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.

Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.

Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.

En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).

Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.

La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.

Bebidas Light?

Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el

Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.



Publicado por loretahur



En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur

MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina:

1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias.

2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina.

3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard.

4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos.

5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla.

6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos.

Ahora... sobre la margarina:

1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) .

2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias.

3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno).

4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer.

5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna.

6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo.

7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina.

Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas:

* No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo).

* No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!!



No a la guerra, Si a la Paz



Misterios de la ciencia...



Los costos de la guerra



medicos y capitalismo...



Capitalismo...



medicos (2)



Quien educa a nuestros hijos?



Los Medios...



Sin Palabras...



Chistes feministas

- Cual es el problema, Eva?

- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz...

- Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.

- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...

- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.

- Que es un hombre?

- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.

- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.

- Cual es el truco?.

- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.

- Cual?

- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.





Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Ellas...



Ellas (2)...



Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1

Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije:

-Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro.

Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria.

Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre?

-Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa!



VENGANZA NUMERO 2

Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris.

A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita:

- Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!!

Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta.

La mujer paso quince dias en Francia.

El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla.

Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es:

- Y amor me trajiste mi francesita??

- Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina.



VENGANZA NUMERO 3

El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion.

- No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo.

- Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz.

Te quiero confesar algo.

- Esta bien, esta bien. Habla!

- He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga.

- Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!!



machismo y cibernetica



Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston.

-Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide.

-Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!.



.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti.

Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos.

Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco.

Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas



Gol !!!!



Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso!



Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy!

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Welcome Guest! You Are Here:Navjot Sidhu will be an ideal choice for CM in Punjab to fight mafias, counter AAP and Badal family



Shillong : Just a day before of the sworn in ceremony of forming new government in Meghalaya, the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) on Monday refused to support NPP if BJP in coalition





The HSPDP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said that, the party is not going with the Conrad K Sangma led government.





During a press conference held in Shillong Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said that, No to be in the Regional Democratic Alliance if BJP is part of the alliance.





We want a non-Congress and non-BJP government, Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said.





The HSPDP chief also said that, UDP did not consult with his party before proposing Conrad K Sangmas name as Chief Minister.





HSPDP won 2 seats in the Meghalaya assembly polls.





Earlier, Meghalaya governor Ganga Prasad asked Conrad K Sangma to form the next government on March 6, after newly elected MLAs of NPP, BJP, United

Democratic Party (UDP), People's Democratic Front (UDP), Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and an Independent MLA and senior BJP leaders led by Conrad K Sangma on Sunday evening had met the Meghalaya governer at Raj Bhawan in Shillong and staked a claim to form new government in the hill state.





The team led by Conrad K Sangma also submitted a list of 34 newly elected MLAs including two of HSPDP to support Conrad to form new government.





There will no effect to the NPP-BJP led alliance after HSPDPs decision.





Meanwhile, Conrad K Sangma will be sworn in as the new Meghalaya Chief Minister tomorrow.





The sworn in ceremonial function will be held at Raj Bhawan in Shillong and BJP president Amit Shah, Union Home minister Rajnath Singh and several BJP leaders will present in the function.





Sources said that, 11 ministers will be inducted in the new government.





Among them, 6 will from NPP, 2 from UDP, 1 each from BJP, PDF and HSPDP.





It is now uncertainty whether the HSPDP will take a ministry post in new government.







Itanagar : Security forces had apprehended a hardcore NSCN (IM) militant along with arms and ammunition in Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday, officials said.





Kohima based Defence PRO Colonel Chiranjeet Konwer said that, based on intelligence input, the Assam Rifles troops of Longding battalion under the aegis of Dao division had launched operation in Longding area and apprehended one hardcore NSCN(IM) militant.





The nabbed militant was identified as Pujat Wangsu alias Wanghbo and he is a self styled corporal of the outfit.





Security personnel had recovered one pistol, ammunition and large amount of cash in possession from him.





Pujat Wangsu has been involved in extortion activities in the area for a long time and the local population has been harassed by him for money, the Defence PRO said.







Kohima, March 5 : The troops of Assam Rifles had apprehended two illegal arms fabricators and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition in Nagaland on Monday, officials said.





PRO of HQ IGAR (N) Lt Col Amitabh Sharma said that, based on intelligence input, Medziphema battalion of Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ IGAR (N) launched an operation alongwith a police representative regarding presence of an illegal arms manufacturer in general area Sungratsu, Chumukedima, Dimapur.





During the operation, troops of Assam Rifles apprehended two arms fabricators along with huge quantity of weapons, ammunitions and manufacturing tools.





The nabbed arms fabricators were identified as Takotoshi and Temjin and security forces recovered one 9mm revolver (USA made),one 12 Bore Rifle, one point 22 mm Rifle, four point 22 mm Rifles, four magazines of point 22mm Rifle, 8 Wooden Rifle Butt, one Rifle barrel and ammunitions of various calibers.





Later the apprehendees along with recovered items were handed over to Chumukedima Police Station, Dimapur for further investigation.







Shillong: Conrad Sangma, son of former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma and National Peoples Party (NPP) leader will be sworn in as Meghalaya Chief Minister today.





Meghalaya governor Ganga Prasad asked Conrad Sangma to form the next government on March 6, while newly elected MLAs of NPP, BJP, United Democratic Party (UDP), People's Democratic Front (UDP), Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and an Independent MLA and senior BJP leaders led by Conrad Sangma on Sunday evening had met the Meghalaya

governer at Raj Bhawan in Shillong and staked a claim to form new government in the hill state.





The team led by Conrad Sangma also submitted a list of 34 newly elected MLAs to support Conrad to form new government.





While the Meghalaya polls threw a hung verdict, all the regional parties and BJP had agreed to support NPP to form a non-Congress government in the state.





After the meeting with the Meghalaya governor, Assam minister and senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma said that, 34 newly elected MLAs have been extended their support to Conrad Sangma to form a new non Congress government.





Among them 2 are from BJP, 19 of NPP, 6 of UDP, 4 of PDF, 2 of HSPDP and one Independent MLA. The governor asked Conrad Sangma to form the new government on March 6, Himanta Biswa Sarma said.





The BJP leader also said that, UDP hasnt demanded any Deputy CM post and one BJP minister will be inducted in the new government.





Sources said that, Conrad Sangma will be sworn in as new Chief Minister of Meghalaya during a grand function to be held at Polo ground, Shillong.





Meanwhile, Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma had submitted his resignation letter to the governor.





The political scenario in Meghalaya has been dramatically changed after UDP leader and former Meghalaya CM Dr Donkupar Roy said that, his party has decided to extend support to NPP and Conrad Sangma.





Earlier, Minister of State for Home and senior BJP leader Kiren Rijiju had met the UDP leader and urging to unite to form a non-Congress government.





On Sunday morning, Independent elected candidate from Baghmara Samuel M Sangma had met Assam minister and senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma and extended his support to BJP.







Kohima : Nagaland governor PB Acharya has been given 48 hours to incumbent Chief Minister TR Zeliang to prove his majority after Zeliang refused to resigned despite his party Naga Peoples Front (NPF) losing its majority in the assembly polls results.





On Sunday, a delegation team of BJP and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) led by Chief Ministerial candidate Neiphiu Rio and senior BJP leader Ram Madhav had met Nagaland governor PB Acharya at the Raj Bhawan in Kohima and staked a claim to form new government and claimed support of 32 newly elected MLAs in the 60-member house.





Acharya asked Rio to submit signatures of all 32 MLAs.





The Nagaland governor has also asked TR Zeliang to prove his majority within 48 hours.





Meanwhile, refute to quit incumbent CM TR Zeliang who is now at Kohima said that, he will meet BJPs national president Amit Shah in New Delhi to discuss about formation of government while two BJP ministers are still in his ministry.





On the other hand, NPFs president Shurhozelie Liezietsu said that, NPF and BJP have been friends for a long time and both parties can form a strong and stable government as NPF bagged 26 seats and 12 by BJP.





Meanwhile, Nagaland BJP president Visasolie Lhoungu has sent a letter to the Nagaland governor and said that, BJP extends its support to pre-poll alliance partner NDPP in the formation of new government in Nagaland.





In the final result of the Nagaland assembly poll, BJP has won 12 seats, while NDPP won 18, 26 by NPF, 2 by NPP and one each by JD (U) and Independent.





After the results, lone Independent elected candidate Tongpang Ozukum and lone JD (U) elected candidate G Kaito Aye had supported to the BJP-NDPP alliance.







Kohima : Many had hoped that Mach 3, Saturday would make a history in Nagaland.





When the counting of votes were in progress in Nagaland, it like seems that, that day will make a history, but it didnt happen.





Nagaland once again failed to elect its first woman legislator to the 60-member Nagaland legislative assembly.





Five women candidates were in fray and many expected that, Nagaland will elect its first woman legislator this time.





Out of the five women candidates, high expectations from Awan Konyak, a post-gradute from Delhi University, who contested on an NDPP ticket from Aboi assembly constituency in Mon district.





38-year-old Awan Konyak, daughter of former minister Nyeiwang Konyak who passed away recently had got 5131 votes and losing to NPF candidate Eshak Konyak by 905 votes.





Awan Konyak is the first woman from the Konyak community to contest the polls.





On the other hand, Dr K Mangyangpula Chang, the NPP candidate had secured 725 votes in the Noksen constituency.





In Noksen constituency, CM Chang won by getting 4436 votes followed by NPF candidate W Chingmak Chang at 3860 and Congress candidate at 1008.





On the other hand, Rhakila, who contested second time on a BJP ticket from Tuensang Sadar-II constituency had secured 2749 votes, while NPF candidate Kejong Chang got 6204 followed by NCP candidate H Zungkum Chang at 4405.





Rekha Rose Dukru, an Independent candidate from Chizami constituency had secured only 338 votes and NPP candidate Wedie-u Kronu contesting from

Dimapur-III constituency secured only 483 votes, while 5724 people in Nagaland choose NOTA.





No woman legislator has entered in the Nagaland legislative assembly in the states 55-year-old history.





Nagalands lone woman MP was Rano M Shaiza, who was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1977.



Guwahati: On the occasion of International Womens Day, a physiotherapy camp exclusively for lady scribes along with the spouses of other journos has been organized on 8 March 2018 at Guwahati Press Club in northeast India, which will be conducted by two female physiotherapists.





Dr Pallabi Goswami (PT) and Dr Pooja Saikia (PT) from the College of Physiotherapy & Medical Sciences, Guwahati will be available for free consultations and preliminary treatments to the participants from 12 noon to 3 pm at the club premises. The participants will also get the opportunity to check their weight and blood pressures.





The last weekly camp at the press club premises was conducted by a group of Ayurvedic doctors on 28 February, where over 30 media persons received free healthcare consultations from Dr Bhabesh Das (Principal of Government Ayurvedic College, Jalukbari), Dr KC Barman, Dr SK Chakrabarty and Dr Neelakshi Dev Chaudhury.







Kohima: A day after the National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) met Nagaland governor PB Acharya and staked claim to form new government in support of pre-poll alliance BJP and lone MLA of JD (U) and Independent, outgoing Chief Minister TR Zeliang refused to quit and said that, NPF should be called to form the government as his party emerged as a largest party by securing 26 seats.





Meanwhile, Convenor of BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and Assam minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that, BJP will go with its pre-poll alliance partner NDPP and BJP-NDPP will form next government in support of JD (U) and the lone Independent MLA.





Addressing a press conference held at Hotel Vivor in Kohima in presence of MLAs of NDPP and senior BJP leader Ajay Jamwal, Himanta said that, BJP has already extended support to Neiphiu Rio and NDPP to form next government.





BJP has ruled out extending support to 15-year-old ally NPF, Himanta Biswa Sarma said.





On the other hand, Y Patton has been elected as the BJP Legislative Party (BLP) leader.





Earlier, Nagaland governor PB Acharya has been given 48 hours to incumbent Chief Minister TR Zeliang to prove his majority after Zeliang refused to resign despite his party Naga Peoples Front (NPF) losing its majority in the assembly polls results.





On Sunday, a delegation team of BJP and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) led by Chief Ministerial candidate Neiphiu Rio and senior BJP leader Ram Madhav had met Nagaland governor PB Acharya at the Raj Bhawan in Kohima and staked a claim to form new government and claimed support of 32 newly elected MLAs in the 60-member house.





Acharya asked Rio to submit signatures of all 32 MLAs.





The Nagaland governor has also asked TR Zeliang to prove his majority within 48 hours.





Meanwhile, the new government will form on March 8 and sworn in ceremony to be held at Kohima.





Prime Minister Narendra Modi would likely to presence in the sworn in ceremonial function.



Kathmandu, Nepal: The CPN UML has called its Central Committee (CC) meeting today with intent to finalize candidate for the post of the president, which is going to be elected from the parliament.





Though the election for the President nearing in, the CPN UML, the head of the incumbent government, had not discussed about the candidate of the President, due to the internal differences and hectic meetings on power sharing deal.





The CPN UML and the CPN Maoist Center have already agreed to give the post of President to the UML in return of providing the post of speaker to the CPN Maoist Center.





As the two big communist parties of Nepal- CPN UML and the CPN Maoist- have secured majority in the parliament, they have shared the posts and positions of the government among the two parties.





It is said that the Central Committee meeting, which is going to be convened at 4:00 pm will finalize the candidate to the post of the President.





However, it is likely that the UML would face internal differences to select the candidate for the post of President as incumbent President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has already expressed her desire to continue her second term.





It is said that party chair and Prime Minister KP OLi is also favoring Bhandari to continue her for the second term.





Another senior leader and former Prime Minister Jhalnath Khanal and partys vice president Bamdev Gautam have also been willing to be the candidate for the post of President.



Zambia has reaffirmed on Thursday (March 1) that it no longer has any relations with the so-called sahrawi republic SADR after it withdrew its recognition of the puppet entity in July 2016.

Lusaka no longer maintains bilateral relations with SADR and Zambias diplomatic missions will inform hosting countries and international and regional organizations of this definitive break up with the so-called SADR, said Zambian Foreign Minister Joseph Malanji, at a joint press conference with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, in Rabat Thursday.

The head of Zambian diplomacy is currently on a working visit to the Kingdom at the head of a large delegation.

During their meeting, the two ministers expressed their shared will to strengthen relations between Morocco and Zambia, including in political and economic fields.

Nasser Bourita, on his part, underlined that relations between Rabat and Lusaka have witnessed a strong evolution during the last two years, especially since the visit of King Mohammed VI in Zambia in February 2017, a visit that was crowned by the signing of 19 conventions and economic partnership agreements.

Shortly after the royal visit to Lusaka, Joseph Malanji confirmed the withdrawal of SADR recognition of by Zambia.

This decision was of great political and diplomatic importance for the Moroccan Sahara issue, because Zambia is located in English-speaking Africa, where the Polisario has the largest number of countries that still support its chimerical territorial claims over the Moroccan Sahara.

Long before the return of Morocco to the African Union in January 2017, King Mohammed VI made a geostrategic breakthrough towards Anglophone Africa that resulted in an unprecedented rapprochement between the Kingdom and these countries.

This strategy was quick to bear fruit by narrowing the scope of the Polisario and its Algerian godfathers and other sponsorsClose Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!

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Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.IMF unemployment stats tainted, says Gonsalves

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A recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) report on St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) put the unemployment rate of persons in the age group 15 to 24 at 46 per cent.

But, Minister of Finance Camillo Gonsalves told SEARCHLIGHT recently that this youth unemployment statistic is tainted by several factors.

aThere have been some numbers bandied about related to youth unemployment and those numbers are not official numbers and have not been sufficiently interrogated by the Government,a said Gonsalves.

He said unemployment in the country is between 18 and 20 per cent and that number is derived from the census, the labour market survey and data from the National Insurance Services (NIS).

The Finance Minister said the data on unemployment varies significantly from year to year.

aI donat want to bash the Statistics Department in any way, because they do excellent work and the World Bank was coordinating [with them] in trying to get a picture of youth unemployment in SVG.

aThe data that they have varies wildly from one year to another. Let us take youth unemployment out of it; if you look at the data for example, you will see that in one year to the next they would say that unemployment, letas say in Colonarie or unemployment in Calliaqua changes by 10 to 15 per cent, which is not a realistic number when you think about the nature of our businesses and production and employment in SVG,a said Gonsalves. a

aAdditionally, there are some questions that are still yet to be answered about the ages of the people who are considered as youth unemployed; the International Labour Organization (ILO) definition goes all the way down to people in their teens, whereas we consider people out of school,a Gonsalves commented.

He said during the collection of the statistics that the IMF looked at, there was an issue of what people were characterized as when they had just graduated from the St Vincent Community College, the University of the West Indies (UWI) or had come home for the holidays.

aOf course, there is a period of unemployment at that point before you find a job and based on when the study was done; some of those people were captured as unemployed and strictly speaking it was true, they were not working, and they were looking for jobs, but they had not yet been employed, because of the nature of the time by which they graduated,a explained Gonsalves.

He added, that additionally, at that point in time, nationally, seasonally employed persons, like people in the Grenadines and so on, who are employed during the tourist season, are unemployed in the off-season.

aI donat want to speak definitively, because I am still interrogating on the types of questions that were asked and what category people were placed in; but the number that has been cited is not an official number; it is a number that is still under consideration and deliberation between our Statistics Department, the Ministry of Finance and some of the people who did the study,a said the Finance Minister.

He said there should be a realistic youth unemployment number when the current labour market survey, currently ongoing, is completed.

On December 15, 2017, the Executive Board of the IMF concluded the Article IV consultation with SVG. The IMF report stated that the unemployment rate is high, particularly for the youth, the less educated, and women, with the latter sharply increasing their labour market participation since 2001.

aThe overall unemployment rate was 25 per cent and reached around 46 per cent among the youth (15-24 years of age). Unemployment was 20.9 and 21.5 per cent in 2001 and 2012, respectivelya, said the report.SVGCC students take part in ECSC mooting competition

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A first of its kind mooting competition for students of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC), hosted by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) 50th Anniversary Celebrations Committee, took place in an atmosphere of great excitement at the House of Assembly on February 23.

Among the distinguished audience observing the proceedings were justices Esco Marie Henry and Nicola Byer, as well as the Attorney-General Jaundy Martin, president of the Bar association RenA Baptiste and the registrar of the High Court, Andrea Young-Lewis.

So impresed was Justice Byer that at the end of the competition, she commented that she had a feeling that very soon she would be looking for a job.

The mooting competition comes at the end of nearly a year of activities marking the golden anniversary of the ECSC, which was on February 27 last year. It is a mock trial and those involved take the role of claimants and defendants, and argue on points of law that emerge from a factual scenario given to them.

The claimants in the mock trial were CAPE law students and the defendants were students of the Associate degree in paralegal studies programme, while the factual scenario presented issues in contract law.

All the formalities observed, the three aJusticesa for the occasion, Stanley aStalkya John QC, Duane Daniel and Paula David, were introduced and took their seats opposite counsel.

Claimants, represented by students, Khahailiah Mc Millan, Jemima Fairbairn and Jada Swift, and defendants, represented by students Natalia Ollivierre, Jo-Ann Andrews and Vinesha Benjamin, had 20 minutes each to state their case, after which they were given a chance to rebut arguments.

The students withstood a series of questions from all three judges during their prepared presentations, and were judged based on this, being their oral submission, as well as their written submissions.

Written submissions were judged in the categories of: knowledge and use of the relevant Acts, legal analysis, logic and reasoning, clarity, organization, persuasiveness, correctness of format, sources and citations, grammar and style. Oral submissions were measured using the categories: quality of argument, knowledge of the facts, the organization of presentation, the responsiveness to the judgesa oral questions, and overall persuasiveness.

When the time came for the judges to announce the results, both sides were already reeling from a very intense trivia segment of the competition and held their breath as they awaited the results.

The defendants won the prize for the written submissions, the claimants for the oral submissions, as well as the overall case. When it was announced that the claimants had won the case, there was an outbreak of joyous applause, something that doesnat usually happen in a court of law. On the other hand, the defendants took their loss hard, one counsel being reduced to tears in disappointment.

However, the Justices were impressed by all, David commenting, aI was very impressed with the hard work that you ladies put into this exercise. It was very clear to me that you worked very hard, all of you. I was particularly impressed that, this has to be a scary exercise for you, and you stood your groundyou didnat flake under what I thought was intense questioning. So I wanted to congratulate you on that.a

John also lauded their efforts, opining, aI think they did very well, very well. They were spectacular; they were confident; they were well prepared; they were articulate; they were enthusiastic. I was especially impressed with the way they were responding to the questions asked from the bench. Their teachers must have done an excellent job with them.a

The Committee ended its activities, which had started in May of last year, last week Wednesday, and they included, among other activities, church visits, an aeach one feed onea soup kitchen, a very popular free legal aid pop-up clinic and, in association with the Bar Association, a ano means noa campaign regarding violence against women.(KR)US probes $50m fraud, money laundering scheme

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Two Vincentians have been indicted by the United States Attorneyas Office in relation to a $50 million international securities fraud and money laundering scheme.

Linda Bullock and Adrian Baron, both having dual citizenship in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and the United Kingdom (UK), were named in the indictment, which was unsealed on Thursday, March 1, in Brooklyn New York.

Bullock, 57 is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Loyal Bank and a director of Loyal Agency and Trust Corp. She primarily works at Loyal Bankas office at Villa, SVG, while Baron, 63, is employed as the chief business officer (CBO) of Loyal Bank and a director of Loyal Agency. He primarily works at Loyal Bankas office in Budapest, Hungary. Prior to being CBO, Baron had been employed as the CEO of Loyal Bank between 2006 and 2014. Bullock had been employed as Loyal Bankas head of compliance between 2004 and 2014, before being promoted to CEO. Loyal Bank Ltd is an offshore bank with offices in Budapest, Hungary and SVG; and Loyal Agency and Trust Corp, an offshore management company, located in SVG.

According to the indictment, Baron and Bullock are alleged to have participated in a scheme to manipulate the United States stock market and assisted with the laundering of the proceeds of various market manipulation schemes through bank accounts at Loyal Bank. The indictment alleges that on or about June 14, 2017, an undercover agent of the United States Government, who was investigating these schemes, met with Baron at Loyal Bankas office in Budapest. During that meeting, which according to the indictment was consensually recorded, the undercover agent explained that he was a US citizen and that he was a stock promoter involved in stock manipulation schemes.

aThe Undercover Agent further explained to Baron that he was interested in opening multiple corporate bank accounts at Loyal Bank. The Undercover Agent informed Baron that these accounts would be opened in the names of Belizean International Business Companyas (IBC) controlled by the Undercover Agent and that no US citizens would appear on any of the account opening documents, despite the Undercover Agent

being the true beneficial owner of the accounts. According

to the indictment, Baron responded that Loyal Bank could open these accounts and provide debit cards linked to them. After this meeting, the Undercover Agent applied for a corporate bank account at Loyal Bank in the name of one of his Belizean IBCs and with a confidential source (CS-1) acting as the nominee for the account,a the indictment stated.

On or about July 7, 2017, Bullock and Baron met in Miami with the Undercover Agent, and again, according to the indictment, the meeting was consensually recorded. During the meeting, the Undercover Agent described how his stock manipulation deals operated, including the need to conceal from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) his true beneficial ownership of more than five per cent of a companyas stock through nominee brokerage accounts, and the need to circumvent the Internal Revenue Serviceas (IRS) reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).

FATCA requires that foreign financial institutions and certain other non-financial foreign entities report on the foreign assets held by their US account holders.

aFollowing Bullockas departure from the meeting, Baron joked that the corporate bank account at Loyal Bank, for which the Undercover Agent had applied, had ano US involvement that [he] could see,a despite the Undercover Agentas representations to the contrary, the indictment stated.

The Undercover Agent also emphasized that he required Loyal Bankas debit card service to provide kickbacks to US-based brokers as part of his stock manipulation deals. Baron described the stock manipulation deals as apump and dumpa or ashare rampinga schemes, in which astocks are pumped up by a lot of fake news and everyone sells out and the owners of those stocks are left with nothing.a

It is alleged that following this meeting, the Undercover Agent requested that Loyal Bank open five additional bank accounts in the name of five more Belizean International Business Companies (IBCs) controlled by the Undercover Agent, Again, the Undercover Agentas IBCs utilized Belizean nominees instead of his own name. All six account applications contained identical business plans for each of the six IBCs.

aOn or about and between July 14, 2017 and August 8, 2017, Loyal Bank opened five of the six bank accounts requested by the Undercover Agent. Notwithstanding the Undercover Agentas statement that he would be the true beneficial owner of the accounts, at no time did Loyal Bank request FATCA Information from the Undercover Agent,a stated the indictment.

aOn or about July 21, 2017, the Undercover Agent emailed representatives of Loyal Agency, including the defendant Linda Bullock. In that email, the Undercover Agent inquired about the possibility of purchasing six IBCs incorporated in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

aOn or about August 18, 2017, the Undercover Agent emailed representatives of Loyal Agency, including the defendants Adrian Baron and Linda Bullock, and advised them that he was purchasing the IBCs for the purpose of opening brokerage accounts in the name of the IBCs at Beaufort Securities or a brokerage firm affiliated with Loyal Bank. The Undercover Agent subsequently purchased six IBCs from Loyal Agency, and Loyal Bank then opened a corporate bank account for each IBC. At no time did Loyal Bank request FATCA Information from the Undercover Agent for these accounts,a the indictment further read.

aOn or about July 26, 2017, the Undercover Agent directed Beaufort Securities to transfer approximately $95,000 from a brokerage account at Beaufort Securities to a bank account he controlled at Loyal Bank. These funds represented the proceeds of the sale of The Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) Stock A by Beaufort Securities on behalf of the Undercover Agent. Beaufort Securities subsequently transferred the funds after receiving a letter from the defendant Linda Bullock confirming the wire transfer details of the Undercover Agentas account at Loyal Bank. The Undercover Agent separately transferred approximately $95,000 to bank accounts he controlled at Loyal Bank,a according to the indictment.

The charge goes on to read that about and between October 2017 and December 2017, Loyal Bank shipped 11 debit cards to a confidential source (CS-1) in Belize at the direction of the Undercover Agent. Each of these debit cards was linked to the 11 corporate bank accounts opened by the Undercover Agent at Loyal Bank.

aOn or about December 8, 2017, the Undercover Agent placed a consensually recorded call to the defendant Linda Bullock. During the call, the Undercover Agent described his stock manipulation deals and again informed Bullock that he was the true beneficial owner of the bank accounts at Loyal Bank. Bullock stated, in part, that she was aware that the accounts had a anomineea and that the Undercover Agent was not listed as the true beneficial owner. The Undercover Agent also described to Bullock how Loyal Bankas debit card service allowed him to provide kickbacks to corrupt stockbrokers in the United States.

aNotwithstanding this conversation, Loyal Bank continued to maintain the 11 bank accounts controlled by the Undercover Agent and, on or about January 30, 2018, Loyal Agency renewed the six IBCs purchased by the Undercover Agent.

aOn or about and between November 9, 2017 and February 22, 2018, the debit cards sent by Loyal Bank to CS-1 at the direction of the Undercover Agent were used to withdraw approximately $130,000 from automated teller machines located in the Eastern District of New York,a revealed the indictment.

Other individuals named in the matter are Panayiotis Kyriacou, Arvinsingh Canaye, Matthew Green and Aristos Aristodemou, while Beaufort Securities Ltd, a brokerage firm located in London; Beaufort Management Services Ltd, an offshore management company located in Mauritius; were also named as defendants.

According to the indictment, Beaufort Securities facilitated at least 10 apump and dumpa schemes involving US publicly traded stocks, generating over $50 million in proceeds for its clients. One person, Arvinsingh Canaye, 30, a resident of Mauritius, has so far been arrested in relation to the indictment. He was scheduled to be arraigned last Friday in Brooklyn.

A statement from the United States attorneyas office, dated March 2, said the charges in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

SEARCHLIGHT made a call to the Cedar Hill Crest Villa, St Vincent office of Loyal Bank on Monday to elicit a response from Bullock. A female voice who answered the phone said that Bullock was unavailable.

On Monday, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) of SVG said in a press release (see page 4) that they are investigating the alleged actions of the bank officials involved.

aThe FSA has thus launched its own investigation into the allegations and is, together with the relevant authority for money laundering and financial crimes a the Financial Intelligence Unit a investigating the alleged actions of the Bank officials involved and is monitoring any actions which the Bank itself is taking in view of these developments and allegations. The Financial Services Authority, and indeed St Vincent and the Grenadines, are taking these allegations very seriously,a said the release.Youth shot dead near Sharpes Playing Field

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Veroni aCutiea Dublin wants the person or persons who murdered her eldest son to feel the same pain he felt, as well as the pain that is currently consuming her.

She said if her son was a troublesome person who used to interfere with people she would understand; but he was nothing like that.

Dublin was speaking to SEARCHLIGHT on Monday while sitting in the yard of her Trigger Ridge, Redemption Sharpes home, surrounded by family.

Dublinas son, 25-year-old Collrise aQuinna Pompey, was shot at Redemption Sharpes last Friday, March 2. a

Pompey was shot in the face at approximately 8:30 a.m. while awaiting public transport next to the Low Profile Bar near the Redemption Sharpes Playing Field. He died on the spot.

An autopsy carried out on Monday revealed that the bullet went through his left cheek and severed his spine at the base of his neck.

aI didnat want to see him (during the autopsy), but I saw him, and he looks good,a said the grieving mother, while sitting in an area of Trigger Ridge known as 100 Steps.

Pompey said that Quinn, as he was affectionately known, would have celebrated his 26th birthday on August 28 and had no children and was her eldest son, but her second of five children.

aI know a lot of parents does say, aoh my son is a good sona, and it is not so, but my son donat get in nothing with nobody. If the family had disagreement, he ainat picking for nobody; he go say awell aryo is family, aryo need to deal with thisa. Nobody in Sharpes, country, Leeward, could say that my son was disrespectful. The oldest person would tell you he is not a disrespectful person,a stressed Pompey, who was close to tears, but managed to hold them back.

She said her son had just built a small house, with which she helped, because she felt good to see that as a young man he had ambition and wanted to own something.

Pompey said also that her son was obsessed with working and earning his own money and one of his sisters who lives in Trinidad helped him start a small business.

She said on the morning he was killed, he was awaiting his younger brother Zaboto, so that the two of them could go to the Customs Department in Kingstown to collect the items that his sister had sent for him to sell.

aThey set up my son; they tek him down like a dog and I donat understand why. It ainat right,a stressed Pompey, who is not sure why her son was killed.

She said a few months ago, her son was in a relationship with a young lady, but it ended because of another man. a

aI went to the other guy and say amy son say he done with the girl, he leave she give you so do not interfere with hima and the guy left and went Barbados,a recalled Pompey, who added that another incident saw her going to a manas mother and asking her to tell her son to leave Quinn alone.

aIf somebody is found guilty of killing my son, I wah they hang. I am so mad, and I want revenge. People go say leave it to God. I understand that, but I want they hurt just as my son hurt. I would like them to bring back the death penalty,a said the distraught mother.

She added, aLook at what going on every couple weeks or monthaI lie down in my house canat sleep since this thing happen and I hear three gunshots pelt off after 11 last night (Sunday)aand I say come on, man. Sharpes was a nice place the other day when they had a whole heap ah them in prison and since them come out of prison is just all kinda things; when nighttime come you hear shots pelting offa.a

Pompey says that she has two other sons and she is thinking about getting them out of Redemption Sharpes.

aaNow, I am fearfulaI donat understand, I canat understand whyaI canat eat or sleepeven if he was crippled, I would rather that. I would have taken care of him,a said Pompey.

Pompey believes a police station should be built in Redemption Sharpes to help curb some of the incidents of crime and violence in the area.

She is hoping to bury her son on Saturday.

Reports are that police have detained several suspects in relation to the shooting, although up to press time no one had been charged. This latest killing is the sixth for 2018. SCOTUS grants cert on structural SORNA issue and Justice Sotomayor dissents in capital case with IAC issues | Main | Making a fulsome case on the merits against sex offender registries 

March 5, 2018

Spotlighting the modern realities and challenges of geriatric executions

Adam Liptak has this new Sidebar piece in the New York Times headlined "Too Old to Be Executed? Supreme Court Considers an Aging Death Row." Here is how the piece gets started:

The nations death rows are starting to look like geriatric wards. Condemned inmates in many states are more likely to die of natural causes than to be executed. The rare ones who are put to death often first spend decades behind bars, waiting. It turns out that executing old men is not easy. In November, Ohio called off an attempt to execute Alva Campbell, 69, after the execution team could not find a suitable vein into which to pump lethal chemicals. The state announced that it would try again in June 2019, by which time he would have been 71. But Mr. Campbell suffered from what one judge called an extraordinary list of ailments. He used a walker, could barely breathe and relied on a colostomy bag. He was found lifeless in his cell on Saturday, having died in the usual way, without government assistance. In Alabama last month, state officials called off the execution of Doyle Lee Hamm, 61, also because they could not find a suitable vein. Mr. Hamm has at least two kinds of cancer, cranial and lymphatic, and he may not have long to live with or without the states efforts. Last week, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of another Alabama inmate, Vernon Madison, 67, who suffers from dementia and cannot remember the crime that sent him to death row. The court, which has barred the execution of juvenile offenders and the intellectually disabled, is now turning its attention to old people.

Prior related posts:

March 5, 2018 at 11:51 PM | Permalink

Comments

Only 10% of us will have an easy, peaceful, painless death. For the rest, there will be prolonged pain, fear, deterioration, humiliation, as illegal aliens have clean the person up.

I guess, only a Life Skills student, learning to eat with a spoon, would understand the kindness of a quick death penalty for the terminal patient.

I have suggested that executioners volunteer as EMT's and learn to start IV's under the worst conditions of a car crash.

Is appellate advocacy ethical? Is it a crime against humanity to subject a client to the torments of end of life care. The medical profession will not let you go before getting its $250,000 for end of life care. They will insert tubing into every orifice. Should lawyers rethink the humaneness of death penalty appellate advocacy to the very end?

What if the condemned wants the quick, painless end, after being told what lies ahead? Is assisted suicide under such circumstance permissible?

Does the Supreme Court know anything about this subject, that it is allowed to set national policy? Should vampires, like Ginsberg, who cannot be killed by several cancers recuse themselves from such a discussion?

Posted by: David Behar | Mar 6, 2018 2:05:49 AM

Post a commentThemed Enhancing Regional and Global Economic Links, the event has to date attracted registrations from more than 450 businesses located across 16 local provinces and cities and 23 countries and territories, such as Russia, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Japan.Russia is an honorable guest at the Vietnam Expo 2018, where Russian firms will display their key and outstanding products such as mechanical manufacturing, automated equipment, industrial biotechnology, high technology electronics on an area of 520 sq.m. The participation is expected to boost trade between the two countries.The year 2017 marked upbeat growth in Vietnam  Russia ties, with both sides agreeing to push the implementation of the Eurasian Economic Union  Vietnam free trade agreement and increase bilateral trade to US$ 20 billion by 2020.A representative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade said the expo offers tremendous opportunities to participants, as its previous editions witnessed hundreds of contracts and cooperative pacts sealed.This year, the fair focuses on the display of machines, construction materials, as well as information technology, food, and healthcare products.

VNSThe secretary of state made a short visit to Afghanistan to discuss the new US policy in South Asia. He told Afghan leaders he was open to peace with the Taliban if they accepted military defeat.





US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Monday to meet with Afghan leaders and reaffirm support for stability.





Tillerson met with

and

to discuss the new US strategy for Afghanistan and south Asia.





"The US has made clear ... (its) support (for) a sovereign unified Afghanistan, a democratic Afghanistan, of charting a path to peace, prosperity and self-reliance," Tillerson told reporters. "It is imperative in the end that we are denying safe haven to any terrorist organizations or any extremists to any part of this world."





Tillerson said the US would continue to wage war against the Taliban, but that it was willing to work with the group.

-The addition makes the total number of 11 flights linking Ho Chi Minh City to Taipei and 25 flights from HCM City to Singapore per week.



The new flights to Singapore will depart HCM city at 7.25pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, while return flights will leave Singapore at 11.25pm on the same days.

Flights to Taipei will take off at 2.05am on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, and return flights will leave Taipei at 10.10pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.



On this occasion, the airlines has launched a promotional program, offering a discount on these routes from now until June 30. A return ticket Singapore will be from VND2.79 million and to Taipei from VND4.56 million (including taxes and fees).





By BICH QUYEN  Translated by Kim Khanh[March 05, 2018] Gulfstream Enhances Customer Support By Launching Center Dedicated To AOG Resolution SAVANNAH, Ga., March 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. today announced it has created a center dedicated to the resolution of aircraft-on-ground (AOG) issues, providing Gulfstream operators with an unprecedented level of integrated support and ensuring faster return to service of their grounded aircraft. The nearly 2,400 square-foot/223 square-meter center is located in the 679,199-sf/63,100-sm Gulfstream Savannah Service Center, the world's largest and most technically advanced maintenance facility built specifically for business jets, and is staffed by an enterprise-wide team of experts dedicated to predicting, preventing and resolving maintenance or logistics issues that would prevent an aircraft from making its next flight. "This is the first time we've concentrated such a broad team of multidisciplinary personnel together in a space solely dedicated to AOG situations," said Derek Zimmerman, president, Gulfstream Product Support. "Co-locating technical experts with cross-enterprise resources, including logistics, materials and purchasing support, will lead to more coordinated responses to customers, expedite resolution of issues and get aircraft back in the air faster than ever." Calls or messages that come into the Technical Operations Contact Center, if designated an "AOG" condition, are routed to the center, where experienced team members have Gulfstream's vast worldwide resources at their fingertips. These include: multiple Field and Airborne Support Teams (FAST) aircrat to deliver mission-critical parts, tools and/or technicians; more than 150 field service representatives and FAST-dedicated technicians, including 12 mobile repair teams with specially equipped vehicles; more than $1.6 billion in spares inventory at over 20 locations; and a network of more than 30 company-owned and authorized service centers and warranty facilities.

The center is also equipped with large monitors that provide an up-to-date visual dashboard of Gulfstream aircraft in-work worldwide and the company's maintenance facilities and personnel, along with health updates from aircraft during flight. "Our AOG center is the next evolution of what our Technical Operations department has had in place for years," Zimmerman said. "Continuously improving our services is part of our effort to meet and exceed the expectations of our growing worldwide fleet." NOTE TO EDITORS Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports the world's most technologically advanced business-jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced more than 2,800 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958. To meet the diverse transportation needs of the future, Gulfstream offers a comprehensive fleet of aircraft, comprising the Gulfstream G280TM, the Gulfstream G550TM, the Gulfstream G500TM, the Gulfstream G600TM, the Gulfstream G650TM and the Gulfstream G650ERTM. Gulfstream also offers aircraft ownership services via Gulfstream Pre-Owned Aircraft SalesTM. We invite you to visit our website for more information and photos at www.gulfstreamnews.com. More information about General Dynamics is available at www.generaldynamics.com. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gulfstream-enhances-customer-support-by-launching-center-dedicated-to-aog-resolution-300608272.html SOURCE Gulfstream

[ Back To SIP Trunking Home's Homepage ]Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on March 6, 2018

2018/03/06

Q: According to reports, an official from the US Department of State said on March 2 that some sub-Saharan African countries received low-interest loans from China and other countries, which has left them debt-ridden. 50 percent of these loans came from China. Countries like Russia, China, Iran and the DPRK have taken out resources from Africa but relevant African countries have not made much progress in their development. What's your comment?

A: This statement is completely inconsistent with the fact.

Presently, the debt owed by some African countries was accumulated over a long period of time instead of occurring in recent years. China is not a main creditor of African countries.

Financing support is indispensable for any country that is at the stage of economic takeoff, especially the initial stage of industrialization. Without financing, it would be difficult for African countries to achieve industrialization and modernization.

China's financing support to Africa is mainly invested in infrastructure construction and the field of production. The Chinese companies have built a large number of infrastructure projects such as highways, railways, ports, airports and communications facilities in Africa, which greatly improved the environment for Africa's economic development, added to its appeal to foreign investment and enhanced its capability to achieve self-driven development. In addition to loans, the Chinese government is more inclined to encourage and guide Chinese enterprises to increase their direct investment in Africa and has offered support in this regard, and actively explores new investment cooperation model such as the Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

I would like to stress in particular that China always attaches high importance to Africa's debt sustainability. We are committed to intensive development. The large infrastructure projects are planned and moved forward along with promoting Africa's industrial development. While pursuing the economic and social benefits of the relevant projects, we have also laid emphasis on enhancing African countries' capability for independent and sustainable development so as to avoid adding to African countries' debt burden.

China welcomes the concerted efforts made by the international community to support Africa in achieving peace, stability and development. We hope that relevant countries can earnestly contribute more to Africa's development and view China-Africa cooperation in a fair and objective way.

Q: According to reports, the US aircraft carrier yesterday started its first visit to Vietnam since the end of Vietnam War in 1975. Is China concerned about that? Do you have any comment?

A: We have no problem with relevant countries developing normal relations and conducting normal cooperation. Meanwhile, we hope that the relevant cooperation can contribute to regional peace, stability and prosperity.

Q: Recently, certain countries criticized Pakistan for falling short in cracking down on terrorism financing. Besides, there is sensationalization that China does not 100 percent approve of Pakistan's efforts to combat terrorism financing. Does China agree with this? What's your comment?

A: The Pakistani government and its people have contributed and sacrificed enormously for the fight against terrorism. In recent years, Pakistan has made important headway in actively strengthening financial regulations to combat terrorism financing. All relevant parties should view Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts in an objective and fair way, instead of just pointing fingers at Pakistan. We also oppose using finance as a political means to impose pressure on Pakistan. As an all-weather strategic cooperative partner for Pakistan, China will continue to enhance coordination and cooperation with Pakistan on counter-terrorism. The two sides enjoy impregnable political mutual trust and any attempt to drive a wedge between China and Pakistan is doomed to fail.

Q: According to reports, on February 23, China has put a hold on a US request to the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on the DPRK to ban 33 ships which violated the Security Council's sanctions on the DPRK from ports around the world and block 27 shipping firms for helping the DPRK circumvent sanctions. Can you confirm that? Do you have any further details on why China put this hold on the request?

A: According to my information, the listing proposal submitted to the relevant Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council mentioned by you involves a large number of entities and ships and we need some time to carry out inter-departmental study.

It is due to technical reasons that China put a hold on the relevant listing proposal. We will make decisions in accordance with the requirements of the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and on the basis of the facts.

Q: According to reports, Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology recently issued an amendment to the curriculum guidelines to instruct high schools to teach students that Diaoyu Dao is Japan's "inherent territory" without territorial disputes. What is your comment?

A: The Chinese side has lodged stern representations with the Japanese side on the above-mentioned situation.

Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands have been China's inherent territory since ancient times. China's resolve and determination to uphold its territorial sovereignty are unwavering. Whatever Japan says or does, the fact that Diaoyu Dao belongs to China cannot be changed. We solemnly urge Japan to face squarely history and reality and educate the young generations with a correct view on history, thus avoiding creating new obstacles to China-Japan relations.

Q: Reports say that the USS Carl Vinson yesterday started its visit to Vietnam. What is China's position on this?

A: Just now I have taken this question. Do you need me to repeat the answer? (The journalist nodded)

We have no problem with relevant countries developing normal relations and conducting normal cooperation. Meanwhile, we hope that the relevant cooperation can contribute to regional peace, stability and prosperity.

Q: Some African countries still have the so-called "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan. What effort has China made to win back these African countries and establish diplomatic relations with them?

A: The one-China principle is the widespread consensus of the international community and adhering to this principle also represents the trend of the times. China is willing to develop friendly relations and conduct cooperation with all the other countries around the world on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

Q: According to reports, the DPRK leader Kim Jong-un "unusually" met with the special delegation sent by the ROK to Pyongyang and said that the two sides will write a new chapter of national reunification. The Korean Central News Agency said that the US should not make misjudgment on DPRK's willingness to hold negotiations with it. What is your comment on this?

A: Just as I said yesterday, the ROK sent a special delegation to the DPRK to exchange views on relevant issues and China believes that this is good news. We have also noted the positive media reports on the ROK special delegation's visit to the DPRK.

China always maintains that the DPRK-ROK interactions should bring about the ones between all relevant parties, including between the DPRK and the US and the dialogue during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games should continue as a regular one, and that the efforts to improve the DPRK-ROK relations should lead to the concerted ones that will realize the denuclearization and achieve the lasting peace of the Peninsula. China stands ready to make efforts and play a positive role to this end.The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme  La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza.



Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres.



Atlantic Canada lost one of its most successful longtime breeders with the passing of Donald Eugene Porter of Fort Belcher, NS, at his home on Monday, February 26. He was 83.

Shortly after purchasing a farm with his brother, Arthur, Don married his high school sweetheart, Helen Elliott Atkinson. They remained on the farm for the 55 years of their married life and raised five children together. Donald gave many years of service to the dairy industry beyond his own farm, as he actively served on several industry boards. Raising horses was one of his greatest pleasures, and he raised numerous stakes champions.

Among his notable farm offspring were Escorts Abe (1.55.2 $162, 330), Deep Finesse (1.49.3 $254,184), Force Ore Finesse ($1.53.1 $265,958) and Atlantic Breeders Crown champion Dube Finesse.

Donald is survived by his five children, Beth (Terry) MacMichael, Patti (Kevin) Budd, Susan (Bob Derosier), George (Barbara) and Alan (Jennifer), 22 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Cremation has taken place. A memorial service is being planned for a later date. Memorial donations can be made to the Colchester Hospice Society, the West Colchester United Arena, or the charity of your choice.

Arrangements entrusted to Colchester Community Funeral Home, Truro where online condolences may be made at: www.colchestercommunity.com.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Don Porter.National Council of Catholic Women Announces Holy Land Project

The National Council of Catholic Women unites schools in Holy Land with U.S. Schools

Contact: Laraine Bennett, 703-224-0990, lbennett@nccw.org

WASHINGTON, Mar. 6, 2018 /Standard Newswire/ -- The National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) is delighted to announce the first school pairing in our project to enhance knowledge of the daily life of Catholics in the Holy Land. This came about at the request of Catholic women in the Holy Land who indicated that they wanted to increase awareness in the U.S. of the constraints under which Catholics live in the Holy Land. The presence of these "living stones" in the land where Christ walked is diminishing rapidly due to discrimination in jobs, confiscation of their ancestral lands, and difficulty in obtaining passes for travel such as from Bethlehem or Nazareth to Jerusalem.

NCCW President Maribeth Stewart noted, "As they told us, in Bethlehem going to Jerusalem is a dream for most of them. We determined that a very effective way to assure them that we know and care about them and pray for them is to begin a program with our USA Catholic schools and their Franciscan schools in the Holy Land. The students will share this experience with their families and friends and this will help reassure them that we indeed think of and pray for our sisters and brothers in that ancient troubled land."

The Franciscans suggested that the first school to participate would be Terra Sancta College in Bethlehem that has students from preschool through High School and that we should concentrate first on the grammar school ages. Accordingly, we are very happy to announce that Saint Lawrence School in West Haven, CT, with grades from pre-K - 8, was selected as the USA school paired with Terra Sancta!

After securing the very willing cooperation of the administration and teachers at both schools, an initial exchange has begun with the lower grades sending drawings and the upper grades letters. We are very pleased to note that the exchanges worked very well and that the students are now actively engaged in learning about each other and their daily activities. The letters reveal, in a charming way, the similarities of students despite where they live. Sports, hobbies, school, religion, and family life figure in exchanges from both sides. We look forward to further exchanges and to expanding the program to encompass more schools in the US and the Holy Land through the Service Commission of the National Council of Catholic Women.

For more information or to interview NCCW President, Maribeth Stewart Blogoslawski, please call 703-224-0990 or email lbennett@nccw.org.Examining the 'Unreasonable' Demands of Jesus

Contact: Stephanie Hillberry, Marketing Manager, Lifetree, 970-292-4127; www.mylifetree.com LOVELAND, Colo., March 6, 2018 / Standard Newswire / -- A new book claims that what Jesus requests is not only difficult, it's incredibly unreasonable.The Unreasonable Jesus: Becoming the Person He Made You to Be, a new release from Lifetree and Group Publishing, examines what Jesus asks of his disciples during the Sermon on the Mount, emphasizing how challenging yet rewarding the tasks actually are.In the book, author Thomas Christianson explains that while many people are fans of Jesus, few understand and embrace his perplexing prompts including "Eat my flesh and drink my blood," "Never seek revenge," and "Love your enemies.""Just about everybody likes Jesus," Christianson writes. "But I have a question: Would he be as popular if we actually read what he says. All the stuff he says?" Perhaps not as popular, he argues, but certainly more powerful and life-transforming.Along with a unique examination of the Sermon on the Mount, The Unreasonable Jesus contains practical, doable suggestions for walking a narrow path toward a more purposeful, joy-filled life.It is the newest member of the Jesus-Centered line of resources, joining the best-selling Jesus-Centered Bible, the Jesus-Centered Planner, and the popular devotion, Destination: Life.The Unreasonable Jesus releases on March 6, 2018, and can be found on MyLifetree.com, Group.com, Amazon.com, and at other popular Christian retailers.Lifetree is a division of Group Publishing. They are an interdenominational organization whose mission is to help people grow in relationship with Jesus and each other.Images and interviews are available upon request.Savitri, 30, was married four months ago to a man from Paljar, Sonipat. Savitri and her husband Shyamlal work together on a farm of a local Zamindar. We spend equal time on the field and do all kind of agricultural labour. Yet my husband earns more than me, she said.

The wage difference between the couple reflects the patriarchal mindset, which leads to the woman getting paid less than the man in every job. While Savitris husband is paid between Rs 180-200 for a days work, Savitri makes a little less than Rs 120 for the same job as his husbands.

But I cant complain. Theres still time that we start earning like men, she said.

Dreze agrees. He believes that most of these problems faced by the women farmers in the country stems from deep-rooted patriarchy and discrimination against women. Unless government starts to acknowledge that women are the pillar of farming in India, and actually starts to work for them, these issues will continue to surface, he suggested.

The other reason for this wage gap is migration of the men folk to cities looking for jobs and other source of income. Employment in agriculture is available for fewer days per year, which makes it essential for men to migrate in search of better-paid work. Thus women are forced to fill this vacuum.

Ashish Yadav, who runs a women self-help farmer community in Sonipat says that, In many cases women are also forced to accept work as an agricultural labourer in their own village under meager wages.

This dependence of women labour, especially during the peak periods of sowing and harvesting, has become very common. They [women] take up the job for whatever they are being offered. The men folk are away and the responsibility to take care of the family is on a womans shoulders, Yadav said.Many people are worried that the move to open up the border and remove the mandatory stay home notice will lead to high infections, hospit...Fiesta Hermosa will be back for Labor Day weekend, but with a new local look, slightly different nameMicrosoft has announced the completion of its first renewable energy deal within the Karnataka state of India. The agreement will see Microsoft purchase 3 megawatts of solar-powered electricity from Atria Power to help power its new office building in Bangalore. This will meet 80 percent of the projected electricity needs at the new facility. This deal is part of a state government of Karnataka program to encourage investments in local solar energy operations, in line with the larger Indian government goal to ramp up solar power generation to 100 gigawatts by 2022, as part of Indias efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India, said, Investing in local solar energy to help power our new Bangalore office building is good for Microsoft, good for India and good for the environment. We are proud to be deepening our long history of partnership and investment in India with this agreement. This deal will help us grow sustainably and supports the growth of the Indian solar energy industry, so that the entire country can more easily and reliably access clean electricity.

Rob Bernard, Chief Environmental Strategist, Microsoft, said, Microsoft, like India, has ambitious commitments to use more renewable energy. By purchasing local solar power to meet some of our local electricity needs, were not only meeting our goals but also supporting the growth of local clean energy industries. This growth leads to more clean electricity capacity, which will help India meet its targets for the Paris Agreement, reduce carbon emissions and provide clean electricity to its growing population. Were proud to play a small role in this Indian energy transformation.

This is Microsofts first solar energy agreement in India, and one of the first in Asia  the company completed a new solar agreement in Singapore last week. Once completed, this project will bring Microsofts total global direct procurement in renewable energy projects to nearly 900 megawatts. The deals in Asia follow wind projects in Europe and a substantial portfolio in the United States, and mark continued momentum toward the corporate clean energy commitments set by the company in 2016. Microsofts goal is to rely on wind, solar and hydropower electricity for at least 50 percent of its energy usage worldwide by the end of 2018.

@Technuter.com News ServiceVivo announced its partnership with China Mobile on the China Mobile 5G Device Forerunner Initiative at the GTI Summit 2018 at Mobile World Congress. Combining the efforts of industry players including Vivo, the program will accelerate the development of next generation 5G devices. The program aims to launch the first batch of 5G pre-commercial devices for scale-up trial application showcase, plus establish support for the development of 5G devices, chipsets and component supply chains. Shi Yujian, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Vivo attended the summit and joined discussions on the latest R&D of 5G devices with industry leaders from other partner companies.

The China Mobile 5G Device Forerunner Initiative led by China Mobile brings together more than 20 of the industrys most influential and capable chipset manufacturers, component manufacturers and end-solution providers, forming a strong industry ecosystem for 5G development.

The smartphone industrys growth is increasingly driven by the user experience, which has significantly grown the influence of smartphone manufacturers on communication standards and regulations. For Vivo, 5G is both an opportunity and a challenge as technology changes emerge more rapidly so the pace of market change is faster than ever. Continuous innovation is the only way to forge ahead in todays dynamic era, Mr. Shi said at the event.

5G networks will deliver higher speeds, lower latency and more bandwidth than ever. As applications of these key features in mobile communications broaden, 5G devices will take on different forms. While AR/VR and wearables continue to evolve, the 5G smartphone will continue to be the core platform for mobile users with its unmatched user base size.

@Technuter.com News ServiceTaiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), Taiwans foremost trade promotion organization, announced this years edition of COMPUTEX, a leading global ICT and IoT show, here at Hotel Lalit today. In addition to COMPUTEX, TAITRA also promoted SMART ASIA India & TAIWAN EXCELLENCE in New Delhi. Mr. James Kuo, Deputy Executive Director of Exhibition Department at TAITRA inaugurated the conference along with Mr. Champak Raj Gurjar, President- Federation of all India IT. The conference also witnessed participation from COMPUTEX, SMART ASIA India & TAIWAN EXCELLENCE representatives.

Sharing his vision on India- Taiwan relationship, Mr. Champak Raj Gurjar, President- Federation of all India IT said, COMPUTEX & SMART ASIA are the perfect shows of the year for Taiwanese and Indian IT players to create business and sourcing for potential partners. India-Taiwan economic relations received further boost after the singing of India-Taiwan Economical Cooperative Agreement. The agreement led to intensified cooperation in crucial areas of technical assistance, innovation, entrepreneurship and business incubation. We wish all the success to this years edition of COMPUTEX, SMART ASIA India & TAIWAN EXCELLENCE and hope the endeavor will fortify the economic ties between the two progressive nations.

Welcoming the audience at the conference, Mr. James Kuo, Deputy Executive Director Exhibition Department TAITRA said, It is a great honor for us to announce this years edition of COMPUTEX, SMART ASIA & TAIWAN EXCELLENCE. Taiwan has been making a drastic shift from high-tech manufacturing to an innovation-driven economy. Its ICT capabilities have also gained its reputation as a global leader in smart technologies and smart city solutions He added, Through COMPUTEX & SMART ASIA, we are hoping to create more trade opportunities between India and Taiwan as well as industry cooperation and knowledge partnerships. We look forward to working closely with our Indian partners to explore new horizons.

Mr. James Kuo, continued, India is not only one of the fastest growing economies in the world, it is also witnessing an exponential growth in information technology sector. India is well known for its strength in software applications & development worldwide, it also serves as a hub of innovation. Both Taiwan and India are known as progressive nations and can make great progress with collaborations and partnerships. 

With a new positioning, an all-new COMPUTEX 2018 will be focusing on attracting international players participation in its 6 main themes, Al, 5G, Blockchain, IoT Applications, Innovations & Startups, and Gaming & VR. To echo the main themes, 4 featured exhibits are launched: SmarTEX, InnoVEX, Gaming & VR and iStyle. While COMPUTEX 2018 is broadening its horizons, COMPUTEX participation in Convergence India 2018 with its COMPUTEX d&i awards winning products will unlock further business potential for both the countries.

COMPUTEX made a strong presence at Smart ASIA 2017. SMART ASIA is a trade show which showcases Taiwans smart technologies and products to a broad Indian audience. With its resounding success last year, it is set to return in 2018 with a focus on Smart City Solutions, Smart Technology Applications, and City Development Products & Services. Leading global players who exhibited in SMART ASIA 2017 were Advantech, Acer India, Delta Electronics, MOXA, QNAP, just to name a few. Echoing with the Modi governments Smart Cities Mission which aims to build 100 Smart Cities across India by 2022, Smart Asia India would act as a platform to connect Taiwans expertise and Indias opportunities to build intelligent, robust and efficient smart cities.

Sharing his vision for the second edition of SMART ASIA India, Mr. James Kuo said, We received a significant level of recognition and active participation from industry stakeholders in the first edition and hope to contribute greatly towards the Indian governments vision of smart cities with improvised urban living. He added, Taiwan has been utilizing smart technologies in building efficient modern cities for many years now and is recognized as a global leader in smart city solutions. SMART ASIA India provides an excellent platform for us to share our experience and create partnerships with India. Organized by TAITRA, the show will take place from October 4-6, 2018, at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC).

Furthermore, the conference also included a special presentation on Taiwan Excellence by Mr. Mario Tsai, Deputy Executive Director, Strategic Marketing Department, TAITRA. Taiwan Excellence Awards, given out by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and TAITRA to encourage Taiwan industries to upgrade and incorporate innovation and value into their products, will be returning with larger industry participation this year. The symbol of Taiwan Excellence honors Taiwans most innovative products, which provide tremendous value to users worldwide. All products carrying this symbol are selected based on their excellence in R&D, design, quality, and marketing.

Mr. Mario Tsai, mentioned, Taiwan has the world-class information and communication technology. It is our pleasure to participate for the 2nd time at the Convergence India with exciting innovations from our Taiwan Excellence Award winners, such as ACER and Edimax. I am grateful for our Indian partners presence, support and enthusiasm and hope our award-winning innovations are well received by our Indian friends.

Apart from Indias booming demographic dividends, the recent policy initiatives by Prime Minister Modi, such as Make in India, Digital India, Industrial Development Corridor, Smart Cities and taxation reforms have facilitated business development, which helped India to once again re-emerge as an important global player for industrial allocations. TAITRA representatives invited media and the general public to visit COMPUTEX d&i awards and Taiwan Excellence Pavilion in Convergence India 2018 to be held from March 7 to 9 in Pragati Maidan Hall 10, New Delhi.This Page

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Redirection provided by Blogger to WordPress Migration ServiceGovt's power base is corruption: Nagorik Oikya

Staff Reporter :

Civil society platform Nagorik Oikya on Monday called for a unity of the civil society towards a participatory parliamentary election.

Mahmudur Rahman Manna, convener of Nagorik Oikya, placed the call at a seminar on corruption at the Jatiya Press club in the city.

"But the fascist government is not letting the civil society to unite," Manna said.

He termed the "staged election" by the incumbent government as its "biggest corruption".

The Nagorik Oikya convener also demanded revelations regarding the forced disappearances and cross fires across the country.

"We want to know under whose instructions the forced disappearances and cross fires are being held," Manna said. He concluded by asserting that change is inevitable.

Speaking at the seminar, former adviser of the caretaker government Barrister Mainul Hosein explained that there used to be two sources of power for a government to continue. For the democrats, the source of power is the people. For the communists, it is the barrel of the gun. But in Bangladesh we have a third force of power and that is the power of corruption. This government does not depend on free election or public support.

He affirmed that the spirit of liberation war is being abused by undemocratic leftists to oppose and destroy the spirit of the people's democracy. They forget that our people's liberation war was for democracy.

Barrister Mainul expressed sadness for the violent attack on Prof Zafar Iqbal and said we must fight both leftist extremism and religious extremism to end terrorism and not one to save the other.

He elaborated by saying that some leftists, under the protection of the government, are abusing the spirit of liberation war for their anti-democracy and anti-Islam politics. It is not intellectualism to propagate hatred against Islam and incite religious extremism. Now we have the leftist extremism against Islam and Islamic extremism against the leftists.

It is not right to blame police, Barrister Mainul emphasized, for safety and security where politics is not helpful for peace and safety.

Only by upholding the original 1972 democratic Constitution starting with impartial election under an impartial government, Barrister Mainul concluded, that we can have a corruption free system for our free country.

Founder of Gono Shasthya Kendra Dr. Jafrullah Chowdhury said, different sectors of our country are controlled by India and the root of all corruption is government.

Dr. Jafrullah was very critical of involving the army men in big commercial projects. It cannot be good for the army.

Former advisor of caretaker government Hafiz Uddin Khan said, a combined and united movement is needed against all the evil, otherwise the present situation cannot overcome.

He laid emphasis on a participatory national poll for greater interest of the country and added we don't want an election like January 5.

Professor Anu Muhammad, member-secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports said, there is no scope to talk about big project because of big project means big corruption.

"They destroyed all kind of democratic institutions," he said, adding, "There are two groups of 'fundamentalists' in the country, one is religious fundamentalists and another is 'fundamentalists in government', and the second group is not caring the people's demands of getting rights'.

Professor of Dhaka University Asif Nazrul mentioned two reasons for corruption. Firstly, absolute power in one hand and secondly, no accountability. The accountability is only confirmed by holding a fair election but in our country there is no election. Here election is held without people's participation. They destroyed the judiciary also.

Former Bangladesh bank Governor Saleah Uddin Ahmed said, no development is possible by the reckless political system. The banking system of Bangladesh has completely destroyed. And the Bangladesh Bank heist is the best example, he added.

A keynote paper on 'Corruption' was presented by the Nagorik Oikya's central member, Jahid- ur-Rahman.Ferdousi Priyabhashini passes away

Noted sculptor Ferdousi Priyabhashini passed away in a city hospital on Tuesday noon.



She was 71.



Ferdousi Priyabhashini, who has been suffering from multiple complications including diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, and undergoing treatment at Labaid Hospital, breathed her last around 12:45pm, said her son Karu Titash.



Ferdousi Priyabhashini, persecuted by Pakistani occupation army and its local collaborators during the 1971 Liberation War, was recognised as freedom fighter in 2016.



Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her deep shock and sorrow at the death of the war heroine.



--Dhaka, UNB.Facebook is fighting its own battle with openness

Elizabeth Dwoskin :

Mark Zuckerberg has mandated wholesale change at Facebook after a year during which the company was rocked by Russian meddling, fake news, and controversies over its role in a democracy.

But there's an apparent gap between what the big boss wants and the realities of the people that implement his wishes - a fact exacerbated by a culture of outspoken executives that is endemic to Silicon Valley.

That struggle has been evident at the social network in recent weeks. Over the last weekend, its leaders scrambled to manage Facebook's message in the wake of an indictment by Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III that laid out how Russian operators used Facebook and other social media platforms to manipulate American voters.

And just days before the indictment, another Facebook executive disclosed that the company wasn't yet sure how to put in place Zuckerberg's latest major directive: Shifting the company's metrics so that so-called meaningful interactions are valued over cheap likes and clicks, a response to the misinformation and reports about the harms of social media that drew attention last year.

"Even if [Zuckerberg] says, 'Resolve this right away," the problems are baked into the fundamentals of the platform," said Jonathon Morgan, chief executive of New Knowledge, a company that tracks disinformation. "It's not like Mark Zuckerberg just comes to the floor, makes a command, and everything turns around.

The changes are a real threat to the way that these people think about success at their jobs."

Almost immediately after the indictment landed, Facebook's vice president of global policy, Joel Kaplan, took advantage of an opportunity to appear cooperative with the regulators and critics that company has clashed with in recent months over how forthcoming Facebook was. He boasted that "today's news confirms our announcement last year that foreign actors conducted a coordinated and sustained effort to attack our democracy," and that the company had readily handed over information on Russian interference to authorities. He said he was "grateful that the US government was now taking this action against those who abused our service."

But hours later, another Facebook vice president, Rob Goldman, who runs the company's massively lucrative ad business, seemed more defensive about Facebook's role. "I have seen all of the Russian ads and I can say very definitively that swaying the election was NOT the main goal," he tweeted, adding that the majority of Russian ads ran after the election. "We shared that fact," he wrote, "but very few outlets have covered it because it doesn't align with the main media narrative of Tump [sic] and the election."

Researchers and experts pounced on Goldman, pointing out that the bigger challenge for Facebook did not relate to ads but to the free content posted by Russians that the company has said reached nearly half the US population - 10 times the number of people who saw the ads. (Facebook has not said whether the majority of the free posts appeared after the election.) Others suggested that his conclusions contradicted the special counsel's indictment, which found that election meddling on Facebook was indeed a priority of the Russian operatives.

The comments from Goldman, who had 1,600 followers at the time, could have been a standard Twitter debate between professionals - until United States President Donald Trump broadcast the comments to 48 million users the following day. Goldman now has over 11,000 followers.

The controversy sent Facebook executives scrambling. They tried to recast the statements, emphasising that Goldman was speaking for himself, without prior approval. Kaplan, trying to put an end to the matter, put out an additional company statement saying that "nothing we found contradicts the Special Counsel's indictments. Any suggestion otherwise is wrong." They vented internally that Goldman had damaged hard-won credibility with the public. By on Monday, Goldman, posting on Facebook this time, had issued an apology to his colleagues.

Goldman is part of a social media-oriented culture that is permissive of employees having a voice and become so-called thought leaders in their field.

But that culture is increasingly pushing up against the need of big tech companies like Facebook to defend their credibility. Marc Andreessen, a Facebook board member, shut his popular Twitter account after making offensive comments about Facebook's goals in India. After Google fired a conservative engineer for making derogatory statements about women, employees took to social media to protest both sides of the issue. Engineers across Silicon Valley pushed their chief executives to speak out against President Trump's immigration ban.

Recently, a Facebook executive spoke about the challenges of implementing Zuckerberg's latest directive to make the product less harmful by measuring time well spent and "meaningful interactions."

"We're trying to figure out how to best measure and understand that," Adam Mosseri, Facebook vice president who manages the company's news feed, said at an industry conference. "The metric is definitely evolving."

"But there is a real difference between feeling informed and being informed," Mosseri wrote on Twitter. "We have yet to work out a way to do the latter."



Courtesy: Washington Post SyndicateWe welcome Vietnam`s support to end Rohingya crisis

WE welcome Vietnam's President Tran Dai Quang assurance that his country will play its role to find a peaceful solution to Rohingya crisis. His assurance came following request of Bangladesh Prime Minister in the official talks with the visiting head of state on Monday at Prime Minister's Office.



It is also a significant step that the two leaders in their joint statement also vowed to further strengthen trade and investment from both sides. The signing of three MOUs is indicative of taking the joint collaboration action to cover new areas. However, following previous one-to-one discussions of our Prime Minister with Cambodian, Indonesian and Swiss Heads of State - it was expected that the government would attempt in building individual rapports with as many leaders in the region to strengthen their support to resolve the Rohingya issue. But such diplomatic breakthrough is yet not in sight. A number of regional countries are unjustly supporting Myanmar and it must be reversed that needs their individual and collective support like the one Vietnam's President has offered.



The world is condemning the ethnic cleansing and demanding Myanmar authorities to stop it but many of our Asian friends are not concerned with the fate of the Rohingyas facing extermination. An ethnic community can't be destroyed this way for being Muslim by faith. The Vietnamese President has pledged to find a peaceful resolution. We welcome his positive assurance.



We believe China, Russia and our other Asian friends who are supporting the Myanmar stance should review their mindless position on the crisis and join the bigger global community to protect Rohingya Muslims and make repatriation of the refugees hurdle free. They should also hold talks collectively and individually with Myanmar to encourage resolution of the crisis. As a big humanitarian crisis of our time all must play their role in this regard.



Additionally, we also would like to see our diplomatic approach would become more pro-active to reach the regional leaders and try to use their bilateral ties with Myanmar to secure a change of outlook of Naypyitaw towards the minority community. It is important for Bangladesh to mobilize greater diplomatic support of the East Asian countries, which are predominantly Buddhist like Myanmar to resolve the Rohingya issue.



Bangladesh and Myanmar have reached an agreement for repatriation of Rohingya refugees but the effort remains stalled mainly for lack of interest of the Myanmar government. We feel, apart from the UN and the major western powers, South and Southeast Asian countries must play their important role to expedite the repatriation. We believe Vietnam will play its due role from now in this regard.





Myanmar playing double standard game

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour has said the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya from Myanmar continues and raised voices over Myanmar's double standard role.

"The government of Myanmar is busy telling the world that it's ready to receive Rohingya returnees, while at the same time its forces are continuing to drive them into Bangladesh," Gilmour said. At the end of a four-day visit to Bangladesh that focused on the situation of the approximately 700,000 refugees who have fled from Myanmar since last August, he said, "I don't think we can draw any other conclusion from what I've seen and heard in Cox's Bazar."

The rate of killings and sexual violence in Rakhine has subsided since August and September last year, according to a statement UNB received from Bangkok. But recently arrived Rohingya interviewed by Gilmour and other UN officials in Cox's Bazar provided credible accounts of continued killings, rape, torture, and abductions, as well as forced starvation. With Maungdaw township on the border of Bangladesh already largely emptied of its Rohingya population, those arriving now are coming from townships further inside. "It appears that widespread and systematic violence against the Rohingya persists," Gilmour said.

"The nature of the violence has changed from the frenzied bloodletting and mass rape of last year to a lower intensity campaign of terror and forced starvation that seems to be designed to drive the remaining Rohingya from their homes and into Bangladesh." A number of people told Gilmour that Rohingya who try to leave their villages or even their homes are taken away and never return. One man told how his father was abducted by the Myanmar military in February.He was instructed a few days later to collect the body.

He recounted that he was too afraid to ask the military what had happened to his father, but that the corpse was covered in bruises. Another man described being tied up by Border Guard Police in his own home in January as his 17-year-old daughter was abducted. When he screamed, they pointed a gun at his head and kicked him repeatedly.As he later tried to find her, he was picked up by them and badly beaten again, this time with the butts of guns. His daughter has not been seen since 15 January. This is a recurring theme-of women and girls abducted, never to be seen again. Their relatives fear the worst-that they were raped and killed.

"Safe, dignified and sustainable returns are of course impossible under current conditions. The conversation now must focus on stopping the violence in Rakhine State, ensuring accountability for the perpetrators, and the need for Myanmar to create conditions for return," said the senior UN official.

During his visit, Gilmour interviewed recently arrived refugees in Kutupalong-Balukhali, which in the seven months since August last year has become the largest refugee camp in the world. in the humanitarian response in Cox's Bazar, he raised alarm at the prospect of the loss of life in the camps due to the imminent rains. Bangladesh and international humanitarian response to the Rohingya crisis has been very impressive but the rainy season is likely to have a devastating effect on camps such as Kutupalong, a sprawling complex of shelters made of plastic sheeting and bamboo poles located across steep valleys and hillsides that have been stripped of all vegetation, including the roots. "Having suffered so much from the manmade disaster inflicted by Myanmar, the fear is that this will be compounded by a natural disaster of heavy rainfall that will almost certainly lead to landslides and flooding. It will have the additional effect of polluting water sources through fecal sludge, causing outbreaks of cholera that could lead to many deaths," Gilmour said.

In Dhaka, Gilmour met senior government officials, and commended the country's great hospitality in providing protection and shelter. "In welcoming such a massive influx of Rohingya refugees, Bangladesh has shown a level of generosity that is sadly lacking in many parts of the world, including in this region," he said.

Gilmour expressed his gratitude to the Government of Bangladesh for its support to his mission and his deep admiration for their extraordinary response to the Rohingya in their hour of need.Arrest warrant against Shafik Rehman, 3 others

A court here on Tuesday issued a warrant for the arrest of four people, including journalist Shafik Rehman, in a case filed for plotting to 'abduct and kill' Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son and her ICT adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sharafuzzaman Ansari passed the order after accepting the charge-sheet in the case. The three others who faced the arrest warrant are Vice-president of BNP's cultural wing Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (Jasas) Mohammad Ullah Mamun, his son Rizve Ahmed Caesar and Bangladeshi expatriate trader living in the United States Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan.

Joynul Abedin Mejbah, lawyer of Shafik Rehman who had been on bail in the case, sought time for the journalist, saying he is now accompanying his cancer-affected wife in London.

However, the court rejected the time petition and issued the arrest warrant.

Earlier on February 22 last, police submitted the charge-sheet against five people, including Shafik Rehman and the Daily Amar Desh acting Editor Mahmudur Rahman, before the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court.

Shafik Rehman, former Editor of the Daily Jaijai Din, was shown arrested in a criminal conspiracy case filed with Paltan Police Station on August 3, 2015 in connection with attempting to abduct and kill Joy.

According to the case statement, Mamun along with some top leaders of BNP and its allies met at different places in Bangladesh, including Jasas office, and the US before September 2012 and conspired to abduct and kill Joy.Now Kamal files bail pleas

Salimul Haq Kamal, one of the convicts in the much-talked-about Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, has filed a separate petition with the High Court seeking bail in the case.

Lawyer Palash Chandra Roy filed the bail pleas on Tuesday. On February 8, the Dhaka Special Court-5 convicted former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

Five other accused in the case-BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman, former BNP MP Salimul Haq Kamal and businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed, former principal secretary Kamal Uddin Siddique and Mominur Rahman, nephew of late President Ziaur Rahman-were sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment each in the case.

On February 22, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia filed a petition with the High Court seeking bail in the case.

She also filed another petition with the HC on February 20 challenging the sentence awarded to her in the case.

On August 8, 2011, the ACC filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station accusing four people, including Khaleda Zia, of abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.Buddhist-Muslim clash in Sri Lanka

Colombo (Reuters) :

Sri Lanka declared a nationwide state of emergency for 10 days on Tuesday to stop the spread of communal violence, a government spokesman said, after clashes erupted between majority Buddhists and members of the minority Muslim community.

Tension has been growing between the two communities in Sri Lanka over the past year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam and vandalizing Buddhist archaeological sites. Some Buddhist nationalists have also protested against the presence in Sri Lanka of Muslim Rohingya asylum-seekers from mostly Buddhist Myanmar, where Buddhist nationalism has also been on the rise.

"At a special cabinet meeting, it was decided to declare a state of emergency for 10 days to prevent the spread of communal riots," government spokesman Dayasiri Jayasekara told Reuters.

He said some people were instigating violence through Facebook and warned of tough action against them.

The unrest in the Indian Ocean island's central district of Kandy began on Sunday after the funeral of a truck driver from the majority Sinhalese Buddhist community who died days after he was involved in an altercation with four Muslims, the government has said. It was not clear why the initial altercation occurred but after the driver's funeral on Monday, a Sinhalese mob attacked Muslim shops, police said. The body of a Muslim youth was found in a burnt-out house early on Tuesday, police said. Muslims make up about 9 percent of Sri Lanka's 21 million people. Buddhists make up about 70 percent and ethnic Tamils, most of whom are Hindus, about 13 percent. The government sent troops and elite police to the area on Monday and imposed a curfew. A curfew was reimposed in two districts of Kandy on Tuesday, police said. The government ended a 26-year civil war in 2009 with the defeat of Tamil separatist rebels. Muslim communities were occasionally caught up in that violence but on the whole, Muslims managed to stay out of the war.

Dismantle JS, hold polls Plainclothes police detain Swechchhasebak Dal chief

Swechchhasebak Dal President Shafiul Bari Babu was arrested by DB police from inside the Jatiya Press Club after his joining the human chain demanding release of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia on Tuesday.

Staff Reporter :

The BNP on Tuesday formed a human chain in the capital as part of its countrywide scheduled programmes demanding release of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

Several hundred BNP leaders and activists formed the human chain around 10:40am in front of the National Press Club amid tight security.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, addressing the programme, asked the government to hold national elections dismantling the Parliament soon.

He alleged that the ruling Awmai League was behind the attack on Professor Dr. Muhammed Zafar Iqbal in Sylhet.

Mirza Fakhrul said, "Without any investigation some ministers and AL leaders said that the BNP was behind the attack on Zafar Iqbal. But now we have seen that AL leaders have been detained on the incident. It raises question that whether AL is trying to make the country a militant state only to cling to power?"

The BNP leaders and activists chanted different slogans demanding the release of Khaleda Zia immediately.

A huge number of law enforcers cordoned off the protesters.

BNP's districts and city units are reportedly also observed the programme from 11:00am to 12:00noon.

During the programme in front of the National Press Club, plainclothes police picked up Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal President Shafiul Bari Babu from the demonstration.

Some of the activists tried to resist the plainclothesmen during their attempt to whisk Babu by throwing motorcycle helmets on them.

Then the plainclothes men shouted that they were policemen showing their firearms.

The plainclothes police then chased the protesters. Some angry activists also threw stones on the window panes of the secretariat. Additional police were deployed in the area during the programme. Vehicles moving through Topkhana Road were diverted to Abdul Gani Road instead.

Along with Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the party Standing Committee Members Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Abbas, Nazrul Islam Khan, Vice Chairmen Professor Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain, Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, Abdul Awal Mintoo, Barkatullah Bulu, Barrister Ziaur Rahman, BNP chairperson's Advisers Abdus Salam, Zainul Abdin Faruque, Dhaka North City BNP's Bazlul Basit Anju, Dhaka South City BNP's Kazi Abul Bashar, Alliance leader Syed Mohammad Ibrahim, Chairman of the Kalyan party, among others, spoke at the programme.

Earlier on Sunday, the party announced two-day countrywide fresh programmes, including formation of human chain.

On February 8, Khaleda Zia was sent to jail after a special court sentenced her to five years' jail in a graft case.

After the jailing of Khaleda Zia, the party observed different peaceful programmes, including token hunger strike, sit in programme, leaflet distribution, countrywide demonstration, human chain formation and protest procession in five phases demanding her release.BNP worried about Khaleda's health condition in jail

BNP on Tuesday voiced concern over the health condition of its jailed chairperson Khaleda Zia as she has been suffering from various diseases and demanded the government immediately ensure her proper treatment.

"Our chairperson's physicians have said she has long been suffering from various ailments, including respiratory, eye, knee and heart problems and high-blood pressure. Though her specialised doctors repeatedly went to the jail gate, the authorities didn't allow them to visit her," said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. Speaking at a press briefing at the party's Nayapaltan central office, he further said, "We don't know under which condition she (Khaleda) has been there in jail. We're deeply concerned over her illness. We strongly demand the government ensure her proper treatment."

The BNP leader also demanded the government immediately release her from jail. "A three-time Prime Minister, two-time Opposition Leader and elderly and sick politician like Khaleda Zia is being tortured keeping her in jail. We think it is the utter violation of human rights." He alleged that the authorities concerned are willingly buying time to send the lower courts documents to the High Court regarding the verdict against Khaleda Zia in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case only to prolong her stay in jail. Rizvi strongly protested and condemned the arrest of Swechchhasebak Dal president Shafiul Bari Babu from BNP's human chain programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club on Tuesday. He alleged that law enforcers and ruling party men attacked their party leaders and followers, and foiled their scheduled human chain programme at different parts of the country, including Thakurgaon, Jessore and Kushtia. Rizvi said an Indian web portal ran a false and fabricated report quoting a fake Facebook status of their party acting chairman Tarique Rahman with an ulterior motive. "We've long been saying Tarique Rahman has no Facebook and Twitter accounts."

He said their party's sit-in programme scheduled for Thursday will be held in front of the Jatiya Press Club from 11am to 12 noon instead of the party's Nayapaltan central office.Diplomatic move a must to end India's anti-dumping duty on jute exports

Kazi Zahidul Hasan :

Jute sector stakeholders on Tuesday urged the government to take a proactive diplomatic approach to the Indian government for lifting of India's anti-dumping duty imposed on Bangladesh's jute goods export.

They said, imposition of the anti-dumping duty has adversely affected Bangladesh's jute export to India posing a potential threat to the local jute industry and farmers.

"Local jute industry faced serious setback after India imposed the anti-dumping duty. Exports of jute goods to India have already gone down by 70-80 per cent. Such a situation requires immediate government response," Md Delowar Hossain, Vice-Chairman of Bangladesh Jute Association (BJA) told The New Nation.

The BJA leader said that the government should start immediate bilateral talks with the Indian authorities seeking withdrawal of the anti-dumping duty. "A proactive diplomatic effort is a must to overcome the situation," he said.

On January 5 last year, India slapped the anti-dumping duty on imports of jute and jute goods from Bangladesh and Nepal to "protect their own industry".

For Bangladesh, the duty ranges between $19 and $352 per tonne

Insiders said though the Indian authorities have imposed the anti-dumping duty, they exempted four per cent duty on import of raw jute from Bangladesh to ensure availability of raw materials for Indian jute industries.

"India is a big export market for local jute and jute products. Bangladesh's annual average export of jute and jute goods was Tk 300 crore. But it drastically came down to Tk 30 to Tk 35 crore since the country imposed the anti-dumping duty," Dr Mahmudul Hasan, Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) Chairman, told The New Nation yesterday.

He said, BJMC has nothing to do in this regard. But the government is trying to withdraw the ban through bilateral negotiation. "A proactive diplomatic effort can yield an early solution in this regard helping the exporters to reclaim share of the potential export market again."

Bangladesh exports more than 1.10 lakh tonnes of jute yarn to India a year. It also exports raw jute and other jute goods.

"Bangladesh usually exports processed jute-made goods like yarn, twine, sacks and bags worth around US$ 700 million a year. Of this, the Indian market accounts for 20 per cent, which is equivalent to eight per cent of the entire Indian local market share. The country cannot impose anti-dumping duty for this insignificant share anyway. The Indian move is illogical and violation of WTO rules," Mohammad Shahjahan, Chairman of Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association (BJSA) told The New Nation yesterday.

"The Indian move has seriously affected competitiveness of local jute products leaving a negative impact on jute exports to India," A Barik Khan, Secretary of Bangladesh Jute Mills Association (BJMA) told The New Nation.

He further said many jute mills in Bangladesh are heavily relying on India for exports of their produces. They may face closure due to high import duty on Bangladeshi jute goods.

"So, we have urged the government to start immediate negotiation with Indian authorities to remove the anti-dumping duty. We hope that the government will be able to change the mindset of Indian authorities in this regard taking advantage of prevailing good relationship between Bangladesh and India," he said.

Jute is the third-largest export sector of Bangladesh in terms of earnings, after garments and leather, and India is one of the biggest markets for these goods.

Exports of jute and jute goods totalled $919.58 million in the fiscal year 2015-16.Historic 7th March today

The historic March 7 will be observed today, recalling the greatest Bangalee leader of all time Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his epoch-making speech that drew the crucial strategy to make Bangladesh a sovereign state.

This year the nation is remembering the 'red-letter day' in the country's history with much enthusiasm, fanfare and pride as the historical speech delivered on this day in 1971 by the architect of the country's independence has got a prestigious place in the world's documentary heritage. In October last year, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) included the speech in the Memory of the World International Register - a list of the world's important documentary heritage. This recognition has taken the country's status to a new stature in the global context. Earlier in 2014, Bangabandhu's March 7 speech was included in a book as one of the most rousing and inspirational wartime speeches in the last 2,500 years. Eminent historian Jacob F Field wrote the book, which included speeches of many world leaders including Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln and Mao Zedong. On March 7 in 1971, Bangabandhu delivered a momentous speech at the Race Course Maidan, now Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka, effectively declared the War of Independence. In the 19-minute extempore speech before a spontaneous gathering of millions of people of former East Pakistan, he unequivocally declared - "The people of the country shall be freed, Inshallah!"

"Ebarer sangram amader muktir sangram, ebarer sangram swadhinatar sangram" (The struggle this time is for our emancipation, the struggle this time is for our independence)," the great leader of the nation affirmed.

Bangabandhu also made a fervent call to the roaring people from all walks of life to take preparations for armed struggle against the tyranny, exploitation, subjugation and deprivation by Pakistani military junta with whatever they possessed and transforming every house into a fortress. The people were overwhelmed and imbued with the spirit of this supreme speech of independence, which is said to be only comparable to the Gettysburg speech of the President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. The whole nation responded spontaneously to Bangabandhu's call with thunderous slogan "Bir Bangalee Astra Dharo, Bangladesh Swadhin Karo" (Brave Bangalees take up arms and free Bangladesh from occupation). The forceful speech inspired people of all walks of life to prepare for the war, which eventually began after the Pakistani regime on March 25, 1971 launched on the unarmed Bangalees the worst genocides in history, which continued in the subsequent nine months.

At the instruction of Bangabandhu, the brave nation fought successfully the War of Liberation and ultimately liberated Bangladesh from the Pakistani occupation on December 16, 1971 with the assistance of the allied Indian forces. According to political analysts, the 7th March speech of Bangabandhu was not only a call for this nation to fight for freedom, it was rather a direction for all nations around the world. On the eve of the day, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave separate messages. In their messages, they recalled with utmost respect the Father of the Nation and his immense courage, strong leadership and right directions that led the nation to achieve the Independence of Bangladesh. They urged the people to forge a greater unity once again for the development of the country and making Bangladesh a prosperous state.

Marking the day, different socio-cultural and political organizations, student and professional bodies have chalked out elaborate programmes including laying wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu and holding discussions and rallies. Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television and private television channels and radio stations will air special programmes while national dailies will bring out special supplements marking the auspicious occasion.China increases defence spending to $175 b rattling neighbours

Soldiers of China\'s People\'s Liberation Army (PLA) get ready for the military parade to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the foundation of the army at Zhurihe military training base in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China

Reuters Beijing: :

China on Monday unveiled its largest defence spending increase in three years, setting an 8.1 percent growth target this year, fuelling an ambitious military modernisation programme and making its neighbours nervous.

The 2018 defence budget will be 1.11 trillion yuan ($175 billion), according to a report issued at the opening of China's annual meeting of parliament.

The defence spending figure is closely watched worldwide for clues to China's strategic intentions as it develops new military capabilities, including stealth fighters, aircraft carriers and anti-satellite missiles.

China will "advance all aspects of military training and war preparedness, and firmly and resolvedly safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests," Premier Li Keqiang told the opening session in an address. "Faced with profound changes in the national security environment" the absolute leadership of the military by the ruling Communist Party must be observed, and the unity between the government and the military, and the people and the military, must always be "strong as stone," he said.

Li also said China had basically completed efforts to cut back its armed forces by 300,000, a move President Xi Jinping announced in 2015 to improve efficiency that had caused unease in the ranks. The U.S. Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the increased spending by its main strategic rival in Asia.

However, a State Department official said on condition of anonymity that "we continue to carefully monitor China's military developments and to encourage China to exhibit greater transparency with respect to its capabilities and intentions." "We encourage China to use its military capabilities in a manner conducive to the maintenance of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region," the official added.

U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed the largest military budget since 2011, focused on beefing up the United States' nuclear defences and countering the growing strength of China and Russia.

The proposal would provide the Pentagon with $617 billion and an additional $69 billion to fund ongoing wars in fiscal 2019. That is $74 billion more than in the previous fiscal year.

China's military build-up has unnerved its neighbours, particularly because of its increasing assertiveness in territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas and over Taiwan, a self-ruled territory Beijing claims as its own.

"We would like to see China be more transparent about its defence policy, including spending and the direction of its military power," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, told a regular briefing.



Milestone College presents Digital Bangladesh idea

Winner students of the Digital Innovation Fair-2018 are seen at a photo shoot at Milestone College in the city recently.

Campus Report :

Milestone College has demonstrated its achievements in the Digital Innovation Fair-2018. This fair was held in Azimpur Government Girls School and College, from the 26th to 28th February organized by the Dhaka District Administration.

Most educational institutions of Dhaka district participated in this fair. Nine students participated from the Milestone College in class-based two groups. In both groups, Milestone College occupies second place in the presentation of 'Digital Bangladesh on My Eyes'. In both groups, six students of Milestone College have won the prize. The awardees are- Md. Tasin Alam, Md. Sajidul Haque, Nafis Ahmed Alvi, Jawadul Islam Dishar, Yasin Fahad Fahim and H.M.A Jamil. Founder and adviser of Milestone college Col Nurun Nabi (retd.), Principal of Milestone college Professor Md. Shahidul Islam, Administrative principal Lt Col M. Kamaluddin Bhuiyan (retd), Administrative director of Milestone college, Md. Masud Alam congratulated successful students.

It should be noted here, Dhaka Divisional Commissioner M Bazlul Karim Chowdhury was the chief guest in the closing and prize distribution program of Digital Innovation Fair 2018. The program was chaired by Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka District Mohammad Salah Uddin.Int'l seminar on 'Tagorean characterization of women' at IU

Campus Report :

An international seminar titled "The influence of world literature on the Tagorean characterization of women" was held at Islamic University (IU) in Kushtia on Saturday.

English Department of the university organised the seminar at Birshreshtha Hamidur Rahman central auditorium of the campus.

IU VC Prof Dr M Harun-Ur-Rashid Askari addressed here as the chief guest while Pro-VC Prof Dr M Shahinoor Rahman spoke the seminar as special guest.

Tagore scholar and a well-known author Prof Dr Bina Biswas, former head of the English department of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad delivered the keynote speech related with Tagorean characterization of women.

Prof Dr Mia M Rashiduzzaman, acting chairman of the department, presided over the seminar conducted by M Sazzad Hossain Jahid, assistant professor of the department.World Science Congress Chair meets DU VC

Campus Report :

Chairman of World Science Congress of India Prof Dr Ranajit Sen called on Dhaka University (DU) Vice- Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman at his latter's office on the campus on Sunday.

During the meeting, they discussed the possibilities of forming a new association titled "Dhaka-Kolkata Moitri Samity" to strengthen cultural exchange programmes between the two countries.

The possibilities of holding an international science conference at DU this year under the joint auspices of DU and the World Science Congress, India were also discussed in the meeting.

General Secretary of Santiniketan Trust and Chief Coordinator of Taranga of California Mohammed Arif Iqbal, Assistant Prof of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Department of DU Dr Mohammad Ismail were present on the occasion.Banking scam shakes Indian financial sector

Xinhua, Mumbai :

The rupee has been pushed lower in recent sessions due to an increase in demand for dollars as banks exercise more caution over issuing buyer's credit, letter of credit (LC) and similar instruments for trade finance in the wake of the fraud uncovered at Punjab National Bank (PNB), the biggest banking fraud in India thus far.

In a series of announcements on Tuesday evening, the finance ministry announced that it had asked all state-run banks to look for possible fraud in all loans above 50 crore (800,000 USD) that had turned bad.

Rajeev Kumar, secretary in the department of financial services, also pointed out that it had set a 15-day deadline for public sector banks to improve "oversight of operational and technological risks."

These developments are a form of damage-control, but analysts and senior bankers believe that it could further harm bank credit growth in the short-term and put a wrench in the government's bank recapitalisation programme which was announced in late 2017.

On Monday, a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court allowed the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) plea seeking issuance of Letter Rogatory to competent authorities in six countries to aid the identification and seizure of Nirav Modi's properties abroad.Brexit free trade deal cannot include financial services

AFP, London :

Any post-Brexit free trade deal struck between Britain and the European Union must not include financial services, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said Tuesday before meeting his UK counterpart.

Le Maire's comments are a strong response to British Prime Minister Theresa May, who in a keynote speech on Friday said trade in services as a whole needed "to be deeper than any other free trade agreement".

Speaking Tuesday on BBC radio, ahead of a meeting with British finance minister Philip Hammond, Le Maire said: "We need a deal, we need a good deal. But once again, we have to avoid any misunderstanding between the British people and the French people, between the UK and the EU.

"Financial services cannot be in a free trade agreement, for many reasons... For reasons of stability, for the sake of supervision because there are some very specific rules for financial services," Le Maire said.

He added that the UK would have to accept the current system used by non-EU financial companies allowed to operate within the European Union.

"We have an alternative system which is called the equivalence regimes... I think this is the best solution for the financial services," Le Maire said.Priyabhashini passes away

UNB, Dhaka :

Noted sculptor and freedom fighter Ferdousi Priyabhashini passed away in a city hospital on Tuesday noon.

She was 71.

Ferdousi Priyabhashini, who has been suffering from multiple complications including kidney ailment, diabetes, high blood pressure, orthopedics

and heart disease, and undergoing treatment at Labaid Hospital, breathed her last around 12:45 pm, said her son Karu Titash. On last November, Priyabhashini fell over in her Gulshan residence and went into a shock. Priyabhashini was born on 19 February 1947 in Khulna. She married Ahsanullah Ahmed in 1972. Government awarded her Independence Day Award in 2010.

Her biography book 'Nindito Nandan' was published in Ekushey Book Fair in 2014.

Ferdousi Priyabhashini, who was persecuted by Pakistani occupation army and its local collaborators during the Liberation War, got the 'freedom fighter' recognition in 2016. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her deep shock and sorrow at the death of the war heroine. Besides, Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor condoled her death.BD expanding labour market abroad: Minister

Staff Reporter :

Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam on Tuesday said Bangladesh is expanding its labour market sharply abroad.

"We are sending a good number of manpower abroad to boost our economy," the Minister said it while addressing a discussion meeting in a local restaurant in Dhaka organized by Journalists Forum on Migration (JFM) on its first anniversary.

The minister said, his ministry is working hard to make the migration process easy, transparent and low in cost.

Monir Hossain, the President of the JFM presided over the programme. Former Ambassador Humayun Kabir and Migration expert and Chairman of Debate for Democracy, Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron, were special guests in the programme.

General Secretary of the organization Rabiul Haque, Vice-President Morsalin Babla, RTV's News Editor Akter Hossain, Senior Reporter of Inqilab Shamsul Islam, Daily Independent Senior Reporter Rafiqul Islam Azad, among others, were present. BSS Senior reporter Sajjad Hossain moderated the programme.

Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron recommended some points in his keynote paper including cost minimization and easy loan process for migrants.

Next budget Separate allocation for Rohingyas planned

Staff Reporter :

The government plans separate allocation in the next budget as humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh to escape brutal military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State.

More than 700,000 Rohingyas arrived in Cox's Bazar since August 25 last year creating a multidimensional problem for Bangladesh.

"We will make separate allocation in the next budget to provide food, shelter and other necessary supports to the Rohingya refugees," Muhith told reporters after a meeting with a delegation of British donor agency DFID.

The DFID (Department for International Development) delegation led by British MP StephenTwigg met him at his secretariat office on Tuesday afternoon.

Muhith said budgetary allocation has been made this year also to the head of refugee camps. But size of allocation is going to be bigger in the next budget considering the huge number of refugees.

"The allocation was given earlier for about 300000 Rohingays. But the number now grows to over 10,00000 (one million) requiring additional budgetary fund and allocation would be made as per the assessment," said Muhith.

The minister earlier directed the finance secretary to submit a report on the need assessment.

"We're facing huge challenge to provide humanitarian assistance to the vast refugee population. The government needs huge fund until their repatriation," said Muhith.

The minister, however, expressed his doubt about the Rohingya repatriation, saying the Myanmar government does not live up to its commitment.

Muhith also recalled the assistance provided by the international community as emergency assistance to the refugees.

"We appreciate the support extended by the international community in handling the crisis. The humanitarian support currently provided by the UN agencies and international organisations would not continue for a long period. Hence, the burden would be on the government of Bangladesh, " added Muhith.

Responding to a question, Muhith also said that allocation would also be made in the next budget for building shelters for the Rohingya refugees at Bhashan Char.

Different ministries have already sought Tk 65 crore for rehabilitating Rohingya refugees at Bhasanchar.

Bangladesh will require a total of $882 million or about Tk 7,126 crore to host Rohingyas until June 2018, according to an estimate of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), private think tank.Free thinking an illusion can`t be an unrestrained right

All rights have limits. So no social being can claim to be a free thinker to curtail other people's rights. No right can exist in absolute sense. According to an American scholar Mary Ann Glendon such conception is an illusion of absoluteness. She may not be great scholar but it makes sense if one has to live in peace along with others.



Nobody can disagree that showing hatred against Islam is a violation of universal religious right of others and cannot be justified by calling himself a free thinker.



Deriding any religion is leftist politics under godless system of socialism. In communist ideology no free thinking is tolerated to discuss democracy or religion. So if anybody wants to preach leftist politics, he is free do so in clear terms. Free thinking should not be an act of deception or thoughtless madness.



But the fundamental leftists in a democracy use the slogan of free thinking to provoke religious extremism to create violence and then defend authoritarianism. The end game is to destroy democracy. We cannot allow fomenting religious extremism knowing how dangerous its ramifications could be.



The extreme leftists are extremists like religious extremists. Both are equally dangerous for social peace and harmony. Like the religious extremists the leftist extremists are extremely intolerant. None of them believes in democracy. Leftists massacred thousands of men, women and children in Indonesia during Sukarno rule before they could be got rid of.



In Bangladesh the bloggers who have been found spreading spite against Islam in one form or the other are all leftist non-believers. No Islamist attacked anyone for being non-believer. No blogger including Dr Zafar criticised any other religion but Islam. No sensible or decent person will deride religion of others unless he is politically motivated.



Anybody knows how sensitive it is to criticise other people's faith in God, especially when it comes from political motive.



What we have said here is not particularly in respect of Dr Zafar Iqbal. We have explained disagreement about free thinkers like him who are not free thinkers but believers in the politics of godless socialism.



We feel extremely unhappy that a professor of his eminence got embroiled with Student League boys, although he is also an active supporter of the government. He criticised them himself. The situation was so heated that his wife was also not spared from being dishonoured.



Thus the situation at the Sylhet Shahjalal University was highly antagonistic and nobody could be sure who in fact attacked Dr Zafar Iqbal. But the immediate government reaction was that a religious extremist group was behind it. Now it is confirmed that the assailant comes from an Awami League family. The police being in a helpless position to say he is a self-radicalised religious extremist.



Every sphere of the government has been so politicised that the people do not have faith in any government institution. So police investigation will not convince anybody about the truth of assailant. What a tormented climate we have created for ourselves to live in.



Dr Zafar Iqbal being an academic he should not have made himself unsafe for toxic anti-Islamic remarks politically under the illusion of free thinking calling for heavy police protection. He should not have been openly a supporter of any political party. He could have then remained above political controversy asking the students not to engage in party politics. He could have been an inspiring example to the students. His leftist politics makes him loose his balance. It was not an honour for a university teacher to need the protection of three police officers.



Dr Zafar Iqbal must be regretting now in hospital bed for the unhealthy academic atmosphere created by politically motivated sections of teachers and students including himself.



We do not dare to advise Dr Zafar Iqbal but we expect he will not be a free thinker but a constructive thinker as a competent academic. He has many talents for which many Islamists also respect him.



By all means let him remain a non-believer if he so chooses but as an intellectual he must have the integrity to tolerate the religious rights of others. Free thinking at the cost of the rights of others is not a right but a personal choice filled with personal risks.



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Today

Showers this morning then scattered thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High 88F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Generally clear. Low near 75F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.WASHINGTON  Despite U.S. support, the Afghan governments surprising new peace offer to the Taliban is immediately running into a wall. The insurgents show no sign of shifting from their demand that talks for a conflict-ending compromise take place with Washington, not Kabul.





The impasse is blocking a diplomatic path out of Americas longest-running war and could prove as fateful as fortunes on the battlefield.





The Trump administration says its escalating pressure on the Taliban to advance a negotiated solution to the fighting. But diplomacy is a distant second to military efforts right now, and the U.S. isnt offering carrots of its own to persuade the insurgents to lay down their arms.





Laurel Miller, who until last June was a senior American diplomat for Afghanistan and Pakistan, said the U.S. should be clearer about what its willing to negotiate on, including when it might start pulling forces from Afghanistan. That could set the stage for talks, she said.





Such a timetable seems a remote prospect, and President Donald Trump has consistently railed against the idea of telling the enemy when the U.S. might leave. The U.S. involvement in the Afghan conflict is now in its 17th year, and 10,000 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in 2017 alone. All sides are hung up on even the format for potential negotiations. The Obama administrations peace push, which relied heavily on Afghanistans neighbor Pakistan, floundered in 2015.





Afghan President Ashraf Ghanis new effort, announced at an international conference in Kabul this past week, includes incentives for insurgents that join negotiations and enter the political mainstream. The government would provide passports and visas to Taliban members and their families, and work to remove sanctions against Taliban leaders, he said. The Islamist group could set up an office.





Alice Wells, Americas top diplomat for South Asia, endorsed the overture and said the onus was on the Taliban to demonstrate theyre ready to talk, not to me or the United States, but to the sovereign and legitimate government and people of Afghanistan.





With wounds and emotions still raw in Kabul after a wave of brutal Taliban attacks in Kabul in late January, Ghanis offer was a significant olive branch. Still, its one unlikely to change the calculus of hard-line insurgents, said Michael Kugelman, senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center think tank.





And Barnett Rubin, a New York University expert on Afghanistan who advised the Obama administration, said: The trouble is that the major issue the Taliban is interested in talking about is the one he has no control over  the presence of American troops in Afghanistan.





Top Afghan security officials maintain back-channel discussions with Taliban, The Associated Press has learned, but the officials efforts are not coordinated and more formal talks are impeded by the Talibans insistence that its Islamic Emirate, ousted in a U.S.-led invasion in 2001 for hosting al-Qaida, remains Afghanistans legitimate government.





America must end her occupation and must accept all our legitimate rights including the right to form a government consistent with the beliefs of our people, the militant group said in a rambling Feb. 14 letter addressed to the American people and peace-loving congressmen. It sought peaceful dialogue with Washington.



If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs.The use of new cladding materials as an alternate replacement to aluminium composite panels will be examined at the upcoming Zak World of Facades, an international conference series on facade design and engineering, to be held this month in Dubai, UAE.



Over 400 delegates from the regional industry are expected to attend the fourth edition of the event, which will have on display high-performance insulation materials; special cladding materials like zinc, terracotta, ceramic, acrylic, porcelain and sintered stone; aluminium and steel curtain-wall systems; high-performance glass; and non-flammable A2 fire-rated aluminium composite materials.



Syed Zakir Ahmed, chairman and managing director of ZAK conference, said: Sustainable and more efficient materials, will play a major role in building facades in 2018. There is a growing demand for flexible and resistant materials to deal with temperature changes, humidity and dryness; and those with versatility allowing for flexibility in shapes and different finishes.



We see an increase in the use of materials like ceramic facade, for example, which is very good in dealing with extreme weather conditions. We look forward to presenting the myriad possibilities in facade materials at our conference, which already has a great line-up of speakers from the industry.



On display will be high-performance insulation materials that play a vital role in decreasing U-values. A U-value is a numerical measurement of the amount of heat lost through a specific material. High-performance aluminium and steel curtain-wall systems that can handle all loads (including dead, wind, seismic, thermal and blast loads etc) as well as keep air and water from penetrating the building envelope; will also be in the spotlight.



A new product that will be on showcase is Calostat by Evonik, a super insulation material with high performance and fire protection.



Stacy Eisenberg from Ateliers Jean Nouvel (AJN), the architects behind the Louvre Abu Dhabi, is a new speaker on the roster which includes leading industry names.



Eisenberg will speak about linking operational, functional and creative performance; and AJNs design philosophy and inspiration.



Technal is the presenting sponsor of the one-day conference on March 20 at Conrad Hotel, Dubai.



Associate partners include Alupex, Calostat, Calvinetwork, CN Ceramic, Dow Corning, ElvalColour, Future Architectural Glass, Jotun, Kingspan, Kinlong Hardware, Mosa, Neolith, SageGlass, Serge Ferrari, Siderise, Technoform, Trosifol, Vitro and VMZINC.  TradeArabia News ServiceMore than 160 exhibitors are expected to take part in the upcoming Hardware + Tools Middle East, the Middle Easts only dedicated trade fair for tools, hardware, materials, and machinery next month in Dubai.



The 19th edition of the event takes place from April 2 to 4 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.



According to a BMI Research report, the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) construction market is expected to be worth $336 billion by 2020, up from $235 billion in 2016, a net growth of 43 per cent.



According to the exhibitions organiser Messe Frankfurt Middle East, many exhibitors are returning this year, while a number of newcomers have entered the fray to present their solutions to wide cross-section of potential regional trade buyers and end-users.



Were optimistic about the renewed positive sentiment that prevails in the regional hardware and tools market, and this is borne out by not only a resurgent construction sector, but by Dubais position as a key trading partner for this segment with global economic powerhouses such as the USA, China, Italy, Germany, and India, said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East.



According to Dubai Customs, the emirate imported, exported, and re-exported Dh5.07 billion ($518 million) worth of hardware and tools in 2016, and the total trade with these countries comprised 52 per cent of that figure.

Hardware + Tools Middle East not only provides exhibitors comprehensive access to a wide spectrum of the most influential buyers from this burgeoning region, but also gives them a snapshot of the trends and requirements that are unique to this market, Pauwels added.



Among the key returning exhibitors to Hardware + Tools Middle East in 2018 are Middle East Fuji, the Middle East distributor for the Nitto Kohki Power Tool range from Japan and Knipex pliers from Germany; and Dar Al Mas, the exclusive UAE distributor for German hand tool manufacturer Wiha.



Newcomers in 2018 include Junco Trading, a UAE supplier of international brands such as 3M, Cibo, Dynabrade and Loeser; and Narex, a regional distributor of industrial fabrication machinery including steel fabrication equipment and CNC cutting and welding machines.



Junco has been a leading distributor of industrial products in the UAE for the past 23 years, said Shyam Sunder, General Manager of Junco Trading. Were the authorised channel partners in the UAE for some of the worlds leading brands such as 3M (industrial tapes, adhesives, abrasives and power tools), Dynabrade (pneumatic tools), CIBO (tools and abrasives), and Loeser (grinding and polishing machines).



Our purpose of participating at Hardware + Tools Middle East 2018 is to showcase these products to visitors and show them the solutions we can offer in a variety of different industries such as marine, aerospace, architectural metal and wood-working industries, to name just a few. With our team of professional sales engineers, we provide solutions to our customers, adding value by reducing production cost, increasing productivity and providing superior finish concurrently, added Sunder.



Wiha too has big plans in the wider Middle East and African market through its participation at Hardware + Tools Middle East 2018, as it looks to build on its existing partnership with Dar Al Mas that was initiated at the exhibition several years ago.



Wiha will return to Hardware + Tools Middle East in 2018 to offer professional workers in the UAE and wider Middle East a wide range of high-quality premium tools, characterised by their use of the latest manufacturing technologies, application-oriented innovations, top quality, absolute reliability and long service life, said Ronny Lindskog, Chief Sales Officer at Wiha.



We also plan to announce at the show a revolutionary invention in the field of fastening tools which will truly represent a quantum leap in the history of hand tools. Users can expect greater efficiency and better health with Wiha solutions thanks to maximum ergonomic standards and perfect safety in their everyday professional use.



Hardware + Tools Middle 2018 will return with the immensely popular Tool It! Challenge, where the UAEs finest tool operators go head-to-head in a live competition, testing skill, speed and smarts across metal working and wood working categories.



Leading brands will also deliver live demonstrations at the three-day events Expert Zone, a dedicated area showcasing the latest innovative solutions and machine tools shaping the future of all types of industries, from fabrication and metal working to oil and gas and outdoor landscaping.



Hardware + Tools Middle East is a magnet for trade buyers from across the Middle East and North Africa, including distributors, retailers, exporters, importers, contractors, fabricators, consultants and industry professionals involved in the construction and industrial sectors.



The 19th edition will feature country pavilions from China, Thailand and Taiwan, and will host more than 160 exhibitors from 12 countries representing over 200 brands.  TradeArabia News ServiceFenelec, the national federation of electricity, electronics and renewable energies in Morocco has partnered with The Big 5 Construct North Africa, an international exhibition for the construction sector.



The new partnership is expected to enhance best practices and provide state-of-the-art solutions to the broader construction community in Morocco, including electricity, electronic and renewable energy professionals.



Khalil El Guermai, general director of Fenelec, said: The show highlights innovations in construction with a particular focus on products, which are clustered in dedicated product sectors.



Taking place from 10 to 12 April at the Parc Des Expositions de lOffice des Changes in Casablanca, the second edition of the event will host over 170 exhibitors from across the globe showcasing the latest and most innovative products for the Moroccan and North African built environment.



Alongside the exhibition, the 2018 edition of The Big 5 Construct North Africa will offer more than 40 CPD-certified workshops presented by renowned industry experts.



Free to attend, these educational sessions will focus on a variety of topics, including Design & Sustainable Urban Development, Infrastructure & Project Management, and Technology & Innovation.



What motivates people to progress is innovation; it is therefore crucial for professionals to keep abreast of innovative solutions, El Guermai added.



Muhammed Kazi, event director of The Big 5 Construct North Africa, said: We are honoured to partner with Fenelec, the most prominent association for Electricity, Electronics and Renewable Energies in Morocco, which also holds a far-reaching presence in the broader African continent.



The partnership will go a long way in positioning Morocco as a point of reference for the entire African construction community.  TradeArabia News ServiceThe Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) has re-elected Yousef Al-Benyan, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), as chairman for a new three-year term.



Al Benyan was elected as GPCA chairman in May 2016, having previously served on GPCAs executive committee, said a statement.



A new board of directors was also announced during GPCAs Annual General Assembly which took place on March 5, at the Address Boulevard, Dubai, UAE.



Dr Abdulrahman Jawahery, president, GPIC, was elected as GPCAs vice chairman effective immediately, while Dr Mohammed Al Mulla, managing director and CEO, Qapco, was re-elected as treasurer, both of whom will serve on GPCAs executive committee, it said.



Abdulaziz Judaimi, senior vice president, downstream, Saudi Aramco; Jamal Malaikah, president and CEO, Natpet; Ahmad Al Ohali, CEO, Sipchem; and Abdulrahman Al Suwaidi, CEO, Qafco, were re-elected as members of GPCAs board.



Said M Bajodah, CEO, Saudi Chevron Philips Company; and Hazeem Al Suwaidi, CEO, Adnoc Fertilizers, joined the board for the first time. Omans seat continues to be represented by Ahmed Saleh Al Jahdhami, CEO, Orpic, it added.



Dr Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, secretary general, GPCA, said: With nearly 30 years of experience spanning the Middle East, the Americas and the Far East, Al Benyan has made significant contributions to the association and by extension  the regional industry  as chairman of GPCA.



I welcome his re-election and take great assurance that he will continue to lead GPCA with unmatched professionalism and dedication, he added.



I would also like to thank the outgoing board members for their valuable contribution to advancing GPCAs strategic vision and welcome the newly elected members to GPCAs board. Together I am confident that we will continue to foster GPCAs key values of advocacy, networking and thought leadership, he concluded.  TradeArabia News ServiceLong-term investments and groundbreaking research are needed for the transformation of the energy sector, a senior Saudi Aramco executive has said.



Mohammed Y Al Qahtani, Saudi Aramco senior vice president of upstream, was giving the keynote speech, Reshaping the Landscape in Industry 4.0, in the first plenary session on overcoming barriers for future energy, at the 13th Middle East Geosciences Conference and Exhibition (GEO 2018), being held in Bahrain.



He noted that the rapid transformation required of the industry is happening at a time when the Fourth Industrial Revolution makes almost anything seem possible  although the enabling scope of technology makes it easy to settle for immediate gratification.



Al Qahtani said: Unfortunately, much of petroleum R&D investment is in shorter-term improvements with quick pay-outs, as opposed to ground-breaking research.



And while incremental improvement plays a role, investing solely in low-hanging fruit and short-term pay-offs will fall short of transformation, he said.



Nearly 4,000 geoscientists and oil and gas professionals from around the globe are exploring technologies addressing industry challenges at the event, which which kicked off yesterday (March 5). It will run until March 8, at the Bahrains International Exhibition & Convention Center.



The conference is being held under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain, and sponsored by Saudi Aramco and other global energy leaders, the bi-annual event addressed the theme, Pushing the Technical Limits: Shaping the Energy Landscape.



Al Qahtani went on to discuss long-term technological investments that are proving to be game-changers for Saudi Aramco, increasing discovery and recovery, reducing costs, enhancing safety and protecting the environment.



He continued: Its no coincidence that these investments fit nicely with GEOs focus on moving beyond technical boundaries, new opportunities in unconventional resources, and how Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things impact exploration and production, because Industry 4.0 is the catalyst for major leaps forward in all these areas.



Al Qahtani highlighted the importance of technologies like Spice Rack, a robotics-based innovation that increases data acquisition by 50 per cent while cutting costs by 30 per cent; and AI and Deep Learning processes that determine rock types and geological features for better well placement and field development.



Inviting attendees to visit Saudi Aramcos pavilion to learn more about the companys proprietary technologies like TeraPowers, the worlds first trillion-cell reservoir simulator whose clear imaging aids increased discovery and recovery, Al-Qahtani emphasised the importance of cooperation within and beyond the traditional industry ecosystem, continued investment in training and development, and ensuring that technology is scalable, affordable and adaptable for continuous innovation.  TradeArabia News ServiceThe National Media Council (NMC) has unveiled a set of regulations for electronic media, which govern all online activities, including e-commerce; publishing and selling of print, video, and audio material; as well as advertising.

The new guidelines apply to news websites, electronic publishing outlets, and on-demand printing, including commercial activities conducted through social media within the UAE, said a Wam news agency report.

The NMC released the new directives in a media briefing held today. The session was led by NMC director-general Mansour Ibrahim Al Mansouri, and Dr Rashid Al Nuaimi, the councils executive director of media affairs.

The regulations seek, first and foremost, to help the UAE media sector remain on top of the rapid developments in electronic media, in addition to enriching and organising digital content, and ensuring that media material respects the religious, cultural and social values of the UAE, all the while promoting freedom of expression and constructive dialogue, said the report.

The new code of practice provides balanced and responsible media content that respects the privacy of individuals, and protects the public  especially children  from negative or harmful material, it added.

"The new regulations are part of the councils plan to promote and develop an advanced legislative and regulatory environment for the UAE media sector, keeping it up-to-speed with regards to all technological developments that have transformed media in recent times," Al Mansouri said.

"Today, electronic media has become a highly influential and widespread tool; it is imperative that we enhance its reliability. Digital media is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the Middle East, especially videos, games and e-books. Regulating this sector will attract new global investments, which, in turn, will improve its development and competitiveness."

The NMC director-general went on to note that the new guidelines seek to enhance the contribution of electronic media to the wider publishing industry, providing legal protection for the outlets and enhancing their competitiveness, all in an effort to increase advertising spend and grow the sector as a whole.

The new regulations adhere to the Terms of Reference of the National Media Council No. 11 of 2016, and align with the outcomes of the Future of Media Retreat, held by the council in February. The retreat had highlighted the need to enact legislation to regulate electronic media activities, and to motivate electronic media outlets to play their role in developing diverse and responsible content that can contribute to the dissemination of the UAEs narrative.

Websites of licensed traditional media (i.e. television, radio, newspapers and magazines) fall under the provisions of this regulation and, thus, do not need to secure new licences.

The websites of government, universities and schools are excluded from the system, Al Mansouri reaffirmed, calling on all concerned bodies to follow the licensing procedures in accordance with the provisions of the law before June 1, 2018.

The council cautioned, however, that all electronic media activities, whether covered by the provisions of the regulations or not, are necessarily subject to the principles and standards of governing media content in the country.

The National Media Council had issued the age classification regulations for media content, which require relevant authorities to classify publications, electronic games, films and other artworks according to the appropriate age group, in order to preserve the UAEs social values and its cultural heritage, and protect its children from any negative influences.Aston Martin will present Lagonda Vision Concept at the Geneva Motor Show, marking the beginning of a new range of state-of-the-art, emission-free luxury vehicles.

Lagonda aims to be the worlds first zero emission luxury brand and production is planned to start in 2021. Geneva Motor Show is being held from March 8 to 18.

It will confound traditional thinking and take full advantage of the latest advances in electrification and autonomous driving technologies, which amount to the biggest revolution in land-bound transportation since the invention of the car, the luxury brand said.

Lagonda will show how true luxury and modern design, far from being diametrically opposed interests, can exist in total harmony and enhance each others most desirable characteristics, it said.

We believe people associate luxury in their cars with a certain traditional and even old-fashioned approach because, to date, that is all thats been available to them, commented Aston Martin President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Andy Palmer.

Lagonda exists to challenge that thinking and prove that being modern and luxurious are not mutually exclusive concepts.

Lagonda Vision Concept

The Lagonda Vision Concept is a near future study that previews the design language that could potentially be seen in production Lagonda models as soon as 2021. Alongside the new concept, two 40 per cent scale models will be displayed, one coupe concept and one SUV concept, to illustrate how the Lagonda design language could be adapted for the future.

The Lagonda Vision Concept is an incredibly bold design statement, said Aston Martin EVP and Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman. The electrification revolution means there is no longer any need for horse and carriage design, and our new concept shows the scope of design opportunities that open up once you no longer need to provide space for a large power source directly in front of the passenger compartment. In the Lagonda Vision Concept, the batteries occupy the floor of the car. Everything above that line belongs to us.

The Vision Concept showcases Lagonda design ingenuity. Both far shorter and lower than traditional limousines, the exceptional space efficiency that has been achieved by its radical design means there is room inside for four adults, each of two metres height or more, to stretch out in luxurious comfort.

Lagonda has no need to occupy a huge amount of road space or make an ostentatious wealth statement, continues Reichman. It is like comparing Concorde to the first class cabin of a conventional airliner. By ditching traditional architecture like Parthenon grilles and massive frontal areas, and by using electrical power, Lagonda design can still be distinctive and luxurious without being grandiose. It offers its customers a thoroughly modern, emission-free form of super-luxurious mobility.

Far more than any orthodox design, the Lagonda Vision Concept was designed from the inside out because that is what the architecture allows. With no need to package a vast internal combustion engine, gearbox and transmission, Lagondas designers could optimise the interior down to the smallest detail and then build up the exterior of the car around it.

The Lagonda Vision Concept doesnt have a bonnet because one is not required. But it still needs to travel through the air and to do so as efficiently as possible to preserve battery life, which is why its shape is so sleek and dynamic. The shape of the Lagonda Vision Concept is the result of satisfying a number of different requirements, says Reichman. The need to make a bold design statement, to establish Lagonda as a company of the future and to show how technological advancement can help liberate design too. So while Aston Martin design language can be seen as organic and natural, that of Lagonda is more sculptural, shocking and challenging. It is a shape formed by the collision of invisible forces, like those made by magnetic particles in an electrical current. The secret is to understand how to connect that shock and change to beautiful surfacing.

The Lagonda Vision Concept also anticipates a world with a high level of autonomy. Its design is commensurate with level four autonomous driving, meaning the car is capable of driving itself in all routine circumstances and on all recognisable roads. As a result, the steering wheel can not only move from left to right hand drive according to need, in autonomous mode it can also retract entirely allowing front seat passengers to rotate through 180 degrees to engage in face to face conversation with those in the back. In the meantime, the car will not only have 360-degree awareness of the world around it, but also be fully connected to it, allowing occupants unprecedented access to bespoke concierge services and a level of connectivity and cyber-security few enjoy in their own homes, let along their cars.

The Lagonda Vision Concept has been configured to accept powerful solid state electric batteries enabling it to cover up to 400 real world miles between charges. Thats the distance from Los Angeles to San Francisco, London to Edinburgh or Berlin to Vienna without stopping. The concept has also has been designed to be compatible with the latest wireless conductive charging technology.  TradeArabia News ServiceMarriott International continues to support the growth of Saudi Arabia's hospitality sector with plans to invest $2 billion in the kingdom over the next four years by almost doubling its portfolio in the country, a report said.



Alex Kyriakidis, Marriotts president and managing director for the Middle East and Africa, said his firm would expand the number of rooms at its hotels to about 12,500 in the next four years from almost 6,800 now, said a report in Reuters.



Building now underway on the almost 6,000 new rooms would cost $2 billion, he said in an interview with Reuters, adding the company would operate 52 hotels once work was completed, up from 23 now, the report said.



The company operates the Marriott, Ritz Carlton, Le Meridien and Sheraton brands in Saudi Arabia, among others.Oman attracted a total of 3.3 million tourists last year, recording a healthy 4.7 per cent increase over 2016, said a report citing new data.



Registering a successive record number of travellers since 2015, the new figures signal the continued progress of the governments National 2040 Tourism Strategy, which aims to boost the sectors contribution to GDP by 6 per cent, said a report in Times of Oman.



Omans 20-year strategy has already begun bearing fruit and is well on track to raise visitor numbers to 5 million per annum by 2040. The strategy hinges on developing dedicated tourism clusters in destinations such as Muscat, Musandam, Al Hajjar Mountains, Frankincense trail in Salalah, and multiple desert areas popular with adventure tourists.



In addition, the ministry aims to employ as many as 500,000 people in the tourism sector, with expected investments totalling OMR19 billion ($49.2 billion), of which only 12 per cent will be from the public sector.By Daisy Katta, TwoCircles.net

The Chalo TISS call given by the General Body of TISS students was highly successful, with more than 500 people all across India along with 20 organisations participating in solidarity with the protesting students at TISS. The Chalo TISS was a nationwide call given by the General Body as the strike entered Day 13. The Chalo TISS call also included postcard campaign where thousands of letters by the participants of Chalo TISS have been addressed to the MHRD, to intervene in the GoI post-matric scholarship issue at TISS.

Amidst rumours that the Chalo TISS call was not given by the Students Union, Fahad Ahmad, General Secretary-TISS Students Union-clarified, The Students Union is just an Executive Body and the final decision-making ability lies only with the General Body. Some members of the Students Union have gone against the constitution of TISS SU and violated it by not considering the General Body decision before giving out a false statement to the administration and the media about calling off the strike. As the General Secretary of the Student Union at TISS, I would like to clarify that the strike will go on unless all our demands are addressed by the TISS administration. According to the Article 1 of the TISS constitution its states, every final decision concerning the students lies with the General Body.

Support TwoCircles



Even as the TISS strike entered Day 13, the TISS administration has not come out with any concrete and sustainable solution to resolve the GOI PMS issue, despite the students time and again brought in to the administration notice the high number of dropouts which the institute has witnessed since 2015, when the fee waiver was rolled back.

Meanwhile, the student protests are still going strong. Different students groups in the institute including the Johar-Adivasi Students Forum, The North East Students Group, OBC students Forum, TISS Queer Collective, and Ambedkarite Students TISS have come up with strong statements in condemnation of the unilateral decision taken by few Union members saying that they will back off from the strike without consulting the General Body. The statements have also retaliated that the strike will continue till all demands, raised for the current and upcoming SC, ST OBC students are met of all the campuses.

The Chalo TISS call also saw TISS Alumni coming in solidarity with the protesting students as they collected more than 800 signatures, from Alumni to a strongly worded letter to the administration asking for a continuation of fee waiver. Additionally, students from Mumbai University, IIT Bombay and IIPS have also lent their support.Ooma to Buy UCaaS Outfit Voxter

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By Paula Bernier

Executive Editor, TMC By Paula BernierExecutive Editor, TMC

I recently read an end-of-year predictions piece suggesting the terms unified communications and VoIP business communications are now synonymous. News this week that Ooma Inc. is buying Voxter Communications Inc. would seem to support that idea.





Voxter is a 13-year-old company out of Vancouver, B.C. It sells unified communications-as-a-service solutions to mid-market and enterprise business customers.

(Gartner notes that companies in the UCaaS space use multiple enterprise communications methods to improve user productivity and enhance business processes. These solutions integrate communications channels, networks, and systems; IT business applications; and in some cases consumer applications and devices.)

Ooma provides business and home communications solutions and security systems. Its small business offering is called Ooma Office. TMC (News - Alert) CEO Rich Tehrani once commented that the Ooma phone system is so appealing that it looks like something Bang & Olufsen could have designed.

The company also offers that Talkatone mobile app, enabling free calling and texting over Wi-Fi and mobile data connections for users of Android (News - Alert) and iOS devices in the U.S. and Canada. Talkatone can also block unwanted calls.

"With the addition of Voxter, Ooma can now serve larger businesses with highly customizable solutions that uniquely meet their individual needs, in addition to serving small businesses with the award winning Ooma Office platform, says Ooma CEO Eric Stang. Together, Voxter and Ooma bring deep expertise in cloud-based voice technology, increased scale, and stronger solutions for channel partners."

The deal is set to close this month though the value was not disclosed.

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Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349The Gagauz people are descendants of the medieval Turkic nomadic tribes (Pechenegs, Oghuz Turks, Cumans), which were coming in waves to south-eastern Europe from the South-Siberian, Central Asian and Caspian steppes. During the process of migration, especially after the Mongol invasion of Eastern Europe, the ancestors of the Gagauz people migrated through the northern Black Sea steppes to the flat areas of Northeastern Bulgaria and the Lower Danube region. The Gagauz language belongs to the Oghuz-Bulgarian language subgroup of the southwestern branch of the Turkic languages.

The Gagauz people are the Turkic people of the Christian faith, the main part of which lives in thenorthern part of central Bugeac, which entered the southern limits of the Republic of Moldova in 1940. According to the 1989 census, 152 thousand inhabitants of the Republic of Moldova were Gagauz. About 40 thousand Bugeac Gagauzes live in the adjacent areas of the Odessa region of Ukraine. There are also some villages of Gagauz in the Zaporozhye region of Ukraine, in Kabardino-Balkaria, Kazakhstan and in Europe (Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Turkey).

To date, the history of the Gagauz people has been underexplored. The following facts on the history of the people are reliably known to historical studies of Gagauzes.

The Gagauz people, as an independent ethnos, was finally formed by the 13th century in north-eastern Bulgaria, mainly in the territory of Dobruja and the Deliorman. Back then it was possible, since the presence of the Turkic element in this region was a century-old tradition (Huns - IV-V centuries, Pechenegs - IX century, Torkils - -I century, Polovtsy (umans) - I-II centuries).

***

There was the state formation Uzi Eyaleti on the territory of Dobruja in the XIII century, which scientists qualify as the first state of the Gagauz. After this state fell under the Ottomans, the history of the Gagauz ethnos in the Middle Ages remains unknown. In the 18th century, in the region of Varna, there was a mention about the allegedly Gagauzian republic of Vister. But like other information related to the history of the Gagauz, it requires additional research. At the end of the 18th century, history records Gagauzes as an original ethnos, mentioning them as part of Bugeac inhabitans from Northeast Bulgaria. As a result of these migration processes, intensified by the 1806-1812 Russo-Turkish war, the Gagauzes were divided into two parts: one part (lesser) remained in Bulgaria, the larger one settled in Bessarabia.

The struggle of the Gagauzes for their freedom from the claims of the Moldovan boyars after the resettlement was completed in December 1819 by the decree of the Russian Senate on granting the status of foreign colonies to central Bugeac. This actually meant autonomy for its population, a large part of which were Gagauzes. In the middle of the XIX century, the Gagauzes of Bugeac underwent another division of their ethnic territory in Southern Bessarabia. As a result of the 1856 Crimean War, the southwestern part of Bugeac (southern Poprutie and the villages of the present Vulcanesti district, as well as Bolgrad, considered the center of the Bessarabian colonies) moved to the Principality of Moldavia. This led to forced migration of the Gagauzes to the Zaporozhye region of Ukraine. Following the 1878 Russian-Turkish war, these territories were returned to Russia in exchange for the lands of the Romanian Dobruja.

To be continuedThe U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey closed Monday due to an unspecified security threat, though local media reports the closure came as Turkish authorities detained several suspects on charges of plotting an attack against the embassy. As Politico writes in an article "U.S. Embassy in Turkey closes due to security threat", according to The Anadolu Agency, the countrys state-run media outlet, the suspects are Iraqi nationals and believed to be members of the Islamic State.

Though the relationship between the U.S. and Turkey has recently been tested, Turkey says the embassy's closure isn't political. "The decision to close the American Embassy is not a political one, it was taken on security grounds," Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said at a news conference. "The embassy has shared intelligence with the Turkish intelligence service and security forces."

The Ankara governors office said late Sunday it increased its security due to the threat of terrorist actions where U.S. citizens are located. Upon intelligence coming to our units from U.S. sources that terrorist actions could be undertaken targeting the U.S. Embassy and where U.S. citizens are staying, security measures have been reviewed and extra measures have been taken.

The embassy will only provide emergency services, but will not renew passports, report births abroad, or any other non-emergency services and requests. These requests will not be addressed until the embassy reopens, according to a statement. Visa interviews are also canceled.The main energy theme of the past week was the decision of Gazprom after losing at the Stockholm Arbitration Court in dispute with Naftogaz to terminate all the contracts connecting the Russian company with the Ukrainian one, including not only agreements on gas supplies to Ukraine, but also the agreement on the transit of "blue fuel " to Europe.

The executive vice-president of NewTech Services, professor of the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas, Valery Bessel, told Vestnik Kavkaza about the risks for all the parties caused by this decision and the prospects for further relations between Gazprom and its Ukrainian and European partners.

- Valery Vladimirovich, what aim is pursued by Gazprom by declaring its desire to terminate cooperation with Naftogaz?

- First of all, it should be noted that the complete rejection of the Ukrainian corridor for pumping gas to Europe in the near future is unrealistic - we still need this route. Of course, now there is a very serious political tension between Naftagaz and Gazprom, which only intensified after the Stockholm Arbitration Institution has obliged Russia's gas giant to pay $2.56 billion to the Ukrainian company, as the reason for this verdict was political: the Ukrainian economy is in poor condition and Gazprom has to pay. Of course, this argument can not be accepted by Gazprom - the company earns money and does not want to pay policy failures of other countries and companies.

Therefore, the procedure for termination of contracts has been initiated, but it is still unclear how the situation will play out, because Gazprom clearly does not want to lose such a major market. At the same time, I can understand the emotional component of this decision and Gazprom's hope that it will encourage Naftogaz to meet it halfway: Naftogaz also makes serious money on Russian gas, and it is much more profitable to buy gas directly from Russia, than from intermediaries at average European prices. The business relations between Gazprom and Naftogaz, if we exclude any politics, have always been mutually beneficial, but, unfortunately, today this business is not being done in the most civilized manner.

- If the agreement with Ukraine on the transit of gas to Europe is broken, what options do European importers have to supply Russian "blue fuel"?

- Even if the Nord Stream-2 project with a capacity of 30 billion cubic meters per year and the Turkish Stream project with a capacity of 15.7 billion cubic meters per year will be fully realized by that time, it will be impossible to replace all transit via Ukraine. Europe, of course, constantly says that its demand for fuel imports declines, but in fact it is increasing sharply in the winter due to cold weather, like now - to produce electricity and heat, first of all. In this regard, it is quite likely that Europe will have to buy our gas on the Russian-Ukrainian border. And it will be Europe's problem - how it will get to European consumers.

- Will the level of Europe's support of Nord Stream-2 and the European part of the Turkish Stream increase in this regard?

- I think the situation will remain unchanged. As of now, Turkey is really interested in the Turkish Stream, Germany - in the Nord Stream-2, and it's clear why - they will make huge money from them, buying gas from Gazprom at a fixed price and reselling it at a much higher price, having tens of billions of dollars of profits. The countries that we bypass will be against them, for example, Poland, in fact, there is nothing political in its actions, only business. In this connection, of course, one can understand how surprised Gazprom is by Ukraine's attitude to the business, since it is simply silly to lose such opportunities to make money on the transit and resale of Russian gas to Europe. But that's political decision of Kiev.

- In your opinion, what is the most probable solution to the current situation?

- The situation is now complicated by several factors hampering more or less confident forecasting. In particular, there are no outside observers seriously engaged in diagnosing Ukraine's gas transport system, and the Ukrainian side does not publish the results of its studies. Because of this, we do not know how long the pipelines that were put into operation in 1984 and have been operating for 34 years would work. As long as we are building the Nord Stream and the Turkish Stream and entering into full operational capacity, the Ukrainian system will be almost 40 years old, and no one knows if it can be viable by that time.

Another factor is the interests of the US in the European gas market as our direct competitor. They are interested in Ukraine's gas transportation system becoming completely worthless, then the issue of Ukrainian transit will disappear and about 30-40 billion cubic meters of gas per year will de facto be excluded from the market, so Europe will be forced to buy gas from the United States. And this is another reason why such a struggle is being waged around Northern Stream-2 and Turkish Stream - if these projects are not implemented, Europe will have no choice but to import gas. These pipes are beneficial to us, Germany and Turkey, therefore, we are defending them, and the US are fighting against them through their levers of influence, having Poland as an ally.

Both factors are superimposed on the fact that the restoration of Ukraine's gas transportation system requires a huge amount of money, this is not only diagnostics, but also major repairs in very large volumes. Who will pay for it? If the transit country wants to continue receiving money for gas transit, it must pay, but if Russia pays, it should receive titles of ownership for these pipes, which is impossible in the current political realities.A total of 2872 terrorists have been "neutralized" since the start of Operation Olive Branch in Syria's northwestern Afrin region, Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

"So far, 700 square meters of area have been freed from terrorists, Erdogan said addressing a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

President Erdogan added that 41 Turkish soldiers have been killed since the start of the operation in Afrin.

"In addition, 159 fighters of Free Syrian Army have been killed since the beginning of Operation Olive Branch," APA cited him as saying.Turkey will not cancel the contract for purchasing Russia's air defense systems S-400 even despite the risk of sanctions that may be imposed by the United States, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

"Youve said nothing to Greece (in connection with the purchase of S-300 systems), but you said that you will not let Turkey acquire S-400. You claimed that the contact with Russia was a mistake. You also said that you might introduce sanctions," Haber Turk TV quotes Erdogan as saying.

"We are not going to be accountable to you. We will proceed along the right way without any concessions for the sake of achieving our own goals," Erdogan concluded.The United States will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, US Vice President Mike Pence said, speaking to the annual policy conference of pro-Israel lobby AIPAC.

"The United States of America will never allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons," he stressed. According to Pence, Tehran "hopes to recreate the ancient Persian Empire under the modern dictatorship of the Ayatollahs."

Pence said the nuclear accord merely delayed the day when Iran can obtain a nuclear weapon. He vowed the US would withdraw from the nuclear deal forged between Iran and six world powers in the coming months unless lawmakers move to fix the agreement.

"Make no mistake about it, this is their last chance. Unless the Iran nuclear deal is fixed in the coming months, the United States of America will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal immediately," the Times of Israel cited Pence as saying.

The director of the Roosevelt Fund of Study of the US at Moscow State University, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Yuri Rogulev, speaking with a correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, explained that Washington is primarily focused on the medium-range ballistic missile program and other elements in the Iranian armament program. "This was not the subject of negotiations and was not included in the document. And now the US wants to make these amendments," the expert noted.

"The British are a little bit supportive in this regard, although they do not take the position of such a sharp revision. No other party has such a position - to abandon the previous deal in favor of negotiations on some new document - only the US has it. All other think that this basic multilateral agreement should be preserved," the director of the Roosevelt Fund of Study of the US at Moscow State University said.

According to Rogulev, it is very difficult to assess the real probability of the US withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal, because the behavior of American politicians is unpredictable. "Yes, we know that Trump generally treats all the agreements concluded by the previous administration in a negative way. But it is also not clear whether he will make any far-reaching steps. I do not think that the US will act against everyone so sharply and unilaterally. This is unlikely to give them anything. Most likely it is an element of bluff, pressure on their allies. Although I do not exclude that some element of unpredictability can play a role," the expert concluded.The foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey and Iran will hold a meeting in Astana on March 16, 2018 as part of Syria talks hosted by the Kazakh capital, the press service of Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry said in a statement that top diplomats of the Astana process three guarantor countries would assess the results of their collaboration and identify common steps.

The statement said that another meeting at the technical level would be held in the city the day before the foreign ministers meeting to discuss the release of detainees, the handing over of the deceased, and the search for the lost.

The foreign ministers meeting is planned to be held without the participation of observer countries or the Syrian sides," but Special UN Syria Envoy Staffan de Mistura will be invited, Anadolu Agency reported.The OSCE will monitor the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops tomorrow, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The monitoring will be held under the mandate of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Personal Representative along the line of contact near Azerbaijan's Fuzuli district.

On the Azerbaijani side, the monitoring will be held by Ognjen Jovic and Martin Schuster, who are the field assistants of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office.

On the Azerbaijani territories occupied and controlled by Armenian armed forces, the monitoring will be held by Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, and his field assistants Mihail Olaru and Simon Tiller.Law enforcement officers detained in Istanbul four Russian nationals, suspected of trafficking outlawed substances, Russian Consulate-General spokesman Sergey Losev said.

According to him, the Consulate-General received a phone call with the news at 14pm on Monday.

"Law enforcement agencies of Istanbul have detained four Russian nationals in the city on suspicion that they were trafficking banned substances. Two of them remain in custody," TASS cited Losev as saying.

The spokesman added that the Consulate-General in Istanbul stays in touch with the detained Russians and with the law enforcement agencies.This year, Russia's banks's net profit is seen at 1.21.3 trillion rubles, according to S&P Global Ratings.

According to the agency's forecasts, in 2018 the net interest margin of Russia's largest banks will remain generally stable and will be close to last year's level. "According to our estimates, net interest margin reached 4.7% at the end of 2017 (according to IFRS) and, most likely, will drop to 4.0% by the end of 2019," Interfax cited the agency as saying.

S&P expects that in 2018 "large Russian banks will continue cutting deposit rates against the backdrop of the expected decline in Russia's key rate."One of Europes prominent short film festivals, set to open in the Finnish town of Tampere next week, will premiere director Rati Tsiteladzes new work that deals with personal freedom clashing with cultural prejudices.

Tsiteladzes documentary Prisoner of Society will debut in the international competition of the long-standing cinema event, where around 500 works are expected to be screened.

A co-production effort between Georgia and Latvia, the short will screen to around 30,000 visitors expected to attend next weeks festival.

Tsiteladze, who was selected for this years Berlinale Talents summit of the Berlin International Film Festival along with screenwriter Nino Varsimashvili, co-wrote the screenplay for the film with the latter, Agenda.ge reported.

The collaboration marks the continuation of their joint efforts that has produced the 2016 work Mother and includes the work-in-progress project The Empty House.

Established in 1969, the Tampere Film Festival is northern Europes oldest-running short cinema event. This years edition will run between March 7-11.Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has expressed his condolences to Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in connection with a fire in Bakus drug abuse treatment center, which killed 25 people.

The head of state extended his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wishes for the speedy recovery of all the injured.

The strong fire broke out in a one-storey building of Bakus drug abuse treatment center on March 2.Statistics from the General Statistics Office of Viet Nam (GSO) showed that the mining industry has posted a record slump since 2011, with the growth rate dropping by 7.1 per cent in 2017 and 4 per cent in 2016.  VNA/VNS Photo

by Vo Tri Thanh*

Statistics from the General Statistics Office of Viet Nam (GSO) showed that the mining industry has posted a record slump since 2011, with the growth rate dropping by 7.1 per cent in 2017 and 4 per cent in 2016.

This could be a small disappointment amid lots of bright spots in the countrys wider socio-economic picture last year. But this could also lead to an alarming conclusion  the mining industry will be unable to return to growth, and so the growth pattern must be transformed.

Expert Vo Tri Thanh

The GSO attributed the slump to the plummet in crude oil and coal exploitation. This consequence is directly related to Viet Nams past development strategy, when the mining industry still occupied an important position.

Previously, at the initial stage of development, the extraction of natural resources such as oil, coal and minerals played a central role in the economy.

Viet Nam is endowed with a wide variety of minerals, with over 5,000 deposits of more than 60 types of minerals discovered, including bauxite, rare earths, tungsten, titanium, phosphate, coal and iron-ore, and mineral construction materials. With its huge reserves, Viet Nam is the third largest mineral producer in the Southeast Asian region.

Mining alone contributed about 30 per cent to the State budget in the mid-90s. It also helped create many jobs for local people.

However, the proportion of the mining industry still accounting for about 10 per cent of GDP is too large, in the context of increasing difficulties in exploitation and fluctuations of price and supply-demand in the global market.

In fact, over the past two decades, many types of Viet Nams minerals have been mined significantly and are at risk of depletion.

Problems exist

According to statistics from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, there are about 450 mines managed by the State, but their contributions were less than 3.5 per cent of GDP. Over 170 enterprises operating in the field of minerals in our country still mostly use manual methods and obsolete technology in exploitation activities, not to mention the fact that they lack of sense of law enforcement and proper attention to environmental protection, labour safety, protection of mineral resources, leading to environmental pollution and negative impacts on forests and ecological system.

In addition, due to changes in land purpose for mineral exploitation, the country has changed the purpose of using 11,312ha of forest and forestry land to exploit minerals, but the reforestation in the areas when the exploitation ends is limited.

Other forms of invisible pollution, such as radioactivity in many places in the coastal titanium sand mining area, are also reported as quite high and very high compared to the radiation safety threshold, potentially dangerous for workers and residents nearby.

Overexploiting natural resources without efficient resource allocation will lead to the so-called curse of natural resources, meaning that the more natural resources a country has, the worse it performs. The case has been proven by many economists including Jeffrey Sachs and Andrew Warner who wrote a paper titled The curse of natural resources, and Thorvaldur Gylfason with Nature, Power and Growth.

For example, in Sachs and Warners research, they show that there is a negative correlation between the growth of per capita income and the exports of natural resources as a share of GDP.

Most countries that have grown rapidly in recent decades in fact are poor in resources.

The poor performance of countries with natural resource abundance could be attributed to the corruption and misuse of rents from natural resources by policymakers, and the Dutch disease which means that revenues from natural resource exports keeping the exchange rate artificially overvalued which makes the rest of the economy and especially manufacturing exports uncompetitive.

Solutions

Realising the challenges, the Vietnamese Government has been moving in the right direction when transforming the growth model from relying on resource exploitation to other areas associated with more sustainable and more environmentally friendly development.

In the socio-economic development strategy until 2020, Viet Nam targets to reduce energy consumption to 2.5-3 per cent of GDP per annum, increase the foreign coverage ratio to 45 per cent, and have 80 per cent of production premises meeting environmental standards.

The country is a signatory of the Paris Agreement, in which Viet Nam pledges to cut green house gas (GHG) emissions by 8 per cent by 2030 compared to the business as usual scenario.

However, green growth could be more a slogan than a distinctive policy if the Government, firms and consumers do not take action now.

First of all, the mindset on growth and natural resource use needs to change. The environment is a kind of capital and it is necessary to make contributions to output, so that it is accounted for, invested in and exploited efficiently.

As the largest consumer, the Government should take the lead in purchasing green goods and services. The Government should use market-based mechanisms to enable economic agents to internalise social environmental costs and to encourage diffusion of green technologies through taxes and fees.

Pervasive subsidies and other distortions that lead to excessive consumption of energy and accelerated GHG emissions must be ended.

The Government needs to encourage renewable energy development and green innovation, and liberalise trade in environmental goods and services.

The sharp decline of the mining sector is a positive event for business owners to think of reform and innovation in the direction of sustainable growth.

Company managers should be aware that there is no trade-off between business efficiency and environmentally-friendly production. Green business is also about firms corporate social responsibility and reputation.

Green consumption should become a decisive factor for both business development and consumers behaviour.  VNS

* Vo Tri Thanh is a senior economist at the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) and a member of the National Financial and Monetary Policy Advisory Council. A doctorate holder in economics from the Australian National University, Thanh mainly undertakes research and provides consultation on issues related to macroeconomic policies, trade liberalisation and international economic integration. Other areas of interest include institutional reforms and financial systems.QUANG NAM  VinGroup and TH True Milk have registered to invest VN1.2 trillion (US$53 million) in ginseng and herbs farm projects in mountainous Nam Tra My district of Quang Nam Province.

Chairman of the districts peoples committee, Ho Quang Buu, told Viet Nam News that its the two biggest investment projects since the district launched its master plan on the development of the Ngoc Linh ginseng, cinnamon and herbs in 2014.

Buu said the two investors have begun surveying mass production from Ngoc Linh ginseng and planning for material farms and supportive industries for herb production.

He said the district wants investment to develop 15,000ha of ginseng in the district by 2030.

According to Quang Nam Province, the Government agreed to fund VN2 trillion ($88.5 million) for infrastructure projects in the district.

Currently, 900 households farm 1,200ha of ginseng, cinnamon and herbs in the district, while businesses have 100ha.

The district also hosts regular ginseng fair to link farmers, investors and buyers and to draw tourists to the district.

According to the district, more than 2,300 tourists visited the ginseng fair, and 53kg of Ngoc Linh ginseng has been sold for VN4.7 billion ($208,000) since 2017.

Each kilo of Ngoc Linh ginseng is priced from VN100 million ($4,400) and VN200 million ($8,800) in Viet Nam.

Farmers in the district can earn $3 million per ha after five years growing ginseng.

The Ngoc Linh ginseng has been preserved as a precious and endangered flora gene in the province, along with poor mans ginseng or condonopsis, pepper, cinnamon, large-size rattan and corn in Quang Nam Province.  VNSHCM CITY  The latest machinery, technologies and business solutions for the livestock breeding, dairy and aquaculture industries will be on show at the ILDEX Vietnam expo in HCM City from March 14 to 16.

The 7th International Livestock, Dairy, Meat Processing and Aquaculture Exposition has attracted nearly 250 exhibitors from 30 countries and territories, and there will also be six national pavilions set up by France, the US, South Korea, the Netherlands, China, and the Czech Republic.

Speaking at a press briefing in HCM City on Monday Nguyen Ba Vinh, director of the Minh Vi Exhibition and Advertisement Services Co., Ltd (VEAS), one of the expos organisers, said this years event would be the largest ever and 50 per cent bigger than the last one held in 2016.

The increasing participation by foreign exhibitors shows their interest in the countrys livestock industry, he said.

Many seminars and conferences will also be held during the expo, including one on sustainable solutions for cow farmers for developing dairy and meat processing and another on alternative antibiotic solutions in livestock.

Hoang Thanh Van, head of the Animal Breeding Department, said despite difficulties last year the livestock sector grew by over 2.9 per cent.

The livestock industry is shifting away from traditional, small and scattered breeding to industrial-scale production with centralised slaughtering systems, he said.

It is expected to face more challenges this year, requiring stake holders in the industry to make more efforts to develop linkages in production and consumption and adopt measures to cut production costs, he added.

The exhibition would offer industry professionals the chance to learn about new technologies, network and explore business opportunities, he said.

Organised by VEAS and VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific Co., Ltd, ILDEX Vietnam will be held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7 and is expected to attract 10,000 visitors.  VNSHA NOI  Viet Nam has been the second-largest partner of Japan in software and service outsourcing since 2014, FPT Software CEO Hoang Nam Tien spoke at the recent Viet Nam IT Day 2018 in Japan.

The value of information technology outsourcing work handed over by Japan to Viet Nam last year is estimated at US$400 million, said Tien.

More than 10 Vietnamese software enterprises have opened branches and offices in Japan.

Meanwhile, there are some 55,000 information technology graduates passing out from Vietnamese universities and colleges every year. The FPT Software official also said Viet Nam currently had some 20,000 people working in the Japanese market in the fields of information technology outsourcing and business process outsourcing.

According to statistics of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the country lacks 100,000 technicians on an average in the fields of information safety, cloud computing and mobile technology.

In terms of new technology, including artificial intelligence, big data, Internet of Things and robotics, the country is estimated to be short of 600,000 information technology professionals by 2030.

It is a huge opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises to join hands with their Japanese counterparts to solve the problem of inadequate human resources in this field, he said.  VNSThe Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) on Monday launched a US$158 million energy project to help key industries and enterprises with energy saving. Photo baodautu.vn

HA NOI  The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) on Monday launched a US$158 million energy project to help key industries and enterprises with energy saving.

The Viet Nam Energy Efficiency for Industrial Enterprises project (VEEIE) aims to promote efficient energy use and contribute to the countrys overall goals of energy efficiency and conservation, according to deputy minister Hoang Quoc Vuong.

The project, which was established by the World Bank (WB) and MoIT on December 29, 2017, and will last until July 2022, has a total budget of $158 million with two-thirds of the fund being financed by the WBs International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the rest being provided by the Vietnamese Government.

The financing provided by the WB includes two components  $100 million will be spent on developing energy-saving projects for key industries and $1.7 million will be spent on technical assistance for those projects.

"The project will remove barriers and create a favourable and sustainable environment for industrial enterprises to get access to medium- and long-term capital to implement their energy saving projects, contributing their efforts to the nations goal of saving energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the environment in Viet Nam, Vuong said.

He said that investing in energy-saving solutions can significantly reduce the increasing need for energy at a cost level that is a quarter of the spending on newly-established energy supply.

According to the Viet Nam National Energy Efficiency Programme (VEEP), the country has a lot of room for more energy-saving action, the deputy minister said. By industry, the cement industry can save up to 50 per cent of total energy consumption, and the figures for ceramics, coal, textile, steel and food processing industries range from 20 per cent to 35 per cent.

The Department of Energy Saving & Sustainable Development under the MoIT proposed the Government increase budget spending for energy saving projects in the period 2018-20.

Local enterprises need to be aware of the role of energy saving and efficiency in production and business activities, thus they need to further invest in technology and equipment renovation as the benefits of efficient energy management are always higher than the costs of investing and the costs can be offset by the returns on investment in a short period, the department said.

According to the MoIT agency, the national target programme on energy efficiency and utilisation in 2011-15 has saved 5.96 per cent of total energy consumption, which is equal to saving over 11.8 million tonnes of oil.

The agency also reported that the energy consumption intensity of production industries that used to consume significant energy has dropped in the period 2011-15, such as steel (down 8.09 per cent); cement (down 6.33 per cent) and yarn (down 7.32 per cent).

Deputy minister Vuong highlighted the efforts of the Vietnamese Government in improving energy efficiency in the country. However, Viet Nam is still one of the countries with the highest energy consumption intensity compared to other countries in the region and the world. In the national energy consumption structure, production industries account for the highest proportion, about 47.3 per cent of total energy use.

"Industrial growth is one of the main factors keeping Viet Nams energy intensity high compared to other countries around the world," he said.  VNSHA NOI  After a long period of hesitation, the Vietnam National Coffee Corporation (Vinacafe) is being pushed towards equitisation once more by the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD).

During a meeting on Monday at Vinacafes headquarter, Deputy Minister Ha Cong Tuan said he was not completely confident about the companys latest restructuring plan.

According to Vinacafe, the company has formulated and submitted to the MARD a reorganisation and modernisation scheme for the period 2017-2020, while waiting for the Prime Ministers consideration and approval.

It proposes equitisation at the parent company (Vinacafe), including seven agricultural companies and three other auxiliary units, plus the equitisation of 18 other subsidiaries, dissolution of four and the possible splitting-up of one.

The said plan will be Vinacafes third approved scheme since 2012. But Tuan was doubtful it would sit well with the Government this time.

He also expressed the Governments firm decision on getting Vinacafe listed on the stock exchange, regardless of any difficulties that may arise.

In 2017, the corporation managed to equitise five subsidiaries. Nonetheless, there remain unresolved issues for each one, ranging from unapproved land usage to financial troubles, significantly prolonging the evaluation period and delaying the ultimate listing deadline.

Deputy Minister Tuan said Vinacafe has made very slow progress in implementing the plans content, compared to other State-owned enterprises.

He questioned the reason why two previous installments of Vinacafes restructuring plan failed, whether for reasons of feasibility or capability, while asking the company to better define its production and business orientation.

The MARD has requested Vinacafe lessen their dependence on the existing 16,500 hectares of coffee plantation, and develop a vertically integrated chain of purchasing, processing, and export. But it seems like they have failed to grasp a larger market share.

Vinacafe set a 2018 revenue target of over VN3.8 trillion (US$169 million), with a revenue goal of VN96 billion ($4.27 million).

At the end of 2017, the corporation reported revenue of VN3.7 trillion ($164.8 million). However, net profit came to just over VN77 billion ($3.4 million), just 73 per cent of the yearly goal.

The reason for the decrease in profit is a significant drop in coffee prices during the first quarter of 2017, coupled with reduction in farming area, leading to decreased productivity and general profit.

Vinacafe has made promises to focus on intensive investment, increasing productivity, lowering prices while stabilising output, in the hope of increasing quantity, export turnover and achieving a better growth and efficiency targets than 2017s.

According to figures released by the General Statistics Office, coffee exports in the first two months of 2018 are estimated at 336,000 tonnes, up by 17.6 per cent year-on-year.

The export value of coffee reached $652 million in the first two months of 2018, a slight increase of 0.8 per cent over the same period in 2017.  VNSHCM CITY  Gia Lai Electricity Joint Stock Company has hired Japanese-owned JGC Vietnam Co., Ltd as the contractor for the construction of a solar power plant in the Central Highland province of Gia Lais Krong Pa District.

The lump sum turnkey contract covers engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) for the 49MW plant.

When it starts generating power next autumn it would be among the largest such facilities in the country.

TTC Energy, whose biggest subsidiary is Gia Lai Electricity JSC, has invested heavily in clean energy and trialled wind and solar power models besides investing in hydropower projects.

It plans to achieve a solar capacity of 1,000MW and wind capacity of 40MW so that they account for 73 per cent of its total capacity by 2020.

JGC Vietnam is an engineering company specialising in EPC (Engineering  Procurement  Construction) services and technical solutions for various industries.

It is a 100 per cent affiliate of JGC Group of Japan.  VNSHA NOI  The asset quality and profitability of 14 Vietnamese banks rated by Moodys improved moderately year-over-year, driven by robust macroeconomic conditions and growth in core income, Moodys Investors Service said on Tuesday.

However, the banks capitalisation deteriorated because of rapid asset growth and cash dividends, Moodys said in the "Banks - Vietnam: 2017 results show widening divergence in asset quality and profitability performance" report, adding that the banks funding profiles weakened mildly, as they increased their reliance on market-sensitive liabilities  mainly borrowings from other banks  to fund loan growth with cheap short-term funding sources.

"In 2018, we expect the banks will continue to improve their asset quality and profitability, while capitalisation will weaken," said Eugene Tarzimanov, a vice president and senior credit officer at Moodys.

"However, the credit profiles of banks with stronger capital buffers and lower asset risks will be further distanced from the other banks," said Rebaca Tan, a Moodys analyst.

On asset quality in particular, Moodys said that the improvement in 2017 versus 2016 was helped by problem asset recoveries and write-offs, as well as credit growth. The asset weighted-average problem loans ratio at the 14 rated banks fell to 5.7 per cent at the end of 2017 from 6.7 per cent the year before.

Notably, four banks fully wrote off the bonds of Viet Nam Asset Management Company that they had received in exchange for problem assets, and Moodys expects more such write-offs in 2018.

The problem loan coverage ratios also improved, although they are still at levels which are weak by international standards.

Moodys said the banks asset quality will improve further in 2018, due to recoveries, but rapid credit growth could mask asset risks.

With profitability, Moodys points out that the banks asset weighted-average return on assets rose to 0.9 per cent in 2017 from 0.7 per cent in 2016. Profitability will continue to improve in 2018, on the back of the same factors that drove up profitability in the prior year; in particular, robust macroeconomic conditions and growth in core income.

As for capitalisation, the asset weighted-average ratio of tangible common equity to total assets for the banks slipped to 5.5 per cent in 2017 from 5.7 per cent in 2016, pressured by declines at Government-owned banks in particular.

Nevertheless, some banks, such as Vietnam Prosperity JSC Bank (B2 stable, b3), Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (B2 stable, b2), and HCM City Development JSC Bank (B2 stable, b3), strengthened their capital bases through the sale of new shares.

Moodys expects that more Vietnamese banks will increase capital by issuing new shares in 2018. However, the overall capitalisation levels will remain under pressure over the next 12 months from credit growth and dividend payments.

Moodys explains that in terms of funding, the banks funding profiles weakened moderately, as seen by the system-wide asset weighted-average loans-to-deposits climbing to 86 per cent in 2017 from 85 per cent in 2016. This trend could continue in 2018, because loan growth remains rapid.  VNSHCM CITY  A film on French playwright and director Marine Bachelot Nguyens Les Ombres Et Les Levres (Gays and Lesbians), a production on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Viet Nam, will be screened in HCM City on Tuesdays night.

The play is about men and women who face challenges in their careers and private lives after revealing their sexuality and having sex change operations, a sensitive issue in Viet Nam.

It focuses on LGBT rights and public opinion about the LGBT community.

Nguyen met, worked with and interviewed dozens of lesbians, gays and transgender people in various cities to feature their stories in Les Ombres Et Les Levres.

The play was first staged at the National Theatre of Bretagne in 2016.

It was filmed and subtitled in English and Vietnamese. It also shows the making of the play.

Les Ombres Et Les Levres, Bong va O Moi in Vietnamese, will be screened at 6:30pm at IDECAF on Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1. Entry is free.

Nguyen along with artists and members of the ICS Centre, which counsels LGBT people, will meet the audience after the show.

Nguyen began her career as a scriptwriter for the Theatre of Folle Pensee after studying literature and performing arts.

In 2014 she won scholarships in theatre and performing arts from Villeneuve-les-Avignon Commune in Southern France, the National Book Centre, and the French Institute in Viet Nam.

Her plays have been staged in France, Switzerland and Africa.

She now works for the Capital Circulations project launched by the French Institute in HCM City.  VNSTEHRAN  Journalists flooded Irans National Museum on Monday for the arrival of more than 50 artworks from the Louvre -- the first major show by a Western museum in the countrys history.

The show reflects Frances determined use of cultural diplomacy as it seeks to rebuild traditional ties with Iran, even as their officials hold tense talks over political and security issues.

The doors were unsealed for journalists at the National Museum in central Tehran, which is currently celebrating its 80th anniversary, a day ahead of the public opening.

Among the items shipped over by cargo plane were a 2,400-year-old Egyptian sphinx, a bust of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and drawings by Rembrandt and Delacroix.

"Some were definitely easier to transport than others," said Judith Henon, one of the experts sent by the Louvre.

"Our Iranian partners really liked the sphinx, but it weighs close to a tonne and was extremely complicated to put in place."

The show marks the culmination of two years of work since a cultural exchange agreement was signed during a visit by President Hassan Rouhani to Paris in January 2016.

"Relations between France and Iran are old and profound because France was a pioneer of archaeological exploration here," Jean-Luc Martinez, president of the Louvre, said.

"This completely unprecedented exhibition... allows us to make the link between this glorious moment and relations that date back to the 19th century."

Cultural ties

France has deep cultural ties with pre-revolutionary Iran, and the National Museum itself was built by a Frenchman, Andre Godard, in 1938.

While Britain and Russia battled for political influence in 19th century Persia, it was the French who led the way in archaeological affairs.

"France had priority on cultural questions in the late 19th century and was the only one doing digs in Iran," said Julien Cuny, one of the Louvres curators for the Tehran show, and an expert on Iran.

So as not to hand over everything to Britain and Russia, the Persian monarchs handed control of certain issues to other countries, and cultural affairs ended up largely with France.

"As a result of that, it was the French that set up the antiquities service here in 1930," said Cuny.

That helped preserve Frances reputation among Iranians even as that of Britain, the United States and Russia plummeted in the years ahead of the 1979 Islamic revolution.

"Back in the day, the British were looking for oil while we were doing archaeology, so our relations have focused on positive things. Its an image that has stuck," said a French diplomat.

The irony is that the show opens just as France and Iran find themselves in a tense diplomatic moment.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was in Tehran to inaugurate the Louvre show, but more importantly to hold difficult talks over ballistic missiles and interventions in the region.

The cultural domain offers a chance to focus on the positive re-engagement between France and Iran, which has also been seen in a number of trade and investment deals involving carmakers Peugeot and Renault as well as energy giant Total since the 2015 nuclear accord.

University links are another branch, with some 1,700 Iranians currently studying in France.

"In the tumultuous ocean of international relations, cultural diplomacy is a flare that we should maintain together," said Le Drian.  AFPLOS ANGELES  Oscar-winner Frances McDormand had her statuette stolen at a post-show party by a man who allegedly snatched it from her table before he was arrested, police and witnesses said on Monday.

McDormand, 60, won best actress at Sundays awards for her role as a rage-filled mother seeking justice for her murdered daughter in Martin McDonaghs Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

"Security at the Governors Ball are looking for this guy, who grabbed Frances McDormands Oscar and ran out with it," said New York Times writer Cara Buckley, who was at the event and live-tweeted the drama.

She said a photographer working for celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck -- who was providing the catering -- stopped the man and seized the Oscar, before the thief disappeared back into the ball.

The actress "had set it down and was chatting" when it disappeared, according to Buckley, who added that the actress had said to "let him go."

"We can confirm that an incident occurred at the Governors event. There was an arrest made of a Terry Bryant for grand theft," a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department said.

She wasnt able to give further details, except to confirm that the 47-year-old suspect had a ticket for the party.

Variety magazine reposted a Facebook Live video it said showed the suspect brandishing the golden statuette he says he won "for music" and joking: "Got this tonight! This is mine. We got it tonight, baby."

The man, dressed in a tuxedo with hair held back in hairpins, is seen in the 165-seconds of footage posted to the page of a Terry Bryant Djmatari kissing the trophy and allowing bystanders to touch it.

It was the second time McDormand had bagged the best actress statuette following her win for Fargo 21 years earlier, and her acceptance speech was a highlights of the evening.

Ratings slide

McDormand, whose representatives didnt immediately respond to a request for comment, delivered a rallying cry for the #MeToo movement against harassment and gender double-standards.

Placing her statuette on the stage, an animated McDormand asked all women nominated across categories to stand up and be counted.

It was otherwise a relatively uneventful show, however, and early ratings for ABCs telecast showed the US audience at a record low of 26.5 million during the 5:00 pm (0100 GMT) to 8:00 pm ceremony.

It was the lowest ever figure for the telecast, down around a fifth on last years audience of 32.9 million.

The ceremony has been televised since 1953 with audience figures going back to 1974.

The near four-hour broadcast, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, averaged an 18.9 overnight Nielsen rating -- a number equating roughly to the percentage of Americas estimated 118.4 million households that tuned in.

That is a 16 per cent drop on last year, which will go down in infamy for its disastrous climax, when the wrong movie was briefly awarded best picture due to a mix-up with the envelopes.

Experts stress that preliminary ratings are not adjusted for time zone differences, meaning the live west coast audience is not accurately reflected in the overnight numbers, as they only measure primetime hours.

The 2017 Academy Awards, which earned a 22.4 overnight rating, ended up drawing 32.9 million viewers. It was the second lowest in Academy history after the 2008 show, hosted by Jon Stewart, pulled in just 31.8 million.

"It was a show in which nearly every winner had been exhaustively pre-ordained by the endless awards season, but one in which first-time and long-overdue winners still brought the crowd to its feet," the Hollywood Reporters Daniel Fienberg said in a review.

All three big set-piece television events so far -- the Golden Globes, the Grammys and the Super Bowl -- have all returned lower audiences than in 2017.  AFPHA NOI  A major shortcoming that has been, for years, hampering the countrys effort to fight corruption is the lack of a dedicated agency to monitor and investigate assets amassed by government officials, said the head of Government Inspectorate Le Minh Khai during the National Assemblys Judicial Affairs Committee plenary season held on Monday in Ha Noi.

The government chief inspector pointed out that despite millions of asset declaration forms collected there is not yet an office charged with managing and making use of the vast amount of information in asset surveillance, a crucial part in anti-corruption efforts.

To address this, the inspectorate will be entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring changes in assets owned by government officials, in both central government and local offices as stipulated in a draft of the countrys anti-corruption law.

Many deputies expressed their support for the proposal saying that the inspectorate is both well-equipped with technical know-how and experience for the job. They said the inspectorate, which has access to the national database for personal assets and income, must strive to maintain its independence, ensure information security and provide inspectors with rigorous training.

Head of the NAs judicial study institute Nguyen inh Quyen pointed out that asset surveillance is a complicated task with many steps, among which most important is verification. Quyen said at the moment it is being carried out by personnel and organisation departments, who are ill-equipped to perform such a task. Quyen said there is a need for a breakthrough in the form of a dedicated agency for asset surveillance with a focus on legal and operational transparency.

Other NA deputies, however, voiced their concern over whether the inspectorate will be overloaded with the massive amount of work associated with its new role. Some suggested that central agencies can monitor their own subordinate offices, fearing a large-scale recruitment of government inspectors will be required to take on the job, which goes against the governments mandate to reduce the number of public servants.

Deputy head of the Government Inspectorate, Nguyen Van Thanh, reassured deputies saying that should the draft law gain the NAs seal of approval the inspectorate will transfer many of its responsibilities to the State Audit of Vietnam to secure the manpower required.

Some 18,000 government officials will be subjected to asset surveillance with more than 10,000 alone in Ha Noi and HCM City, according to Thanh. Approximately one-third of the entire government inspectorate will be assigned to asset surveillance and other anti-corruption tasks.

Other changes proposed in the draft law include making asset declaration mandatory for NA deputies, members of Peoples Committees, certain ranks within the army and police forces as well as other government positions. On that note, deputies advised that inspectors must focus their work on positions associated with high risk of corruption first before attempting to cover more areas, making certain they took their time to hone their skills and have sufficient resources.  VNSGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Nguyen Phu Trong has called on public security officials to continue following the teachings of late President Ho Chi Minh to build a strong and transparent force.  VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Dan

HA NOI  General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Nguyen Phu Trong has called on public security officials to continue following the teachings of late President Ho Chi Minh to build a strong and transparent force.



He made the statement in a letter sent to a scientific workshop held in Ha Noi yesterday, and delivered by Senior Lieutenant General To Lam, Minister of Public Security.



The Party leader recognised the efforts of the police over the past seven decades to defeat all plots and activities of hostile forces in addition to preventing crime and ensuring national security, social order and safety in any circumstances.



He stressed the significance of the workshop and hoped the event would make practical contributions to the protection of national security, social order and safety.



The event forms part of activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the movement of Public Security Force follow six teachings of Uncle Ho (March 11, 1948) and the 70th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minhs call for a patriotic emulation campaign (June 11, 1948).



During the workshop, participants analysed theoretical and practical values of President Ho Chi Minhs teachings to build and strengthen the Party, and promote public supervision in the field.



Concluding the workshop, Minister To Lam asked the police force to define the continuous implementation of Uncle Hos teachings as a political task in order to build a strong public security staff in terms of politics, ideology, organisation and morality.



Uncle Hos six golden rules for the public security force are: For myself, to be frugal and have integrity; For colleagues, to help with kindness; For the government, to be absolutely loyal; For the people, to be respectful and polite; For the work, to be devoted; For the enemy, to stand firmly against them.-VNSDHAKA  President Tran ai Quang met President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid in the capital city of Dhaka on March 5 during his State visit to the country.

The Vietnamese leader expressed his belief that Bangladesh will successfully hold the general election by 2019 and soon achieve the goal of becoming a middle-income country by 2021.

Hamid said the hospitality of Vietnamese leaders and people made a great impression on him during his visit to Viet Nam in 2015. He also lauded Viet Nams socio-economic development in recent years.

The leaders stressed on the need to promote the long-standing relations between the two countries and highly spoke of the two sides having agreed specific measures in the fields of politics, diplomacy, economics, trade, investment, agriculture, education and science and technology to unleash their potential for enhanced co-operation.

The two Presidents agreed on the need for Viet Nam and Bangladesh to continue their mutual support at regional and international forums, and intensify their coordination in issues of shared concern, for the sake of each nation, as well as for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Meeting Bangladeshi leaders

Quang on the same day engaged in bilateral meetings with other Bangladeshi leaders.

Meeting Speaker of the Parliament of Bangladesh Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, the Vietnamese leader suggested to promoting the exchange of high-ranking visits and meetings while joining hands in organising activities marking the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

He also proposed maintaining and effectively implementing bilateral cooperation mechanisms, exchanging and seeking opportunities to materialise specific measures in order to raise bilateral trade and create favourable conditions for the business communities to share information and experience, support each other in agriculture and seafood, enhance cooperation in education, training and tourism, and soon launch a direct flight route.

The President shared his hosts views on the need to intensify parliamentary and people-to-people exchange, and welcomed Bangladeshs establishment of the Bangladesh-Viet Nam Friendship Parliamentary Group.

Quang also held talks with the Chairman of the Workers Party of Bangladesh Rashed Khan Menon and the President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Shafiul Islam.  VNSCAN THO  The sudden return of a soldier thought to be long dead in Cambodia during the 1980s has brought immense joy to his family.

Authorities, however, are puzzled as they have not come to a conclusion what to do with the war martyrs that the family has received in the past two decades.

The story of Truong Van Chong, 58, finding his way back home and reuniting with his mother, Huynh Thi Nua, now 88, after 33 years has garnered widespread attention, with many calling the journey home a rare miracle.

The mother-son duo lives in a village in inh Mon Commune in Thoi Lai District.

Chong is the sixth child in a family of 10 siblings. He was enlisted in 1983 while he was already married and had a child. During a fight in Cambodias forests in 1985, he suffered injuries and lost contact with his unit.

The military later declared Chong dead in absentia.

However, according to Chong, he was rescued from the forest by Cambodian residents, who took care of him

My memory declined severely afterwards, plus there were complications arising from my injuries. I could no longer recall where my family or hometown was, Chong said.

During his stay in Cambodia, he married a Vietnamese woman and had three children. In 2010, his new family returned to Viet Nams Tay Ninh Province.

We really struggled. Due to my injuries, I could not do taxing work, so I just collected latex, Chong said.

While most of his relatives names were a blur, he could only remember one of his brothers names, Truong Van Cao.

Last month, Chong decided to start looking for his family. He went to Can Tho Province and asked people along the way. Listening to their description stirred his memory of where his old family could be. Luckily, in inh Mon Commune, he met someone who knew his family. Chong was finally reunited with his family on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.

Chongs mother said she almost fainted on seeing him as she has held death anniversaries for him every year without fail ever since she got the news of his death.

When he went to Cambodia, I went there to visit him. One of my grandchildren took me there. I looked for him for four days but could not find him, so I returned home. Later, the military broke the news of his death. I thought I had cried my last tears, Nia said.

Since 1994, Chongs mother has been receiving financial support, including a charity house entitled to the direct relatives of a deceased war martyr.

His family was overjoyed to see him and wished for Chong to stay with them. Chong, however, said he just wanted to visit his family. He is yet to decide where he wants to settle.

Nguyen Thanh Danh, Chairman of Thoi Lai Commune Peoples Committee, had asked the war invalids authorities and local army division to verify the case. It was concluded that the man was indeed Chong, who was recognised as a war martyr back in 1993.

Another verification will be conducted again with the collaboration of Military Zone 9, which manages military forces defending the Mekong Delta (headquartered in Can Tho City).

According to Danh, now that Chong was no longer a deceased martyr, whether to reclaim the financial benefits from Chongs family would be decided by the provincial department of labour and war invalids.

Personally, I think the money given to Nia in the past 25 years should not be taken back, considering the poverty status. Chongs memory loss was an unfortunate incident, not a deliberate scam to illegally claim benefits, Danh told the Lao ong (Labour) newspaper.

ao Ngoc Loi, head of the department of People with Meritorious Services (under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs), told Vietnam News Agency that the department had suggested suspending the benefits to Chongs family. The death certificate of Chong will also be withdrawn, and due process will be initiated to see whether Chong is eligible to receive other benefits given to a war veteran, Loi told Vietnam News Agency.  VNSFood enterprises can now declare their products safe and hygienic, without having to apply for any official certification. Photo vtc.vn

HA NOI  Food enterprises can now declare their products safe and hygienic, without having to apply for any official certification.

Decree 15/2018/N-CP was put into effect last month; with the food safety change one of the most significant parts of the decree.

Under the decree, organisations and individuals producing and selling food will announce their products safety on multi-media, websites or at their offices themselves, instead of applying for food safety and hygiene certificates like before.

Le Thi Thu, owner of an enterprise producing pork pies, spring rolls and sausages in Bien Hoa City, the southern province of ong Nai, told Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper that, to apply for the certificate, an enterprise must prepare two sets of documents and each set had 11 different kinds of papers.

The papers included detailed information about the products, a circulation certificate, a medical certificate, a trademark, a periodic supervising plan and a trading certificate.

The procedure has been abolished, helping enterprises escape a great burden, she said.

Le Quang Hau, owner of the Quang Hau Spring Roll and Pork Pies Enterprise in Tan Phu District in HCM City, said depending on each province and city, completing the procedure could cost VN6-10 million (US$260-440). Business owners also had to travel to different offices to complete it.

Another problem, Hau said, was that the food safety and hygiene certificate dictated that the enterprise had to take responsibility for their own products.

It meant that food management office issues the certificate for the enterprise, but it did not take the responsibility for the certificate, said Hau.

Truong Chi Thien, director of the Vinh Thanh at Food Joint-stock Company, said that to bring an egg to market, it took 15 days to complete procedures. Many enterprises had to hire more employees to do the procedures.

A survey of the Central Institute for Economic Management announced recently said that to apply for a food safety hygiene certificate, each enterprise must pay about VN10 million ($440), and VN30 million ($1,300) in some cases.

Vu Tien Loc, chairman of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the medical sectors certificates for food enterprises could not cover all of the enterprises work. If an enterprise has bad work, it can rely on the certificate to avoid punishment, he said.  VNSHCM CITY  Following the alleged misappropriation of VN245 billion (US$10.78 million) from an Eximbank customers account, many banks are now enabling their customers to check their accounts online.

Eximbank is offering an SMS notification service that keeps customers informed about their balance and transactions.

Maritime Bank, VietinBank and Sacombank allow customers to check their saving accounts online without having to sign up for internet banking.

Some banks already had measures in place to help customers monitor their accounts online.

For instance, TPBank prints a QR code on the passbook that can be scanned using the banks app.

Criminals can forge signatures or stamps or alter information on a stolen passbook, but a QR code cannot be tampered with, Nguyen Hung, the director of TPBank, said.

Can Van Luc, director of the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam Training School, advised customers to use SMS notification services or bank apps to frequently check their accounts and both customers and bank staff to carefully follow procedures when depositing money.

But another insider said banks should carefully review their systems and procedures to eliminate frauds and reassure customers rather than make them check their accounts all the time.

Last year Le Nguyen Hung, a former deputy director of Eximbank, allegedly forged documents to steal VN245 billion from Chu Thi Binhs savings account, resigned his job and went abroad. Eximbank is working with the police and Binh to resolve the problem.  VNSHCM CITY  The implementation of a project called Co-operation to Develop Long Xuyen Quadrilateral Sustainably involving several provinces in the Mekong Delta will help exploit the regions advantages, according to experts.

Lam Quang Thi, vice chairman of the An Giang Province Peoples Committee and deputy head of the projects standing board, told Nguoi Lao ong (The Labourer) newspaper that the project has been submitted to the Government for approval.

After getting approval, the board would make detailed plans for the project, he said.

The quadrilateral comprises the provinces of An Giang, Kien Giang, and Hau Giang and Can Tho city covers an area of nearly 498,141 hectares.

The region is relatively low and flat. During the annual flood season from July to December it is flooded to a depth of 0.5-2.5 metres. In the dry season it is affected by drought.

The project seeks to link the three provinces and Can Tho with each other through the development of infrastructure and to use, protect and manage their water resources.

They will jointly make plans for production, investment, tourism, and commercial promotion.

They also will work with each other to build brands for their agricultural products.

Their authorities will recommend general policies for agricultural restructure to complement existing plans to improve livelihoods through adapting to climate change in the delta.

According to Thi, rice products and technologies for rice production will continue to be the regions mainstay.

Seafood also has potential for development, he said.

Nguyen Huu Thien, an independent expert on Mekong Delta ecology and a consultant to the project, said unlike previous projects, which focused on just the economy, this one would also focus on the community and environment.

It would provide an orientation for economic development for the next 20 years that would ensure the environment is not polluted, rivers are clean and there is social equality, he said.

People living in the region would no longer leave for other provinces or HCM City to work, he said.

The co-operation would help solve problems that each locality could not deal with individually, and build a common brand in the domestic and global markets, he said.

Dr Nguyen Trong Uyen, head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments agricultural design and planning division, said farmers continue to grow three rice crops a year without heeding scientists and expertswarnings, and the consequence is to change the flow of rivers and canals, affecting irrigation.

The quadrilateral does not yet have a main rice variety appropriate for the local ecology, he said.

Its production, processing and consumption of farm produce face difficulties because of the low number of co-operatives, farms and enterprises, Uyen said.

Solutions need to be found for these problems soon, he said.

But any plans made for the quadrilaterals main agricultural products should dovetail with the overall plans for the delta, he warned.

Scientists should continue to assist farmers in the use of quality rice varieties, he said.

The irrigation, traffic and electricity systems should be developed together with the large-scale crop-growing areas, he said.

Ways to store more water in canals and other water bodies need to be found, Uyen added. VNSViet Nam must exploit its water resources more efficiently if it is to ensure the remaining 4.5 million local people without tap water gain access, while at the same time the growing population and economy put additional strain on water capacity. Photo vwsa.org.vn

HA NOI  Viet Nam must exploit its water resources more efficiently if it is to ensure the remaining 4.5 million local people without tap water gain access, while at the same time the growing population and economy put additional strain on water capacity.

This was one of major topics discussed during Viet Nam International Water Week 2018, taking place between March 4 and 8 in Ha Noi, with the participation of over 300 international and domestic delegates.

The week, an annual event, was organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to find out possible solutions to sustainably manage water resources in Viet Nam and other countries in the world.

Speaking at the plenary session of the week, held on Sunday, Deputy Minister Tran Quy Kien said that effectively using water resources to serve socio-economic development was already listed among the Governments top priorities for the past few years.

However, it should consider allowing private sector actors to participate in protecting and supplying the water resources to support effective water usage, he said.

Tong Ngoc Thanh, head of the ministrys National Center for Water Resources Planning and Investigation, said raising public awareness of the importance of water resources was identified as one possible solution.

Kamal Malhotra, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam , said water played a crucial role in the economic development of Viet Nam , especially in agriculture, aquaculture and industry but also in support of its citizens livelihoods, health and wellbeing.

The UN, in co-operation with the Government of Viet Nam and water supply companies, developed plans for water treatment, safe storage and water security, aiming for a fully functioning distribution system that would allow the entire population to access safe water resources, he said.

Although the Government has made such plans mandatory, enforcement was weak and supplier activities were not always coordinated, he said.

If current trends persist, water quality in Viet Nam would continue to degrade over the coming decades, further endangering human health and ecosystems, contributing to water scarcity and constraining sustainable development.

The world needs more water

Data from the ministry showed that the total amount of water exploited in the world steadily rises about 1 per cent each year, worsening water shortages in many countries.

It is estimated that about 780 million people worldwide fail to access to tap water while both surface and underground water are declining year after year in the world, the ministry said.

Additionally, a report of the United Nations Development Programme warns that as the worlds population grows to an expected 9 billion by 2050, more groundwater will be needed for farming, industry and personal consumption. The report predicts global water demand will increase 55 percent by 2050.

In the meantime, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates that without new policies, by 2050 more than 40 per cent of the global population will live in river basins experiencing severe water stress.  VNSThe blooming lucrative business of raising edible-nest swiftlets has led Mekong Delta families to race to turn their own homes into potential birdhousesa process in which they play an all-day siren call to attract the birds.  Photo baosoctrang.org.vn

HCM CITY  The blooming lucrative business of raising edible-nest swiftlets has led Mekong Delta families to race to turn their own homes into potential birdhousesa process in which they play an all-day siren call to attract the birds.

Many in the neighbourhoods have had enough of such extreme noise pollution.

My house is adjacent to a neighbours hosting the swiflet. The noise played by the bird-calling machine round-the-clock was so unbearable, Nguyen Thi Tuyen, living in Soc Trang City in the province of the same name, complained to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

My daughter is currently at the sixth-grade. She was having headaches all the time and could not study at night. It (the siren) kept repeating day after day.

The agonising situation was not unique to Tuyens neighbourhood. Complaints over the noise pollution caused by the giant birdhouses raised the temperature of the meetings of the peoples councils at both the city and provincial levels across different provinces in the Mekong Delta: from Tien Giang and Kien Giang to Long An and Soc Trang. The protests, however, came to little avail as more and more households are lured into the highly profitable business.

In nature, the edible-nest swiftlet makes its nest by sticking its own saliva strands onto the wall of a cave. But as the demand for the nest, which is widely believed to be very rich in nutrition and offers extraordinary health benefits, has grown, people figured out a way to host the birds by building big swiftlet houses.

Bird raiser Nguyen Hieu in the Go Cong Township of Tien Giang Province said that the average price of the cleaned bird nest reached VN35 million (US$1,550) a kg.

A lucky household that lured in more swiftlets than normal could possibly harvest up to five kgs of nest with a 100sqm-wide birdhouse, Hieu said, and earn at least VN200 million a month.

Raising swiftlets has been so profitable. You just need to convert the highest floor (of the house) and lure in the bird, and you can earn some million ong a month, Go Cong Economic Division deputy head Tran Minh Hoang said.

Thats why the business keeps growing fast.

Helpless authorities

Rach Gia City in Kien Giang Province , considered the biggest swiftlet hub across the Mekong Delta, witnessed a ten-fold leap in the number of bird hosts within seven years. In 2010, there were only 50 households raising the swiftlet. The number soon rocketed to more than 500 in 2017.

Facing calls from the irritated residents, the authorities tried to catch up with the booming industry and tighten management over the bird-raising business.

The city attempted to tackle the noise pollution, however, with a short-term solution: regulating the siren speakers to be active only from 7am to 9pm every day.

Rach Gia Peoples Committee deputy chairman Nguyen Van Hon said that the city also forced 30 households in urban areas to remove their purposely-built birdhouses over the last three months. While the owners had asked for the authorities permission to renovate their house for living purposes, they in fact built a birdhouse for the swiftlet.

Yet those solutions could not stop the residents from building new birdhouses in Rach Gia or elsewhere in the southern delta.

Despite tightened conditions that a household must meet in order to legally host the bird and a master plan on particular areas allowed for bird-raising, illegal bird facilities in Tien Giang Province kept popping up in front of the helpless eyes of the local officials.

My Tho City Natural Resources and Environment Division deputy head Nguyen Van Trung said that it was very difficult to curb illegal birdhouses as there was not yet a legal basis for any penalties against such households.  VNSHA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Monday granted the Vietnamese Women newspaper a merit certificate acknowledging their contribution to the womens empowerment since the oi moi (Renewal) era.

The merit was bestowed on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the newspaper, which released its first edition on March 8, 1948, at the Viet Bac military base.

The newspaper helped encourage confident, creative and proactive women to rise up and prove their solid role in family and the society, the newspaper Editor-in-Chief Nguyen Thi Thuc Hanh said at a ceremony celebrating the anniversary on Monday.

The newspaper has become a place for the women to voice their mind and their hope and also a means to protect the rights of all women.

On the occasion, the newspaper launched its new interface of the online version and officially kicked off the 6th "Give love - Receive Happiness" Mottainai Programme with the aim of providing support to child victims of traffic accidents.

The programme is scheduled for the first week of October at pedestrian plazas around Hoan Kiem Lake in Ha Noi.  VNSHA NOI  Japans Chiba Prefecture court announced on Tuesday that the trial of the man accused of murdering a nine-year-old Vietnamese girl last year would begin on June 4.

Yasumasa Shibuya, 46, has also been indicted on other charges, including abandoning the body of Le Thi Nhat Linh.

On March 24, 2017, Linh, a third-grade student at Mutsuni Daini Elementary School in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, went missing after she left her home to go to school. Two days later, her body was found without clothes at a site near a drainage ditch some 12km from the school.

Police believed Linh was kidnapped after leaving home at 8am.

Chiba police arrested Shibuya on April 14 on suspicion of murder after his DNA matched a DNA sample found on Linhs belongings.

On May 26, prosecutors of Japans Chiba prefecture decided to prosecute Shibuya for murder.

Shibuya was the head of the parents association at the school which the victim used to attend. He lived some 300m away from the victims house.  VNSWASHINGTON  US President Donald Trump claimed on Monday he was "ready to make a deal" protecting hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, as lawmakers missed an initial deadline for resolving their fate.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme that shields nearly 700,000 of the so-called Dreamers from deportation was supposed to expire on March 5, six months after Trump announced he was ending it.

But a US District Court judge issued a nationwide injunction that requires the government to allow recipients to renew their permits to live and work in the country, and the US Supreme Court declined to accept the administrations request to intervene.

Both those developments have taken the pressure off lawmakers.

With Dreamers and advocates stressing that the immigrants remain in legal limbo -- weeks after the White House and Congress failed spectacularly to address their fate -- Trump insisted he was ready to negotiate a solution.

"Its March 5th and the Democrats are nowhere to be found on DACA. Gave them 6 months, they just dont care," Trump said on Twitter.

"Where are they? We are ready to make a deal!"

With courts unlikely to rule definitively on immigration before summer, and the case expected to head to the Supreme Court after that, Congress is not expected to act before the mid-term elections in November.

Immigration advocates have used the unmet deadline as an inflection point to pressure Congress and the White House.

"March 5 is the deadline Trump gave the Congress to act and they havent done anything," Bruna Bouhid, a 26-year-old student and Dreamer from Tampa, said as she and others marched from the Washington Mall to the US Capitol. "We are here to make sure they dont forget about us."

Hundreds of activists and Dreamers descended on Washington to press lawmakers into action. Many in a crowd of chanting protesters blocked traffic near the Capitol, while others demonstrated inside congressional office buildings.

Some 87 arrests were made, US Capitol Police reported.

Immigration-related demonstrations took place in several other cities, including New York.

"Stop playing with our lives!" said Lizbeth Huitzil, a young Mexican woman protesting in front of Trump Tower.

Lawmakers had every opportunity to legislate a fix, but the fate of the Dreamers has proved too divisive for Congress to resolve.

Last month, Democrats forced a brief government shutdown over the issue, demanding that the Senates Republican leaders set aside time to debate immigration.

They agreed, but despite a week of floor debate last month, the Senate failed to pass any of a series of proposals addressing the situation of the Dreamers, and House Speaker Paul Ryan has not brought a legislative solution to the floor for a vote.

Cruel and reckless

Among the Senate bills that failed to advance was a Trump-backed plan that would provide a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million Dreamers -- the nearly 700,000 DACA registrants, plus 1.1 million who were eligible but did not register -- in exchange for extra border security funding and dramatic curtailment of legal immigration.

Several congressional Democrats and immigration advocates have warned that despite the court injunction, DACA recipients remain in legal uncertainty thanks to a crisis they say is of Trumps making.

"Without a permanent solution, Trumps cruel and reckless decision will tear more families apart, shatter communities, drive immigrants into the shadows, and make us all less safe as a result," Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez said in a statement.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus chairwoman Michelle Lujan Grisham urged "all our colleagues to support the fair, permanent, and narrow bipartisan bills that protect Dreamers and which have the votes to pass the House and Senate".  AFPDeputy prime minister Pravit instructs local authority to strict on security for tourists.

BANGKOK  The Thai government is confident that it can maintain peace and safety of both local and foreign tourists during the popular water festival this April.

Thailand has once again been faced with internal political turmoil and an unpredictable political future. Since the junta government came to power with the 2014 coup, stability has somewhat prevailed in the country, but the government has yet to resolve Thailands decade-long political conflict.

Since the beginning of the year, students have taken to the streets of Bangkok and other big cities across the country, demanding the holding of the long-awaited elections.

The Thai government is confident that it can maintain peace and safety of both local and foreign tourists during the popular water festival in April.  VNS File Photo.

Last month, some hundred persons assembled at the Democracy Monument next to Bangkoks famous street Khao San Road, visited by millions of tourists and foreign backpackers every year. This has raised concerns among foreign and Vietnamese tourists planning their trip to Thailand during the famous water festival.

General Prawit Wongsuwan, deputy prime minister, responsible for security has reassured the country that the government has taken serious measures and instructed the local authority to closely monitor any illegal activities, including crackdowns on foreign mafia groups in Thailands top destinations, such as Phuket, Koh Phangan and Pattaya.

In the past, General Prawit Wongsuwan had successfully led ASEAN in working cooperatively against transnational crime, terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking and foreign mafia gangs.PRESS RELEASE  EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin  (March 5, 2018)  The centennial year of the Royal Air Force will be commemorated with historic aircraft, flyovers, and special programming during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The 66th annual Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in convention, known as The Worlds Greatest Aviation Celebration, is July 23-29. The RAFs 100th anniversary will be celebrated throughout the week, with a primary focus on the centennial on Tuesday, July 24.

Legendary is perhaps the best way to describe the gathering of people and airplanes that will be part of the Royal Air Force centennial at Oshkosh this year, said Rick Larsen, EAAs vice president of communities and member programs, who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. From the World War I era, to the Battle of Britain and early jets, to todays modern military aircraft, the RAF has been an integral part of aviation history. We will fully celebrate that during the week at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

The aircraft on display on the showcase Boeing Plaza and flying during the air show will include an array of World War I and World War II aircraft, some of the early fighter jets as announced previously in the Classic Jets gathering, and modern RAF aircraft. Those aircraft will include those in British markings as well as those from Commonwealth nations such as Canada. Specific aircraft attending will be announced as they are confirmed.

In addition, an evening program at EAAs Theater in the Woods will devote extensive programming to the RAF centennial on Monday evening, July 23.

The Royal Air Force was formally founded on April 1, 1918, with the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. The service grew and became known for its extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Britain in the early days of World War II, as well as the development of many early fighter jets such as the Meteor and Vampire. The RAF was the first service to use the Harrier jump jet after its development in the 1960s, with RAF aircraft and personnel still on active duty in many parts of the world today.Two B-17G Flying Fortresses and more than 130 reenactors are scheduled to take part in the opening events for the B-17 Memphis Belle exhibit at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, May 17-19, 2018. The B-17F Memphis Belle  the first U.S. Army Air Forces heavy bomber to return to the United States after completing 25 combat missions over occupied Europe  and surrounding strategic bombardment exhibit will be unveiled to the public following a ribbon cutting ceremony on the morning of May 17  exactly 75 years after its crew finished their last mission in the war against Nazi Germany on May 17, 1943.

To help celebrate the new exhibit, plans call for B-17G Yankee Lady, from the Yankee Air Museum in Belleville, MI, and B-17G Aluminum Overcast, from the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) in Oshkosh, WI, to land at the museum on May 16 at approximately 9 a.m. The aircraft will then be available for viewing on static display May 17-18 from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. On May 18 at approximately 4:30 p.m., visitors in the museums Memorial Park may view the aircraft as they take-off and depart the grounds. (Note: Outdoor events are weather dependent and subject to change.)

Visitors will also be able to experience the sights and sounds of World War II as more than 130 reenactors from around the country bring history to life by performing war-time skits, showcasing their displays and interacting with the public in an encampment near the museums 8th Air Force Control Tower, May 17-19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Betsy Bashore, who has been a reenactor for more than 34 years and now organizes the largest WWII reenactment in the U.S., D-Day Conneaut in northern Ohio, is helping the museum coordinate the reenactor activities. Reenactors scheduled to be on-hand at the museum will represent WWII-era pilots, navigators, ground crew, Army infantrymen, medics, cooks, Army nurses and Red Cross workers  all with the goal of taking visitors back in time. Our mission is to connect people with history and events of the past, and to be able to do it at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is a spectacular opportunity, said Bashore. We look forward to helping augment the museums activities during the Memphis Belle exhibit opening by providing visitors with an in-depth, more hands-on experience with history.

Along with the reenactors, more than 20 vintage military and civilian vehicles will be on display such as a 1938 Buick Special; 1942 Chevrolet airfield crash truck; 1943 Dodge WC-54 Ambulance; and several Willys MB Jeep and Ford GPW vehicles.

On Friday, May 18, a special outdoor Big Band concert featuring Glenn Miller music will be performed by Air Force Bands from 6-7:30 p.m., near the 8th Air Force Control Tower. The concert is free and no tickets are required. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets, and hard surfaces are available for wheelchairs. (Note: The concert is weather dependent and will not be re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather.) Throughout the event, the museums Education Division will be offering many STEM, flight and period specific learning events and activities in the Learning Center, STEM Learning Nodes, and WWII Gallery. Among the activities will be demonstrations on the four forces of flight to include building, testing and flying small balsa wood gliders, which visitors will be able to keep. Other flight simulation learning activities will provide visitors with a better understanding on how aircraft like the B-17 Memphis Belle were able to perform its critical wartime missions. Scavenger hunts and other educational games will be available for the public to test their knowledge about the WWII era.

In addition, the Air Force Museum Foundations Living History Film Series will present the 1944 William Wyler documentary film, The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress, which contains actual combat footage, in the Air Force Museum Theatre on Thurs, May 17 at 6:30 p.m. On Sat. May 19, the 1990 film Memphis Belle will be shown at 4:30 p.m. in the Air Force Museum Theatre. Wylers daughter Catherine, who produced the 1990 film, will be at guest speaker and take questions from the audience at both films, along with Chris Henry of the EAA Aviation Museum, who will speak about what life was like aboard the famous Flying Fortress in the war, and the bond that exists between the people and the machine. Tickets for these films will be available on March 26 at www.afmuseum.com/livinghistory.

Also during the event, authors Graham Simons and Harry Friedman will be signing copies of their book, Memphis Belle: Dispelling the Myths in the WWII Gallery. Simons will also will be signing his book Images of War in the Museum Store. Finally, author Steve Snyder will be available to sign copies of his book, Shot Down in the store on May 17. According to Museum Director, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jack Hudson, with so many activities packed into three days in May, the Memphis Belle exhibit opening will certainly be a fun and educational event for the entire family. Museum staff and our partners on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and in the community have been working together for nearly two years to plan a wonderful tribute in commemoration of the sacrifice of the heavy bomber crewmen during WWII, said Hudson. We encourage everyone to come out and enjoy these once in a lifetime type of experiences that will take place both indoors and outdoors as we celebrate the opening of the new Memphis Belle exhibit.

For more information, photos and videos of the Memphis Belle, visit www.nationalmuseum.af.mil.On March 16, the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will be hosting the next Cold War Lunchtime Lecture with a talk entitled Air Marshal Sir John Slessor: An Unsung Cold War Strategist and His Role as the Architect of British Airborne Nuclear Deterrence. In this talk, Mr Bill Pyke, an independent Cold War researcher with an MA in Air Power Studies will look at the influence of senior military leaders and the pivotal role they played in making British nuclear deterrence a physical reality during the Cold War.

Within this lecture, Mr Bill Pyke will look at how a declared policy of strategic nuclear deterrence has been at the heart of British defense thinking since the early 1950s. Prior to this time, Clement Attlees post-war government had sanctioned the development of Britains atomic bomb program in January 1947.

The lecture will discuss how the means of nuclear weapons delivery: the development of the revolutionary four-engine jet bomber, did not proceed at the same pace. In any event, at a time of continuing post-war austerity, some senior politicians from both sides of the political spectrum were not in favor of an independent British nuclear deterrent, preferring to leave it all to the Americans.

This talk will focus on Air Marshal Sir John Slessor as a Cold War strategist and his role as the architect of Britains airborne nuclear deterrent. Slessor was Chief of the Air Staff between January 1950 and December 1952 at a time of heightened Cold War confrontation. Many Cold War historians have focused primarily on the key politicians, international crises, and the threat of nuclear weapons. However, little attention has been paid to the influence of senior military leaders, of whom Slessor was a notable example. Slessor played a pivotal role in making British nuclear deterrence a physical reality. His involvement through strategic vision, leadership, courage, and dogged persistence ensured the implementation and build-up of the RAFs complement of strategic jet bombers (the V-force) designed to deliver Britains nuclear weapons. That policy of defense through nuclear deterrence established the bedrock of British strategic defense thinking that continues to the present day.

This FREE lecture will be held in the Museums National Cold War Exhibition lecture theatre at 12.30pm on Friday 16 March 2018, lasting approximately one hour. As spaces are limited, organizers advise visitors to book their tickets in advance via the Museums website www.rafmuseum.org/cosford to avoid disappointment.

The Cold War Lunchtime Lectures are delivered by emerging and established researchers. They explore key events and air power developments from the Cold War period. Air Marshal Sir John Slessor: An Unsung Cold War Strategist and His Role as the Architect of British Airborne Nuclear Deterrence is the first lecture taking place at Cosford this year, with more planned throughout 2018. The series forms a part of the RAF Museums Research Programme for 2018 which also consists of the Trenchard Lectures in Air Power Studies, First World War lunchtime lectures at the Museums London site and conferences.For those of you interested in having a flight in a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Warbird Adventures at Kissimmee Gateway Airport in Kissimmee, Florida is hosting the late David Tallichets B-17G 44-83456 this spring. The vintage bomber is known affectionately as the Movie Memphis Belle due to the modifications she received to closely resemble B-17F 41-24485 for the 1990 movie Memphis Belle. While this B-17s current home base is with the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, New York, she arrived at Warbird Adventures facitility on February 28th, and will likely be staying for the next few months.

Warbird Adventures has a fascinating array of vintage aircraft based in their air museum. Indeed Warbird Adventures is well known for their own warbird flight experience operation as well, where you can take a ride in one of their fleet of WWII-vintage North American T-6/SNJ/Harvard trainers. You can book everything from a simple 15 minute hop to an hour-long adventure with aerobatics.

Kissimmee is just a short drive from Disney in Orlando, and not too far from NASAs home on Cape Canaveral either, so there is plenty to amuse any interest. So why not bring your family over to take a ground tour, or a ride. Be prepared for a dose of history you will never forget! For more information check out Warbird Adventures on the web or via Facebook or the National Warplane Museum and their Facebook page.Stinging rebuke for Biden's "boosters for all" planpast daily news Sep 13 (1) Sep 09 (15) Sep 06 (12) Sep 04 (10) Sep 03 (10) Aug 31 (17) Aug 29 (14) Aug 26 (13) Aug 22 (11) Aug 21 (12) Aug 19 (21) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (10) Aug 10 (10) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (10) Aug 06 (10) Aug 05 (8) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (14) Jul 29 (1) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (5) Jul 24 (10) Jul 22 (11) Jul 19 (16) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (10) Jul 15 (13) Jul 12 (7) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (8) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (8) Jul 04 (11) Jul 03 (8) Jul 02 (7) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (8) Jun 28 (7) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (7) Jun 25 (8) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (9) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (9) Jun 18 (8) Jun 15 (9) Jun 13 (13) Jun 11 (11) Jun 09 (19) Jun 06 (10) Jun 04 (10) Jun 03 (8) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (5) May 30 (5) May 29 (6) May 28 (7) May 27 (7) May 26 (6) May 25 (4) May 23 (6) May 22 (6) 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(29) Apr 22 (14) Apr 21 (15) Apr 20 (20) Apr 19 (22) Apr 18 (16) Apr 17 (32) Apr 16 (12) Apr 15 (21) Apr 14 (21) Apr 13 (15) Apr 12 (13) Apr 11 (14) Apr 10 (16) Apr 09 (20) Apr 08 (36) Apr 07 (22) Apr 06 (11) Apr 05 (28) Apr 04 (20) Apr 03 (29) Apr 02 (32) Apr 01 (18) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (15) Mar 28 (22) Mar 27 (24) Mar 26 (17) Mar 25 (17) Mar 24 (13) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (12) Mar 21 (15) Mar 20 (18) Mar 19 (19) Mar 18 (16) Mar 17 (10) Mar 16 (6) Mar 15 (18) Mar 14 (24) Mar 13 (18) Mar 12 (18) Mar 11 (17) Mar 10 (13) Mar 09 (12) Mar 08 (18) Mar 07 (25) Mar 06 (16) Mar 05 (16) Mar 04 (22) Mar 03 (17) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (23) Feb 29 (19) Feb 28 (25) Feb 27 (26) Feb 26 (23) Feb 25 (12) Feb 24 (13) Feb 23 (15) Feb 22 (26) Feb 21 (31) Feb 20 (12) Feb 19 (21) Feb 18 (15) Feb 17 (10) Feb 16 (15) Feb 15 (19) Feb 14 (15) Feb 13 (25) Feb 12 (20) Feb 11 (9) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (28) Feb 08 (20) Feb 07 (22) Feb 06 (20) Feb 05 (19) Feb 04 (14) Feb 03 (16) Feb 02 (28) Feb 01 (37) Jan 31 (27) Jan 30 (31) Jan 29 (18) Jan 28 (14) Jan 27 (10) Jan 26 (18) Jan 25 (26) Jan 24 (34) Jan 23 (21) Jan 22 (21) Jan 21 (18) Jan 20 (18) Jan 19 (18) Jan 18 (26) Jan 17 (24) Jan 16 (23) Jan 15 (30) Jan 14 (20) Jan 13 (18) Jan 12 (24) Jan 11 (11) Jan 10 (23) Jan 09 (22) Jan 08 (17) Jan 07 (17) Jan 06 (9) Jan 05 (18) Jan 04 (15) Jan 03 (19) Jan 02 (14) Jan 01 (6) Dec 31 (12) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (15) Dec 28 (11) Dec 27 (7) Dec 26 (10) Dec 25 (16) Dec 24 (13) Dec 23 (16) Dec 22 (11) Dec 21 (26) Dec 20 (28) Dec 19 (14) Dec 18 (25) Dec 17 (23) Dec 16 (19) Dec 15 (22) Dec 14 (38) Dec 13 (26) Dec 12 (25) Dec 11 (27) Dec 10 (31) Dec 09 (15) Dec 08 (30) Dec 07 (31) Dec 06 (27) Dec 05 (38) Dec 04 (25) Dec 03 (27) Dec 02 (15) Dec 01 (36) Nov 30 (23) Nov 29 (17) Nov 28 (23) Nov 27 (13) Nov 26 (16) Nov 25 (14) Nov 24 (18) Nov 23 (21) Nov 22 (21) Nov 21 (24) Nov 20 (20) Nov 19 (23) Nov 18 (17) Nov 17 (17) Nov 16 (34) Nov 15 (25) Nov 14 (17) Nov 13 (21) Nov 12 (18) Nov 11 (9) Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (12) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (4) Oct 29 (1) Oct 01 (1) Jul 29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1)You will not hear much about this, but Russia has been shipping gas to the UK and USA. Both countries have been running shortages, sever shortages at times

Sanctions? What Sanctions? A SECOND batch of Russian gas has arrived in the US, despite despite the US-imposed sanctions against the majority owners Novatek operating the Russian facility pic.twitter.com/CaZQvNthPN  RT (@RT_com) March 2, 2018

I ask Why?

USA is shipping natural gas and leaving itself short on the substance, just as with oil and gasoline. the UK just plain does not have enough storage and Russia keeps helping out. Yes I realize they sell it, but seriously, would you buy and or sell something to people who treated you like dirt and wiped their feet on you?

Time to think about the games going on

WtRYes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain.

Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred.

For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here.

Rana Daggubati has finally begun shooting for his upcoming trilingual film Haathi Mere Saathi. The actor recently flew to Thailand to join the film crew and this schedule will reportedly go on for the next one month.

The film reportedly revolves around a man, who spent all his life with elephants, and the bond he shares with them. Originally, the team had planned to start shooting in January this year; however, it got delayed by few weeks. Prabhu Solomon is directing this film which will release in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil.

Apart from this film, Rana will also be seen in a bunch of other Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam films later this year.









Articles that might interest you:LOS ANGELES, CA, March 06, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Getting around in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Vancouver, BC, Canada is about to get easier thanks to ReRyde, a new ride-sharing service launching on March 15th. ReRyde stands above competing rideshare apps because not only do riders pay less, but drivers make more. Founded with the goal of getting more intoxicated drivers off the road, ReRyde believes that everyone should get home safe.



Riders can sit back and enjoy their ride with the peace of mind and unparalleled safety features ReRyde offers. Drivers are vetted through ReRyde's rigorous verification process. All ReRyde drivers undergo criminal background checks and have clean driving records. All rides are tracked in real-time from point of pickup to the end of the trip. Payment is completely safe as well. All payments are made through the app using all major credit cards, Interact or PayPal.



ReRyde makes the whole process of finding transportation transparent. From the moment a rider logs on they can see the ETA of the closest driver to them, as well as feedback and reviews for their driver. The rate is transparent as well, riders always pay less because ReRyde price matches the competition. If another company is offering a lower rate for a trip, ReRyde will beat that price. All ReRyde drivers keep their vehicles up to the high cleanliness standards ReRyde sets for them, making ReRyde the gold standard in rider comfort. A 24/7 support team ensures that every ReRyde passenger is satisfied.



"We put people first, everything else follows," says ReRyde CEO Reban Nouri of the ethos that drives the company forward.



To celebrate the launch of ReRyde, they're offering a $5 ReRyde credit to any user that refers a friend. If you're not in Vancouver or Winnipeg ReRyde will be expanding into other cities of Canada in the near future. ReRyde is available for download on iOS and Android.



About ReRyde



ReRyde is a ride-sharing and transportation service serving Vancouver, BC, Canada. The company was founded in 2018 with a mission to provide outstanding transportation services to the Vancouver area no matter the weather or time of day. Their dedication to safely keeping intoxicated passengers off the roads has led them to implement industry-leading screening of drivers and customer service protocols. ReRyde is available as an app for both iOS and Android users. Follow ReRyde on Facebook (reryde : tap&ride), Instagram (@reryde_rideshare) and Twitter (@reryde_app.)



Official Website: https://www.reryde.com/



# # #Mar 6, 2018 | By Benedict

Chinese Rapid Prototyping company 3ERP wants to change the way you think about 3D printing and advanced manufacturing in China. The Guangdong-based company has worked with huge names like Lamborghini and Bosch, and says its products stand up to the strictest Western standards. We spoke to 3ERP founder Ronan Ye about his company, the state of manufacturing in China, and lots more.

Ronan Ye started 3ERP in 2010

For readers who havent heard of 3ERP, could you tell us a bit about your company?

We started up as a trading company with four people in 2010, buying from suppliers and selling to our overseas customers. Even though we were small, we set up a rule that quality comes first. In a short time, our customer base began to increase significantly.

We started having some problems when our suppliers became busy, however. Their quality would drop and they would not be willing to handle the complex projects that we needed. Thats why we invested in our first factory in 2013in order to have better control of quality. We opened our second factory last year in order to have more capacity for our orders, and we now have over 80 employees.

The rapid prototyping company now has over 80 employees

3ERP stands for 3E Rapid Prototyping. What is the 3E part all about?

Excellent, Efficient, and Economic.

What did you do before starting 3ERP? And why did you decide to enter the world of rapid prototyping?

When I graduated from college, my first job was in sales for a ceramic tile company. After about a year, I had an offer from a rapid prototyping company in Dongguan [in Guangdong Province, South China], and I joined them after the interview. It seemed much more interesting than selling existing products.

3ERP is headquartered in Guangdong, but caters to an international client base. Where do you get most of your business and what kind of companies do you work with?

Most of our clients are from Europe and the U.S., where we have worked with several large companies. Some of the projects we have completed from those regions have been for famous companies such as Lamborghini, Bentley, Land Rover, and Bosch.

You provide several manufacturing services, one of which is 3D printing. What kind of 3D printing equipment do you use?

We provide SLA 3D printed parts, since we have a partner who has over 20 SLA machines. The price we get from them is better than running one or two machines ourselves.

3ERP's services include SLA 3D printing, CNC machining, casting, and molding

Describe for us the 3D printing industry in China. What sets 3ERP apart from other rapid prototyping or 3D printing companies in the country?

SLA 3D printing is one of the most common ways to get prototypes made in China, because a number of Chinese companies produce SLA machines and materials equal in quality to Western ones. But in terms of SLS, SLM, and DMLS, I think we are a bit behind.

From our perspective, if we have to import the machines and materials from abroad, that means there is no point in making these kind of parts in China, which is why we dont currently invest in these technologies. Once high quality Chinese-made machines become available, however, we will invest in those machines for sure.

3ERP says its rapid prototyping services are a cut above its Chinese competitors

At the moment, we are mainly offering CNC machining services. The machines we have in-house are very precise, mostly 4- & 5-axis milling machines. The machine tolerance is +/-0.005 mm, so we can achieve a tolerance of +/-0.02 mm, while most of the Chinese prototyping companies are still using old-style machines, making prototypes with tolerances of +/-0.1 mm.

Over the last few years, many Chinese companies have started to produce and market FDM 3D printers. These are useful for printing sculptures and things like pretty lamps in PLA, ABS, and other filaments, but I think theyre still far away from industrial use. Theyre more like an expensive fancy toy. Currently, users cant even get that much out of them because unless youre a designer or engineer, you cant even 3D print the designs you want. If a Chinese company manages to create software that is simple enough for everyone, then I believe the Chinese FDM market will grow considerably.

What turnaround times can 3ERP offer on 3D printed parts and other prototypes?

Around five days to two weeks depending on the project type.

3ERP has worked with customers around the world

Youve worked on some pretty out-there projects, including shoes for Lady Gaga! Whats the most interesting project youve worked on at 3ERP?

We deliver thousands of projects every year, so its difficult to decide which is the most interesting one. But this diamond-cut Lamborghini model is a pretty good indication of what we can do.

A Lamborghini model made using CNC milling technology

What do you think additive manufacturing will look like in 10 years?

As we know, additive manufacturing has become an important method for producing prototypes quicklyand often at a lower cost if you are producing small batches. For example, some customers will order just a few sets of medical devices, customized cars, or aerospace parts: additive manufacturing is well suited for these applications.

On the other hand, for some complex parts you absolutely have no other option besides 3D printing. But a lack of material options and a lack of efficiency in large-volume production is the main weak point for additive manufacturing at the moment. I imagine engineers will sort this out within the next 10 years, which will transform additive manufacturing and make it much more significant for industrial applications.

In my opinion, however, additive manufacturing, CNC machining, and injection molding will move forward in parallel, with each manufacturing technology continuing to play its own important role. Take the plastic water bottle, for example: you can make it in few seconds by blow molding, and you might need millions of units. So whats the point spending hours printing it?

3ERP founder Ronan Ye thinks 3D printing, CNC machining, and injection molding will grow in parallel

Learn more about 3ERP's rapid prototyping services here.

Posted in Interviews

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As it happens, Asma Jahangirs first legal victory came before she became a trained lawyer. She won a great legal victory in freeing her father, Malik Ghulam Jilani, the parliamentarian and critic of the military, who had been unjustly incarcerated by the government. At the time of her victory at the Supreme Court (in a case celebrated as Miss Asma Jilani vs the Government of Punjab), Asma was barely 20 years old. Later, with professional legal training and far-reaching vision, combined with her exceptional intelligence, Asma became the leading defender of human rights in Pakistan, in the company of other great human rights activists like I.A. Rehman and Dorab Patel. It is extraordinary to see how much the Pakistan Human Rights Commission has achieved in the cause of justice, without even having the firm legal  and constitutional  status that, say, the Indian or the South African Human Rights Commission can comfortably rely on (those commissions have a much easier job than the Pakistan Human Rights Commission, which  despite that legal handicap  has achieved no less, particularly through powerfully mobilising public opinion and involvement).

I personally think that in understanding Asmas success, it is important not only to appreciate the strength of her skilled arguments, her trained reasoning and her deep-rooted courage, but also the tremendous warmth of her personality including her radiating friendliness. She generated enthusiasm across the world, but particularly on the two sides of the sub-continental divide. Asma was loved in Pakistan, but no less in India, and whenever she gave a talk in India, the room  whatever its size  was always overfull.

More here.In the Bay Area, yoga classes are ubiquitous, with an endless array of offerings for modern yogis. The hashtag #yoga can be found 44 million times on social media, and while the proliferation of yoga is, of course, wonderful, it's westernization also points to a slow degeneration of original yogic traditions, which are more about inner essence than external form.

So how can we make yoga less about the leggings and more about the lessons? Emma Balnaves, cofounder of Shadow Yoga and Nrtta Sadhana (swaying patterns of movement), is on a mission to bring yoga's ancient traditions back to the heart of modern day practice.

For over 10 years, Balnaves has been teaching alongside her partner and Shadow Yoga founder, Shandor Remete, in the Bay Area, where the East Bay is home to five specially trained instructors (one of the highest densities of Shadow Yoga teachers anywhere). Because classes are limited to small groups of pupils, devoted followers have been known to travel internationally just to access them. Now, Balnaves, also a documentary filmmaker, is hoping to share insights from the roots of this wisdom on the silver screen.

(Courtesy of Agniyogana)

Her film Agniyogana is intended for viewers who are either already engaged in the practice of Hatha yoga or who are considering it. The film's subtitle, Lower the Head and Invoke the Fire, contains Balnaves' central message: The essence of yoga is energetic work only possible when the mind is pacified through the process of worship. Although the physical practices are crucial, neither intellectual faculties nor physical attributes can initiate energetic transformation, nor can they uncover the ancient secrets that are still relevant in the world today. It is the yoking of one's internal fire that increases the quality of one's inner light. It is the fire that transmutes, transforms, and destroys to create the new.



Over the last several years, Balnaves has traveled to India and Nepal for research, and her film features conversations with extraordinary people who have traveled the yoga path for many years so that others may undertake this practice successfully. A few have shared personal experiences and ancient knowledge that is in danger of being lost. Through their voices, the film introduces the crucial parts of the practice that have been forgotten in modern teachings.

Balnaves takes the viewer on a journey through time and space to rediscover the inner dimensions of yoga that are more relevant than ever in our modern world. She inspires us to take a deeper look into the origins of yoga and to gain a better understanding of the true potential of the yogic journey. A Kickstarter campaign aims to raise enough funds for next-level production quality that would enable cinematic release and film festival distribution. Contribute if you feel called, and keep an eye out for Agniyogana's debut in September 2019.



// agniyogana.com, kickstarter.comSure, St. Patrick's Day is a pretty good excuse to drink beer.

But why spend the entire holiday inside the four walls of a pub, when you could see a leprechaun, hunt for a pot of gold, stuff your face with corned beef and cabbage, and dance the night away to Irish music at these spirited events. (All happenings listed here take place on March 17th.)

Courtesy of Pixabay

See all the cuteness at the St. Patrick's Day Dog Parade.



Grab your Irish Setter, Irish Terrier, or Irish Wolfhound and head to Patrick's Park for a free St. Patty's Day parade that'll make you howl as the city's fanciest canines strut their stuff for the holiday-themed costume contest. Dogs of all heritage are welcomejust register in advance to let them know you're coming. // 1-4pm; 43 Fort Mason 11 (Marina), eventbrite.com





See skydiving leprechauns.

Do you believe in leprechauns? You might once you see " The Flying Leprechaun" take his skydive, rain or shine, at the Hiller Aviation Museum. Event access is included with admission to the museum ($16/adults, $11/kids under 17, free for kids under 4). // 11am; Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Rd (San Carlos), hiller.org





Make your own Irish whiskey glass.

Before you head to the pub with the rest of the emerald-clad celebrants, stop in for a 30-minute mini-workshop at San Francisco's Public Glass to create your own rocks glass using a blow mold by the furnace. Register in advance for time slots beginning at 9am. // $70 per two people, ages 14+; Public Glass, 1750 Armstrong Ave (Bayview), publicglass.org





Create Celtic knots.



Take a deep dive into Irish mythology and heritage with Castle in the Air's Celtic knot workshop on St. Patrick's Day. Calligrapher Bill Kemp will teach students to design and construct the intricate patterns, which date back to the 3rd and 4th centuries BCE, using pen and paint. Advanced registration required. // $135/person, 11am to 6pm; 1805 4th St (Berkeley), castleintheair.biz.





Build a leprechaun trap.

Join leprechaun hunters of all ages for a free treasure hunt for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow at Big Break Regional Shoreline. Starting at the visitor's center, park staff will lend you all the materials and expertise you'll need to build your own clever trap and then hit the trail, following clues left in the wetlands by the magical green-suited men. Capture one and he'll grant you three wishes. // 10:30am to 3:30pm; 5481 Big Break Regional Trail (Oakley), ebparks.org





Make a ceramic beer mug.

Beloved maker brand Annieglass is throwing a St. Patrick's Day party at their Craftbar, complete with acoustic music, a selection of beers from Elkhorn Slough Brewing Co., and, of course, crafts. With the help of the folks at Good Life Ceramics, you'll make your own ceramic beer stein and decorate it with a rainbow of textures, adornments, and glazes. The workshop (1:30 to 3pm) requires registration in advance, but you can drop in to enjoy the music and drinks anytime between 1 and 4pm. // Annieglass, 310 Harvest Dr (Watsonville); workshop tickets ($60) are available at annieglass.com.





Eat all the corned beef and cabbage.

Nothing says Ireland like a hearty dinner of corned beef and cabbage. Grab the family and head to the Sunset's United Irish Cultural Center to fill your belly at this annual supper ($18/adults, $12/kids), and then stick around for live Irish music and dancing. // 3:30pm; 2700 45th Ave (Outer Sunset), irishcentersf.orgDigital Marketing Conference  August 22-23, 2018  Sydney, Australiarn

Sydney, Australia  March 7, 2018  DigiMarCon Australia & NZ 2018 takes place August 22nd to 23rd, 2018 at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

DigiMarCon Australia & NZ 2018 serves as a central hub where marketing professionals, sales leaders, entrepreneurs, designers, and executives can come together and discuss the latest in digital marketing trends, content marketing best practices, data analysis, lead generation and more. In addition to hearing keynote presentations, attendees will also participate in a series of Digital Marketing Master Classes  educational deep dives into a variety of cutting-edge topics.

Attendees that participate in this world-class conference will have access to insightful breakout sessions, pitch-free presentations and extensive networking opportunities that will enable them to share ideas and discuss the latest in lead nurturing, digital content, branding, social media and other areas of focus.

We deliberately built a busy agenda, says Aaron Polmeer, event organizer. Guests will hear from some of the todays top marketing and sales thought leaders and get to see the newest technologies  all while enjoying unmatched networking opportunities.

To learn more about DigiMarCon Australia & NZ 2018 or register, visit https://digimarconaustralia.com

About DigiMarCon Australia & NZ 2018

DigiMarCon Australia & NZ 2018 Digital Marketing Conference takes place August 22nd to 23rd, 2018 at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney. It showcases the latest technology and todays top speakers in the digital marketing industry, sharing the latest trends and best practices. Attendees will learn how to build traffic, create brand awareness, improve customer service and develop better use of digital tools internally to drive more productive business outcomes. This years upgraded topics includes Content Strategy, Web Experience Management, Usability/Design, Mobile Marketing, Customer Engagement, Social Media, Targeting & Optimization, Branded Search, Marketing Automation, Analytics & Data and much, much more!

Media Contact

Company Name: DIGIMARCON, LLC

Contact Person: Aaron Polmeer

Email: aaron@digimarcon.com

Phone: (800) 805-5385

Address:1500 Broadway

City: New York

State: NY

Country: United States

Website: https://digimarconaustralia.comOroville, Calif. An Oroville man, now identified as 22-year-old Adam Krater was shot in the head and killed this weekend, and family said the suspect is a long-time friend of his.

"It's still brand new and fresh and it doesn't seem real, but because of my faith I know where Adam's at, I know Adam's safe in the arms of God right now," said Dianne George, the mother of the victim.

She said she still hasn't been able to process the death of her son.

"It's always the ones that are left behind that don't know how to deal and we're going to deal the best way we know how," she said.

Police say 25-year-old Noah Gonzales turned himself into police hours after he dropped Krater off at Oroville Hospital. Gonzales left by the time the time they arrived.

Although Krater is gone, his family are remembering the good times they had with him.

"Adam just loved life, he wanted to live so much, he wanted to do so much, and obviously everybody knows how much he loved skateboarding. He was a daredevil and would do crazy stuff around here,' George said.

They said he loved Oroville, and especially loved his job at Wal-Mart.

"He loved working in the bike department, he loved educating people on different bikes. And same with the skate park, he loved teaching different people about skating," said his sister Jordan Nace.

They said he had a huge heart and really just wanted to be happy. While they're sad about his death, they're using it as a learning experience.

"We are all just trying to focus on living our life in his honor. Rather than thinking of all the times I wish I could've told him one more time, its okay, let me learn from this and tell those that we love every day that we love them," Nace said.

His mom is spreading to the love to the suspect.

"I want Noah to know that I know it was a mistake, it was an accident. I know he was scared and he's scared now and I just want him to know that I love him too. He's been part of our family for a very long time and I don't blame him and I want him to know that."

Gonzales is being held in Butte County jail on a $1,000,000 bail.It's official, California's Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom is now a candidate for governor.

He filed papers at a place familiar to him, San Francisco City Hall, where he once served as mayor.

Touting Californias nature of leading on many issues, Newsom told reporters the governor's race has taken on added importance.

The impact that we have in California is outsized and I think we have a campaign where we are not just offering candidates to head the resistance. This is an opportunity to shape the future not just of this state but this nation."

Newsom is a front runner in the June primary, but the November election is expected to be a much tighter race.

A poll released last month by the Public Policy Institute California, put Newsom in a virtual tie with the former mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa.

Newsom is slightly ahead with 23 percent of voters, Villaraigosa has 21 percent.Redding fire fighters honed their skills during a simulated airplane fire drill Tuesday afternoon.

Fire fighters traveled to a specialized training facility in Clark County, Nevada to work on their aircraft fire fighting and rescue skills.

As you can see, firefighters spent the day training for the worst scenarios from extinguishing flames on burning aircraft to evacuation and possible rescue of passengers and crew.

It was an effort that participants say is an invaluable training tool for the fire fighters because of the extreme complexity and unique training venue.Australia's Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne and the Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne, have announced that BAE Systems Australia has been selected to upgrade Australias long-range high frequency radar network.



The Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) protects Australias coastal approaches through a network of three remote radars in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The radars play a vital role in supporting the Australian Defence Forces air and maritime operations, border surveillance, disaster relief and search and rescue operations.



The $1 billion JORN upgrade will require over 500 highly skilled technicians and engineers working for BAE Systems and in the Companys supply chain. Most will be based in the Edinburgh Defence precinct in South Australia, with remote site teams supporting the radars at Laverton (Western Australia), Longreach (Queensland) and Alice Springs (Northern Territory).



BAE Systems Australia Chief Executive, Gabby Costigan, said: As a world leader in High Frequency radar technology, we are proud to have been selected to deliver an important upgrade to Australias most complex and critical Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance capability.



Together with our partners, we are committed to ensuring a high level of Australian industry and academic participation in JORN. Our collaborative approach will allow for the application of rapidly developing technology to ensure Australia maintains a capability edge and superior situational awareness to ensure our northern approaches are secure.



BAE Systems has worked closely with the DST Group in the development of the technology that underpins JORN, and in securing an export market for High Frequency radar. BAE Systems has been exporting its world leading High Frequency systems technology for the past ten years.



The Company will work closely with DST Group and the Commonwealth Government to further grow the potential of this important export industry.



BAE Systems will deliver the JORN upgrade together with leading defence systems integrator Raytheon Australia, South Australian SME Daronmont Technologies and infrastructure specialist RCR Property Services.



More than 20 specialist Australian SMEs will participate in the supply chain to ensure broader Australian industry participation and a strong focus on innovation to support the upgrade.



BAE Systems Joint Open Innovation Network (JOIN) will also focus on activities to support the upgrade of JORN and the development of future JORN and intelligence surveillance reconnaissance capability.



The Company has committed to contribute up to $10 million to the initiative that involves partner universities  Flinders University, University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia  to support the creation of new Defence-focused courses and targeted research and development.



JOIN will support 60 graduate positions over the life of the JORN upgrade and will also support industry with the establishment of an Innovation Laboratory that will provide a secure facility to allow greater collaboration to develop new, or improve existing, defence technologies.Following an extended joint business agreement between British Airways and Qatar Airways, customers will now be able to choose flights from a far wider range of destinations.

Above: British Airways' Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Photo Nick Morrish / British Airways



Additional flights from London Heathrow via Doha to cities in Asia, Australasia and Africa will be placed on sale via British Airways website from March.



Flights to/from the following 14 cities will be added to the joint business agreement between British Airways and Qatar Airways: Adelaide, Auckland, Canberra, Goa, Hanoi, Jakarta, Manila, Maputo, Melbourne, Pattaya, Penang, Perth, Phuket and Sohar.



As part of the extended joint business agreement, from July 1, British Airways will also deploy its newest long-haul aircraft, a Boeing 787-9, on its Heathrow to Doha services.



The extended joint business helps to strengthen the oneworld alliance and enable it to compete more effectively on a wide range of routes to and from the Middle East.



The two airlines already codeshare on more than 48 routes around the world and are looking at other possibilities to extend the arrangements further.



Alex Cruz, British Airways chairman and CEO, said: We are very pleased to be extending and deepening our joint business relationship with Qatar Airways which will bring extra benefits and additional routes to customers using both airlines around the world.



We hope that customers in the UK can now make even easier connections on flights to exciting cities such as Manila, Hanoi, Melbourne and Auckland. Our Executive Club members will also be able to earn and redeem Avios on these new services, giving them even greater benefits.



Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: The UK is one of our most important markets and one where we have significantly increased our capacity over recent years. It is great news that we can extend our relationship with British Airways and offer customers extra benefits by increasing the number of code sharing opportunities on our network. We look forward to further developing our joint business in the near future.



Christian Genocide in the Middle East Is Not Newsworthy -- Pope Francis Laments

Speaking during a homily at Mass early in 2017, Pope Francis declared there were now more Christian martyrs -- men, women and children who had died for their faith in Christ -- than during the first centuries of the life of the Church. The pope noted, however, that people would not hear much in the media about this worldwide assault on Christianity, this genocide in the Middle East. As Francis said, "It's not newsworthy."

This is, he said, a "humiliation" for Christians in the West. "Everything is easy for us," he said. A nationwide poll of Catholics in the United States published last week by the international charity Aid to the Church in Need (USA) found that only 40 percent of U.S. Catholics believe the persecution of Christians around the world is "severe." That statistic is bad enough. But far more "humiliating," to use the pope's language, is the fact that, on a list of priorities for the church ranked by importance, the Catholics questioned put the persecution of Christians as their "last" priority of the issues they were most concerned about -- below poverty and global warming. While we can argue about the verity or otherwise of the science of global warming, the central concern of Christians facing imminent beheading in Iraq, Syria or Nigeria is unlikely to be the status of their air conditioning units. Speaking last October at the worldwide meeting on Christian persecution hosted by the government of Hungary in Budapest -- a government that actually has a ministry for persecuted Christians -- the European Union's special envoy for the freedom of religion, Jan Figel, described "ignorance and indifference" toward the persecution of Christians as "allies of evil." That stark reality is certainly identifiable in those bleak statistics in the ACN report. So the question is: Is it really indifference? Or is the indifference mainly fueled by ignorance? Two other statistics in the report give a partial answer to that question; they identify the means of challenging U.S. Catholics to adequately respond to the terrible plight of their fellow believers throughout the world. Only 27 percent believe their bishops are "very engaged" with this issue -- and still less, 24 percent, see that engagement in their parishes. Having visited Iraq on multiple occasions after the genocide -- the last time to within nine miles of the fighting in Mosul -- and having seen the suffering of Christians and met with other persecuted Christians from around the world, I asked my bishop, Christopher Coyne of Burlington, Vermont, if he would release me from parish ministry to devote my priesthood to aid and advocate for persecuted Christians, especially in the Middle East. Despite the shortage of priests in Vermont, to his credit, Bishop Coyne was generous enough to prioritize this mission for a priest of his diocese -- the only one in the United States -- albeit without a salary! Speaking in parishes and at events throughout the U.S. and in Europe, I have discovered that Catholics and other believers in Christ are far from indifferent. Yet they are remarkably ignorant, through no fault of their own, of the massive assault on Christians in the world. The poll suggests half of Catholics have not donated in the past year to charities and organizations that are actively helping the persecuted, and that is likely because they have had no opportunity to do so. Addressing the report, George Marlin, chairman of ACN-USA, has said the issue of Christian persecution "has to become a priority" for the church in the United States and that Catholics need "more education and leadership," precisely to combat those "allies of evil" -- ignorance and indifference. One of the difficulties in addressing that need for both education and leadership is the lack of knowledge and enthusiasm from those ordained to lead. Although there have been a few events with the notable leadership of a few bishops, as far as I am aware there has been only one night of prayer for the persecuted -- presided over by a bishop celebrating in his own cathedral -- in the entire USA. That occurred because of Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon, in May 2016. More terrifying than ignorance (because there are remedies for that malady) is the worrying possibility that, indeed, many Catholics and other Christians might really be indifferent to the sufferings of their brothers and sisters in Christ. Certainly Christians in the media have a grave responsibility to ensure that the continued worldwide and constant persecution of Christians is, to use the phrase of Pope Francis, "newsworthy." On many of my visits to Iraq, priests, nuns, and suffering families have asked me, "Why don't Christians in the West care about us?" One Iraqi bishop once told me that western Christians care more about endangered frogs than his people who are facing genocide. If we really do believe that the murder, rape, enslavement and torture of our fellow Christians is the "last" priority for the church in the United States -- below global warming -- then we risk being condemned for what one underground priest in the days of the Soviet persecution called our "lukewarm idleness."

Fr. Benedict Kiely is a Catholic priest and founder of Nasarean.org, which is helping the persecuted Christians of the Middle East.Here are the winners and finalists of the Shopping section, covering the best places to buy clothing and toys for the entire family.

Best Baby Clothing:

Once Upon a Time | 201 Country Club Park | 205.870.7776 | onceuponatimebaby.com | Once Upon a Time has offered an exceptional selection of children's clothing and baby items for more than 22 years. Their baby registry program also is very popular. Finalists: Jack N' Jill | 2918 18th Street South | 205.879.7681 | jacknjillshop.com | Swaddle | 2825 18th Street South | 205.870.3503 | swaddleonline.com



Best Baby Gift Store:

Swaddle | 2825 18th Street South | 205.870.3503 | swaddleonline.com | If you're in need of a gift for a baby shower, newborn, or birthday party, Swaddle has the best selection in town. Finalists: Once Upon A Time | 201 Country Club Park | 205.870.7772 | onceuponatimebaby.com | The Lili Pad | 3138 Heights Village | 205.298.1811 | facebook.com/thelilipad



Best Girl's Clothing:

Gigi's Teen | 3138 Heights Village | 205.298.1811 | facebook.com/gigisteen | Gigi's Teen carries all the latest fashions, from clothing to shoes to jewelry, for the stylish girl. Finalists: The Children's Place | Multiple locations | childrensplace.com | Jack N' Jill | 2918 18th Street South | 205.879.7681 | jacknjillshop.com



Best Boy's Clothing:

Vineyard Vines | 209 Summit Blvd., Suite 100 | 205.970.9758 | vineyardvines.com | From button-downs to polos to shorts and more, Vineyard Vines has everything to outfit your little Southern gentlemen. Finalists: Once Upon a Child | 3718 Lorna Road | 205.277.0313 | onceuponachild.com | Swaddle | 2825 18th Street South | 205.870.3503 | swaddleonline.com



Best Tween's Clothing:

The Pants Store | 233 Country Club Park | 205.868.1616 | pantsstore.com | The Pants Store has something for everyone, but tweens especially love the fashionable, brand-name clothing the store carries. Finalists: Gigi's Teen | 3138 Heights Village | 205.298.1811 | facebook.com/gigisteen | Soca Girl | 2820 18th Street South | 205.870.1285 | socagirl.com



Best Maternity Clothing:

The Swanky Stork | 3118 Cahaba Heights Road | 205.972.1414 | theswankystork.com | Who said maternity clothes weren't cute? The Swanky Stork features the latest trends and fashions for the momma-to-be. Finalists: Motherhood Maternity | 2600 Riverchase Galleria | 205.985.2620 | motherhood.com | Target | Multiple locations | target.com



Best Children's Shoes:

Sikes Children's Shoes | 2920 18th Street South | 205.879.3433 | sikeschildrensshoes.com | From infancy through childhood, Sikes outfits the little feet in Birmingham's community with a large variety of shoes. Finalists: Little Soles | 3140 Heights Village Road | 205.970.6990 | facebook.com/littlesoleschildrensshoes | Kicks Shoes for Kids | 181 Main Street, Suite 229, Hoover | 205.982.6888 | facebook.com/childrensshoesbirmingham



Best Baby Furniture:

Storkland | 2205 2nd Ave. North | 205.324.9509 | storklandbaby.com | Locally owned and operated since 1947, Storkland's showroom boasts more than 7,000 square feet of unique baby furniture, bedding, and accessories. Finalists: Alabama Furniture Market | 10 Commercial Park Drive, Calera | 205.668.9995 | alabamafurnituremarket.com | Swaddle | 2825 18th Street South | 205.870.3503 | swaddleonline.com



Best Shopping Area:

Patton Creek | 4445 Creekside Ave. | With plenty of gift stores, boutiques, and restaurants, you can spend all day shopping at Patton Creek. Finalists: The Summit | 214 Summit Blvd. | 205.967.0111 | thesummitonline.com | Downtown Homewood



Best Grocery Store:

Western Supermarket at Lane Parke | 1000 Jemison Lane | 205.879.1746 | westernsupermarkets.com | The Western at Lane Parke is absolutely gorgeous, with rows of beautifully arranged produce, fresh deli items, and an extensive wine selection. It's no surprise it's our readers' favorite. Finalists: Whole Foods | Multiple locations | wholefoodsmarket.com | Piggly Wiggly | Multiple locations | pigglywigglybirmingham.com



Best Health Foods Store:

Honey & Spice | 1251 Grayson Valley Parkway, Trussville | 205.655.0307 | honeynspice.com | This health foods store has been in business for 46 years, offering everything from grocery items to vitamins to pet products. Finalists: The Fresh Market | Multiple locations | thefreshmarket.com | Whole Foods | Multiple locations | wholefoodsmarket.com



Best Toy Store:

Learning Express Toys | 3132 Heights Village | 205.970.9710 | learningexpress.com | Learning Express Toys is your "neighborhood toy store." They've got toy experts who can help you find any type of toy for any child's interest. Finalists: Homewood Toy & Hobby Shop | 2830 18th Street South | 205.879.3986 | homewoodtoy-hobby.com | Swoozie's | 305A Summit Blvd | 205.968.3458 | swoozies.com

These poll results appears in Birmingham magazine's March 2018 issue. Subscribe todayAlexander Shunnarah (Contributed)

He's probably on a billboard near you, and he's telling his story in two national legal conferences this spring.

Personal injury attorney Alexander Shunnarah will be the featured speaker at two conferences in March and April, speaking on marketing law firms.

Shunnarah, president and CEO of Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys P.C., will speak March 20 at John Romano's Workhorse Seminar, hosted by the Florida Justice Association, in Orlando. Shunnarah, accompanied by Sara Williams, the firm's managing attorney, will deliver a talk on "The Anatomy of a Winning Marketing Campaign for your Personal Injury Practice."

He will also speak April 11 at the Mass Torts Made Perfect Spectacular Spring Conference in Las Vegas, billed as the largest gathering of plaintiff mass tort attorneys in the world. His address, with Annesley Degaris, will be on "Innovative Marketing Ideas for Your Practice."

Shunnarah, in a statement, said it will be "an honor to share my insight."

"Marketing has become a key proponent of furthering a firm's presence in today's culture, therefore I am happy to share my experience and takeaways."Courtesy Salvation Army

Free Tunes and Fellowship

The Salvation Army of Coastal Alabama is hosting a free concert Byrne Memorial Hall on Spring Hill College's campus on March 9. The Salvation Army USA Southern Territorial Songsters will perform, starting at 5:30 p.m. and the public is invited to attend. Members of the national chorus represent 15 states and travel the country to promote spiritual music within the Salvation Army and model excellence in choral singing.

The Salvation Army USA Southern Territorial Songsters, March 9 at 5:30 p.m., Byrne Memorial Hall at Spring Hill College, 4000 Dauphin St., free.

Don't Edit

Mike Kittrell/AL.com

Celebrating Historic Mobile

The Historic Mobile Preservation Society is hosting a weekend full of events for its Celebrate Historic Mobile tour March 8-11. It starts with Sacred Spaces on March 8, a tour of architecture and the environment where Mobile's congregations have worshipped for 190 years. On March 9, the Legends and Libations Pub Crawl will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., touring Mobile's Historic Red Light District and ending in a comedy show. The Living Spaces tour of the DeTonti Square and Dauphin Way Historic Districts will be held March 9 and 10 and on March 11, guided Resting Places tours will visit Church Street Graveyard, Magnolia Cemetery, and the Plateau Africatown Cemetery.

Celebrate Historic Mobile tour, March 8-11. For ticket prices, a full schedule and additional details, visit historicmobiletour.com.

Don't Edit

Courtesy Darrin Bradbury

Left-of-Center Satirical Music

The Independent Music Collective is welcoming country artist Darrin Bradbury to Satori Coffee House on March 9. Based in east Nashville, Bradbury has traveled the country stopping at dive bars, listening rooms, punk houses and world-class theaters, and his adventures infuse every note of his music.

The Independent Music Collective presents Darrin Bradbury, March 9 at 8 p.m., Satori Coffee House, 5460 Old Shell Rd., $5 donation is suggested, free for University of South Alabama students.

Don't Edit

Photo by Mike Kittrell

Fun with First Responders

Kids of all ages will once again have the chance to tour -- and touch! -- fire engines and other equipment of first responders at Hank Aaron Stadium for the annual Touch A Truck event benefitting the Mitchell Cancer Institute's pediatric cancer research and Adoption Rocks. It's a hands-on opportunity to explore a variety of trucks and meet the people who build, protect and serve the community.

Touch A Truck, March 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a noise-free hour -- with no sirens, lights or horns -- from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Hank Aaron Stadium, 755 Bolling Brothers Blvd, $20 per car.

Don't Edit

Courtesy All You Need is Biology

Life, and Death, Before Dinosaurs

The Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center is offering an educational discussion about the often bizarre-looking animals that predated dinosaurs, known as synapsids, on March 8. Christian F. Kammerer, curator of paleontology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will talk about "Permian Monsters: The Worst Mass Extinction of all Time," followed by a free viewing of the Jules Verne's 1959 classic, "Journey to the Center of the Earth." Prior to the Triassic Period, the synapsids were mostly wiped out, but the few that survived paved the way for the first mammals in the rapidly changing Triassic world.

Domehead Science: "Journey to the Center of the Earth," March 8 from 6-9 p.m., Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center, 65 Government St., $10 for adults or children ($8 for members).

Don't EditAre you a traveler who likes to stay in one-of-a-kind place? A unique Alabama home is opening its doors to overnight guests, allowing them to experience what life was like for Jazz Age celebrities F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

The home where the couple lived for a short time in Montgomery, which is preserved as a museum, will begin taking guests June 1, 2018. The museum website says visitors will stay in a two-bedroom apartment inside the home. "It is the last of four surviving homes throughout their travels across the world; the rest are private residences and this is the only dedicated museum to F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald in the world," the site says.

The Fitzgeralds lived in the home with their daughter, Scottie, from 1931 to 1932. While there, they were both in the midst writing novels. Zelda was writing "Save Me The Waltz" and Scott was writing, "Tender Is The Night." Scott found the slow-paced life in a southern town boring after his typical whirlwind of parties and events and soon moved to Hollywood to work on scripts, leaving his wife and daughter in Montgomery.

After Zelda and Scottie left the home in 1932, it was divided into four apartments in what is now the Historic Cloverdale district, founded in 1892. The website says Cloverdale is "one of Montgomery's oldest and most unique neighborhoods. It is easily accessible to/from the interstate and only a mile from downtown. Within walking distance of the apartment are some of the city's premier local restaurants, bars, coffee shops and an independent movie theater. The neighborhood itself designed with walkability in mind, so every few blocks, you'll find a small greenspace."

The apartment open to guests features a full kitchen, a master bedroom with a queen bed, a smaller bedroom with two twin beds, a living room, dining room and sun porch. Included in the $150 per night rental fee, guests receive a complimentary tour of the museum, which takes up the first floor of the home.

Beginning June 1, you can book through Airbnb by clicking here. For information, email thefitzgeraldmuseum@gmail.com.Eddie Saunier has been named chief security officer of regional law firm Burr & Forman LLP.

Saunier, a Birmingham-based network engineer, will lead the overall information security program for the firm, which has 300 attorneys and 12 offices in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee.

He will also assume responsibility for managing the firm's technology and information management compliance and risk.

A UAB graduate, Saunier joined the firm in 2002 and has been responsible for managing the core servers and networking infrastructure as senior systems engineer.

CEO Ed Christian said Saunier's work "furthers our confidence in his ability to meet all the information security needs of the firm and our client information.

"Eddie will ensure we are at the forefront of best practices to provide a consistent level of data security," Christian said. "We are proud to have Eddie in this new role."UPDATE:Birmingham police announced at 8 p.m. that the victim has now died. His name is being withheld pending notification of his family.

EARLIER STORY: A man was rushed to the hospital Monday after someone opened fire on him at his southwest Birmingham home.

The shooting happened about 2 p.m. at Alameda Terrace Apartments on Alameda Court. West Precinct Sgt. Danny Woodard said the victim - an adult male - stepped out of his apartment in the 1700 block.

As he exited his home, two men inside a small vehicle opened fire with a rifle. At least a dozen shots were fired.

The victim was struck in the legs, and possibly in the neck. His condition is serious, Woodard said.

Police are searching for the suspects. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.Two women and a man have been indicted in separate killings, two of them dating back to 2016.

A Jefferson County grand jury on Feb. 9 issued indictments against Danielle Sullens, Gerald Wade Terry and Rebecca Watson. The indictments were made public on Monday.

Watson, 43, is charged with reckless murder for her role in deadly 2016 traffic crash in Dora that killed 56-year-old Tammy Gail Marie Bernard. The crash happened about 9 p.m. on May 23, 2016.

Jefferson County sheriff's deputies, as well as West Jefferson and Bagley firefighters, responded that night to a report of a single-vehicle accident in the 5900 block of Snowville-Brent Road in western Jefferson County. Once on the scene, they found a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck in a ditch. Bernard was found unconscious and trapped in the passenger's seat of the truck and had to extricated from the vehicle.

Watson was the driver. Both women were taken by ambulance to UAB Hospital.

Bernard remained in the Trauma and Burn Intensive Care Unit until June 1, 2016 when she was pronounced dead at 12:40 p.m. Authorities said information from the scene that night was that the driver - Watson - was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the wreck. Sheriff's detectives conducted an investigation that included requesting medical records and toxicology from blood drawn following the accident.

The information took several months to compile. Detectives completed their investigation and presented their findings to the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office in May of 2017. An arrest warrant was issued charging Watson with murder. By then, Watson had left the state of Alabama. She was arrested in Orange County, North Carolina for the outstanding warrant and returned to Jefferson County.

She remains in the Jefferson County Jail with bond set at $30,000.

Sullens, 24, is charged with intentional murder and second-degree assault in the September 2017 stabbing death of a Birmingham mother - 37-year-old Rashaunda "Shun" Holyfield, a Birmingham-area restaurant manager. She was killed following a dispute between her son and Sullens, police said.

Danielle Sullens

Birmingham police responded about 9:20 p.m. that night to the 7700 block of Third Avenue South on a report of a female who had been assaulted. When they arrived on the scene, they found Holyfield unresponsive. She was taken to UAB Hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

Authorities said the issue began at a gas station when the Holyfield's adult son encountered another woman, who police called the suspect and later identified as Sullens. Holyfield's son and that woman got into a physical altercation, which eventually ended.

Allegedly, Sullens then drove to Holyfield's home after leaving the gas station to confront her about her son. Once Sullens arrived, another altercation began, this time between the Holyfield and Sullens. At some point during the fight, police said, the suspect stabbed Holyfield multiple times.

Sullens remained jailed on the murder and assault charges with bond set at $140,000.

Terry, 44, of Pelham, is charged with two counts of reckless murder in the 2016 deaths of two men killed when the vehicle all three of them were in was hit by a train in Birmingham. Charles Cornelius Billups, 27, and Charles Patterson, 25, were killed. The horrific crash happened just before 11 p.m. on May 3, 2016 in the 1000 block of 15th Place S.W.

Gerald Wade Terry

Authorities at the time said Billups and Patterson were both passengers in a 2009 Ford F-150. Investigators said at the time the pickup truck was traveling northbound on 15th Place when it collided with the Norfolk Southern Railway train. The train struck the truck on the passenger side.

Terry was released from jail Aug. 3, 2018.

Trial dates have not yet been set.An Alabama Death Row inmate who survived a lethal injection execution attempt last month is asking a federal judge to block the state from trying a second time to kill him.

Doyle Lee Hamm's attorney stated in federal court documents filed Monday that Hamm was "tortured," citing a doctor's exam of the inmate following the Feb. 22 failed execution. That exam showed 11 puncture marks, according to the doctor's report.

"The defendants (Department of Corrections) acted deliberately in the face of numerous and fair warnings when, after months of litigation that put the defendants on notice about Doyle Hamm's medical conditions, they nonetheless attempted and failed to accomplish intravenous lethal injection, thereby subjecting Doyle Hamm to several torturous and traumatic hours in the execution chamber." Bernard E. Harcourt, professor of law and political science at Columbia University in New York and Hamm's long-time attorney, stated in the complaint.

"To attempt another execution, particularly in light of the torturous circumstances inflicted on Doyle Hamm during the first attempt, would be cruel and unusual, and thus unconstitutional," Harcourt states. To try again also would violate Hamm's rights against double jeopardy, he adds.

Harcourt states that the failed execution didn't happen by accident because they had warned the DOC and court for months that Hamm's veins were too weak for a lethal injection. A federal judge had ruled that the DOC could only use veins in Hamm's lower extremities before the execution attempt - a process the state had never tried.

Hamm, 61, who was convicted of killing Cullman hotel clerk Patrick Cunningham in January 1987, has lymphatic cancer and carcinoma and also has Hepatitis C, a history of seizures and epilepsy, multiple significant head injuries, and severely compromised veins due to years of intravenous drug use, according to court documents filed by Harcourt.

Harcourt stated in an email to AL.com that they are filing a petition to the circuit court of Cullman County based on double jeopardy and will soon file for a rehearing to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The complaints included a report filed by Mark J. S. Heath, a medical doctor with a practice in anesthesiology at the New York-Presbyterian/Columbia Hospital in New York City. Heath examined Hamm on Feb. 25 at the Holman Correctional Facility where most of the state's death row inmates are held.

That exam, according to a report filed with Monday's complaint, found a total of 11 lower extremities and right groin puncture wounds. Sudden bleeding by Hamm that occurred during the procedure while Hamm was strapped to the gurney in the death chamber was consistent with arterial puncture and penetration of a ureter, the bladder, the prostate gland, or the urethra, the report states.

Since the failed execution Hamm has suffered not only physically but also emotionally, according to the federal complaint. "He has had nightmares and flashbacks in which he pictures himself lying on the gurney again, being subjected again to the torturous pain that occurred on February 22, 2018. Doyle Hamm has been traumatized and lives in fear that ADOC will subject him to another painful and botched execution," the complaint states.

The night of the scheduled execution the U.S. Supreme Court had delayed the start of the lethal injection procedure but gave the go ahead about 9 p.m. and the DOC began prepping Hamm. It was after 11:30 p.m. when word came that the execution had been called off. The death warrant expired at midnight and the state would have to ask the Alabama Supreme Court to set another date.

Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn said medical personnel had advised officials that there wasn't enough time to ensure that the execution could be conducted in a humane manner. However, Dunn declined to detail the exact medical factors behind the decision, and said he didn't want to characterize them as a problem.Luna, the two-pound Chihuahua who came to Auburn for heart surgery (Auburn University)

Luna traveled over 2,600 miles to let the Auburn tigers operate on her heart.

Last month the three-month-old Chihuahua came from Seattle to Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine to undergo Patent Ductus Arteriosus--or PDA--surgery on her heart. Luna weighed just 1.76 lbs., and is the smallest patient to have the procedure at Auburn.

The surgery team believes she may be the smallest patient to ever have PDA surgery.

The procedure came after Luna's owner, Jennifer Glover, took her puppy to her local veterinarian for a "persistent, hacking cough" when Luna was just over nine weeks old, a press release from the university said. The doctor detected a heart murmur, but after more tests, diagnosed the tiny dog with PDA.

"I met with a veterinary cardiologist in Seattle, but because Luna is so small, he was reluctant to do the procedure," Glover told the university. "We began researching for veterinary hospitals where this procedure had been performed successfully and often, and we found Auburn."

PDA forms when a temporary blood vessel--the ductus arteriosus--doesn't close after birth. In serious cases, the condition can cause fatal congestive heart failure, and surgery is usually required. According to Auburn, the condition occurs in about 3,000 newborns annually and is also common among dogs.

Glover said her puppy's prognosis for a normal life span without the procedure was grim.

After several phone consultations between Glover and the Auburn veterinarians who would do the surgery, the double-coated, long-hair Chihuahua and her owner flew across the county and came to Auburn. Luna was admitted to the school's Bailey Small Animal Teaching Hospital on Feb. 8.

Dr. Harry Boothe, a veterinary surgeon who led the operation and professor of soft tissue surgery in the Department of Clinical Sciences, said while Luna was treated differently because of her size, the procedure didn't require many special changes.

Boothe said, "The exception [was] that a retractor that is typically used to separate the eyelids in horses was used to separate Luna's ribs during the procedure. A standard rib retractor would have been much too large to use in this situation."

"Surgery in small, young patients is a challenge from both an anesthetic and a surgical perspective," he said.

Boothe said Luna had to be placed on a ventilator during the surgery, and other members of the soft tissue surgery team had to make sure she didn't develop hypothermia or hypoglycemia. Members of the surgery team were surgery resident Christopher Lee, surgery technician Hayley Pritchard, associate professor of anesthesia and pain management Jacob Johnson, technician Madeline Murphy, and veterinary students Halle Thomasch and Andrea Hoover.

Boothe said Luna was Auburn's smallest PDA patient, but that she was exceptionally small compared to national studies, too. The university cited information from a 2014 study of over 500 dogs with PDAs, and discovered the smallest listed patient was 1.8 kg, and the youngest was just over three months. At the time of her surgery, Luna weighed 0.8 kg and was 2.8 months old.

Luna and her owner, Jennifer Glover (Auburn University)

Glover and Luna spent two weeks in Auburn before the operation, and for a post-surgery exam. The pup was cleared, and discharged from the hospital on Feb. 12. While Luna will need to be checked by her local veterinarian in six months, she should completely recover and live a long, healthy, and normal life.

"I am so pleased with the level of care that we received at Auburn," Glover said. "Hayley and Dr. Boothe talked with me for a long time to ease my anxiety about Luna and the surgery. I was very nervous, but they calmed me. They even gave me their contact phone numbers and sent photos of Luna. That helped keep my stress level down."A 36-year-old Selma man has pleaded guilty to break-ins at two Dallas County businesses.

Jamarro Bolden was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday by Dallas County Circuit Judge Donald McMillian. Both burglaries happened in 2016.

The first happened on May 14 at Calhoun's Food on Chestnut Boulevard. The second took place three days later - on May 17 - at Mr. Roy's on West Highland Avenue.

In that case, police arrived on the scene to find that the sliding glass door had been shattered in order for the suspect to gain entry. Investigators determined that eight cartons of Newport cigarettes, as well as the vault key, were missing. The key was missing because it was in the garbage can that the suspect used to transport the stolen items.

"We are going to keep cracking down on burglars and thieves,'' said Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson. "If he wanted to smoke some cigarettes, he should have just paid for them."The 20-year-old man who was arrested last month four days after AL.com published critical comments he made about Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin has been released from jail amid a public outcry over his arrest.

Matthew Qualls accepted a plea deal last week that required him to plead guilty to first-degree marijuana possession, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to court records. He was initially arrested Feb. 22 on multiple charges including felony drug trafficking.

In exchange for accepting the deal, Qualls was released from custody on Friday and no longer faces the trafficking charge, which carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence. As a first-time offender he will participate in the Etowah County Drug Court program instead of going through the criminal court system, according to his Gadsden-based attorney, Sam Bone.

"If Mr. Qualls successfully completes the drug court program, his charges will be dismissed," Bone said via email. "In addition, if his charges are dismissed, he will be eligible to apply for an expungement of the entire criminal record of arrest and the criminal charges."

In order to satisfy the drug court requirements, Qualls must sign up for random drug screenings and complete substance abuse classes, Bone said.

A Feb. 27 AL.com article detailing Qualls's arrest has been viewed more than 196,000 times and reached the front page of the popular website Reddit. A number of Reddit users posted comments on the site stating that they called and emailed the Etowah County Sheriff's Office to voice their concerns about his arrest and demand that he be released. Facebook users from Etowah County and beyond also posted dozens of comments criticizing the way Qualls was treated.

Natalie Barton, a spokeswoman for the Etowah County Sheriff's Office, provided a brief statement Tuesday morning.

"Matthew Qualls was released from the Etowah County Detention Center on Friday," she said via email.

"The Etowah County Sheriff's Office does not have information concerning any court actions concerning Mr. Qualls. You will need to contact the Etowah County District Attorney's Office or his attorney."

The district attorney's office declined to comment Tuesday. The cellphone that Qualls used as of last month appeared to not be accepting calls on Monday or Tuesday, and his mother declined to comment.

Matthew Qualls was released from the Etowah County jail on Friday. (Etowah County Sheriff's Office)

Prior to the plea deal, Qualls faced years behind bars for charges stemming from his Feb. 22 arrest. The Etowah County Sheriff's Office charged him with being in possession of about 2.297 pounds of cannabis at the time of his arrest. Under Alabama state law, possessing more than 2.2 pounds of marijuana - the threshold for trafficking - carries a mandatory minimum sentence of three years in prison.

He did not possess pounds of marijuana buds or leaves, but was instead found to be in possession of a quantity of cannabis-infused butter, according to the police report.

"Once that marijuana was mixed with the butter then the whole butter becomes marijuana, and that's what we weighed," Phil Sims, deputy commander of the Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit, said last week.

Qualls was arrested four days after AL.com published a story about some Alabama sheriffs personally pocketing tens of thousands of dollars allocated by federal, state and municipal governments to feed inmates in the county jails they oversee. The sheriffs argue that a state law dating to before World War II allows them to keep any of the funds that they do not end up spending to feed inmates.

On Jan. 5, two legal advocacy groups filed a lawsuit demanding that 49 Alabama sheriffs provide records of how they spend the inmate food funds. The lawsuit was the latest salvo in a years-long controversy over the practice.

A Feb. 18 article published by AL.com quoted Qualls as saying last month that Entrekin hired him in 2015 to mow the lawns at the Hokes Bluff homes of Entrekin and his parents. Qualls said the sheriff paid him $10 an hour over a period of several months via checks that had the words "Sheriff Todd Entrekin Food Provision Account" printed in the upper-left corner. AL.com has reviewed a photograph of one such check.

"I saw that in the corner of the checks it said Food Provision, and a couple people I knew came through the jail, and they say they got meat maybe once a month and every other day it was just beans and vegetables," Qualls told Al.com last month. "I put two and two together and realized that that money could have gone toward some meat or something."

Entrekin confirmed in a phone interview with AL.com last month that he does "have an account that says Food Provision on it," though he declined to provide any information about how the inmate feeding funds are used.

"The sheriffs are being sued statewide about how this money is being used ... I'm not commenting on that because there's a lawsuit pending," he said at the time.

Want access to the best analysis and in-depth reporting about Alabama each week? Sign up for the weekly Reckon Report newsletter and follow Reckon on Facebook and Twitter.Clifford Devon Harris

Authorities have released the name of a man gunned down in southwest Birmingham Monday afternoon.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the victim as Clifford Devon Harris. He was 29.

The shooting happened about 1:30 p.m. at Alameda Terrace Apartments on Alameda Court. Police said a hail of gunfire erupted when Harris walked out of an apartment in the 1700 block, striking the victim multiple times.

Onlookers described the shooting as an apparent ambush. Harris was struck in the legs and possibly the neck. He was taken to UAB Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:17 p.m. in UAB's Trauma and Burn Intensive Care Unit.

Police have not yet released a motive in the slaying, but court records show Harris was arrested Feb. 1 on an attempted murder charge. That charge stemmed from a Dec. 25, 2017 incident that left another Birmingham man with multiple gunshot wounds. He survived.

Harris was arrested in connection with that shooting on Feb. 1, the same day a friend of the December victim's was shot while he was helping the December victim and his family move.

In that case, the victim, an adult male, was in a Metro rental truck in the 1300 block of 45th Street when gunfire erupted, possibly from an assault-type rifle. The shooting happened about 11:45 a.m. and was carried out by a couple of black males, police said.

He was at the home helping a friend whose family was moving out of the house. Residents in the area said they heard at least five to six shots fired from what they believed to be an AK-47, but police evidence markers indicated there were more. The bullets shattered the truck's glass and struck the man in the head. The truck then rolled backward, hitting a utility pole and losing part of the truck's cargo.

Birmingham police Capt. Sean Edwards said at the time that the victim was not the intended target. "It's apparent there's some type of feud going on, some type of violence that took place with him (the intended target),'' Edwards said. "They were looking for him and just started recklessly shooting at an individual that was actually up here to help them move."

Investigators have not confirmed whether Harris' death is linked to the ongoing feud, which is believed to have started over a homicide last year. Area residents said multiple rifle shots were recently fired in the same area near the Alameda apartments.

Harris is Birmingham's 19th homicide victim this year. In all of Jefferson County, there have been 28 homicides, including the 19 in Birmingham.

Anyone with information is asked to call Birmingham police homicide investigators at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.Ellison engaging with Alabama grass-roots leaders

Keith Ellison never met his grandfather. Frank Martinez, who lived in Natchitoches, LA, died before Keith was born, in 1963, a seminal year in the evolution of civil rights in this nation. Yet Clida schooled her five boys about the man who was organizing and registering black voters back in the 1950s.

Who had to fill his car with tractor gasoline because he was not allowed to buy gas at the local station.

Who was tied to a tree by local whites.

Who walked out of his home on Lee Street one evening to see a cross burning in the field across the street.

Ellison was born in Detroit and is now the U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 5th Congressional District and Deputy Chair of the Democratic National Committee.

He's never lived in the South but calls it a "wonderful part of my own personal heritage."

"My mother taught us those things [about my grandfather], brought us up with those lessons," Ellison said recently, during a trip to Alabama. "So, to me, the civil rights movement is in my blood; it affects me on a cellular level.

"But I will say this: My grandfather would be so disappointed if all I did was memorialize his contributions. He'd say: What are you doing now? Carry the baton forward!"

Ellison is doing plenty in attempting to stir a party that is chomping at the bit to take advantage of the boiling frustration and displeasure with President Donald Trump and get at Republicans in numerous races across the nation this year. ("It used to be in our bylaws that the DNC existed solely to elect a Democratic president," Ellison said. "We have changed that. We work now to elect people up and down the ballot.")

And buoyed by Sen. Doug Jones' victory over Republican Roy Moore in last December's special election, Alabama--where no Democrat had won a statewide office since 2006; and where Dems in the state legislature have been all-but Republican play toys since losing the House and Senate majorities in 2010--is no longer being ignored by the DNC.

Here was Ellison, traversing Alabama last week, stoking the fires with state Democratic legislative and grass-roots leaders--including several African-American women on Saturday who played key roles in creating the historic turnout of black voters who were critical to Jones' victory.

It may seem delusional, particularly given the atrophied, neglected state of the Democratic party hierarchy in this state, but Keith and the DNC, suddenly see Alabama as a bell-weather state and are burning up frequent-flyer miles to get to us.

"Alabama is in play," Ellison said. "Alabama is leading the way. Alabama is showing people how to do it.

"The whole country knows Alabama made a dramatic statement."

Ellison and the Dems are banking on the banality that is this presidency to inspire voter turnout in races where Republicans have chosen to remain silent and/or inert as Trump and national leaders stumble through their "agenda" like participants in a pillow case race.

"There's Donald Trump and there Trumpism," Ellison said. "Trumpism is greed at the highest levels coupled with racism and hate. Roy Moore is a perfect example of Trumpism, and Alabama defeated Trumpism. If you guys can do it maybe we can scale it across the country. Maybe we can scale it in Alabama to take back the state legislature, city councils, and other local races."

Ellison is almost giddy as he speaks of the opportunity for the party, particularly to engage political groups and people who may be disgusted with Republican policies that have only further widened the nation's already-cavernous rich-poor divide but don't want to align with either party.

And years after Republicans successfully hijacked being the party of "values," the Dems are trying to reclaim it.

"I'm going around to various states to talk with Democrats but also people who believe it Democratic values but don't want to organize under the Democratic banner," Ellison said. "As long as you care about creating an economic chance for everybody and inclusion for everybody. If you believe in those two things, we want to work with you.

"If I could find a Republican who would help people get healthcare, have clean water and fight against racism, I'd be cool with them."

It all sounds good right now, but elections are still months away and Ellison is well aware that excitement can breed overconfidence or the false sense that voters will simply mark their ballots against a Republican rather than for a Democrat.

"Our biggest weakness is complacency or the thought that, '[Trump's] so bad people are just gonna vote him out'," he admitted. "This is wrong. That's really the story of Alabama. It's hard to imagine a more horrible, loathsome person that Roy Moore. Thrown out of public office because he refused to follow the Constitution. Pedophile. He's corrupt financially, and then on top of that, he's really religious, so he's a hypocrite. He is worst guy ever....and people thought, 'Oh, that's enough to beat him.' No, it isn't. Democrats can't rest on the badness of their opponents. We've got to offer programs.

Let's be truthful now. The Democratic party has bumbled through its own ineptitude for years, ignoring dissatisfied factions of traditional supporters and failing to craft a message that resonates with people.

To alter that, Ellison and the DNC are attempting to build their message around healthcare, inclusion, raising the minimum wage, improving schools and investing in the kind of long-neglected infrastructure that created the horrors in Lowndes County where an aging (or non-existent) municipal sewage system led to cases of hookworm among the area's poor residents.

"This is a national disgrace," he said. "There should not be one single child in the United States of America suffering from an illness that is essentially an illness of poverty because adults refuse to make sure that child's sewer system is functioning properly.

"When Republicans win bad things happen to people. People don't get healthcare; they try to take it away. The unions' right to organize is attacked. They just make sure they get rich people more, more, more money."

That Jones is sitting in the U.S. Senate is a testament to the grass-roots efforts of the likes of groups such as Indivisible Alabama, the Black Women's Roundtable, Woke Vote, Vote or Die and many others--not the state party.

If what happened last December has any chance of becoming sustainable, that must change for the moribund and resource-starved state party, which, after years of neglect from the DNC, needs to rebuild its own grassroots infrastructure and technology platforms.

Ellison wouldn't comment on current party leadership of the Alabama Democratic party but outlined how the DNC, after struggling to right itself following the defeats in 2016, is finally providing more resources to state parties nationwide, including a $10,000 monthly stipend (up for $7,500), and grants from the new $10 million State Party Innovation Fund, a competitive program to support early-stage efforts to engage African-American, Latino, Asian, millennial and rural voters.

In January, $1 million was distributed among 11 states. Alabama was not among them, although more grants are expected to be announced within the next few months.

"We believe in Alabama," Ellison said. "We're grateful to Alabama. Alabama gave us Jimmie Lee Jackson. Congressman John Lewis. It is Alabama that really struck a fatal blow against Jim Crow segregation. This country owes Alabama.

"I think the great leaders of the civil rights movement--Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and all who did so much for us here--they expect us to fight for people today."

Just like Frank Martinez.

Roy S. Johnson's column appears in The Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register and AL.com. Hit me up at rjohnson@al.com or/and follow me at twitter.com/roysj.Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey created a council to study school safety and said it should consider all ideas on their merits, including arming school personnel, an idea Ivey previously had expressed skepticism about.

Ivey said she wanted the ideas on a fast track, asking for a report by April 30. She outlined what she called a four-pronged approach - securing schools, engagement and intervention with students who are identified as posing risks of violence, updating and standardizing emergency operation plans and formation of the council.

The governor endorsed one specific proposal, a Senate bill that would allow school systems to use money from an advancement and technology fund for security.

Local systems could use the money to hire school resource officers or for surveillance cameras, metal detectors of whatever they thought best fit their schools' needs, the governor said.

Interim State Superintendent Ed Richardson also supported that idea. Richardson said there is about $41 million available in the advancement and technology fund.

"We have many isolated, poorly funded school systems that do not have the resources to be able to afford security measures," Richardson said.

Richardson, who spoke at a press conference with the governor, said Ivey's framework was a good approach to a complex problem.

"There's not one plan that will fit everyone," Richardson said. "This could happen as easily in one of our rural school systems as well as in urban."

Watch as Gov. Ivey unveils the framework for her school safety initiative. Posted by al.com on Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Ivey's announcement comes almost three weeks after the mass shooting that claimed 17 lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

Ivey says all ideas should be considered, including arming school personnel.  Mike Cason (@MikeCasonAL) March 6, 2018

Ivey announcing four-prong approach: Smart on Safety Initiative.  Mike Cason (@MikeCasonAL) March 6, 2018

The tragedy has sparked an examination of school security in Alabama and other states. Alabama lawmakers have proposed training and arming some teachers, volunteer security teams supervised by sheriffs, raising the minimum age to buy some semiautomatic rifles and other ideas to improve school safety.

None of the Alabama legislation has moved close to becoming law.

Ivey signed an executive order today creating the Securing Alabama Facilities of Education (SAFE) Council. It will include the top state officials in law enforcement, education, mental health and information technology.

Ivey requested a report from the group by April 30.

"From arming school personnel, utilizing security teams or controlled access to buildings, all ideas should be considered," Ivey said.

Ivey, a one-time teacher, had previously declined to endorse the idea of arming some teachers.

Asked about that today, she said she would wait on recommendations from the council before taking a position.

The governor was also asked whether she would support new firearms restrictions, which some legislators have proposed.

She did not give a definitive answer but expressed doubt about whether that would be effective.

"Our research shows us that just by forbidding a special type gun from being sold is not going to fix the problem because they can use dynamite or anything," Ivey said. "Those particular kind of specific proposals will be brought to the SAFE Council and they will make a recommendation on it."

Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Montrose, introduced the bill to allow use of the advancement and technology fund for school security. The fund was set up to receive a portion of education revenues when the revenues exceed the annual spending cap. The Legislature specifies how the money can be used. Pittman's bill would add security measures to the allowed uses.

Federal civil rights data showed that during the 2013-2014 school year, 33 Alabama school districts did not have any law enforcement officers in any of their schools.

Thirty-nine districts had a sworn officer assigned to every school, while 61 districts had an officer in one or more but not all of their schools.

Ivey called one part of her plan, "we know our kids."

Schools will be required to develop a plan for identifying students who are potentially violent. That would involve collaboration with law enforcement and mental health professionals, the governor said.

"Parents, teachers and administrators know our students better than anyone else, and they're in the best position to identify potential problems and to address those," Ivey said. "If you see something, say something."

Ivey asked the Department of Education to standardize emergency operations plans and to require schools to train students and staff in emergency response.

"How a school responds to a crisis situation shouldn't just be in writing," Ivey said. "It should become part of the school's regular, routine operations."

Richardson echoed the need for upgrading emergency operations plans and the need for regular drills to expose gaps in those plans.

AL.com's Trisha Powell Crain contributed to this report.Students in Alabama's schools are responding to the shooting of 17 students and staff at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by organizing walkouts and marches to call attention to the need for better ways to keep them safe at school.

At least three nationwide events are planned. Events are being shared largely through social media, with details on the events being released and shared through multiple platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram.

Two of those events are walkouts held during the school day. The question many are asking is whether students will be punished for participating in the walkout.

That is a decision left up to local school officials. The ACLU conducted a national online training on March 1 and cautioned public and private school K-12 students to be aware that school officials could levy punishments for students who participate.

Shelby County Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lewis Brooks told AL.com, "We do not have plans to punish students, but rather are working with them on ways to peacefully express themselves as it relates to these recent tragic events and the real concerns they have."

"Our goal is to work with students to protest in such as way that is not substantially disruptive to the school day," he said. "We want to use this as a teachable moment as they learn to deal with important social issues."

Brooks said recommendations for alternatives to the walkout are being discussed among principals.

March 14 - National School Walkout - Wednesday

This is a planned walkout, scheduled nationwide, for 10 a.m. in each respective time zone. The walkout will last 17 minutes in honor of the 17 victims, according to national organizers.

According to The Action Network, the walkout is being held "to protest Congress' inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods....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."

The group has a page to add locations of walkouts, but it's unclear who has the authority to add a high school's name to the list. The list is searchable by location.

As of the time this article was published, six Alabama schools, five public and one private, were listed as participating in the walkout.

The Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham sent a message to parents and students that anyone who wants to participate on the 14th can do so.

Many students have been asking questions about how to organize a walkout in your own school.@WomensMarchY put together this toolkit with everything you'll need to know about how to participate in and organize a school walkout on March 14th.https://t.co/REJHjVR3W4#ENOUGH pic.twitter.com/5wWdJW3hqL  Women's March (@womensmarch) February 28, 2018

March 24 - March for Our Lives - Saturday

The national March for Our Lives sprung up in the days following the Parkland shooting. Students are at the forefront of the march efforts, and more than 400 marches are being held worldwide.

Ashley Causey, a senior at Helena High School in Shelby County, helped organize a March for Our Lives Birmingham Facebook group, which currently has more than 4,000 members.

The Birmingham March for Our Lives will be held at Railroad Park in Birmingham beginning at 2 p.m. Student organizers are asking participants to wear blue during the march. Official merchandise is only being sold through the national group's merchandise page.

Tuscaloosa has a Facebook group with more than 300 members, and they plan to march in Birmingham on the 24th.

The Wiregrass region, which includes Dothan in southwest Alabama, also has a Facebook group, with more than 400 members. The event is listed on Facebook as starting at 11 a.m., but permits are still being secured for a location for the march.

Montgomery's March for Our Lives Facebook group has more than 150 members. The march is planned for the state Capitol building, but no additional details have been published.

Facebook lists a March in Mobile at Public Safety Memorial Park beginning at 1 p.m. "to peacefully march against the current lack of gun regulations and mourn the loss of those involved in school shootings."

A march will be held in Huntsville, according to the national website, but not until Saturday, April 21.

The national March is being held in Washington, D.C., where survivors of the Parkland shooting will participate.

Find more information on Twitter using the hashtag #Enough or #MarchForOurLives.

April 20 - National School Walkout - Friday

The April 20 walkout was initiated by 15-year-old Connecticut resident Lane Murdock barely two days after the Feb. 14 Parkland shooting. The event starts at 10 a.m. and students are asked to walk out of class for the rest of their school day.

So, what's our plan? On Friday, April 20th, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting we propose a National High School walk out. Don't attend school, wear orange and protest. Sign the petition on our page if you pledge to do so. #nationalwalkout #schoolwalkout  National School Walkout (@schoolwalkoutUS) February 16, 2018

Murdock has said in media reports that her awakening came after the December 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting, where 20 first-grade students and six faculty were killed by a gunman. Her high school, she said, is 20 minutes from Sandy Hook.

My least favorite question is "Why did you start this movement?". I tell them story on why but it feels so simple. I'm tired of kids having no voice, especially when their friends and family are getting shot down in schools. Is that so hard to understand.  Lane Murdock (@lanemurdock2002) February 28, 2018

The national event page, where schools sign up to participate, lists 10 Alabama high schools that are participating. Again, it's unclear who signed the school up, but so far no school system has declared their participation.

The group has 122,000 followers on Twitter. Participants are using the hashtag #NationalSchoolWalkout on Twitter.Two people were hospitalized Monday night after they were shot in East Hickory Street in Bay Minette, according to WKRG News 5.

Bay Minette police responded to a call of shots fired and someone shot in the 200 block of East Hickory Street just before 8 p.m. Officers arrived found a man shot in the chest and in the leg. He was transported to USA Medical Center, police said.

Later, a woman arrived at North Baldwin Infirmary with a gunshot wound to the chest, police said.

She was transported to USA Medical Center by medical helicopter, police said.

Police told WKRG their condition is unknown.

Additional details about the shooting were not immediately available.A woman missing overnight Monday was found unconscious Tuesday morning in a wooded area west of Mobile near the Mississippi line.

A Mobile police spokeswoman said Tuesday that the woman was reported missing by her husband. She appears to be recovering and foul play is not suspected.

According to information released by the Mobile County Sheriff's Office, the MCSO received word on Monday that Matilde Sherman, 55, had been reported missing. Deputies found her vehicle parked on the shoulder of Grand Bay-Wilmer Road, about a mile north of Airport Boulevard. Deputies and Mobile police intelligence officers used drones to search the area, and K-9 units also were deployed.

At about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday an MCSO K-9 unit found Sherman unconscious in a wooded area. She was taken to an area hospital; Charlotte Solis, a public information officer with the Mobile Police Department, said Sherman had regained consciousness, but no other information on her condition was available.

Solis said police were not seeking any suspects in conjunction with the case.Nashville Mayor Megan Barry resigned Tuesday after pleading guilty to felony theft charges.

Barry agreed to reimburse the city $10,000 and serve three years probation, according to local media reports. The resignation and plea comes amid investigations into her affair with her former bodyguard police Sgt. Rob Forrest.

In a statement, Barry said while her time as "mayor concludes today," her "unwavering love and sincere affection for this wonderful city and its great people shall never come to an end."

"It's a continued climb that I will watch, but I will watch as a private citizen, and I will be tremendously proud nonetheless," she said, adding she hoped that her "own actions will not tarnish or otherwise detract" from the work going on in the city.

The resignation puts Vice Mayor David Briley into the mayor's post.

Barry, a Democrat, was elected in 2015.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation had been investigating Barry's relationship with Forrest since the married mayor confirmed this year the two had an affair in 2016. Forrest, who is also married, retired Jan. 17 after reports of the relationship emerged.

Last week, a Nashville judge issued a search warrant seeking possession of the mayor's cellphone.

TBI claimed the affair had occurred while the two were traveling on official business and Forrest was being paid by the city. Among the evidence cited by TBI was nude photos of a woman taken from Forrest's phone.

According to the Tennessean, Barry and Forrest attended 10 city-funded trips by themselves, including conferences to Paris, Greece and Washington, D.C. Forrest earned $173,843 in overtime from July 2015 to January of this year, records show.Democratic gubernatorial candidate Sue Bell Cobb kicked off her campaign Monday night by telling supporters she is in favor of a lottery, increasing the minimum wage and fully funding Medicaid.

Cobb, a former Alabama State Supreme Court chief justice who was the youngest trial judge in state history when she was appointed Conecuh County district judge in 1981, also said incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey represents "failed leadership," and alluded to the string of scandals that plagued the highest levels of state government in recent years.

"If you're tired of the do-nothing, status quo leadership, join us. If you're tired of the corrupt politics that's been going on, join us. If you're tired of Alabama being at the bottom of all the good categories and at the top of all the bad ones, join us. If you're ready for honest, thoughtful planning for a more prosperous future, it's time to join us," Cobb said at her campaign headquarters in Montgomery. "You know why? We're going to win."

Cobb claimed the first step to getting the state on the right track is to pass a lottery. Under her plan, proceeds from lottery tickets would be allocated for education and workforce development.

"We've been sending our money to Tennessee, Florida, Georgia. People in Alabama thinks it's plain stupid that we don't have a lottery," she said. "Is it the best way to raise money? Probably not. But it's needed revenue we can keep from going out of state and bring it back home."

Cobb said she also supports Medicaid expansion, but inaccurately said Ivey's hometown hospital in Wilcox County recently closed. There were reports that Camden Hospital closed but the governor's office said the decision was reversed and the facility remains open.

"Our present leadership, which is a failed leadership - what they have been doing is ignoring this important problem," she said. "They have not been discussing ... fully funding Medicaid actually provides access to health care for all of us."

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate, whose main rival in the primary is Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, said she also supports increasing the state's minimum wage. Cobb pointed out that Alabama is fourth in the nation in percentage of jobs that are minimum wage, and that the average age of such earners is 35 years old.

"It's a myth that it's just teenagers," she said.

Cobb said she also supports "local rule."

"We must do something to allow the elected officials - county and city - to do the right things for their local communities," she said.

Vanzetta McPherson, a lawyer and supporter of Cobb, said she had the "competence, character and commitment" to be governor.

"What we have in Sue Bell Cobb is a political gift," she said. "We can embrace [her] without worrying about which jail she was in 20 years ago, whose husband she stole 30 years ago or which child she neglected 10 years ago."

Mark Johnson, an independent candidate for governor who dropped out in January, is a Cobb campaign surrogate along with his wife, Maggie, helping with outreach to educators and environmental leaders. He said Cobb "shares our values and dreams far more than any other candidate."

"Sue bell is going to be the governor of all our little children in the state. She's going to be the best governor in a long time," he said. "Us guys, we've messed it up, haven't we? We've had our chance. I think we need a progressive woman governor, don't y'all?"

Updated March 7 at 1:10 p.m. to clarify that Camden Hospital remains open.Three months ago, the Doug Jones campaign had to turn down interview requests from international journalists because of a crush of worldwide media interest in Alabama's special Senate election.

Three months later, and marking 90 days before the June 5 primary, political observers in Alabama are wondering if anyone is paying attention to Alabama's governor's race.

"Boring and vanilla," said Jess Brown, a retired Athens State University political science professor.

Said Sam Fisher, a political science professor at the University of South Alabama: "I don't hear people talking about it."

But to others, a snoozer of a campaign may offer a relief for Alabama voters unaccustomed to the attention the state got during the waning days of the Dec. 12 election.

"They are tired of the drama," said Angi Stalnaker, a Republican campaign strategist based in Montgomery. "They are looking for a drama-free race."

Added Wayne Flynt, a respected historian in Alabama: "Boring is not necessarily bad in Alabama."

'Hers to lose'

The governor's race is crowded - four Republicans, and six Democrats are qualified to run for the state's top executive seat. But, as almost everyone has rightfully pointed out, it's been a yawner of a follow-up to last year's roaring Senate contest between Jones and Republican Roy Moore, which Jones won.

Perhaps it's just early. Candidates believe the race will heat up ahead of the primary. Democrats, emboldened following the Jones win, believe it's the potential general election matchups providing the most intrigue, and those campaigns aren't likely to stir until the fall.

"I think what you have had occur is a bit of a hangover from the contentious Senate race, and then the Legislature going into session in January," said Chip Hill, spokesman for Tuscaloosa Walt Maddox's Democratic campaign for governor. "I think that has sucked up a lot of the political air."

Political analysts believe that the politician benefiting the most from the low-key campaign is current Gov. Kay Ivey. The understated governor is running on a message of economic recovery following a "steady the ship" message she often talked about following former Gov. Robert Bentley's tumultuous exit from office 11 months ago.

"I think short of Governor Ivey making a major misstep, which I think is highly unlikely, this is hers to lose," said Stalnaker.

There are some hints of political needling ahead, which opponents hope will knock Ivey off her perch. Last week, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle accused the governor of spending more time at cocktail parties than at work, an accusation he said wasn't meant as personal. He said the comment underlined a perception that Montgomery is dominated by special interests, and he has pushed to change that culture.

"The perception of Montgomery is that you leave session and then go to a cocktail party and then there are two others to go to later that night," said Battle. "No one else does that in government."

Battle has since challenged Ivey, and the other GOP governor candidates - Scott Dawson of Birmingham and state Sen. Bill Hightower of Mobile - to seven debates, each held in a congressional district. Ivey's campaign said the governor is willing to debate, but it's unclear how many she is attend.

Said Battle: "You need to be out there with the people and talking to the people. We haven't seen that so far (from Ivey)."

Dawson and Hightower are also weighing in on the "cocktail party" comment.

Hightower said its underscores a problem with perceptions that Montgomery caters to big-money lobbyists, not the public.

"That cocktail comment just reflects one of the things that needs to change in Montgomery," said Hightower, who favors term limits as one way to address the matter.

Dawson said he's been disappointed in the lack of a debate-styled formats involving all the candidates. For the past two months, candidates have attended forums hosted by council political parties. They've also attended Rotary or business club events, women's clubs and other small-size gatherings.

"It's a critical election for the future and hopefully there will be a time that we'll be on stage, together and have (the audience) ask the questions," he said.

'Getting started'

Ivey is reaping the benefits of incumbency, and campaign documents show that she has outpaced her rivals in fundraising. Ivey, as of late last month, has raised nearly $2.8 million, and has more than $2.1 million in the bank.

Battle has shown some fundraising chops of his own, raising more than $1.7 million with $1.3 million cash on hand.

In an email on Friday, Battle highlighted the support from 1,000 individual donors. He also criticized Ivey for relying on political action committee support more than anybody else running for governor.

"If you want to look at individual contributions versus individual contributions, we match her dollar-to-dollar," said Battle. "If you want to look at PACs, which represent special interests, she has over 80. The three of us in the campaign, we have had 17. (PACs are) people saying, 'I like what is happening in Montgomery and I'd like to see it continue to happen in Montgomery.'"

Ivey's campaign responded Friday, in a statement: "We understand that desperate politicians like Mr. Battle will throw around campaign rhetoric, but their rhetoric doesn't match reality."

The campaign went on to tout Alabama's flurry of good economic news in recent months, such as low unemployment and investment in pre-K education, and banning lobbyists and appointments in the executive branch.

In addition, Ivey's campaign touted the state's efforts in wooing an estimated 4,000 jobs to the Huntsville area - in Battle's backyard - with the announcement in January of a Toyota-Mazda manufacturing plant.

"And she's just getting started," the statement reads.

'Craving relatability'

For Flynt, Brown and other state political observers, a lack of "bold" initiatives coming from candidates other than Ivey only benefits the sitting governor.

"She can continue with the status quo and say the economy is good, that I inherited a mess and she can stay with that," said Brown, the retired Athens State professor. "No one else is giving rank-and-file voters in these primaries a reason to really wed themselves to an individual based on an issue or something."

The governor, who has been involved in state politics since 1979, also benefits from statewide name recognition.

"She's got the name recognition," said Fisher, political science professor at USA. "The others, they are known in their areas. But outside of Huntsville or lower Alabama, those people's names won't be known as compared to Kay Ivey. And given a choice of the name they know or the name they don't know, they will go with the name they know."

Flynt, a professor emeritus in the history department at Auburn University, said relatability to voters could also be a concern for those challenging Ivey. He said voters will likely be able to relate more to the folksy governor, a native of rural Wilcox County, than they would to the more button-downed Battle.

"She comes across as someone who is a little more caring," said Flynt.

Stalnaker said Battle, while "polished and distinguished" as Huntsville's mayor, will have problems relating to rural and more low-income voters.

"When you see Tommy Battle, he looks like the well-dressed and well-spoken politician you'd see in a movie if you were to cast a southern politician," she said. "If you see Kay Ivey, you see someone you can sit down with on Sunday with the family. That's a relatability that I think Alabamians are craving right now."

Brown said that image concern is one reason why Battle utilized a "populist tinged" cocktail party remark to describe the governor.

"I don't think it does Battle any harm," said Brown. "But in a Republican primary, I'm not sure it did him any good."

Flynt said Battle's remark was meant to woo Moore voters, or the evangelical conservatives who are a dominate voter base in Alabama.

"It was an attempt to identify with the Roy Moore vote and has a hint of Wallacism of it with snobbery of elites and intellectuals and is trying to identify with the common folk," Flynt said. "Huntsville is not the place where you come from if you want to identify with the rural voice of Alabama."

'Get attention'

Battle isn't the only one trying to push Ivey aside. Hightower, a state senator since 2013, said the reason people may be labeling the campaign as "boring" is because of Ivey.

"As far as how the race looks now, I think what you need to do is look who is leading and let that be a reflection on why people aren't excited," said Hightower. "They are not excited about the leadership that has been there for 20-plus years."

Dawson said he believes his campaign is poised to generate excitement. He is the only candidate, thus far in the governor's race, to attract outside attention from a political celebrity: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will speak at Dawson's kickoff rally on March 19 in Pelham.

"I think we are now starting to get some attention," said Dawson, who calls Huckabee a friend for the past two decades, and who endorsed his candidacy in October. He expects the kickoff rally to draw 500 to 600 people.

"The average Alabamian is hard at work trying to provide for their family. They do not have time to think about an election (months) in advance," he added.

Flynt, the historian, is hopeful someone will make a bold splash into the campaign. He said the message he's gotten from the early portions of the governor's race is "they are telling me how terrific everyone is here and that they don't need to make any changes."

Said Flynt, "Thus far, the Republican campaign strikes me as being rooted in the past. It doesn't strike me as a bold campaign that tells me why Alabama is going to be dealing with its real issues and economic development challenges."

He added, "I don't think anyone who seriously looks to the future believes that the announcement of a Toyota plant will deal with systematic workforce preparation and early childhood training and one of the poorest prepared education workforces in the country."Two men are in critical condition after two separate shootings Monday night, Tuscaloosa police said.

Police responded to a reported shooting in the 600 block of Dogwood Lane around 8:15 p.m. and found an 18-year-old male suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach, police said. He was transported to DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, where he is in critical condition, police said.

Investigators later learned the victim was standing outside with other people when someone in a car driving by shot him, police said.

About 30 minutes later, police responded to a shooting in the 2800 block of Short 16th Street. Police responded and found a 29-year-old male had been shot in the chest.

He was also transported to DCH Regional Medical Center, where he is also in critical condition, police said.

Police said the victim was at a party prior to the shooting. It is currently unknown if the party is connected to the shooting.

Police are attempting to identify suspects and motives in both shootings.

Additional information about the shootings were not immediately available.In the remote Campbell Island, situated more than 600 km south of New Zealands mainland, grows a solitary Sitka spruce that has gained distinction as the loneliest tree on earth. Its nearest neighbor is over 220 km away, on the Auckland Islands, while the nearest member of its own species is on another hemisphere altogether, across the Pacific. So how did this lonely Sitka spruce come to be where it is?

Campbell Island is one of New Zealands most southern island. It is located in a region dominated by fierce westerly windsthe Furious Fifties that doesnt allow anything taller than a few feet to grow. The weather, while not freezing, is far from pleasant. Temperatures rarely climb above 10 degree centigrade. Everyday is cloudy and most days are rainy. There are only 40 rain-free days on Campbell Island, and barely 600 hours of sunshine per yearthats an average of less than two hours a day. The only plants that survive these conditions are a kind of perennial herbs called megaherbs. They are so called because they grow unusually big with leaves as large as a sheet of printer papera strategy they have adopted to make the best use of whatever little sunshine they receive.

Photo credit: chsgardens.co.nz

Sitka spruce doesnt grow anywhere around this region. In fact, there are no Sitka spruce anywhere in the southern hemisphere. The only place the tree grows natively is a narrow belt on the west coast of North America, that stretches from southern Alaska and British Columbia to northern California.

The spruce on Campbell Island is thought to have been planted by Lord Ranfurly, who was the governor general of New Zealand from 1897 to 1904. Ranfurly planted the tree while on an expedition to New Zealands outlying islands to collect bird specimens for the British Museum, sometime between 1901 and 1907. Although the tree survivedthanks to its natural preference to cold and wet climateit hasnt exactly flourished. After all these years, its barely 10 meters tall, according to the most recent measurement made in 2011. Back in its native land, it would have stood at least 60 meters tall. The tree, despite being over a hundred years old, has never bore a cone, suggesting it has remained in a permanently juvenile state.

The trees stunted growth is partly due to the oceanic climate, and partly due to the fact that its trunk was routinely chopped down by the staff of the meteorological station that operated there until 1958. There are no natural forest in Campbell Island, and the Sitka spruce was their only source of a Christmas tree.

A New Epoch

This extraordinary tree, planted far from its natural habitat, has also become a marker for the changes humans have made to the planetthe so called golden spike.

Over the past few decades, scientists have been proposing a new geological epoch, the controversial Anthropocene, that marks the commencement of significant human impact on the Earth's geology and ecosystems. Various different start dates for the Anthropocene epoch have been proposed, ranging from the beginning of the Agricultural Revolution 12-15,000 years ago, to the rise in carbon in the atmosphere that started in the mid-1800s with the Industrial Revolution, to atmospheric radiocarbon that rose with the nuclear age.

Every epoch should have a distinctive marker. For instance, to fix a date for the start of the Holocene, researchers drilled a core into the Greenland Ice Sheet and found a change in hydrogen concentration signifying global warming as the planet emerged from the last ice age. Similarly, the famous asteroid that struck 66 million years ago wiping the dinosaurs left a strong trace of the element iridium in an outcrop of rock in Tunisia, helping researchers fix the boundary between Cretaceous and Palaeogene.

To prove that atmospheric nuclear testing had an impact on the globe as massive and as far reaching as the dinosaur killer asteroid, a team of researchers led by Chris Turner from the University of New South Wales turned to Campbell Island because the island is so remote that if something shows up there, it's likely to show up everywhere.

The researchers drilled a core into the Sitka spruce and analyzed it for carbon-14, a radioactive isotope of carbon thats released into the atmosphere by aboveground nuclear testing. Because plants take up carbon from the atmosphere as they grow, the carbon-14 isotope should be present in the tree-rings in different concentrations depending on the level of the element in that particular year. As expected, the researchers found that atmospheric carbon-14 peaked between October and December 1965, and gradually decreased as as international treaties restricted nuclear testing.

Discovering these radiocarbon markers in some of the most remote plants in the world indicates that carbon-14 is a truly global marker, Chris Turner said, especially because most nuclear tests occurred in the Northern Hemisphere, and Campbell Island is very, very far south. Based on these findings, Turner suggests that the start date of Anthropocene be fixed at 1965.

One key aspect for any golden spike chosen is that it should be long-lasting. Carbon-14 has a half-life of nearly 6,000 years, meaning the amount present decays by half approximately every 6,000 years. So even after tens of thousands of years, the amount of carbon-14 will still be in measurable quantities allowing further geologists to pinpoint the exact date the Anthropocene started.

Campbell Island. Photo credit: David/Flickr

Photo credit: Alex James/Flickr

Sources: BBC / Live Science / Radio NZGoogle and Facebook arent aiding sex trafficking  nonsense

Weve another of those claims about sex trafficking which is simply complete nonsense. For, to any level of statistical accuracy, there is no sex trafficking in the UK. But people seem happy enough to accuse Google and Facebook of facilitating what doesnt happen. The correct response to which is to tell these people to go boil their heads of course:

Internet giants were accused of profiting from sex trafficking in Britain last night as security chiefs warned of a new wave of pop-up brothels sweeping the country. The National Crime Agency (NCA) last night accused firms such as Google and Facebook of making profits from the trafficking of vulnerable women, many of whom end up in temporary sex clubs and massage parlours that have sprung up around the country. The agencys modern slavery tsar said web companies have become the key enabler for the sexual exploitation of trafficked victims in the UK and demanded action.

This all boils down to that most unfashionable of things, the definition of words.

Sex trafficking does have a useful meaning. Its lying, cheating, using force, to move women  it is usually women talked about because of the obvious realities of the sex trade  across borders and then force them into prostitution. This is of course appalling, its a continued series of rapes and anyone doing it should be severely punished.

We do indeed have laws against it and people looking for it to stop it too.

Weve also the meaning which is being used here. There are, must as it will surprise some maiden aunts, those who are, given their other opportunities, quite happy to rent out their bodies for the sexual jollification of others. Some goodly number of these people live in poor countries and would much rather be in a rich one, getting much higher payments for their services and generally living a better life. There are even those who would not prostitute at home but would abroad  the Nobel Laureate Gary Becker explained this rather well in fact.

Its even true that some of these foreigners come here to screw on fake papers, are smuggled in, lie about visas and so on. But this is very different from that first case.

Its the difference between those illegally in prostitution, as in being forced into it, and those legally prostituting themselves but illegally in the country. Do remember that prostitution itself is legal in Britain.

Google and Facebook are being accused of facilitating people illegally here doing something legal, offering sex for money. Yet the language being used implies theyre aiding and abetting something very different, the repeated rape of sex slaves. These are not the same thing and we shouldnt be calling them by the same name.

Which is exactly why the modern slavery tsar is using these same terms. Because we dont actually have that proper form of sex slavery:

The UKs biggest ever investigation of sex trafficking failed to find a single person who had forced anybody into prostitution in spite of hundreds of raids on sex workers in a six-month campaign by government departments, specialist agencies and every police force in the country.

The failure has been disclosed by a Guardian investigation which also suggests that the scale of and nature of sex trafficking into the UK has been exaggerated by politicians and media.

Everyone, including all the police forces in the country, went looking for sex trafficking for six months. And found absolutely no one who could be jugged for doing it. Thats about as good proof as were going to get that, to any reasonable statistical level, it doesnt exist. But of course that answer doesnt provide a budget for the modern slavery tsar which is why they use the different language.

Incentives do matter after all.

Tim Worstall

Posted: 4th, March 2018 | In: News Comment | TrackBack | Permalink(ANSA) - Paris, March 6 - European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans has said that he was "not worried" about the "difficult result" of Italy's general election. Although no coalition or individual party won a working majority in parliament, the big winners of Sunday's vote were the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) and the rightwing, anti-migrant League.

The M5S and the League, which together won around 50% of the vote but are not allied, have both adopted Euroskeptic positions.

"Italy is a very strong nation, I'm sure that it will make it," Timmermans said in an interview with Le Figaro. "In part it is a reflex from Italian disillusionment with Europe. "It is necessary to take it as an appeal for a jump start for the EU and draw good conclusions.

"We also have to ask ourselves: how can we reinvent democracy so that the European people feel comfortable?".

(ANSA) - Rome, March 6 - The Italian elections amounted to a "damning" verdict on the country's elite and there are "serious" doubts whether the next government will continue on the path of structural reforms, the Financial Times said Tuesday.

Sunday's parliamentary elections in Italy "could hardly have delivered a more damning verdict on the shortcomings of the political classes that have governed the nation for the past quarter of a century," leader writer Tony Barber said.

The political order established after the collapse of Christian democracy and communism in the early 1990s is "buckling", Barber said, under the weight of policy failures and an arrogant, self-serving attitude to power that has alienated millions of Italian voters.

If the result was a triumph for "populism", Barber said, it was also a defeat for "populism lite". Matteo Renzi and Silvio Berlusconi, two former mainstream prime ministers, each rose to power by deploying an artfully populist political style. But in this election they were trounced, he said.(ANSA) - Rome, March 6 - The inconclusive result of Italy's general election won't stop the Vatican's "work of education," Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolini said Tuesday. "The Holy See knows it must work in the conditions that present themselves," Parolin told Catholic newswire SIR.

"We can't have the society that we would like, we can't have the conditions that we would like to have.

"Therefore I think that, in this situation too, the Holy See will continue in its work of education, which requires a lot of time".

Parolin was answering a question on migration.

The big election winners were two forces that have criticised the Church's stance on immigration: the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the anti-migrant League.

Parolin went on to say that the victory of parties that campaigned against migrants highlighted the importance of "succeeding in educating the population and moving from a negative attitude to a more positive attitude towards migrants.

"It is work that continues, even though conditions may be more or less favourable.

"On the part of the Holy See there will always be this will to propose its message founded on the dignity of persons and solidarity".

RABAT - The 2018 edition of the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair in Marrakech had barely ended, a resounding success, when censorship started making headlines. The installation that caused anger at the Moroccan culture ministry consists of images from the Kama Sutra placed inside the silhouette of hands of Fatima. Depicting the open right hand, the image has traditionally used as a sign of protection against 'the evil eye' in many societies throughout history. The symbol predates Judaism, Christianity and Islam but is known as the 'hand of Fatima' - in reference to the youngest daughter of the Muslim prophet Mohammed and Khadijah - in Islam. The work had been at an exhibition by artist Khadija Tanana at the Tetouan Centre of Modern Art. The work consists of an enormous hand of Fatima with 246 small hands inside that display images from the famous Sanskrit manual on sexuality and love.



''The group of sexual positions is not in line with religious and moral precepts,'' the ministerial delegate said, who also had the catalogues of the show withdrawn.



''My work is on sexual perversion, which is becoming ever more common in Morocco society,'' the artist said. It is a ''political'' work in the noblest sense of the term, Tanana said, and springs from ''the fact that there is a clear separation in Morocco between the sexes, which holds that men an dangerous for women and vice versa''. The director of the art center, Bilal Chrif, has told online dailies that he does not agree with the censorship.

CAIRO - An exhibition is underway in the Egyptian capital until the end of the month on historic and recent posters by Ambassador of Italian design Armando Milani at the Italian Institute of Culture. The exhibition, 'less ME, more WE', was inaugurated last week as part of 2018 Italian Design Day.

It was one of 10 events on the theme of sustainable design respecting nature and human beings that were held in cities around the world and in which the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) took part as cultural partner, IED sources told ANSAmed.

Since March 1 there have also been works by IED, Kemet and Anahuac (Mexico Norte) graphic design students in Cairo alongside Milani's posters. The show was introduced by a conference in which both Milani and the tutor for the project, Marzia Lodi, academic coordinator of the Florence IED, took part. As part of Italian Design Day, an initiative created by the Italian foreign ministry in collaboration with other institutions, IED has made six scholarships available for summer courses in Italy that will be given to the best projects presented through workshops held as part of events and/or competitions available on ied.edu/news.Mass civilians deaths from Russia and US airstrikes in Syria 80,000 IDPs stuck in north under SDF

(ANSAmed) - ROME, MARCH 6 - Airstrikes by Russia and the US-led coalition have killed civilians in Syria on a large scale over the past year, while the Assad government has used toxic gases in attacks on besieged Eastern Ghouta at least three times in recent months, according to a report by the UN's Commission of Inquiry on Syria. The Russians were found to have bombed a market west of Aleppo in November, killing 84 civilians, which could be considered a war crime.



The report marks the first time the group has said that Russia has direct responsibility for civilian deaths in Syria. It also said that the US-led coalition had killed 150 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Raqqa in three airstrikes on March 20, 2017, five times the number admitted by the Pentagon. It is incomprehensible that despite this wide range of violations, Syrian victims and survivors have been denied any sort of justice, commission chief Paulo Pinheiro in presenting the report. The commission calls firmly for the immediate release of children, women, the elderly and the disabled and access for international observers to all detention centers, including those created by armed militias. At least 80,000 IDPs, the report stated, are stuck in the northern part of the country, where the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are assessing whether they have any links with the Islamic State (ISIS). In the rest of the country, places of worship, homes, medical facilities, markets, bakeries and schools continue to be attacked with utter impunity, it noted. In one attack on November 13, 2017, Russian air forces bombed a densely populated area of Atareb, west of the city of Aleppo.



Airstrikes hit a market, a police station, shops and a restaurant, the report said, noting that this could constitute a war crime. (ANSAmed).



Syria: Ghouta aid halted by raids - ICRC Russia offers safe passage to besieged militants

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, MARCH 6 - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has confirmed that it was forced to interrupt the distribution of humanitarian aid on Monday to the population of Syria's eastern Ghouta due to government raids.



Ingy Sedky, the spokesman of ICRC in Syria, told the AP news agency that most of the material was delivered to the town of Duma but the mission had to be interrupted earlier than scheduled due to the attacks.



Last night, a representative for UN refugee agency UNHCR, who had entered the rebel-held enclave with a convoy of 46 trucks, said the mission was halted after nine hours.



The material was meant for some 30,000 civilians out of 400,000 residing in the besieged region.



Russia meanwhile offered a safe passage to militants holed up in eastern Ghouta. ''If you don't let civilians leave the districts you control, we are ready to guarantee a safe passage from eastern Ghouta to you and your families'', said General Yury Yevtushenko, head of the Russian center for the reconciliation of sides in Syria, according to Interfax.



In the event in which militants should accept the offer, they will be provided with ''the necessary number of vehicles and protection along the entire route'', said the Russian general, without elaborating on where they would be taken.



The Russian center for reconciliation will guarantee security for all militants who will decide to leave Ghouta with weapons and their families'', said Yevtushenko, meanwhile urging all ''leaders of armed groups of eastern Ghouta to guarantee the safe passage of civilians and allow the distribution of humanitarian aid''.



And the awaited summit on Syria of leaders of three countries that act as guarantors of the Astana process - Russia, Turkey and Iran - is scheduled to take place in Istanbul at the beginning of April, according to a Turkish foreign ministry spokesman, who did not mention a specific day.



According to diplomatic sources, however, the likely date selected for a meeting between Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin and Hassan Rohani is April 4.



The foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey and Iran will meet on March 16 in Astana to prepare the summit at a presidential level. (ANSAmed)Elections: 'I hope Italy remembers fascism', Di Segni (Ucei) President of Italian Jewish communities tells Jerusalem Post

(ANSAmed) - ROME, MARCH 6 - The president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (Ucei), Noemi Di Segni, told the Jerusalem Post in an interview published Tuesday that the rise of fascism in Italy at the beginning of the 1920s is similar to the situation of contemporary Italy.



While stressing that the nature of the next government is still unclear in the wake of general elections on March 4, Di Segni stressed in the interview that ''the rise of fascism in Italy at the beginning of the 1920s is similar in certain respects, as it was the power of populist protection rising from the bottom and not from the intellectual and leading cultural forces''.



''It's the issue of populist parties - which is of course not only an issue in Italy'', Di Segni told the Jerusalem Post.



''It's radicalization, extremism and populism together, which is preoccupying'', she continued, questioning the means through which the populist parties can govern the country.



The president of Ucei said that for the Jewish community maintaining the values of integration, staying in Europe and guaranteeing a certain cultural level in the country are the most important things.



''I think the real struggle and real challenge for the country today is remembering its past... to remember the history of fascism in Italy - of what has happened and can happen'', she told the Jerusalem Post. (ANSAmed)Etihad Aviation Group (EAG) has marked World Wildlife Day 2018 with a series of activities aimed at raising awareness on the importance of preserving earths resources, including wildlife and nature.

The groups activities took place at various locations including Abu Dhabi International Airport, on its flights, and at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi.



In partnership with Abu Dhabi International Airport, air travellers passing through Terminal 3 enjoyed wildlife-themed giveaways and a quiz with educational messages in front of a captivating wildlife-themed stand.



Etihads Flying Nanny cabin crew members also joined in by encouraging young guests to colour in wildlife cards and to post the drawings on social media, using the dedicated #Etihad4Wildlife hashtag.



Staff at Etihad headquarters took part in quizzes to test their wildlife knowledge, photo opportunities with animal props and purchased World Wildlife Day cupcakes for charity.



Etihad also launched an electronic learning course for staff entitled Illegal Wildlife Trade  An Introduction which explains how and why wildlife is smuggled, and how the airline industry can help prevent illegal trade.



Linden Coppell, Etihads Head of Sustainability, said: Etihad Aviation Group is proud to be a leader in actively promoting the risks the world faces through the loss of many rare and endangered species. The activities hosted during the past few days highlighted the dangers of habitat loss, climate change and wildlife crime, such as poaching and illegal trade.



The feedback received from Etihads guests and staff members was very encouraging and we will continue to build on this momentum during 2018.



Etihad Airways is signatory to the Declaration of the United for Wildlife International Taskforce on the Transportation of Illegal Wildlife Products, and has implemented an Animal Welfare and Conservation Policy to support efforts to prevent wildlife trafficking.



The policy not only covers legal requirements for wildlife carriage but also places bans on certain wildlife.Leaders of the UAE Space Agency showcased the positive impact of partnerships and the strategic importance of developing the UAE space industry at the 2nd International Space Exploration Forum (ISEF2) held in Tokyo, Japan.

A delegation from the UAE Space Agency was led by His Excellency His Excellency Dr. Ahmad Bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency and His Excellency Dr. Eng. Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi, Director General of the Agency and other senior officials and executives from the UAE space sector.

Sponsored by Japans Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the event was a gathering of distinguished governmental ministers and representatives from more than 60 countries, where panellists discussed the significance of international cooperation and collaboration for further advancing space exploration.

Dr. Al Falasi participated in a panel discussion focused on the importance and benefits of space exploration. He highlighted the significance of the UAEs investments in space and the scientific, economic and social benefits such investments provide to humankind. Dr. Al Falasi also spoke of how education and human capital development form a key part of the UAE Space Agencys mission and objectives, in line with UAE Vision 2021. He stressed the importance of innovation in the development of enhanced educational systems that inspire the next generation to positively contribute to the advancement of humanity and give them the skills necessary to become future leaders.

Dr. Al Falasi said, Our participation in the International Space Exploration Forum falls in line with our strategic objectives to support and strengthen the UAEs space sector. This is also part of our commitment to observing best practices and relevant international developments and integrating them into our own sector with a view to further enhancing our own capabilities.

The UAE space sector is an essential part of our countrys ambitious long-term strategic plans to develop a knowledge-based economy. We are dedicated to developing our capabilities and we recognise the importance of building partnerships with leaders in the global space industry to maximise international cooperation in the space sector, resulting in valuable international contributions to the fields of space technology. It is crucial that we develop the necessary skills needed for our engineers and professionals to lead the space industry in the UAE for years to come added Dr. Al Falasi.

Along with the ISEF2, the Japanese Cabinet Office, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), MEXT and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) also organised the Industry International Space Exploration Forum (I-ISEF) on the 2nd March 2018, which encouraged discussions on the advancement of space-related business opportunities as well as space exploration. Dr. Al Ahbabi was invited to share his insights on the panel titled Policy Measures for the Expansion of Space Exploration Businesses which focused on the expectations, challenges and expansion prospects faced by space-related businesses in different countries.

Dr. Al Ahbabi said: At the Industry International Space Exploration Forum, I had the opportunity to represent the UAE Space Agency and share our countrys future vision of space exploration. We discussed the viability of space exploration as a business, and its feasibility as it continues to draw interest from commercial and scientific aspects..As Google celebrated his 91st birth anniversary with a doodle, we take a look at how the twitterati remembered the legendary author.

The works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez are wonderful because the stories etched out between the lines of the novel are as poignant as those spelled out by the author.

Often considered to be one of the most influential writers of his generation, not only did he write sensational literature, but his feud with Peruvian Mario Vargas Llosa is also the stuff of legends.

Onetime best of friends, they had all the elements of a literary classic, accusations of betrayal, jealousy and adultery, and a brutal encounter over 31 years ago when things turned bloody.

Gabo brought to the world Latin America's charm along with "magical realism," a blending of fantastic elements into portrayals of daily life that made the extraordinary seem almost routine, normal!

As Google celebrated his 91st birth anniversary with a doodle, we take a look at how the twitterati remembered the legendary author.

Huma Qureshi tweeted,

One Tyler Moss tweeted,

"Ultimately, literature is nothing but carpentry. With both you are working with reality, a material just as hard as wood." Gabriel Garcia Marquez #amwriting  Tyler Moss (@TJMoss11) February 6, 2018

He allowed himself to be swayed by his conviction that human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them, but that life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves.#GabrielGarciaMarquez , Love in the Time of Cholera pic.twitter.com/PS6EwWiVlA  Petrificus Totalus (@n23pandey) March 6, 2018

Maanvi wrote that Marquez taught her to weave magic with words,

To the man who made me realize that it's possible to weave magic out of words. Happy 91st birthday #GabrielGarciaMarquez. I hope you're writing up a storm in heaven. pic.twitter.com/l9XAOWxJSm  Maanvi (@MaanviNarcisa) March 6, 2018

No matter what, nobody can take away the dances you've already had.



~ #GabrielGarciaMarquez #BirthAnniversary  Nikita Tiwari (@_n_I_x) March 6, 2018

"Life is not what one lived, but rather what one remembers, and how it is remembered to tell the tale."#GabrielGarciaMarquez  Rahul Rawat (@rahul_kgp) March 5, 2018

His glory will be remembered. Birthday wishes to the Legendary Author #gabrielgarciamarquez #SerendipityFilms  shibinraja (@shibinraja) March 6, 2018

Today is #GabrielGarciaMarquez birthday. Thank you for the incredible storytelling! https://t.co/gtdBzJlUTt  Swati Saxena (@SwatiSaxena1231) March 6, 2018

Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry all the rest of your life if you say no.#GabrielGarciaMarquez - Love in the Time of Cholera#FelizCumpleGabo pic.twitter.com/sbUq76IdyA  Alex 'Badass' Vause (@Ms_AlexVause_) March 6, 2018

Nobody deserves ur tears, but whoever deserves them will not make u cry #gabrielmarquez #GabrielGarciaMarquez  sakshi gupta (@guptaasakshi211) March 6, 2018

The works of Gabo are timeless. Transcending beyond tangential reality, they sing of the condemned lives of Macondo or the passion of Love in the Time of Cholera. They are fantastical in their depiction of reality and yet honest enough to evoke a million sensibilities in a reader's soul.The Tibetan govt has shifted the Thank You India event from Delhi to Dharamsala.

However, an official government spokesperson last week clarified that Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has been 'accorded all freedom to carry out his religious activities in India'. (Photo: AFP/File)

New Delhi: Days after the Centre allegedly directed its officials and senior leaders to not attend events featuring Dalai Lama that are scheduled to be held in March-end and early April, the Tibetan government-in-exile cancelled it two main events in Delhi, according to a report in The Indian Express.

The Tibetan government which is observing 60 years in exile of the Dalai Lama, has now shifted the Thank You India event to Dharamsala which will be held either on March 31 or April 1.

"Initially we planned to have the programme in Delhi but have shifted it after we saw reports that the cabinet secretary had asked officials to stay away. However, nothing has been officially conveyed to central Tibetan administration," a Tibetan administration spokesman told NDTV.

Earlier in February, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had reportedly issued an official statement asking to skip all functions of the Dalai Lama, seeking to be an embodiment of India's commitment to mending ties with China.

The note was reportedly issued a day before the foreign secretary departed for Beijing to hold talks with China's Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou, Foreign Minister Wang and State Councillor Yang Jiechi.

However, an official government spokesperson last week clarified that Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has been "accorded all freedom to carry out his religious activities in India."

Also Read: India's stand clear, Dalai Lama free to carry out religious activities

The Ministry of External Affairs also reiterated that New Delhi's stance on the spiritual leader was "clear and consistent."

"Government of India's position on His Holiness the Dalai Lama is clear and consistent. He is a revered religious leader and is deeply respected by the people of India. There is no change in that position. His Holiness is accorded all freedom to carry out his religious activities in India," the statement read.Rahul also used the hashtag DemocracyDemonetised with his tweet to target the BJP.

New Delhi: Two days after the result of three northeastern states of Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland, Congress president Rahul Gandhi broke his silence on Monday. Mr Gandhi said that he respected the mandate of the people in the region and was committed to winning back their trust. He tweeted, The Congress party respects the mandate of the people of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. We are committed to strengthening our party across the Northeast and to winning back the trust of the people. My sincere thanks to each and every Congress worker who toiled for the party.

Mr Gandhi had announced on Thursday that he would visit his 93-year-old grandmother in Italy over the Holi weekend. He arrived back from Italy on Monday. Attacking the BJP, he accused it of usurping power through proxy in Meghalaya and using big money to create an opportunistic alliance in the state. The BJP had won only two MLA seats in Meghalaya but have cobbled up an alliance and will be forming the next government. He also tweeted With just 2 seats, the BJP has usurped power in Meghalaya, through a proxy. Like in Manipur and Goa, showing utter disregard for the mandate of the people. Obsessed instead with grabbing power, using big money to create an opportunistic alliance.

He also used the hashtag DemocracyDemonetised with his tweet to target the BJP.The Congress along with other Oppn parties raised the issue on the first day of the budget session of Parliament, which resumed after a break.

New Delhi: As the Congress upped its ante against the BJP led NDA government over bank scams and demanded a clarification from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament over the issue, the ruling BJP on Monday mocked the Opposition party, saying the Congress party had planted so many landmines against itself during its earlier regime which keep blasting every now an then. The BJP raked up the UPAs 80:20 gold import scheme to hit at the Opposition party.

The BJP had blamed the PNB bank scam, involving celebrity diamontaire Nirav Modi and his relative Mehul Choksi, on the failure in the banking system during the UPA regime.

The BJP sought to corner the Congress and former finance minister P. Chidambaram, alleging that he granted seven private firms, including scam-accused Gitanjali Gems, gold import benefits on the day of counting of 2014 Lok Sabha poll votes and asked the Congress how much cut was given to whom for the decision. The Congress along with other Opposition parties raised the issue on the first day of the budget session of Parliament, which resumed after a break on Monday.

Targeting the Congress and Mr Chidambaram, senior BJP leader and Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged that the then Congress-led UPA government destroyed the economy by not letting the real stressed assets get reflected in banks books and said total advances given by banks in the last six years of its rule rose to Rs 52.15 lakh crore from Rs 18.06 lakh crore in 2008. The Union minister said only 36 per cent of these advances were identified as stressed assets but they rose to 82 per cent and alleged that under the then so-called economist Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and super-economist FM, Mr Chidambaram, the banking system was sought to be derailed by interventions, patronage and pressure.

Alleging that the then finance minister gave seven private firms benefits under 80:20 gold import scheme on May 16, 2014, the day Narendra Modi-led BJP was swept to power, ousting the UPA.

What does it mean? On May 16, the Manmohan Singh government is losing, P Chidambarams chair is in danger... Chidamrabarm and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi should tell us why this order to benefit seven private firms was passed on that day. Is it corruption or jumla (rhetoric)? asked Mr Prasad. Mr Chidambaram has repeatedly used the term jumla to mock the BJP governments policies.The man was later identified as Dasrath Mukhia, a resident of Tughlakabad Extension, who was working as a cook in Greater Kailash.

Footage gathered from CCTV cameras in the area showed the men chasing Mukhia and attacking him. Two deep stab wounds were found on his chest, police said, (Representational image)

New Delhi: A 35-year-old cook was chased and stabbed to death by unidentified men in the Chittaranjan Park area of south Delhi, the police said on Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday night. Police said around 10 pm, they were informed about an injured man lying on a footpath near a residential complex in the locality.

He was taken to a hospital where he was declared brought dead, they said.

The man was later identified as Dasrath Mukhia, a resident of Tughlakabad Extension, who was working as a cook in Greater Kailash, police said.

Footage gathered from CCTV cameras in the area showed the men chasing Mukhia and attacking him. Two deep stab wounds were found on his chest, they said.

Mukhia's personal belongings such as his cellphone and money were taken by the assailants, indicating that robbery might not have been the motive behind the killing.

However, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South, Romil Baaniya said that they are probing all angles and possible motives.Sources said that TDP MPs on Monday met Trinamuls floor leaders in both Houses in New Delhi and sought cooperation.

New Delhi: Efforts to cobble up a non-Congress, non-BJP third front to challenge the BJP in 2019 gained momentum with the start of the second half of the Budget Session of Parliament as regional parties like the Trinamul Congress, the DMK, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the Telugu Desam Party deciding to coordinate their Parliament strategy.

Sources said that the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, which have decided to jointly fight two crucial by-polls in Uttar Pradesh, are also on board.

The manoeuvres in Delhi coincided with Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee reaching out to the DMK, even as Telangana chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao continued to receive support for his proposal to form a third front for the betterment of farmers and dalits.

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi also spoke to Mr Rao over phone and expressed support for the plan to float a third front, the Telangana chief ministers office said in Hyderabad. Several leaders, including AIMIM chief Asaduddin6 Owaisi, former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and two MPs from Maharashtra, have extended support to Mr Raos proposal.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, though part of the NDA, has also been on a warpath demanding special category status for the state from the central government.

Sources said that TDP MPs on Monday met Trinamuls floor leaders in both Houses in New Delhi and sought cooperation. The TDP MPs also held talks with Congress leaders.

Earlier, Ms Banerjee had a 12-minute telephonic chat with DMKs M.K. Stalin on Sunday night. She has already spoken to Mr Rao and Shiv Sena chief Udhav Thackarey, sources said.

It was Mamata Banerjee who proposed the idea of a front of federal parties and all parties are in touch with each other, Trinamul national spokesperson Derek O Brien said.

Narendra Modi will deliver his last speech as Prime Minister from ramparts of Red Fort on Aug 15, 2018 This is our challenge on behalf of the TMC and all the Opposition parties, he said. Ms Banerjee has repeatedly expressed her desire to be the face of a united Opposition in 2019. She has refused to be part of any grouping under the leadership of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

The TMC has already blamed the Congress for the BJP landslide victory in Tripura by rejecting its seat-sharing pact.

The effort for a national alliance against the BJP comes close to the SP and the BSP deciding to come together to fight the BJP in the crucial by-polls for Phulpur and Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seats.Arguments on Karti Chidambram's bail plea will be held on March 9.

The CBI produced Karti Chidambaram before a Delhi court and sought extension of his custody to quiz him in the INX Media corruption case. (Photo: PTI/File)

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday sent Karti Chidambaram to three more days of CBI custody in connection with the INX Media case.

Arguments on Karti Chidambram's bail plea will be held on March 9.

The court had earlier on Tuesday concluded the hearing on the arguments on the CBI's plea seeking nine-day custodial interrogation of Karti.

The CBI produced Karti Chidambaram before a Delhi court and sought extension of his custody to quiz him in the INX Media corruption case saying "new revelations" have come up and his custodial interrogation was necessary to confront him with the "new facts".

Also Read: INX Media case: Blow to Karti as Supreme Court refuses interim protection

The agency, which produced Karti on expiry of his five-day police custody before special judge Sunil Rana, said though there has been "substantial progress" in last four days into the investigation into the case, he has "not been cooperating" and not parting with his phones passwords and to every question he has been saying that "I am politically victimised".

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, said Karti was taken to Mumbai and was confronted with Indrani Mukerjea, one of the then promoters of INX media at the Byculla prison and her statement has been just one of the evidences. "New revelations in the matter have come up day before yesterday. Cannot divulge much about investigation but we need his further custody to confront him with the new facts," Mehta told the court and also opposed Karti's bail plea saying that the investigation was at "crucial stage" and the CBI needs two weeks time to file detail reply to his bail application.

The ASG alleged that witnesses in the case are being approached and evidences destroyed.

The Supreme Court had earlier on on Tuesday refused to grant Karti Chidambaram, the son of former Union minister P Chidambaram, interim protection from arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged money laundering case related to INX Media.The statues were pulled down just days after the Left was defeated in Assembly polls by the BJP and its ally IPFT.

A five-foot high fibre glass statue of Lenin was toppled at Belonia on Monday, while a smaller figure was razed at Sabroom two days ago, district superintendent of police Monchak Ipper said. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Agartala: Two statues of communist icon Vladimir Lenin were brought down in South Tripura, the police said on Tuesday, as the CPI(M) and its arch-rival in Bengal, the Trinamool Congress, blamed the BJP for the incidents.

The statues were pulled down just days after the Left was defeated in Assembly polls by the BJP and its ally IPFT, which together won a two-third majority in the House in a state where the CPI(M) was in power for 25 years.

A five-foot high fibre glass statue of Lenin was toppled at Belonia on Monday, while a smaller figure was razed at Sabroom two days ago, district superintendent of police Monchak Ipper said.

Also Read: Poll aftermath: Lenin statue knocked down in Tripura, Rajnath Singh intervenes

Tripura chief minister-designate Biplab Deb has urged the people of the state to maintain peace and said anybody indulging in violence would be punished.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to state Governor Tathagatha Roy and the director general of police, asking them to ensure peace till a new government was installed, an official said in New Delhi.

The demolition at Belonia evoked a sharp reaction from Trinamool Congress chief and Mamata Banerjee, who blamed the BJP and the RSS for the incidents.

Tripura CPI(M) district secretary Tapas Datta alleged that the statue, unveiled by the party's Politburo member and former general secretary Prakash Karat a few months ago, was razed by BJP workers on Monday at College Square in Belonia, about 110 km from here.

"After pulling down the statue, slogans of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' were raised,'' Datta said.

Ipper said the driver of the JCB excavator machine allegedly used to bring down the Lenin figure at Belonia was arrested and a notice sent to its owner. The statue would be handed over to the authorities of the Belonia Municipal Corporation, he said.

The incidents took a controversial turn with a tweet posted by Governor Roy.

''What one democratically elected government can do another democratically elected government can undo. And vice versa'', he tweeted.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who criticised the incidents, described the tweet as "unfortunate". ''The tweet by the governor is unfortunate ... This shows how constitutional posts are being undermined," he said.

Asked by a TV news channel for his comment, Roy said, "'Yechury may go on making charges. It is not my duty to reply.''

Prohibitory orders were clamped on several areas of West Tripura district including - Srinagar, Lefunga, Mandai, Amtali, Radhapur, Arundhatinagar, Jirania, Mohanpur following post-poll violence, district magistrate Milind Ramteke said.

The CPI(M) accused the BJP and the IPFT of unleashing an "unprecedented reign of terror" across the state after the election results were announced on March 3.

Yechury alleged in Kolkata that 514 party activists have been assaulted, 1,539 houses of party activists attacked and 196 houses set ablaze in the last few days. He also claimed 134 CPI(M) offices were attacked and looted, 64 party offices set on fire and 90 offices of mass organisations occupied by BJP-IPFT supporters.

The party top brass including Yechury and Politburo members Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat and Surjya Kanta Mishra led a rally in Kolkata, which ended in front of a statue of Lenin at Dharmatalla in the heart of the city.

Tripura CPI(M) state secretary Bijan Dhar appealed to the state administration and the BJP to "stop the violence". ''In a democratic system a change of government is usual, but violence in such a grave form is not acceptable," he said.

The police on Tuesday said it had received complaints of post-poll violence from various parts of the state since Sunday night.

Senior CPI leader D Raja said while one party may win and another party lose an election, it did not mean either could indulge in vandalism.

''Lenin is considered one of the tallest leaders of the world. We should have that respect,'' he told a TV news channel.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the RSS-BJP for their alleged involvement in the pulling down of Lenin's statues. "It is not one's job to pull down the statue of an icon after coming to power in a state," she said at a public meeting in Bankura in West Bengal.

Tripura's BJP vice-president Subal Bhowmick had alleged on Monday that CPI(M) activists assaulted 49 BJP supporters, 17 of whom had to be hospitalised.The BJP president added that party workers had no right to rest till the BJP forms government in these states.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves the victory sign along with BJP president Amit Shah and Union ministers Rajnath Singh and others at Parliament on the first day of the second phase of the Budget Session in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: After a short recess, the Parliament on Monday reconvened for the second part of the Budget Session.

With the BJP putting up an impressive performance in Northeast, BJP president Amit Shah received a rousing welcome by party MPs and ministers when he arrived in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

The BJP is set to form the government in Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland, paving a way for the saffron domination of the Northeast. Later in the day at an event, BJP president Shah said, Some workers tell me that the golden era of the BJP has begun, but I want to make it clear that it is not the golden era of the party. The BJP is still not in power in states like Kerala, West Bengal, Odisha and Karnataka.

The BJP president added that party workers had no right to rest till the BJP forms government in these states.

Wearing a Tangkhul Naga haora muffler, Mr Shah walked in when Hishey Lachungpa of the Sikkim Democratic Front was taking oath after being re-elected to the Upper House.

As Mr Shah walked towards his allocated seat in the RS, BJP members and ministers began thumping their desks. Some even rose from their seats to welcome the BJP president.

The BJP routed the CPM to win Tripura Assembly polls, it is in alliance with local parties which won elections in Meghalaya and Nagaland.

Mr Shah was seated in his chair by the time Mr Lachungpa finished taking oath in Hindi and signed off with Jai Hind. Members also thumped their desk to welcome Mr Lachungpa.

Law and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and some other MPs in the ruling dispensation, along with ministers too, were sporting the traditional Naga muffler.

After the House was adjourned, senior ministers of the government, including parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar, MoS Kiren Rijiju, were also seen sporting the traditional Naga muffler.H Raja has reportedly said someone else had inadvertently posted it on his page.

Remains of the five-feet-tall statue of Lenin which was allegedly demolished by a pay-loader at Belonia in South Tripura district on Monday afternoon and was thrown at the nearby jungle. (Photo: PTI)

Chennai/Agartala: Political leaders in Tamil Nadu are protesting against a post put up by senior BJP leader H Raja where he wrote that the statue of social reformer Periyar (EVR Ramasamy) in Tamil Nadu would be razed just like communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin's statue in Tripura on Monday.

Political leaders have also demaded action against H Raja for his statement. Soon after the post was deleted from his Twitter account.

"Who is Lenin and what is the connection between Lenin and India? What connection has India with Communists? Lenin's statue has been removed in Tripura. Today it is Lenin's statue in Tripura, tomorrow it will be the statue of caste fanatic EVR Ramasamy," he posted in Tamil on his Twitter account.

Parties that sought action against H Raja included DMK, MDMK, Dravida Kazhagam CPM and CPI.

H Raja has reportedly said someone else had inadvertently posted it on his page.

Tamil Nadu BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan has distanced the party from the controversial remarks.

Also Read: Poll aftermath: Lenin statue knocked down in Tripura, Rajnath Singh intervenes

Meanwhile, violence erupted in Tripura and various other states after a statue of communist icon Lenin, has been pulled down by some people with an excavator machine at Belonia in South Tripura district on Monday.

Left Party, CPI(M) has been blaming BJP workers responsible for pulling down the station of Lenin.

CPM's general secretary Sitaram Yechury has announced country-wide protests, accusing the BJP of "thriving on political violence" as clashes broke out between supporters of the two parties in Tripura after assembly election results were announced.

The BJP won the Tripura election, dethroning the CPM after 25 years.

In a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CPM Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, Mohammed Salim, has alleged that "goons of BJP have unleashed terror and all round attack on members and supporters of CPI-M...we request your immediate intervention to stop these attacks."

Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, has spoken to Tripura's police chief asking him to ensure law and order till a new government is in place.

"After pulling down the statue, 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' slogan was raised," said Tripura CPI(M) district secretary Tapas Datta said

Section 144 has been imposed in several violence affected areas in Tripura

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy defended pulling down of a statue Lenin, saying the late Russian leader was "a terrorist" and questioned if the statue of such a person could be installed in India. He said, "Lenin was a foreigner. He was, in a way, a terrorist because the number of people he killed there (in Russia) after imposing dictatorship there. And (you) want statue of such a person erected in our country?"The Rs 12,636-crore fraud was allegedly perpetrated by billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi.

Chitalia was apprehended at Mumbai airport and brought to the CBI office for questioning. (Photo: Facebook/File)

Mumbai: The CBI on Tuesday arrested Vipul Chitalia, the vice president (banking operations) of Gitanjali Group of Companies, as a part of its probe into the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, an official said.

Vipul Chitalia was sent to CBI custody till March 17 by the special CBI court.

The CBI during the remand proceedings, called Vipul Chitalia the mastermind of the fraud.

Chitalia was apprehended at Mumbai airport and brought to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) office at the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai for questioning, he said, but did not divulge any other details about Chitalia's alleged role in the PNB fraud.

The Rs 12,636-crore fraud was allegedly perpetrated by billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, the promoter of Gitanjali Gems. It is alleged that Choksi and Modi got Letters of Undertakings (LoUs) and Foreign Letters of Credit (FLCs) of Rs 12,636 crore issued in favour of foreign branches of Indian banks based on fraudulent claims.

The accused officials of PNB did not enter the instructions for these LoUs and in their internal software to avoid scrutiny. They were sent through an international messaging system for banking called SWIFT, which is used to pass instructions among banks globally to transfer funds.

An LoU is a guarantee which is given by an issuing bank to Indian banks having branches abroad to grant short-term credit to the applicant.

In case of default, the bank issuing the LoU has to pay the liability to the credit giving bank along with accruing interest.ICICI Bank led a consortium of 31 banks that lent money to Mehul Choksis Gitanjali group.

The chief executive officers of ICICI and Axis banks, Chanda Kochhar and Shikha Sharma, were summoned for questioning Tuesday in the Nirav Modi-Mehul Choksi perpetrated PNB fraud. (Photo: PTI | File)

Mumbai: The heads of ICICI and Axis banks, Chanda Kochhar and Shikha Sharma, were summoned for questioning Tuesday in the Nirav Modi-Mehul Choksi perpetrated Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud.

The Serious Frauds Investigation Office (SFIO) summoned the countrys two top bankers as part of its ongoing probe in the nearly Rs 13,000 crore fraud in PNB. The summons were sent to seek clarifications only, sources indicated.

According to reports, the top bankers have been asked to be present in person or send a representative. News agency ANI tweeted photos of Deputy Managing Director Axis Bank V Srinivasan leaving from SFIO office in Mumbai.

It is reported that ICICI Bank led a consortium of 31 banks that lent money to Mehul Choksis Gitanjali Group. Top officers of all banks will be questioned for clarification.

Sources told news agency ANI that a consortium of 31 banks had given working capital facility to Mehul Choksis Gitanjali Group. The SFIO had earlier summoned PNB officials and now would question other bank officials too.

Earlier, the SFIO had issued letters to banks asking them explain the working capital facility given to the Gitanjali Group.

ICICI Bank has said it did not have any exposure to diamantaire Nirav Modi but that it had only lent working capital to the group.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday detained Vipul Chitalia, vice president, banking operations of Gitanjali Group of Companies, at the Mumbai airport for questioning.

A Mumbai special court on Saturday had issued non-bailable warrants against diamond traders Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi in connection with the PNB fraud.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has directed Nirav Modi to mandatorily join the investigation from next week after he claimed he could not cooperate as he has business commitments abroad.

The central investigating agency also asked the celebrity diamond merchant to contact the High Commission of the concerned country and said the CBI would arrange for his travel.

Nirav Modi, Choksi and others are being investigated by multiple probe agencies after the fraud came to light recently following a complaint by the Punjab National Bank. The complaint alleged they cheated the nationalised bank to the tune of Rs 12,636 crore, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the bank.

Nirav Modi along with his wife Ami, brother Neeshal and Mehul Choksi left India in the first week of January before the Punjab National Bank accused them of committing the fraud. They have not returned to India since then.

Meanwhile, the government has revoked the passports of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

Several PNB officers, senior employees of the Giranjali group (owned by Mehul Choksi) and an auditor are already in custody.A statue of Left icon Lenin was also demolished at Belonia town in South Tripura on Monday with the help of a bulldozer.

The violence erupted following the BJP-IPFT alliances victory over the CPI-M, ousting the Manik Sarkar led government in the just concluded Assembly elections. (Photo: Screengrab from video @ANI)

New Delhi: Amid reports of sporadic violence in Tripura, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday spoke to the state governor and the DGP and asked them to ensure peace till a new government is installed, an official said.

During the telephonic calls, Governor Tathagata Roy and DGP A K Shukla apprised the Union home minister about the prevailing situation in Tripura and steps taken to control the violence, which erupted following the BJP-IPFT alliances victory over the CPI-M, ousting the Manik Sarkar led government in the just concluded Assembly elections.

Singh asked the governor and the DGP to check all kinds of violence and ensure peace till a new government is installed in Tripura, the home ministry official said. There have been reports of sporadic violence and clashes between rival political groups in different parts of Tripura after the election results were declared on Saturday.

A statue of Left icon Lenin was also demolished at Belonia town in South Tripura on Monday with the help of a bulldozer. Tripura witnessed a change in rule after 25 years in the recently concluded Assembly elections. The BJP demolished the Left citadel in Tripura, winning a two-third majority with its ally, the IPFT.The incident took place in Indira Colony after the village Panchayat accused the victim of having an illicit relationship with a girl.

'I was thrashed and forcefully made to drink urine. They accused me of having illicit relations with a girl, but I do not even know her. Even the girl doesn't know me. I fear for my life now. I want police action as soon as possible,' the victim said. (Photo: ANI)

Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh): A man has allegedly attempted suicide after he was forced to drink urine on the suspicion of illicit relationship.

The incident took place in Indira Colony of Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur after the village Panchayat accused the victim of having an illicit relationship with a girl.

The victim, who was later admitted to a nearby hospital for further treatment, has denied of having any illicit relationship with the girl.

"I was thrashed and forcefully made to drink urine. They accused me of having illicit relations with a girl, but I do not even know her. Even the girl doesn't know me. I fear for my life now. I want police action as soon as possible," the victim said.

However, Saharanpur's Superintendent of Police (SP) Babloo Kumar said the Station House Officer (SHO) of the concerned police station has been asked to begin an investigation.

"We have the information that he was beaten up and is currently in hospital. We have taken his statement. The SHO has been asked to begin an investigation. Action will be taken," he saidMamata claimed that her party did not resort to atrocities on the CPI(M) even after coming to power after 34 years.

Kolkata: Condemning the toppling of Communist revolutionary Lenin's statue in Tripura close on the heels of the BJP coming to power, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday made it clear that she would not tolerate bulldozing the statues of luminaries.

According to her, the government's job is not to pull down statues. She claimed that her party did not resort to atrocities on the CPI(M) even after coming to power after 34 years.

Also Read: Poll aftermath: Lenin statue knocked down in Tripura, Rajnath Singh intervenes

However, the state BJP supported the act.

Addressing a rally at Patrasayor in Bankura, Mamata said, "I have come to power. But this does not mean that my job is to kill anyone or attack anyone or demolish the statue of a luminary. Barely three days ago they came to power blinking with a vote percentage of 0.43 per cent only which they have in addition. Tripura is not big even like Bankura district."

The Trinamool Congress supremo added that Tripura does not even have the half of the voters Bankura have.

"In Howrah, the number of voters is nearly 38 lakhs. But in Tripura it is around 32 lakhs," she mentioned while pointing out that there were many complaints including using money and muscle power in the assembly elections by the BJP to grab Tripura.

Lashing out at the BJP, Mamata said, "But if you would have thought you would pull down the statues of Marx, Lenin, Gandhiji, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Swami Vivekananda just because you have come to power then we will not tolerate it."

She claimed, "I also fought the CPI(M). We also came to power after 34 years. Remember, our slogan was Bodla Noy, Bodol Chai (We want change, not the revenge). That is why we did not unleash any torture on the CPI(M) despite their atrocities because it is not our nature and it is not democracy. They are claiming that they are feeling elated after the vandalism. No one is protesting against it. But I will do it. We will do it."

The Trinamool chief further said, "I have ideological battle with the CPI(M). It will certainly be there. Like I do not support their atrocities, I also do not endorse the atrocities of the BJP."

However, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh endorsed the demolition of Lenin state.

He said, "An idea can not be eliminated through vandalism. It is not the party of democracy. But this incident is the outburst of the people of Tripura who tolerated torture for the past 25 years silently."

He added, "Nine BJP workers were murdered while four RSS workers were kidnapped. Now a new party has come to power there. They CPI(M) should get a little bit of taste of it. Did they think it will be totally vegetarian? There is no reason to feel sad."In the recent Assembly elections, the BJP demolished the Left citadel in Tripura, winning a two-thirds majority with its ally IPFT.

Remains of the five-foot-tall statue of Lenin which was allegedly demolished by a pay-loader at Belonia in Tripura on Monday afternoon and was thrown at the nearby jungle. The statue, made of fiberglass, was inaugurated at College Square at Belonia a few months back by CPM politburo member Prakash Karat. (Photo: PTI)

Agartala/New Delhi /Kolkata: With parts of Tripura in the throes of violence as the state transitions from a 25-year-long allegiance to the Left to embracing the Right, prohibitory orders were clamped in several areas of West Tripura district on Tuesday following reports of sporadic violence and clashes between rival political groups in different parts of the state.

On Monday, a five-foot-tall fibreglass statue of Russian Communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, that was unveiled by the CPI(M) politburo member Prakash Karat a few months back, was pulled down allegedly by BJP workers at College Square in Belonia, about 110 km from Agartala.

A video shows a bulldozer toppling the statue as men wearing saffron shirts shout Bharat Mata ki jai.

On Tuesday evening it was reported that another Lenin statue had been brought down in Sabroom, about 50 km from Belonia.

While the CPI(M) says the statues were pulled down by BJP supporters, the BJP denies this, saying it does not practice the culture of violence.

The CPI(M), however, accused the BJP and its alliance partner Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) of unleashing an unprecedented reign of terror throughout the state since the election results were announced on Saturday, and sought the immediate intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in bringing the violence to an end before the situation worsened.

After the election results were out, goons of the BJP have unleashed a reign of terror and all-round attacks on members and supporters of the CPI(M), their houses, party offices and mass organisation offices throughout the state, said the memorandum which was submitted to Mr Modi in Parliament.

The party also handed over a list of the alleged violent incidents in Tripura to the Prime Minister.

CPI(M) state secretary Bijan Dhar claimed that 514 party activists were assaulted, 1,539 houses of party activists were attacked and 196 houses set on fire since the results were out.

In the recent Assembly elections, the BJP demolished the Left citadel in Tripura, winning a two-thirds majority with its ally IPFT.

On Tuesday, Tripura BJP chief Biplab Deb, 48, met governor Tathagata Roy and staked claim to forming the government. He is due to be sworn in as chief minister on March 9 with party colleague Jishnu Kumar Debbarma as his deputy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and the chief ministers of all BJP-ruled states will be invited to the swearing-in ceremony. While the police said the driver of the JCB excavator machine in Belonia was arrested and later released on bail, and a suo moto case has been filed in the second incident, the demolition of Lenin statues is likely to turn into an ideological war between the Left and the Right.

On Tuesday, Tripura governor Tathagata Roy and BJP MP Subramanian Swamy condoned the razing of Lenin statues. Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav also tweeted his approval of this act of hooliganism, but later deleted his tweet.

In response to a tweet by author Anand Ranganathan, who called the act unacceptable, governor Roy tweeted: What one democratically-elected government can do, another democratically elected government can undo. And vice versa.

Lenin is a foreigner and, in a way, a terrorist. There shouldnt be a statue of this sort of person in our country. They are welcome to put that statue inside the Communist Party headquarters and worship it if they so wish, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy told a TV channel.

In a tweet that he later deleted, senior BJP leader Ram Madhav said: People taking down Lenins statue... not in Russia; it is in Tripura. Chalo Paltai. The last two words are Bengali for Lets change.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the demolition of the Lenin statue, saying she will not tolerate such actions despite her Trinamul Congress bitter rivalry with the CPI(M). I will not tolerate the demolition of Lenins statue. CPI(M) may be our opponents and Lenin is not my leader. But that does not mean I shall accept demolition of statues of Marx and Lenin, said the Trinamul chief at a public rally in Bankura district.

Neither Karl Marx nor Lenin is my idol. But they are idols for some other parties and they have significance in countries such as Russia. So I cannot disregard them by demolishing their statues just as we cannot tolerate the demolition of the statues of Netaji or Swamiji, she added.

She also lambasted the BJP for unleashing a reign of terror in Tripura. In a democracy power changes hands. But that does not mean that you will torture your Opposition or demolish statues after capturing power, she said.

Meanwhile, in New Delhi, Prime Minister Modi dubbed the BJPs win over the Left in Tripura as an ideological victory that has changed the mood in the party, and asked its leaders to make the most of it in the coming months.Conard Sangma said, 'It is never easy,' but he hopes the coalition led by his NPP would deliver on its mandate.

40-year-old Conard Sangma will be heading a five-party coalition, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the northeastern state. (Photo: ANI)

Shillong: Conrad Sangma, chief of the National People's Party (NPP), will swear-in as the new chief minister of Meghalaya on Tuesday.

40-year-old Conard Sangma will be heading a five-party coalition, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the northeastern state.

BJP national president Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh are expected to attend the oath ceremony in state capital Shillong.

Minutes after Conard Sangma, son of former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma, picked up his invite from Meghalaya's Raj Bhavan on Sunday to take oath on Tuesday, he had admitted that it wasn't going to be easy running a coalition government.

"It is never easy," NDTV quoted Conard Sangma as saying, but said he hoped that the coalition led by his NPP would deliver on its mandate. Even he, however, would not have seen his first challenge appear less than 24 hours later.

The Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) - one of the coalition partners - has threatened to boycott Conard Sangma's swearing-in ceremony.

On Monday, Ardent Basaiawmoit, president of the HSPDP objected to Conard Sangma, a Lok Sabha member, being named to be the alliance's chief minister, without consulting all constituents.

Conrad Sangma's NPP has won 19 seats in the recently concluded assembly elections and has the support of six legislators from the United Democratic Party (UDP), four from People's Democratic Front (PDF), and two each from the HSPDP and the BJP, besides an Independent lawmaker Samuel Sangma.

Ardent Basaiawmoit said there was no need for the BJP to be part of the coalition when Meghalaya's regional parties had the numbers to form the government on their own in the state.

"Our stand right from before the election was to have a non-Congress non-BJP government. We now see there is a possibility to have such a government where the NPP-led coalition could have easily been formed with 32 MLAs," news agency PTI quoted Basaiawmoit as saying.

Basaiawmoit also questioned the choice of Conard Sangma as the next chief minister when even the NPP had projected another leader, Prestone Tynsong, as the party's presumptive chief minister.

He later led his party leaders to the residence of United Democratic Party president Donkupar Roy expressing "disappointment and disagreement" to the proposal made by the UDP that Conrad Sangma should be the CM.

"This decision was taken unilaterally by the UDP and without consulting us. It is the job of the alliance to decide who should lead the government," he said.

No party won a majority in Meghalaya, but the Congress emerged as the largest party winning 21 out of 59 assembly seats that went to polls and the results were declared on Saturday. But the party's effective strength is 20 since outgoing chief minister Mukul Sangma had won from two seats. Since polling on one seat was cancelled due to the death of a candidate, Conrad Sangma for now only needs 30 members for a majority with the current strength of the House at 59. His coalition has 34.Biplab Deb, a young BJP leader with a background in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is expected to be the states new chief minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony. (Photo: AFP)

Agartala: The new government will be sworn in on Thursday (March 8) in Tripura, where the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance defeated the Communist Party of India (Marxist) government, which was in power in the northeastern state for 25 years.

The BJP and its alliance partner, the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), scripted history on Saturday by winning the assembly polls with a two-third majority in the state.

Biplab Deb, a young BJP leader with a background in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is expected to be the states new chief minister.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari and tribal affairs minister Jual Oram would arrive in Tripura on March 6 to discuss with the winning candidates the name of the next CM and submit a report to the BJP parliamentary board to choose the new leader.

The party is also considering two indigenous names for the post, said BJP sources, after the IPFT sought its own nominees.

Outgoing chief minister Manik Sarkar, after being at the helm for 20 years, submitted his resignation to Governor Tathagata Roy in Agartala on Sunday.Rajinikanth dismissed the theory that he was angling for MGRs votes by trying to become another MGR.

Chennai: Asserting that he was entering politics only to fill a leadership vacuum in the state, Superstar Rajinikanth on Monday declared that his intention would be to give a pro-poor people friendly government just as MGR had done. Yes, I am going to provide a government that will do good for the people, he declared.

In his strongest and most direct political speech, Rajinikanth replied to the politicians criticising the entry of film stars to politics, with the words, We are forced to enter politics, because you politicians have failed to do your job. His carping remark was greeted with wild cheers by the huge audience at the MGR Medical University owned by MGR loyalist A.C. Shanmugam, former MP and MLA of the AIADMK.

Rajinikanth unveiled a statue at the university and his road trip to the venue was marked by large enthusiastic fans and supporters greeting him along the 15 km route, bringing traffic to a standstill. The grand spectacle could be dubbed a teaser to the stars actual political launch. The road show, the crowds en route, the welcoming banners and fans from neighbouring districts culminating in that massive audience at the college venue resembled a virtual political conference.

But the most important observation the superstar made was that he indeed was stepping in to fill the political vacuum caused by the absence of two strong leaders  Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi. There is a need for strong political leadership, strong leaders and I am here to provide that because others have failed to do so, he said. Rajinikanth said that he had been doused with political waters since 1996 (when he had famously opposed Jayalalithaa) and his political instincts had been honed by his close association with Cho Ramaswamy, Moopanar and Karunanidhi

Rajinikanth dismissed the theory that he was angling for MGRs votes by trying to become another MGR. Let there be no doubt  there can never be another MGR. He was Gods gift to mankind. A yugapurush who cannot be emulated by anyone. Only if he is reborn again there can be another MGR. But I promise that my aim would be to provide an honest and people oriented government that MGR did. Like the noon meal scheme for all children, current connection to even huts, cheap rice, bus routes to every villages at nominal fares.Her work is not only limited to the walk or the workshops, she is also using art to spread awareness.

Under the shadow of the India Gate, that embraces in itself the history of India, another significant moment was created as Srishti Bakshi reached Delhi as a part of her journey, walking all the way from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, spreading awareness about women empowerment.

The lone crusader decided to start the movement, CrossBow after reading the news on the evening bus back home in Central Hong Kong about a gang rape of a mother and daughter in Indias Bulandshahar district. The 31-year-old quit her marketing job and with family behind her back, started an action-oriented initiative  empowering women through workshops.

Prior to the walk she was about to take in the streets of South Delhi, reclaiming them for the women who are forced to think twice before venturing out in the night, she said, Walk is a journey in itself. With wheels beneath your feet, you just dont fly but you fly-by the people with whom you were meant to interact. It is because of the choice to walk that we met 25,000 people who wanted their voices to be heard. Since we dont belong to the authoritative infrastructure and are their to listen, they open up. One needs to stop by the roadside, understand what a woman is going through  stories that will keep you wide awake through numerous nights. Thus, walking has been instrumental in pushing Bakshi into every nook and corner, which otherwise would have not been possible.

Unlike the mainstream focus on the girls and women of India, Bakshi strongly feels that both men and women should be brought in the same room. Its hard to get men to discuss about these issues, she confessed. Since, we are talking about womens safety, it is assumed that the audience will and should be women. I always request people to let the men in because I believe that there is a big gap in understanding between the two. Ask a man what are the problems women face and their replies are very bookish  female infanticide, dowry and early marriage  totally oblivious to their female counterparts reality. While, on the other hand, women talk about how they are pressured to get married or have been married off at an early age of 15, and how they feel violated.

When women open up, there is a slight possibility that men can understand the gravity behind the situation of women, shared Bakshi. She also makes sure that there are men who equally participate in the workshops, panel discussions and talk about wonand equality.

Her work is not only limited to the walk or the workshops, she is also using art to spread awareness. A total of 30 walls in various cities will be painted across the country, with each individual wall having a motif. These works will come together as a whole piece at the end of the walk. Bakshis team together with ITC Vivel Ab Samjhauta Nahi campaign have already painted 17 walls across the country celebrating women who have never compromised at any level. It is essential that we talk about the unsung heros  women who have emerged victorious from their circumstances and can be an inspiration for the rest. Though we have a lot of inspirational women, we dont have enough. Also, the ones who are considered extra ordinary are out of reach and are often unable to relate to the masses, shared Bakshi who is adamant about breaking this divide and giving platform to women like Nilam Drivedi, a sub-inspector, who is fighting gender equality on a daily basis in the police system, households and society.

With two-third of the walk being over, the feedback has been amazing. We dont leave people behind with empty promises, rather, we have a well planned programme  focussing on financial and digital literacy  no matter what you want to become, the cellphone in your hand is the best way to acquire it, added Bakshi who disagrees with the fact that education is the solution to everything. I have seen rich and educated families treating women in the most demeaning manner. They have to beg for money, face violence and often become victims of marital rape. Its the mindset that needs to be changed and it all starts with the head of the family. So, we appeal to the grandfathers, fathers and brothers to be supportive of the women in the family.

For the CrossBow Miles app, Bakshi has collected 62 million steps. Once, the walk is over, Bakshi intends to submit her research paper to the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development.P.K. Shahjahan, Dean of Students Affairs of TISS, confirmed to this newspaper that all the fees of SC, ST and OBC had been waived off.

Mumbai: The protest by students of the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) against the withdrawal of funds by the institute took a tumultuous turn on its 13th day as students entered the lobby of the Mumbai campus chanting slogans and demanding justice.

Students from Schedule Castes, Schedule Tribes and Other Backward Classes have been boycotting lectures, field work, assignments and projects for the last 12 days and protesting outside the campus. Similar protests regarding the same issue are taking place in other TISS campuses across the country. The funding for the education of these students have been reduced considerably as the Government of India has withdrawn the funds.

P.K. Shahjahan, Dean of Students Affairs of TISS, confirmed to this newspaper that all the fees of SC, ST and OBC students had been waived off. While for the future batches (i.e. the academic year 2018-20), students will have to pay hostel and dining charges in instalments. OBC students will have Rs 12,000 exemption in tuition fees.

Along with this, students who cannot pay the instalments will be considered under the Students Aid Scholarship, which is funded through internal mediums, Mr Shahjahan said.

Fahad Ahmed, general secretary of the Students Union said, Even though the institute has decided to waive off the new rules of withdrawing the money for the current batches, we want them to do this for all future batches. We wont stop the protest until then.

By withdrawing funds for the education of the backward section students, he further said, the government is discouraging students from studying further, which is a right. Education is an important sector and the government should take immediate action to support it," he said.The petition challenged the constitutional validity of the January 3 bandh.

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has issued a notice to Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar, who called a strike across the state after the Bhima-Koregaon riots on January 1.

The high court was hearing a petition filed by two NGOs, Action for Good Governance and Networking and Public Concern for Trust, through their lawyer Archit Jaykar.

The petition challenged the constitutional validity of the January 3 bandh. They also sought that all the persons responsible for the bandh should be booked and prosecuted.

They asked the court to book them under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement to Public Property Act, 1985 and Criminal Procedure code. The court also needs to implement recommendation given by the Thomas committee and the Nariman committee and Rs 50 crore should be recovered from the protestors.

The plea further stated that the bandh violated the judgements of the Supreme Court and HC, which says that calling a bandh is unlawful and in violation of the Constitution of India as well as violation of the prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984. The petition also stated that damage caused by protestors and deployment of police personnel are all an additional burden on the state exchequer, which will be recovered from the tax paying citizens.

It said that the loss suffered by the Public Exchequer in the city of Mumbai due to the bandh alone was to the tune of approximately Rs 800-1,000 crore. The city came to a crippling halt, public property was destroyed, and the ordinary citizens daily routine was disrupted. The petitioner held the state government, the Director General of Police and Mumbai Police commissioner responsible for failure in their duty.

Special Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar had opposed the petition saying Rs 50 crore is an approximate figure and there is need to ascertain the exact amount. He also argued that Prevention of Damage to Public property Act is yet to be enacted. He also argued that case against Ambedkar, who called the bandh couldnt be registered but individual protestors were booked for creating disruption in that particular area.

The court asked state government to file affidavit pertaining to the petition and also issued notice to Prakash Ambedkar and people of Samasta Hindu Aghadi and Shivraj Prathisthan who were responsible for the bandh.The US trade deficit in 2017 in goods and services was $566 billion, though this balloons to $810 billion if you exclude services.

Americas President Donald Trump announced import duties of 25 per cent and 10 per cent on steel and aluminium respectively on February 2. The New York Times noted that Mr Trump has been spoiling for a trade war since he began electioneering. The announcement nevertheless took both Americas allies and other countries by surprise. A Trump soundbite, disparagingly recounting Prime Minister Narendra Modi telling him about reducing Indian import duties on Harley Davidson motorcycles from 100 per cent to 50 per cent, went viral. Should the US be thanking India for that, President Trump asked sarcastically.

The rationale for the US decision defies logic. For starters, the decision uses national security grounds, a rarely used World Trade Organisation (WTO) rule which is difficult to review. President George W. Bush had similarly imposed duties on steel imports in 2002, for three years, that was subsequently held to be infringing WTOs global trade rules. Next arises the question of whether it covers countries like Canada, Mexico and South Korea, with which the US has trade agreements that should preclude such action.

The US trade deficit in 2017 in goods and services was $566 billion, though this balloons to $810 billion if you exclude services. Of this, the deficit with China alone is $342 billion. However, the duties on steel and aluminium are unlikely to affect China much as it is not even in the top 10 countries exporting these products to the US. Chinas strength is in manufactured goods, which may have steel or aluminium content, but would not be affected. But the argument runs that President Trump has just begun his protectionist war, and more duties on more products may follow. The likelihood of a trade war spinning out of control has rattled stock markets across the world.

The leaders of the G-20 economies have strongly condemned the US move, ranging from Canada to the European Union and Australia. The Chinese reaction, however, remained muted. After all, with Mr Trump sometimes the bark has been worse than his bite, and his policy tweaks are often campaign promises fulfilled, mostly in a pro forma manner. Interestingly the announcement, by design or coincidence, came on the very day that Liu He, Chinese politburo member and economic adviser to Chinese President Xi Jinping, began his talks with the US. This was reminiscent of Mr Trump sanctioning a punitive missile attack on Syria as he hosted Mr Xi at his Mar-e-Lago resort in Florida last year.

The larger question is whether Mr Trump had weighed all factors before announcing the move, from which the advantages may be lopsided domestically. While some benefit may go to 200,000 jobs in US smelting industries producing those two items, the negative impact on those using those products in their manufacturing may impact 6.5 million jobs. For instance, aluminium goes into production of cans which are increasingly vital for the beer and soft drinks industry. Other big groups that consume them are manufacturers of aircraft and cars, thus affecting behemoths like Boeing and General Motors, whose cost of inputs may rise.

The linkages of supply chains among the three-member North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta), comprising Canada, the US and Mexico, are problematic. Car manufacture demonstrates this dilemma, as the chassis may be made in the US but the engine and wiring may come from Mexico while the electronics could be from Canada or South Korea. Canada in fact buys half of Americas steel exports. Thus, it was not surprising that leaders of these countries warned of retaliatory duties on US products. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the move absolutely unacceptable. The three US products that may straightaway face wrath abroad are Harley Davidson motorcycles, manufactured in the constituency of Speaker Paul Ryan, Kentucky bourbon and blue jeans, with similarly sensitive political implications. Thus, it was not surprising that Mr Trump chose motorbike exports from India having lesser duty in the US than Harleys coming to India even though out of Indias over $1 billion two-wheelers export only $11 million or so go to the US.

As they say, it takes two to tango, and Mr Trump may be about to discover that fundamental reality. Canada and Mexico are the first and third largest agricultural markets for the US. South Korea imports US beef, corn, pork, etc. Turkey imports US cotton and Brazil wheat and dairy. Agriculture can be a vote-sensitive sector, particularly in regions in the US Midwest where support for Mr Trump is strong. Moreover, all steel jobs lost are unlikely to reappear in the US as automation and changes in steel production technology would condition that. Mr Trump hectored after a crescendo of EU threats that he would impose duties on European cars if it persisted. While it is true that the EU imposes 10 per cent duty on car imports while the US duty is just 2.5 per cent, the the preference for European, Japanese or Korean cars is based on value for money or simply value for quality. Moreover, many foreign car manufacturers have set up American plants for indigenous production.

Mr Trump may well believe, as his tweet declared, that trade wars are good and easy to win, but the reality can be grey and troublesome with no clear winners. George W. Bush had to withdraw similar duties that he imposed in 2002. The real issue is whether it is in the interests of the US to undermine the global trade regime that it had helped to construct, culminating in the setting up of WTO. The national security exception can become more widely misused by other nations, seeing Americas behaviour. India has been resisting US attacks on its food procurement programme as non-compliant with WTO rules. Protectionism ill suits the evangelical erstwhile supporters of free trade. When rule-makers turn rule-breakers, the world is bound to be a less stable place.Yechury it seems backs a future in aligning with the Congress in a wider Opposition unity to defeat the BJP.

Results from the remote, predominantly tribal, Tripura Assembly elections have set off a false alarm and, predictably, a false debate within the Left. On the other hand, the outcome comes as a pyrrhic victory for the BJP for Tripura negates its project of Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan.

The BJP has formed an alliance with a separatist tribal group, which is neither for a Hindi-speaking state, nor for banning cow slaughter, nor does it conform to anyones idea of a Hindu rashtra. In fact, the tribal allies are already demanding their lions share in the pie, eyeing the chief ministers job.

As for the holy cow, whose spuriously touted protection has led to the lynching of Muslims and dalits in some BJP-ruled states, what are its chances in the voraciously beef-eating Northeast? The same holds true for Goa and other southern states. Ban on cow slaughter like the one in UP wont take effect in Nagaland if our party comes to power, said the BJPs state spokesperson in Kohima last year. The reality here is very different and our central leaders are aware of that.

Masked in the comment was a challenge to the BJPs idea of a unitarian India, an idea initiated by the Congress and, in a nuanced way, pursued by the Left. No one has ever ruled India from Attock to Cape Comorin, not even the British, not Ashoka, not Aurangzeb, not the Marathas though they came closest to it.

The picture of Bharat Mata with her head in Kashmir and feet in Tamil Nadu came with the advent of the printing press. The British tried to connect India, before dividing it into two, with railways and telegraphs but they could not assemble a single revenue system, which the nationwide general sales tax is controversially seeking to fix. The British left princely states numbering 555 and they covered 48 per cent of the area of pre-independent India and constituted 28 per cent of its population. Pompously, Indias Communists and all their breakaway groups pretend to have a pan-India revolutionary vision, which the better-placed Britain had to abandon.

Some terrified partisans are ready to see the defeat of the CPI(M) at the hands of the BJP as a triumph of the Right over the Left with worse to follow. Others accuse the so-called Kerala line for the debacle. There are those too who see the outcome as linked to the partys quarrelling leaders, which has impacted adversely on the cadres morale and their zest to challenge the BJP.

To me, off and on, Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury, the former and the current CPI(M) chiefs, bring alive memories of Mirza Sajjad Ali and Mir Raushan Ali of Munshi Premchands 1924 satire Shatranj ke Khilari. The two nobles of Awadh were quarrelling over their chess moves while in the background British soldiers were taking away their king to be exiled to Matia Burj. Blame game, however, will not stop the BJP.

Yechury it seems backs a future in aligning with the Congress in a wider Opposition unity to defeat the BJP. Karat sees no gain from joining hands with the Congress, which the party opposes in Kerala, its remaining bastion. Tripura followed the Kerala line.

Beyond the riveting chessboard is a complex reality from where the party took leave long ago. Revolutionary poetry in Urdu and Hindi tells of a time when the partisan dream gripped the Hindi heartland too. One could see trouble already when the CPI(M), dizzied by its electoral successes in Kerala and West Bengal in the 1970s, shut down an Urdu paper the party had only recently started. The move revealed a lurking lack of faith in Urdu-speaking Muslims, not that it was doing any better with dalits or even the more numerous middle castes.

A little acknowledged fact remains that Indian states have a history of doing fine without the BJP or the Congress. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Delhi have all shown the ability to do well without the Congress or the BJP. They beckoned the Left, which responded with an attention deficit because it was preoccupied with its pompous all-India project, euphemism for Kerala and West Bengal.

Several northeastern states have similarly experimented well without Unitarian parties and with peculiarly local appeal and issues. The Communists, however, will not have any of that; they will not rest without staging a nationwide upheaval. They forget that even their grand fight against Indira Gandhis Emergency stopped at the Vindhyas and she remained invincible in the south. Thats the nature of India.

Why does the Left not consider the obvious reality that there are more ideological and tactical variations possible in a complex country like India than the simplistic, single, India-wide perspective that frames the Lefts choice as being with Congress or without the Congress? The irony is that the biggest party office in Indias most populous state belongs to the CPI(M), and it is situated bang opposite the imposing Assembly building in Lucknow but with no MLA to account for its presence. Why cant the party dissolve its unit and hand the building over to a Communist Party of Uttar Pradesh-Marxist? The CPI(M) in Kerala and West Bengal are two different parties, after all, pretending to be one.

It is the unwieldy all-India identity that stops at the Bengal-Kerala binary. The impressive all-India signboard did not allow Jyoti Basu to become Prime Minister. Who gained? How was it a superior idea to make Gowda or Gujral Prime Minister? The result was that within months Vajpayee took power for six critical years, winning two elections. Before that remember the CPI(M) carrying Vishwanath Pratap Singh on one shoulder and the BJP lending him the other shoulder. The BJP gained from two seats it had to become a major force. What did the CPI(M) get, if even a good lesson?

By arrangement with DawnThe new controls will give parents more control over access to content by allowing them to block individual movies and specific shows.

Netflix Inc is rolling out features that will give parents more control over access to content by allowing them to block individual movies and specific shows. Users can currently restrict content with only a specific maturity rating by using a numeric password. The new features will be available globally in the coming months, Mike Hastings, Netflixs director of enhanced content, wrote in a blog post.

Netflix has more than 100 million users across the world and spends billions of dollars in creating original shows such as The Crown and Stranger Things. Nudity is common in several of its popular shows such as Sense8, Orange is the New Black and House of Cards. Those shows, however, come with a adult rating. Netflix added that it will more prominently show the maturity level of a film or a series once users play it.

Separately, Netflix released a teaser of the final season of its hit political drama House of Cards, in which Robin Wright plays the role of the first female US president, after Kevin Spaceys exit from the show. Netflix cut ties with Spacey, who earlier played protagonist Francis Underwood in the drama, after allegations of sexual misconduct against him.Googles take on Augmented Reality based messaging allows for content creators to have a green screen effect on their phones.

Google in one of its recent blog posts states that they are using the power of neural networks to achieve this mobile green screen effect.

Augmented reality is the next big thing and all the major names in the technology industry are rushing to jump on the bandwagon. Snapchat initiated the process of commercialising AR for masses, which was followed up by Facebook and all of its subsidiary platforms. Googles efforts towards a building a social media platform hadnt borne fruits with Google+, but it hasnt given up entirely and therefore is using YouTube as a means to keep hold of the market. They rolled out a chats feature to the YouTube app last year and now, theres Augmented Reality based stories for content creators.

Googles approach seems to be different to that of Instagram and Snapchat. Instead of providing stickers based on facial recognition algorithms, YouTubes version of AR-based stories allows content creators to change the background like its done through the green screen techniques. Google in one of its recent blog posts states that they are using the power of neural networks to achieve this mobile green screen effect.

The system seems to be working on the same principle as the portrait mode that Google employs on its Pixel 2 smartphone. However, instead of blurring the background, a lot of clever algorithms are working to treat the background as a transparent layer and paste the desired layer of image or video on it. If you are willing to go through the software technicalities in details, refer to the full post here.

Presently, the feature is in a testing phase and is only available in a limited beta release for select YouTube content creators. Google is working with the content creators to gain feedback and improve the systems tracking capabilities to iron out all the irregularities.

(source)There was no immediate confirmation from either Saudi officials or Air India.

Last month, Air India announced the planned thrice-weekly flights to Tel Aviv over Saudi soil, but the General Authority of Civil Aviation in Riyadh said at the time it had not granted such permission to the carrier. (Photo: File)

Washington/ New Delhi: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Saudi Arabia had granted Air India permission to fly over its territory on its new routes to and from Tel Aviv.

There was no immediate confirmation from either Saudi officials or Air India. Netanyahu made the announcement during a briefing in Washington to Israeli reporters after he had met US President Donald Trump.

Saudi Arabia does not recognise Israel and lifting the 70-year-old airspace ban would reflect what appears to be thawing ties between Israel and the kingdom, both US allies with a shared concern over Iranian influence in the region.

Last month, Air India announced the planned thrice-weekly flights to Tel Aviv over Saudi soil, but the General Authority of Civil Aviation in Riyadh said at the time it had not granted such permission to the carrier.

El Al Israel Airlines, the country's flag carrier, flies four weekly flights to Mumbai. These take seven hours as they fly south toward Ethiopia and then east to India, avoiding Saudi airspace. Israel media have said that Saudi overflight routes could reduce travel time by more than two hours.Workers removed the Trump logo from the entrance to the luxury complex, where police had been deployed earlier in the day.

There have been reports of physical confrontations between the new owner and his team and the Trump administration staff. (Photo: AFP)

Panama: The owner of the Trump Hotel in Panama City said Monday he had succeeded in expelling the management company of the US president's family from the building.

Cypriot businessman Orestes Fintiklis, who owns a majority of the Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower in Panama, said it was "a commercial dispute that just spun out of control, and on Monday this dispute has been settled by the judges and the authorities in this country."

Workers removed the Trump logo from the entrance to the luxury complex, where police had been deployed earlier in the day.

"Today Panama has showcased stable institutions, rule of law and investor-friendly legal framework," said Fintiklis in a brief statement to the press.

The row erupted last month when Fintiklis, a Miami-based investor who last year became owner of the majority of units in the building through a company he controls, said he wanted to boot the Trump organization out before its management contract was up, remove the Trump name and rebrand the building.

In lawsuits lodged in the United States, Fintiklis alleged a decline in occupancy in the hotel. The Trump Organization hit back, claiming Fintiklis was breaching his contractual commitments as owner.

Fintiklis complained to the Panamanian prosecutors' office that Trump Organization employees were barring him access to the units he owns in the sail-shaped complex, which also boasts a casino, shops, a spa and a small private beach.

The complex was inaugurated in 2011 by Trump and Panama's president at the time, Ricardo Martinelli. Martinelli is currently on bail in Miami fighting extradition to Panama, where he is charged with corruption and spying.

The hotel and the majority of the apartments were sold in 2017 to Fintiklis' Ithaca Capital Partners, which is based in Miami.

As part of the deal, the administration of the hotel remained in the hands of the Trump Organization, run by the president's two sons since he took office last year.

Trump Hotels last week accused Fintiklis of "fraud" and using "mafia-style tactics" to force its administration staff out of the disputed building.

There have been reports of physical confrontations between the new owner and his team and the Trump administration staff.

Last month, Panamanian prosecutors announced they were opening an investigation into the case following complaints by Fintiklis that he had been prevented from entering the building.The government last month had taken over the JuDs famous Muridke Markaz and Lahores headquarters of Masjid Al Qadsia.

At the FATF meeting in Paris last month, Saeed and his 'charities' were top on the list of the groups that the FATF wanted Pakistan to act against. (Photo: AFP/File)

Lahore: Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and other leaders of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) are still freely using the banned groups offices despite Pakistans claims that all the assets of the two outfits have been seizedand their bank accounts frozen, an official said on Tuesday.

The government last month had taken over the JuDs famous Muridke Markaz and Lahores headquarters of Masjid Al Qadsia in Chauburji. But on ground neither Saeed and his supporters left the JuDs Chauburji headquarters nor that of Muridke and other offices of JuD and the FIF in the country.

Since the government has taken over the control of JuD headquarters in Lahore in mid last month, Saeed delivered three Friday sermons in three successive weeks there in the presence of a large number of his supporters. The government could only deploy its administrator at al Qadsia while the JuD men are operating from there the way they used to, an official of the Punjab government told PTI on Tuesday.

A similar arrangement was made at JuDs Muridke headquarters, he added.

The government has not barred Saeed and activists of his charities from using the JuD headquarters in Lahore and Muridke, and other offices of the two organisations, he said.

The government had initiated action against Saeeds organisations in pursuance of an ordinance issued by President Mamnoon Hussain in February amending the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, and allowing the state to proscribe UNSC-listed organisations, some of which had been exempt from prosecution.

The move had also come in the backdrop of a meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental money-laundering watchdog, that put Pakistan on a grey list.

At the FATF meeting in Paris last month, Saeed and his charities were top on the list of the groups that the FATF wanted Pakistan to act against.

Pakistan last week vowed to take further actions to address certain deficiencies highlighted by the FATF in its anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing framework.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. It has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah Khan said the officials from various government departments had been appointed as administrators of JuDs offices to oversee the working of welfare-oriented facilities like dispensaries and schools.

To a question about as why the JuD leadership including Saeed had not been stopped using the JuD headquarters in Lahore and Muridke, the minister said: We have taken over all JuD and FIF facilities including schools, dispensaries, offices and seminaries. These are now in the governments control.

Another official told PTI that the government at this stage does not want to stop Saeed and other JuD leaders from using its main headquarters as it may lead to a clash between them.The three-time PM asserted that the people of Pakistan are not a herd of cattle that can be steered to any direction.

Islamabad: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday expressed surprise over some political parties bagging Senate seats without having substantial representation in the provincial assemblies, saying, this shows rigging.

Speaking to reporters here outside the accountability court hearing corruption cases against him, Mr Sharif said: It is crucial to get to the bottom of this. This system should change. This game of money should be buried. This has happened in the past but this time it was too open and brazen.

He complained that in Saturdays Senate elections, lawmakers had difficulty recognising Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) candidates since they were contesting as independents without any party symbol owing to the recent Supreme Court decision.

Talking about the partys victory in Sundays by-election in Sargodha, the disqualified PML-N president commended the partys victory with around 20,000 votes, saying will they erase us by snatching our symbol?

This should serve as an eye opener...the more injustice that is meted out to us the bigger the public reaction and support for PML-N, said Mr Sharif, adding that people are now aware and feel that the PML-Ns stand was correct.

Now the people are saying this - respect the vote, said the former premier, referring to his oft-repeated slogan since his disqualification in July last year.

The three-time PM asserted that the people of Pakistan are not a herd of cattle that can be steered to any direction.

I am pleased to see that the public is getting smarter and is revolting. They should be. Their elected leader was thrown out by four-five people without reason, he said, adding that he did not murder or rob anyone, is not a drug smuggler, a Godfather or Sicilian Mafia.

Mr Sharif said it was important to stand up to injustice, stating that this is my country and your country.

He said further that the time for directing the herd has passed, claiming that they are declaring me disqualified but the people are accepting me even more.

One has to call a spade a spade, he said further, adding that whats wrong is wrong, he added.Anti-Muslim riots have left two people dead and more than 100 homes and shops ablaze in the popular hill resort of Kandy.

Sri Lankan police commandos patrol the streets of Pallekele, a suburb of Kandy, on Tuesday following anti-Muslim riots that have prompted the government to declare a state of emergency. (Photo: AFP)

Colombo: Sri Lanka declared a nationwide state of emergency for 10 days on Tuesday to stop the spread of communal violence after clashes erupted between majority Buddhists and members of the minority Muslim community.

Anti-Muslim riots have left two people dead and more than 100 homes and shops ablaze in the popular hill resort of Kandy. The government said it was imposing the extraordinary measures after police failed to curb violence in Kandy, a central district famed for its tea plantations and Buddhist relics.

Armed forces were deployed to bolster security in addition to a unit of elite police commandos who were sent in to restore order after rioters defied an overnight curfew and went on the rampage. Tensions rose in Kandy Tuesday as the body of a 24-year-old Muslim man was pulled out of a burnt building. Police said two dozen people had been arrested following the riots and remanded for two weeks.  Agencies

Some Buddhist nationalist have also protested against the presence of Muslim Rohingya asylum-seekers from mostly Buddhist Myanmar.

Tension has been growing between the two communities in Sri Lanka over the past year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam and vandalising Buddhist archaeological sites. (Photo: AFP)

Colombo: Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency for 10 days to rein in the spread of communal violence, a government spokesman said on Tuesday, a day after Buddhists and Muslims clashed in the Indian Ocean Islands central district of Kandy.

Tension has been growing between the two communities in Sri Lanka over the past year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam and vandalising Buddhist archaeological sites.

Some Buddhist nationalist have also protested against the presence in Sri Lanka of Muslim Rohingya asylum-seekers from mostly Buddhist Myanmar, where Buddhist nationalism has also been on the rise.

"At a special cabinet meeting, it was decided to declare a state of emergency for 10 days to prevent the spread of communal riots to other parts of the country," the spokesman, Dayasiri Jayasekara, told Reuters.

"It was also decided to take stern action against people who are instigating violence through Facebook," he added, referring to postings on social media.

The government sent troops and elite police to Kandy after a mob set fire to a Muslim-owned shop, imposing a curfew there on Monday to prevent clashes between majority Sinhalese Buddhists and minority Muslims.Accusing oneself is part of Christian wisdom; not accusing others, the pontiff said. Two things will help us understand the path of forgiveness: 'You are great Lord; unfortunately, I have sinned,' and 'Yes, I forgive you, seventy times seven, as long as you forgive others'."

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  God forgives us as long as we recognise ourselves as sinners and forgive others, said Pope Francis during the Mass he celebrated this morning at Casa Santa Marta.

In his homily, he commented the First Reading from the Book of Daniel in which Azariah, who was thrown into a burning furnace for refusing to deny the Lord, does not complain to God about the treatment inflicted upon him, nor blames Him. Instead, he reiterates his loyalty and continues to profess the greatness of God and goes to the root of evil. "You have always saved us, and yet sadly we have sinned," he said. He accuses himself and his people.

For Francis: Accusing ourselves is the first step towards forgiveness. [. . .] Accusing oneself is part of Christian wisdom; not accusing others, no . . . [Accusing] Ourselves. [Saying] I have sinned. And when we approach the sacrament of penance [we must] keep this in mind: Great God who gave us so many things, unfortunately I have sinned, I have offended the Lord and ask for salvation."

The pontiff then mentioned the story of a woman who talked a lot about her mother-in-laws sins at the confessional, trying to justify herself, until the priest told her: "Okay, now confess your sins". The Lord likes this because the Lord is open to the contrite heart, for, like with Azariah, 'There is no disappointment for those who confide in you'. A contrite heart tells the truth to the Lord: 'I did this Lord. I have sinned against You. [But] The Lord holds his mouth, like the father with the prodigal son, does not let him talk. His love covers him. He forgives everything."

Francis calls upon us not to be ashamed, but to own up to our sins because the Lord justifies us by forgiving us not once, but always; on one condition though: "Gods forgiveness is strong in us as long as we forgive others. And this is not easy because rancour can nest in our heart and there is always such bitterness. So many times, we carry with ourselves the list of things [others] have done to me: This one did that to me; that did this, and so on.

In wrapping up, the Holy Father noted that "Two things will help us understand the path of forgiveness: 'You are great Lord; unfortunately, I have sinned,' and 'Yes, I forgive you, seventy times seven, as long as you forgive others'."by Melani Manel Perera

A ten-day nation-wide state of emergency has been imposed after the death of a Sinhalese man sparked attacks against Muslim-owned businesses. Police used tear gas to disperse Buddhist radicals. The country is on the brink of a new civil war.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  The Sri Lankan government has declared a ten-day nation-wide state of emergency following recent attacks against Muslim homes and businesses in the central district of Kandy.

Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Muslim minority now threaten to push the island nation towards civil strife.

Unofficial sources told AsiaNews that a shop, two hotels and a Tamil house were also damaged in the violence. A curfew was imposed on the town of Theldeniya until 6 am this morning.

The clashes broke out after a Sinhalese man was killed, which enraged some Sinhalese, including members of radical Buddhist groups.

The arrival in town of Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thero, a radical monk from Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), and Dan Priyasath, who considers himself the "saviour of the Sinhalese", made matters worst. Both represent extremist groups and are out on bail for past attacks against Muslims.

Following the attack by an angry mob against a mosque in Digana as well as several Muslim-owned stores, fear of mass violence quickly spread in the Muslim community.

The latest clashes follow those last week in Ampara, where a Sinhalese crowd set fire to a mosque and nearby shops.

In Theldeniya riot police used tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowd that had gathered outside the police station.

At least 24 people suspected in connection with the riots were taken into custody and remanded for their involvement in the violence.

According to Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara, the Criminal Investigation Department has opened a probe into the sectarian clashes.

Sudarshana Gunawardena, director general of the Department of Government Information, issued an appeal to all the parties, especially the general public, to remain calm.by Sumon Corraya

Prof Mohammed Zafor Iqbal had demanded justice for secularist bloggers and intellectuals murdered for their democratic ideas. His name was on the black list of an outlawed Islamic group. Activists and Catholics condemn the attack.

Dhaka (AsiaNews)  Prof Mohammed Zafor Iqbal, a well-known writer and critic of Islamic fundamentalism, suffered stab wounds to the head after he was attacked by a member of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an Islamic group banned by the government of Bangladesh in 2015.

The academic was attacked on Saturday, as he was leaving a seminar at the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Sylhet, where he teaches. He was rushed by air ambulance to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka and is now in stable conditions after getting 26 stiches.

His attacker, Faizul Hasan, a former student at a madrassa (Quranic school), told police that the victim was an enemy of Islam and that his duty as a Muslim to resist those who work against Islam.

Dr Iqbal is head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at SUST and is the recipient of 15 national awards for his work in literature, including the Bangla Academy Literary award.

He also wrote many articles against Islamic radicalism, demanding justice for intellectuals murdered in recent years  including famous bloggers and activists  for their secular ideas and their opposition to violent Islam.

As a result of his activism, his name was included in the ABTs black list of secularist or pro-democracy intellectuals, which the group pledged to kill.

This is the same movement that claimed responsibility for attacking 13 intellectuals, 11 of whom were killed. As a result of this the professor was provided with a police escort.

Several activists spoke to AsiaNews to condemn the attack.

We are very concerned that despite police presence, Prof Iqbal was attacked by a militant, said Sheepa Hafiza, director of the NGO Ain and Salish Kandro.

We condemn the attack, she said, calling for exemplary punishments of those involved in the incident. Sadly, she added, the government has failed to provide justice for democratic thinkers.

"Dr Zafor Iqbal wants what is best for people, said Khakon Corraya, a Catholic writer. He never hurt the religious feelings of Muslims in his writings or statements.

Even Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reacted to the incident. For her, the nature of attack made it clear who the attackers are. We want to make the country free from terrorism, militants, and drugs, she said.

The attackers, she explained, are ignorant. They think they are going to heaven by killing a man. On the contrary, they are never going to heaven but will instead go to hell. Have no doubts about it. We must work together to free our children from such ignorance.Next March 16, the Foreign Ministers of Ankara, Teheran and Moscow will meet. Parties involved in the conflict will not attend. The UN special envoy will participate as an observer. The goal is to find the "necessary measures" to guarantee a truce in the conflict. USA: the Turkish offensive on Afrin has weakened the fight against ISIS.

Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A new round of talks between representatives of Russia, Iran and Turkey is scheduled to take place in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, to try to re-launch the peace process in Syria. Kazakh diplomacy specifies that this time, unlike past meetings, there will not be "observers" of the Damascus government and the oppositions involved in the war.

The meeting, at the level of foreign ministers, will however see the presence of the special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura. The event is part of a context of renewed tension in the Arab country, where new hotbeds have recently flared up: the attention of international diplomacy is concentrated above all on the government army operations on Ghouta east, a rebel enclave on the outskirts of Damascus and in Afrin, in the north, where Turkey launched an offensive against the Kurdish militias YPG (People's Protection Unit).

At the end of February, the European Union had launched an appeal to Moscow, Teheran and Ankara to take "all the necessary measures to ensure that the fighting stops".

In the past, the meetings in Astana, during which Damascus and the rebels sat at the same table for the first time, proved to be more decisive than the diplomatic efforts promoted by the United Nations in Geneva (Switzerland). In one of these meetings, in May last year, the creation of "de-escalation" areas for the conflict included a cease-fire, the creation of no-fly zones, immediate supply of humanitarian aid and return of refugees.

This new round of meetings, like the previous ones, is sponsored by Russia and Iran close to the government of Damascus and by Turkey, the main supporter of the Syrian opposition. The representatives of the three governments will discuss "joint actions" to be taken in the immediate future and will analyze "the results" of this first year of "collaboration".

Meanwhile, the United States admits that the operations against the jihadist militias of the Islamic State (IS, ex Isis) in Syria have been abruptly interrupted. The Kurdish militias, part of the alliance that fights the jihadists, had to turn back to Afrin to repel the Turkish assault, effectively favoring the reorganization of the Caliphate fighters.The campaign in Germany started on 17 February; in India on 18 February. Fr D'Souza calls on young Germans to eat vegetarian, use public transit, and not waste water.

Mumbai (AsiaNews)  For the first time Caritas India and Misereor Germany jointly launched the Lent campaign, which this year will focus on the ecological teachings of Laudato Si, the encyclical of Pope Francis on the protection of the environment and human communities from the risks of climate change.

"Caritas India and Misereor have been working together for a long time, said Frederick D'Souza, executive director of the Catholic association, speaking to AsiaNews. The two have been involved in the development sector for more than 50 years. The success in organising the joint Lent campaign this year has helped bring forward the benefits of mutual collaboration."

The theme of this years campaign  Have you changed the world today?  is climate change. The programme was developed with a series of preparatory meetings, attended by young people from the development organisation of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Germany.

The first was held in May 2017, then in June and February of this year. On 17 February, Fr D'Souza celebrated a solemn Mass in St Lantperts Catholic Church in Munich, with which he officially launched the programme in Germany to last until Good Friday.

During the ceremony, he called on young German to be responsible members of the Church and support the value of solidarity.

Avoiding wasting water, using electrical power only when really necessary, taking public transit, eat vegetarian as much as possible, and cutting air travel are some of the practical steps the Indian priest suggested to the young Germans to save the planet.

In India, the Lent campaign was launched on 18 February at the Church of the Sacred Heart in New Delhi.

The event is part of the universal Churchs call to respect the environment, prevent the negative effects of climate change, and act individually and collectively for sustainable production, use and consumption. (NC)NGO finds contaminant residue in the blood of 96 per cent of residents from chemicals used in maize production. More than 100 metric tonnes were imported into Nonghad and Kham districts between 2004 and 2015. More than half of all local fruits and vegetables have been contaminated.

Vientiane (AsiaNews/RFA)  Most residents in Xiangkhouang province, northeastern Laos, likely have residue from pesticides or herbicides in their blood, officials reported recently, adding that more tests are needed to determine the level of contamination that has affected the public.

In January, the Lao Upland Rural Advisory Service (Luras) released a report in which preliminary tests show contaminant residue in the blood of 96 per cent of Xiangkhouang residents.

We have sampled blood in the first stage through test-kits [in the field] to verify whether or not contamination exists, said Soubin Phimmahthut, an official with the Ministry of Public Health Food and Drug Department. But we still dont know what level of residue is there, so we will need to undertake further tests in the lab.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, more than 100 metric tonnes of pesticides and herbicides  including Cypermethrin, Carbaryl, Glyphosate, Atrazine, Paraquat, and Metsulfuron  were imported into Xiangkhouangs Nonghad and Kham districts alone between 2004 and 2015 as part of a bid to improve the commercial yield of the provinces 20,000 hectares of maize.

The chemical substances were mainly used in maize cultivation, and less applied for other crops, a Ministry expert said.

The Ministry recently tested 600 samples of fruits and vegetables from local farmers and markets throughout Xiangkhouangs seven districts and found that more than half of them contained pesticides and herbicides.

The reality is that the residue [in residents blood] comes from consumptionnot from the use of pesticides and herbicides directly, said Ianlang Phanthanivong, head of the crops division for Xiangkhouangs Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

The main factor is that people consume contaminated vegetables, fruits, meat, fish and other foods that are locally produced and distributed.

In Laos, contamination from chemicals used in agriculture is a nationwide problem, which has forced the government to pass laws and regulations to limit the use of pesticides and herbicides.

In 2016, the Ministry of Public Health took blood samples from 700 students and teachers throughout the country and found that nearly half tested positive for residue from pesticides or herbicides at levels considered unacceptable or dangerous.

That same year, the Ministry took blood samples from 400 secondary students and teachers in the capital Vientiane and found that 58 per cent of those tested showed residue at the same levels.

The ministry said at the time that the use of pesticides and herbicides in the country had increased by around 200 per cent over the previous decade as local farmers worked to increase crop production to commercial levels.After the 2011 disaster, Tokyo was forced to suspend some exports of agricultural and fishery products. Fukushima fishermen returned to work on court orders in June 2012. The Japanese authorities proceed to bring the population evacuated in 2011back to the prefecture.

Bangkok (AsiaNews) - Thailand is the first country to receive a shipment of fresh fish from the Japanese prefecture of Fukushima after the nuclear disaster of March 2011. On 28 February a load of 110 kg of fresh goods was delivered to serve two days after for sushi and sashimi dishes in 12 Japanese restaurants in Bangkok.

"We are delighted to be able to sell fish from our prefecture all over the world," says Kanji Tachiya, head of an association of fish cooperatives in the city of Soma. "We ship safe fish," he added. Before the nuclear disaster, plaice was a very common fish in Fukushima and had reached high prices according to Asahi Shimbun.

In 2011, three reactors in the Tokyo Electric Power plant in Fukushima leaked following a magnitude 9 earthquake that hit Japan, causing a tsunami that devastated a swath of the north-eastern coast of the country. More than 15 thousand people were killed. About 160 thousand inhabitants fled their homes after the collapses caused explosions that released radioactive materials.

Following the disaster, Tokyo was forced to suspend some exports of agricultural and fishery products. Fukushima fishermen returned to work on court orders in June 2012. According to officials of the prefectures, since April 2015 no seafood has been found with levels of radiation exceeding the Japanese safety standards. In March 2017, the prefecture's fishing association halved the area subject to a fishing ban within a radius of 10 km from the nuclear power station, instead of 20 km.

The Japanese authorities are also proceeding to bring the evacuated population back to the prefecture. Eviction orders for most of the cities in the area have been revoked, with the government reassuring those who return. Some of the residents have returned, but many are wary of the authorities and the experts are divided over how serious the problem of radiation in the area is. Concern for radiation levels in the environment remains because 70% of the affected territory is wooded and mountainous and cannot be decontaminated.

Radiation doses are measured in sieverts and displaced Fukushima residents are being asked to return to those areas where the level is not above 20 millisieverts per year (mSv / year). This is part of the guidelines established by the International Radiological Protection Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The safety limit declared in an emergency is 100 mSv / year, but some experts claim that even the 20 mSv / year exposure is too dangerous.by P. Peter ()

China is fertile ground for all religions. Christianity has always faced difficulties but has also been able to flourish. Tensions and resistance exist between imperial Confucianism and faith in God the Father over the subjects who are also children of Heaven and brothers of the emperor. Martyrdom cannot be eliminated, despite talks between China and the Vatican. A Chinese priest offers his thoughts.

Beijing (AsiaNews)  Despite difficulties, from the beginning, Christianity has overcome several obstacles in China. The famous Fr Matteo Ricci was the founding father of the mission thanks to his knowledge of Chinese culture and language. Ricci opened Chinas door with sciences and sowed the first seed of the Christian faith.

China is an ideal land to spread religious beliefs. Nestorianism, Manichaeism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Islamism, Christianity, etc. all came here. Historically, some religions have disappeared, whilst others have survived until today.

In China, Taoism is a native religion; Buddhism came from outside but is well rooted in Chinese culture; Islam, given its cultural origin, brought Arab culture; the Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Churches have the same root, but for cultural, historical, and political reasons have become three separate communities. The development of the Christian mission in China coincides with the age of colonialism, a fact that inevitably sparked many conflicts.

Under papal rule, Catholicism has had several encounters and clashes with the culture of Chinas imperial power, such as the persecution of Yang Guangxian, the controversies over Chinese rites at the time of Emperor Kangxi (1661-1722), and many others in the following periods under the rule of Yongzheng and Qianlong.

During the Kangxi era, the famous controversy between various religious orders over Chinese rites soon became a conflict between the power of the pope and that of the emperor. The conflicts between the two became an inevitable clash between the Catholic faith and the culture of imperial China. For this reason, our history has many martyrs. On 1st October 2000, Saint John Paul II proclaimed 120 saints: priests, religious, and lay people.

Catholicism favours equality among people because we are all sons and daughters of God the Father and we must love one another. The Confucian doctrine is based on hierarchy and the veneration of the emperor, which goes from ministers to the emperor, from sons to fathers. If the emperor condemns a minister to death, that minister must die; if the father condemns the son almost to make him die, the child must obey. After two thousand years, Confucian culture has taken root in the hearts of the Chinese and has become the core of a system of domination. In the feudal period, the emperor declared himself to be Tian Zi, Son of Heaven, and his power was granted from above or from the supreme deity. In such a situation, it is therefore impossible to make people understand that even the subjects are themselves children of Heaven and brothers of the emperor.

The founder of Catholicism, Jesus Christ, taught his disciples: "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." The Lords Prayer tells us that God is the Father of all, that we are Gods family; that we therefore must love one another. At the same time, it also means that human rights and equality between people are granted by Heaven. The imperial mentality has influenced China for about 2,000 years: how is it that this [Christian] teaching can be easily accepted in China? It is almost obvious that it is the result of so many persecutions.

So, how can the Catholic faith spread in China? I think we must have a spirit of perseverance and be ready for martyrdom. There are no shortcuts. Anyone who thinks of saving the Church in any other way, without martyrdom, even considering martyrdom as stupid, really makes an absurd mistake.

Today, the great leaders of the Roman Curia, facing Chinas ancient civilisation and imperial power, try to confront them. On the one hand, they appreciate Chinese civilisation, to please state power; on the other, they neglect what has been defended for years from a spiritual point of view. Worse still, they ask for the resignation of a bishop faithful to Catholicism, whilst choosing a traitor as a new pastor of the Lord's flock.

Will this policy of the Holy See really work? We only have to wait and see for results. If the worldly spirit comes to coincide with the divine spirit, then why was Jesus Christ crucified? Is the Lords wisdom not superior to that of the high prelates of the Holy See? With China having 5,000 years of civilisation, how should the Catholic faith spread? The perspectives of the future are still unclear and we are still a long way from discovering the path.A UN report released on 2 March highlights the critical issues facing the country. Religious activities need government approval, missionary activity is banned, detentions on religious grounds are commonplace and religion education is forbidden in schools. The right to religious freedom is "inherent" in every human being and cannot be considered a concession of the state.

Tashkent (AsiaNews)  Religious freedom in Uzbekistan must be respected because it is not a concession of the state nor a threat to its stability, but the "inherent right" of every human being, this according to report released last Friday based on the findings made by Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief, during a visit to the former Soviet Republic last October.

The UN official recognises that important steps have been taken and major reforms have been made over the past year by the Uzbek government. This includes President Shavkat Mirziyoyevs willingness to meet his demands and allowing him free movement.

However, the UN special rapporteur also notes limits in one area, namely freedom of religion. Mr Shaheed found in fact that in Uzbekistan religious freedom is subject to strict restrictions due to a rigid interpretation of the concept of secularism, and to the fight against religious extremism  of which there is no clear definition.

According to the report, secularism, as understood in Uzbekistan, does not appear committed to providing space for religions or beliefs or their manifestation. Countering extremism, religious or not, and promoting intergroup tolerance and inter-ethnic harmony take priority over the right to freedom of religion or belief.

Religions and beliefs are more a show of the countrys cultural diversity, but when believers try to practise their religions or beliefs more seriously, they find themselves with limited space or rights to manoeuvre, at risk of being identified with extremism. Signs of religiosity are treated as indicators of dissent.

The report identifies various critical issues. For instance, although the Constitution sanctions freedom of worship, religious activities are allowed only if they are recognised by the Ministry of Justice.

Furthermore, several minority groups, like the Jehovah's Witnesses, are unable to register in various regions, despite several attempts. Their activities are subject to criminal sanctions.

The special rapporteur stresses that the right to manifest ones faith in public or in private, alone or in a group, is an inalienable right under international law that should not be contingent upon State approval or administrative registration.

Mr Shaheed also criticises the ban on proselytising and missionary activities, as they are seen in Uzbekistan as a threat, with "unethical conversion" through material enticement seen as a potential cause of social tensions. However, in doing so, the ban violates the right to religious freedom and freedom of expression.

Likewise, the rapporteur questions the governments ban on teaching religion in schools, noting, that parents have the right to provide moral and religious education to their children in accordance with their own convictions, which is a core element of the freedom of religion or belief as set out in article 18 (4) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Another important issue are the thousands of religious prisoners, estimated at between 5,000 to 15,000, who have been detained without clearly determining if they are responsible of acts of violence or just practising their religion.

In 2017, 18,000 people suspected of extremism were removed from the government blacklist.

Uzbekistan must continue on the path of reforms and take the necessary steps to move from "tolerance" of religions to their real protection under the law.By Joanne Orlando, Researcher: Technology and Learning, Western Sydney University

from www.shutterstock.com

Fake Instagram accounts, often referred to as finstas or spam accounts, have become the norm for many teens  but their reasoning for creating these is not as sinister as you think.

Ive spoken with 50 Australian families  including 118 children aged 1-18  about technology use, and am currently conducting a follow-up qualitative investigation with a further 25 teens about their social media use. The data for both studies will be published this year.

My investigations show that teens use of social media is constantly shifting in new ways in response to changes to social media platforms, the teens age and social context. Social media continues to be a significant aspect of adolescence; the right information and guidance will ensure that use is positive and healthy.





Read more:

Curious Kids: Why do adults think video games are bad?





Teens love Instagram

Among my sample, teens often have access to multiple devices that usually include a mobile phone and a laptop. They typically dedicate their laptop use to school work, and their mobile phone use for all other parts of their life  such as socialising, connecting with family, and following interests. Teenagers also use their phones for some aspects of school learning, including accessing school resources, information and connecting with class peers.

Instagram is the most popular social media platform for teens: data from the United States shows that about 76% of this age group use it regularly. My current research shows that on any given day, a teen accesses Instagram around 10-30 times. They check likes, comments, share stories, view their friends latest posts, and follow their interests.





Read more:

Don't use technology as a bargaining chip with your kids





A distinctive trend in Instagram use, something that can go under the radar, is that teens increasingly have more than one account. Teens will often have a rinsta  a real Instagram account  and a finsta: a fake or second account.

The rise of the finstas (sometimes referred to as privates by teens) began in 2017 when for the first time, Instagram allowed users to create and switch between multiple accounts. Unlike other social media platforms such as Facebook, which states its against Facebook Community Standards to maintain more than one personal account, Instagram has embraced multiple accounts. Since that time teens have also embraced them, with ownership of numerous alternate accounts now common for this age group.

Teens do not typically set up finstas in their own name, but instead use a fake name or the name of an entity such as their favourite character. The idea is that the accounts cannot be traced back to them.

Three ways teens use fake Instagram accounts

Adults may be inclined to assume that finstas are created by teens to hide scandalous and/or overtly sexual behaviour. However, thats not necessarily the case. Growing up in the social media era, members of this age group are acutely aware of the pressures on them to create and maintain the picture-perfect online profile. Finstas are often strategically used by teens to relieve this pressure.









Maggie Ziegler





Private, less visible accounts allow teens the opportunity to move away from the carefully cultivated, public persona on their real Instagram account  and present a rawer, this-is-the-real-me personality to a smaller group of closer friends.

The friends that teens select for each of their finsta accounts depends on the type of content they want to post on there.

There are at least three reasons why teens create finsta accounts:

1. For their real friends

Teens commonly create finstas as a space to show their silly or more vulnerable side with close friends, without being judged by others. It is not uncommon for teens to have thousands of Instagram followers (many of whom they dont know personally), and the potential for criticism on such accounts is rife.









https://www.instagram.com/maisie_spammmm/





A finsta account however may have less than 30 of their close friends. In my own study of teen use of social media, 17-year-old Tommy stated he used his finsta account to post funny pictures just for his friends. He said he would never post those pictures on his real Instagram because he wouldnt want everyone to see how goofy he can be.

2. To enjoy private interests

Some teens use finsta accounts to privately enjoy interests they feel others may judge them by, or bully them about. For example, a teen boy may be an avid fan of a TV series that primarily has a female fan base. The teen may use his finsta account to share his interest with like-minded fans, he may even set it up to give the impression that it is a girls account. With this purpose, teens can feel free to enjoy their interest, or try new ones, without being worried that someone will mock them.

3. To boost their own popularity

Teens may also use finstas as a way of boosting their real Instagram accounts, for example using them to likes posts or add flattering comments as is seen with YouTube activity.





Read more:

When it comes to kids and social media, it's not all bad news





Implications for teens

A benefit of finstas is that they allow the focus of teens social media use to shift in a positive way. They can move away from posting perfect photos, and garnering high likes and quick compliments, to a focus on presenting themselves and their ideas in a less edited and more authentic way.

Their use of these accounts can potentially give teens more control over their digital identity, protecting themselves from users viewing and possibly misinterpreting their posts.

It also allows teens to get more perspective on what their friends are doing, especially after combining the information from their official accounts and their more authentic finstas.

On the flipside, however, these accounts usually engage with a closed circle of friends, so inappropriate content  such as sexual or highly intimate remarks and posts  can (and does) get posted.

Semi-anonymous and closed-platform posts also bring the potential for bullying, sexting, revenge posting, illegal activity and amplified drama that can easily spill over from finsta into other social media accounts and real life.

Parent-child conversations

Conversations with teens about social media are always important and should be a regular part of digital life.









from www.shutterstock.com





As finstas are generally set to private mode, teens may feel protected  that what they post is private. However, its important to remember that the same rules apply to finstas as to all social media: there is no way to monitor who physically sees a post.





Read more:

The way your children watch YouTube is not that surprising  but it is a concern. Here are some tips





A private setting does not protect you from a screenshot being taken of the post and distributed  nor does it stop someone that youre not friends with physically looking at content on your account, perhaps on another persons phone.

Additionally, you are always trackable online somehow. Even if you are using an alternate username, a screenshot of the post may still be tied to your name in a Google search result.

Whether real or fake accounts, the message to teens about social media should consistently focus on always being in control of your own reputation, sharing things online that reflect the real you, and thinking of the long-term implications of posts. Real or fake accounts  the rules stay the same.

Joanne Orlando does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Originally published in The Conversation.Taipei City. Photo via AngMoKio/Wikimedia

Taiwans capital is set to test its own electric carsharing service this month, according to the Taipei Times.

Taipei city officials told the news outlet that Ucar will begin with 10 electric vehicles rented from 11 public parking lots.

Ucar has been commissioned to electric car rental company Unicar. The company has developed a carsharing app, which will allow residents to book a rental and pay through their smartphones after having completed a registration process.

Rental rates are tentatively set at 100 New Taiwan dollars for 30 minutes, with every additional minute slated at NT$5.

The city hopes to build off the success of its YouBike and Umotor programs.Photo via Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia.

Associations representing manufacturers of vehicles and parts have spoken out against President Donald Trump's plan to place a 25% tariff on steel and a 10% tariff on aluminum imports.

Both metals are crucial to the production of cars and trucks sold in America today and could raise the sale prices of those vehicles substantially.

In addition to paying more for their vehicles, American consumers and workers can also expect to bear the brunt of the retaliatory tariffs other countries will almost certainly place on goods manufactured and exported from the U.S., said Cody Lusk, president and chief executive of the American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA).

"These proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports couldnt come at a worse time," Lusk said. "Auto sales have flattened in recent months, and manufacturers are not prepared to absorb a sharp increase in the cost to build cars and trucks in America. The burden of these tariffs, as always, will be passed on to the American consumer. Car shoppers looking for a deal will instead find that they are paying a new tax to transport themselves and their families."

The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) also expressed opposition to the plan. MEMA represents more than 1,000 companies that manufacture vehicle parts and components.

"The tariffs announced on March 1 will be detrimental to the motor vehicle parts supplier industry and the 871,000 U.S. jobs it directly creates," said Steve Handschuh, MEMA's president and CEO. "We have voiced repeatedly that while we support the administration's focus on strong domestic steel and aluminum markets, tariffs limit access to necessary specialty products, raise the cost of motor vehicles to consumers, and impair the industry's ability to compete in the global marketplace. This is not a step in the right direction."

Steel and aluminum tariffs could directly counteract any benefits American manufacturers have seen from tax and regulatory reform. An analysis of tariffs on steel imposed in 2002 found that the Bush steel tariffs cost 200,000 jobs, including 30,000 in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania alone, Lusk added.

Commercial Vehicle Industry Responds

Engine manufacturer Cummins was reserved in its response to the proposed tariffs in a statement saying, "We wont know the full impact until the final rule is issued." The company referred to statements that it had previously made independently and in conjuction with the organization Business Roundtable, where the company voiced its concerns that such actions will hurt American businesses, workers and consumers.

The Business Roundtable is a politically conservative association of chief executive officers who lead U.S. companies and the organization came out in opposition to the Presidents plan.

It will hurt the U.S. economy and American companies, workers and consumers by raising prices and resulting in foreign retaliation against U.S. exporters, Business Roundtable said in a statement about the proposed tariffs. BRT shares the Presidents goal of addressing global overcapacity of steel and aluminum. We urge the President to pursue other approaches that target unfair traders without putting various parts of the economy at such high risk, such as strongly enforcing U.S. unfair trade laws.

Several commercial vehicle manufacturers declined to comment at this time, but a Navistar representative affirmed the companys support for free trade and global supply chains and cautioned against tariffs that could impact U.S. manufacturer cost competitiveness and quality.

If these tariffs are enacted, thered be a significant impact to the commodities that are key components of commercial vehicles, making them more expensive for us to make, and ultimately, for our customers to purchase. Until seeing the final executive order, were not going to speculate further on the impact of this tariff," the company stated.

Originally posted on Automotive FleetHarold Pierce covers education and health for The Californian. He can be reached at 661-395-7404. Follow him on Twitter @RoldyPierceUnfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.In a statement issued by her attorney, a Citrus County Schools teacher whos made national headlines for her controversial podcast said shes not a white nationalist or white supremacist.

RELATED STORY: Citrus County teacher removed from class over podcast

Volitich removed from classroom during district investigation

Read full statement issued through attorney HERE

While operating under the Russian pseudonym Tiana Dalichov on social media and the Unapologetic Podcast, I employed political satire and exaggeration, mainly to the end of attracting listeners and followers, and generating conversation about the content discussed between myself and my guests, Crystal River Middle School social studies teacher Dayanna Volitich said in the statement.

The Huffington Post published an article March 3 reporting that Volitich was the host of the Unapologetic podcast. The article highlighted a recent episode in which Volitich interviewed the wife of the founder of a white nationalist media site.

Discussion included talk of some races having higher IQs than others.

For me, its hard to believe, even if its satire, said Ralph Soule, parent of a Crystal River Middle School student. It would be very, very concerning because, like I said, in this day and age, it seems to me that we would be more accepting of all people.

A man who would only identify himself as a neighbor of Volitichs said he thinks shes being targeted unfairly.

Shes so quiet, keeps to herself, pretty much. Seems like a decent individual, he said.

Volitich also said in her statement that her podcast and social media accounts have nothing to do with her family. She said, From them, I humbly ask for forgiveness, as it was never my intention to cause them grief while engaging in a hobby on my personal time.

The district issued a statement Sunday. It said it became aware of the podcast on Friday when it received a call from a Huffington Post reporter.

An investigation began immediately, and Volitich was removed from the classroom.Authorities in Polk County are investigating a deputy-involved shooting that happened Monday.

Incident happened while deputies looked into recent burglaries

Vehicle driving erratically, eventually drove through yard

Man displayed knife at deputies, refused to drop it

He was shot, died at Lakeland Regional Health



Sheriff Grady Judd said the man shot by deputies died at Lakeland Regional Health.

The incident unfolded about 2:15 p.m. as deputies visited a neighborhood affected by an increase in burglaries.

They spotted a vehicle driving erratically in the middle of the road, and the vehicle eventually turned onto Spring Lane and drove through a yard, Judd said.

A man inside the vehicle exited and began running toward a swampy area. At one point, he turned and screamed "shoot me" at deputies, then kept running until he went inside a shed in the Presidential Lane neighborhood. The man was carrying a knife and had cuts on his body, Judd said.

Deputies surrounded the man and told him to drop the knife. Judd said the man didn't follow the order and was shot multiple times by deputies.

The man's name hasn't been released, pending next of kin. Judd said the man had been arrested on several occasions. He also said marijuana and meth were found inside the abandoned vehicle.

No deputies were hurt, according to Judd.



The State's Attorney's Office assisted with the investigation.

A strange moment in the Russia investigation as former Trump campaign aide Sam Nunberg is going back and forth on whether he will testify before a federal grand jury, in a series of interviews.

At first Sam Nunberg claims he will not comply with subpoena

Then the former Trump campaign aide says he will

RELATED: Justice Dept. charges 13 Russians with interfering in US elections

Nunberg served as a top advisor to President Donald Trump during the early days of his presidential campaign, before being ousted.

He said Monday Special Counsel Robert Mueller had asked for records of his conversations with other key players in the Trump campaign. Mueller is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign and potential collusion between Russia and Trump campaign officials.

He told sister station Spectrum New York 1 that the subpoena required him to turn over all emails he had with several people like Steve Bannon and Roger Stone and called it "absolutely ridiculous" saying he would not cooperate.

However, he later told the Associated Press that he probably would end up cooperating.

During those interviews, he made some strong suggestions. He told CNN that Trump "may very well have done something during the election with the Russians."

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders responded to that.

"I definitely think he doesn't know that for sure because he's incorrect as we've said many times before. There was no collusion with the Trump campaign. Anything further on what his actions are. He hasn't worked at the White House. So I certainly can't speak to him or the lack of knowledge that he clearly has," Sanders aid.

It is not clear what action Mueller will take if Nunberg does not show up before the grand jury.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

A student wounded in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School plans to sue the school district and the Broward County Sheriffs Office.

Injured Parkland student plans to file lawsuit

Notice sent to county, school superintendent

Anthony Borges was shot 5 times

The lawyer for Anthony Borges, 15, sent a notice of intent to file claim" to the county, Sheriff Scott Israel, Superintendent Robert Runcie and the state's financial risk management division.

The failure of Broward County Public Schools, and of the Principal and School Resource Officer to adequately protect students, and in particular our client, from life-threatening harm were unreasonable, callous and negligent, attorney Alex F. Arreaza wrote in the notice.

Borges was hailed a hero for trying to close and lock a classroom door when he was shot five times. Seventeen people were killed in the Feb. 14 mass shooting.

Borges and his family are seeking an unspecified amount in monetary damages.

According to his lawyer, Borges is unable to walk and has difficulty performing rudimentary tasks.

Israel visited Borges in the hospital. The Sheriff's Office shared of picture of the visit on Twitter.

However, the sheriffs office has faced criticism for its response to the shooting. Deputy Scot Peterson, an armed school resource officer, didnt enter the school during the shooting.The former doctor the Tampa Bay Rays recently cuts ties with over sex abuse accusations will not face any charges.

Ex Rays doctor will not face charges

Michael Reilly was let go by team in Jan. when woman accused him of sex abuse several years ago

No charges after investigators determined no probable cause

St. Petersburg police said they will not pursue criminal charges against former Rays doctor Michael Reilly.

The physician was fired by the team in January, after a 26-year-old woman accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager that worked at his St. Petersburg medical clinic.

Detectives investigating the case said since the woman was an adult at the time of the alleged incident, the statue of limitations has expired. Also, no probable cause could be established in the case.

When let go by the Rays, Reilly denied the allegations through his attorney.A 14-year-old Tyrone Middle School student has been arrested after police said she made threats to the school last week.

Girl, 14, arrested in St. Petersburg school threat

An 8th grade girl is charged with threats against Tyrone Middle

Girl charged with felony making of a false report

According to St. Petersburg Police, the 8th grade girl wrote a threatening message on a school bathroom wall on February 28. The following day, police were alerted to a Snapchat post being circulated of an unidentified boy holding a weapon threatening violence at Tyrone Middle.

Officials said the incidents are connected.

Following a number of tips and cooperation from her parents, the 14-year-old was arrested Monday. She faces a 2nd degree felony charge of making a false report concerning the use of a firearm in a violent manner.

According to officials, almost half of students at Tyrone Middle did not show up to school on Friday, March 2.

That prompted St. Pete police to ask students, teachers, parents and the community that if you see or hear something, continue to say something to police and do not share any social media posts containing alleged or perceived threats or false reports.A man wanted in a fatal Haines City hit-and-run has turned himself in to authorities.

Suspect in fatal Haines City hit-and-run turns himself in

Darrell Coleman Jr., 27, had a warrant issued after the July 2017 crash

U.S. Marshals assisted in investigating, tracking Coleman

Darrell Coleman Jr., 27, had a warrant issued for his arrest after the fatal crash in July 2017. He is accused of being the driver that struck Charles Hudson Jr., 66, and drove off.

Hudson, a member of the Polk Sheriff's Office Citizens Assisted Patrol was riding his bicycle on Kokomo Road when he was struck and killed.

In addition to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Forces in Florida and Maryland were instrumental in locating Coleman.

Coleman is facing one count of leaving the scene of crash involving death, one count driving with a suspended license and causing death and one count trespassing.

Coleman turned himself in Tuesday at the booking facility of the Polk County Jail in Bartow.

"Back in July, we quickly identified Darrell Coleman as the man who hit and killed Mr. Hudson, then left him to die without stopping to help," said Polk Sheriff Grady Judd. "Detectives obtained a warrant for his arrest. He's known about the warrant this entire time, and continued to hide from us.

"Finally, with his arrest, justice has been served, and he will answer for his crimes."For Immediate Release, March 5, 2018 Contact: Tierra Curry, (928) 522-3681, tcurry@biologicaldiversity.org

George Kimbrell, (971) 271-7372, gkimbrell@centerforfoodsafety.org Annual Monarch Count Shows Butterfly Still Threatened Migration Could Collapse as Population Remains Low WASHINGTON The yearly count of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico, released today, shows a decrease from last years count and confirms the iconic orange and black butterfly is still very much at risk. Todays count of 2.48 hectares of occupied winter habitat is down from 2.91 hectares last winter. Overall monarchs have declined by more than 80 percent over the past two decades. We could lose the monarch butterfly if we dont take immediate action to rein in pesticide use and curb global climate change, said Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity and co-author of the 2014 petition to protect monarchs under the Endangered Species Act. Roughly 99 percent of all North American monarchs migrate each winter to oyamel fir forests on 12 mountaintops in central Mexico. Scientists estimate the population size by measuring the area of trees turned orange by the clustering butterflies. That population has been dangerously low since 2008. In the mid-1990s the population was estimated at nearly one billion butterflies, but this years population is down to approximately 93 million butterflies. This years drop is attributed in part to unseasonal weather last year including late spring freezes that killed milkweed and caterpillars, and an unseasonably warm fall that kept late-season monarchs from migrating. Another year, another reminder: Our government must do what the law and science demands, and protect monarchs under the ESA, before its too late, said George Kimbrell, legal director at the Center for Food Safety. The remaining question is whether the Trump administration wants to do Monsantos bidding or protect monarchs for future generations. In 2014 conservationists led by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Center for Food Safety petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the butterfly under the Endangered Species Act. Monarchs are threatened by a host of sources destroying their habitat and food, but studies have shown that a main source of their catastrophic demise decline has been genetically engineered crops, engineered with resistance to Monsantos Roundup pesticide, which has dramatically increased the pesticide use on their habitat. The Fish and Wildlife Services initial decision was that endangered species protection may be warranted, and pursuant to a court victory the Service agreed to make a final decision by June 2019. A 2016 study by the U.S. Geological Survey concluded that due to ongoing low population levels, there is between an 11 percent and 57 percent risk that the eastern monarch migration could collapse within the next 20 years. Scientists estimate the monarch population needs to reach 225 million butterflies to be out of the danger zone. Monarchs have lost an estimated 165 million acres of breeding habitat in the United States to herbicide spraying and development. The caterpillars only eat milkweed, but the plant has been devastated by increased herbicide spraying in conjunction with corn and soybean crops that have been genetically engineered to tolerate direct spraying with herbicides. In addition to glyphosate, monarchs are threatened by other herbicides including dicamba, Enlist Duo and by neonicotinoid insecticides that are toxic to young caterpillars. Monarch butterflies west of the Rocky Mountains overwinter on the central coast of California. Their numbers dropped to a five-year low of only 200,000 butterflies this year, down from 1.2 million two decades ago. A recent study found that if current trends continue, the western population has a 63 percent chance of extinction in 20 years and more than an 80 percent chance of extinction within 50 years.It is essential to train young Africans, particularly in digital skills, to ensure the economic development of the continent in the decades to come and avoid the brain drain of strategic skills for its development.

Orange and OpenClassrooms have combined forces to train young Africans in digital technology.

Objectives

The students will have access to the OpenClassrooms courses via the mobile network. The courses can be followed on the students smartphone for subjects that dont require a computer (Understanding the web, The network, Big data, Bitcoin, etc.); or on a computer with internet access via the users smartphone, for instance, for courses on programming.

Digital training centres will be established based on the OpenClassrooms diploma with guaranteed employment commitment, with the help of local partners, whose premises will be used as training and examination centres.

Job creation

By 2050, the African population will double to reach 2.5 billion, half of whom will be under the age of 25, according to estimates by the UN. Investing in education, in particular e-education, is an absolute priority to overcome the lack of physical and technical infrastructure.To this end, Orange and OpenClassrooms have combined forces to train young Africans in digital technology. Digital training centres will be established based on the OpenClassrooms diploma with a guaranteed employment commitment, and with the help of local partners.Orange and OpenClassrooms ( https://OpenClassrooms.com ) are pleased to announce the signing of a broad-based partnership to provide digital training in Africa. Several Orange subsidiaries in Africa are already working on the launch of training centres providing online courses via OpenClassrooms.To rise to the challenge of the digital revolution in Africa, students and teachers alike need to be trained in the new technology.There are two objectives for countries in Africa: to use digital technology to boost growth; and to focus on new sectors of business that create jobs.The partnership between Orange and OpenClassrooms will be formed on two levels:The courses are made up of series of texts, videos, and quizzes. The smartphone courses are easy to access, encourage the sharing of knowledge between students, and also user friendly and optimised for data consumption.The digital revolution is an exceptional opportunity for Africa, both as an accelerator for development and for new sectors of activity where it can excel. Africa needs to train hundreds of thousands of young people in digital technology in order to seize this opportunity. Our partnership with OpenClassrooms once again illustrates Oranges support in reaching the objective, explained Bruno Mettling, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa.We are proud to contribute to the development of digital skills in Africa via this unique partnership with Orange. Backed by the quality of the Orange network in Africa, our educational expertise will boost development and the creation of jobs," added Pierre Dubuc, CEO of OpenClassrooms.After providing access in Africa to educational content via smartphone in association with the CNED , the partnership illustrates a new stage in the Orange Digital School project targeting students, teachers, universities and schools.The cooperation will rely on local Orange entities in Africa and the Middle East, in association with African partners such as the Virtual Universities and young African startups. Other agreements will follow with other institutions and partners in the field of education and online digital technical and professional training in French. OpenClassrooms makes education accessible for everyone, everywhere. It is the leading online education platform in Europe with a community of 3 million of students around the world. Its mission is to make education accessible to all by offering more than 30 fully-accredited online diplomas, based on the skills and jobs of the future. It has a unique approach based on individualised mentoring and real-life projects.The 43-year-old Italian, who was creative director at the famed French fashion house from 2005 to 2017, will take over the reins at Burberry on 12 March.He is credited with reviving Givenchy by cultivating links with celebrities, including by designing stage outfits for the tours of Madonna, Beyonce and Rihanna, and directing the artwork for an album by Jay Z and Kanye West.Tisci will be based in London and direct all Burberry's collections, presenting his first in September, the company said.Chief executive Marco Gobbetti said he was "delighted" at the appointment, adding: "Riccardo is one of the most talented designers of our time. His designs have an elegance that is contemporary and his skill in blending streetwear with high fashion is highly relevant to today's luxury consumer."Riccardo's creative vision will reinforce the ambitions we have for Burberry and position the brand firmly in luxury."Tisci said he was honoured to take over and pleased to be reuniting with Gobbetti, who was chief executive of Givenchy between 2004 and 2008. "I have an enormous respect for Burberry's British heritage and global appeal and I am excited about the potential of this exceptional brand," he said.Bailey presented his final show at last month's London Fashion Week, bowing out after 17 years.The City of Johannesburg is planning to provide 24-hour clinics in an attempt to increase access to healthcare.

Mothers wait at a local clinic. The city of Johannesburg plans to open 24 hour clinics to alleviate queues. Photo: Reuters stringer

Why are 24-hour clinics such a good idea?

Does Johannesburg have the capability to do it?

Whats the current state of clinic services?

What problems will the city have in setting up a 24-hour operation?

In 2017, the City of Joburg started extending its clinic hours at 13 of its 81 clinics, which close at 6pm instead of 4pm. But a resolution passed by the council means that the service will be extended at clinics elsewhere. Health and medicine editor Candice Bailey spoke to Professor Laetitia Rispel about the pros and the cons of setting up a 24-hour clinic service.There are three reasons why, in principle, the idea of extending clinic hours is a good one.Firstly, it increases access for the working population.Secondly, it means that people are able to access services at a more appropriate level. Lets take an average person who works in a shopping centre as a cashier or a cleaner. They depend on the public healthcare system. If their closest clinic closes at 4pm in the afternoon they have to use private health providers. But because they have limited cash they choose to go to outpatient facilities at hospitals. As a result, hospitals become overburdened because they also have to provide care for ill patients in wards, deal with medical emergencies and serious accidents. In 2016/17, the hospitals dealt with around 5 million visits to the outpatient departments.And thirdly, illness doesnt keep to office hours. People get ill at night and need medical care. If a clinic was open they would be able to see someone after hours.There are close to 100 clinics in Johannesburg. Some fall under the auspices of the City of Johannesburg while others are community health centres run by the Gauteng province. Of these 81 fall under the City of Joburg.The community health centres run 24 hours a day and are better equipped than the citys clinics. They have midwife obstetric units and provide a comprehensive range of services including x-rays and rehabilitation. Some also employ doctors.The city is now planning to open its own run clinics 24 hours a day. At the moment these are only open for eight hours a day and only have nursing staff, with weekly visits by doctors.From a logistical point this could be done. But running services on a 24-hour basis is a costly exercise and to implement it properly the city would need to plan carefully. The financial implications could provide the biggest obstacles.There are a few things it should consider. Firstly, it would not be necessary for all the services to be rolled out on a 24-hour basis. Vaccinations, for example, do not need to be administered at midnight. But there are certain types of services that should be available on an ongoing basis like maternity services.Secondly, the clinics would need to be properly staffed to ensure that health professionals get the necessary breaks.Another thing to consider is that given the urban setting and the crime rates in Johannesburg, they would also need security services on a full time basis.And lastly, the operation would also need admin services on board to be truly efficient.The citys clinics dont function as well as they should, because of under-investment in primary healthcare services.Many are poorly staffed and there arent enough medical doctors to support them. Nurses are at the coalface: they work under difficult conditions and often dont have doctors to bounce ideas off on how to support patients with more complicated conditions.There are often long queues and the clinics run out of essential medication. As a result, its not uncommon for people to visit a clinic but leave without the appropriate treatment.In many clinics there are also structural problems  inadequate waiting space for patients, lack of backup generators, or access for disabled individuals.It will be complicated. Given that these two sets of clinics are administered by different levels of government there isnt much coordination between them. What complicates even more is that the province is run by the African National Congress while the city of Johannesburg is run by a coalition of parties led by the Democratic Alliance.

They would need to work together if its ever going to work. Primary health care  as the first point of call for all people  needs health care authorities to work together.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.Food producer RCL Foods has opened a R150 million pet food plant in Randfontein, one of the largest facilities of its kind in South Africa. The 1,500m facility features innovation and technology that the company says has, until now, not been available in South Africa and will assist to grow market leadership with a focus on the 'premium' segment and vet channel.

Akaphat Porntepkasemsan via 123RF

Encouraging use of retail pet food

Tapping into the treats market

With South Africans spending around R5 billion each year on feeding their pets, and as more and more people discover the joy of owning a pet, that number is set to grow, says Scott Pitman, MD of RCL Foods Consumer Division.Currently, the South African pet food retail market is valued at R3 billion, with demand by vets absorbing R1.2 billion, and the non-groceries sector at R800 million. As the largest pet food manufacturer in South Africa, RCL Foods currently holds a 40% market share in the retail segment.Through our world-class capabilities and break-through innovation, we hope to encourage greater usage of retail pet food and gain shoppers from the vet segment, explains Pitman. The new facility will also allow us to provide our customers with an improved consistent supply and enable us to deliver new exciting innovations.The company is the first South African pet food manufacturer to introduce six internationally accredited capabilities to the pet food retail sector, which are:1. Inclusion of fresh meat into the kibble-making for a meatier and tastier meal;2. Vacuum-coated technology to enhance the meaty taste and lock in flavour;3. Kibble coated in gravy powder which transforms into a gravy-rich meal simply by adding water;4. Extract from real vegetables is now included in the kibble allowing for increased health benefits;5. High levels of calcium in the form of enriched, milky bones; and6. Increased moisture in the kibble making process to ensure the chunks remain moist and meaty for mouth-watering chewy bits.The company says these improvements are all contributing to a revolution in its pet food ranges Canine Cuisine, Bobtail and Catmor. Bobtail will be launching a new sub-range called Bobtail 2-in-1 featuring gravy-coated kibble, meaty chunks, vegetables and milky bones, while in cat food, RCL Foods promises a cuisine range that will be made with either fresh salmon or chicken.Globally treats make up 25% of the market, but in South Africa this is currently 8% and provides a significant opportunity the food manufacturer.We are excited to grow this category with vet quality canine cuisine treats offering super foods for increased nutritional value, Pitman explains. Going forward, all of our Bobtail treats will contain VitaRite with a combination of 23 essential vitamins and minerals.RCL Foods internal team of veterinarians have formulated all products to international standards and to meet the specific nutritional needs of South African pets. By offering shoppers a unique, vet-quality, solution in store through our world-class and state-of-the-art facility, we hope to convince shoppers currently buying pet food at the local vet to purchase the same quality product in the retail environment, Pitman concludes.Enterprise Foods has withdrawn all ready-to-eat meat products and has closed the two factories manufacturing these products, its parent company Tiger Brands said on Monday.

Customers queue to return meat to the Enterprise factory store in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, on 5 March 2018. Image: Alaister Russell/The Sunday Times

However, Lawrence MacDougall, CEO of Tiger Brands, said there was no direct correlation between their products and the 180 deaths caused by the listeriosis outbreak. MacDougall was briefing the media following the announcement by the health department on Sunday that the source of the present outbreak of listeria was the Enterprise food production facility in Polokwane, LImpopo.MacDougall said although the National Consumer Commission ordered Enterprise Foods on Sunday to remove three products from the shelves, the company had decided to be extra vigilant and voluntarily recall all products produced in its facilities in Germiston, Gauteng, and Polokwane in Limpopo."Any loss of life is tragic. We are all concerned about the outbreak of listeriosis in our country and as the CEO of Tiger Brands it is devastating for me to have our products linked to this outbreak. Food safety remains our utmost priority at Enterprise Foods. We place consumers' health and safety above all else," MacDougall said.He said the outbreak was confirmed in December by the department of health. The company said it had then introduced additional testing, over and above strict controls that were already in place, to test for listeria.Explaining the sequence of events, MacDougall said officials of the department of health and members of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases visited Enterprise Foods' Polokwane factory on 2 February and the delegation took over 400 environmental swabs in the factory and nine product samples produced in the facility."At the same time we replicated the sampling on 3 February. All these results came back negative for our products," MacDougall said.He said given amplified testing, the company detected low levels of listeria in one of its products on 14 February. He said the company quarantined all affected products and recalled all the products that had been dispatched to shops.MacDougall said the company knew on Sunday that the department of health said it would announce the source of listeria. "At 12:35, we received a notification order from the National Consumer Commission to conduct a national recall of three products - Enterprise frankfurters, Enterprise smoked Russians and Enterprise polony."He said immediate action was taken. "We immediately suspended operations at both Enterprise manufacturing facilities in Polokwane and in Germiston."We halted all supplies to retailers. We have set up a consumer helpline. We are engaging with customers " and retailers to ensure that we are able to provide them with the support they require to remove the products from the shelves as a matter of priority."He said the company would continue to undertake cleaning protocols in all its facilities. "We are being extra vigilant and cautious by withdrawing all products all products produced in those facilities."MacDougall said the cost of the withdrawal was at the company's expense and that it was busy calculating the costs. He refused to take blame for the deaths that had been caused by listeriosis. "We have had no direct link yet between our products and the deaths."Patrick Sithole, chief officer for supply chain at Tiger Brands, said products at the facilities were tested once a day, but would now test products every hour.Enterprise Foods owns a 25% share of the country's processed meat trade. MacDougall said he last ate Enterprise Food products about six weeks ago.The 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer revealed that while only 14 percent of the general population trusts the government, 77 percent believe that chief executive officers should take the lead on change rather than waiting for the government to impose it.

 Le Moal Olivier via 123RF.com

Extreme increases in trust

Trust in media erodes

Businesses and CEOs must lead

When asked which of the four institutions is the most likely to lead to a better future, 45 percent chose business while only 11 percent chose the government.This lack of faith in government is the reason why former President Jacob Zuma was forced to resign a year ahead of schedule as the corruption allegations levelled against him are said to have contributed to the increasingly negative public opinion of the ANC and the government.Among the general population in South Africa, from 2017 to 2018, trust in government dropped from 15 to 14 percent; in media from 39 to 35 percent; in business from 56 to 53 percent; and in NGOs from 58 to 50 percent.Edelman has been measuring trust in the four main institutions since 2001 and South Africa has been included in the survey every year since 2014. This year, the Edelman Trust Barometer revealed that 20 of the 28 countries surveyed now fall into the category of distrusters, with South Africas Trust Index decreasing by four points as the country became the third least trusting market.While six global markets recorded extreme increases in trust, an equal number, including South Africa, experienced extreme losses in trust in the four main institutions. Locally, there was an overall drop of 17 points while in the United States, there was a dramatic decline of 37 points.The Trust Barometer found that 69 percent of South Africans are worried about fake news being used as a weapon and compounding this result is the discovery that people now define media as both content and platforms.Trust in journalism and platforms declined by two and eight points respectively, and nearly half the population in the country consumes news less than once a week. People remain sceptical of news organisations with 61 percent believing news corps are more concerned with attracting a big audience as opposed to reporting and 59 percent believe news publications sacrifice accuracy to be the first to break a story.Worryingly, 62 percent of the general population believe that the average person does not know how to tell good journalism from rumour and 54 percent believe that its becoming harder to tell if news was produced by a respected media organisation or not.As voices of authority regained credibility with 11 and 12-point increases in the credibility of CEOs and boards of directors respectively, its clear that people are looking to business to lead.The Edelman Trust Barometer found that the most important expectations South Africans have of CEOs are that their company is trusted; that their business decisions reflect company values; that their products and services are of a high quality; and that they set high ethical standards.Globally, the Trust Barometer found that trust in business increased in 14 of the 28 markets surveyed, meaning there are opportunities for business to affect change and gain even higher levels of trust among the general population.If you want economic change in South Africa, create a crisis - then stand by to negotiate a way out of it.

Angry protests for free higher education by South African students forced the country to search for a solution.

The land debates message

impede the state from taking legislative and other measures to achieve land, water and related reform, in order to redress the results of past racial discrimination.

Compromises will be made

Past wrongs need to be addressed

The countrys current debate over land expropriation without compensation, which has now been endorsed by Parliament, is important. Not because, as some fear, it will radically change the constitution. Rather, it tells South Africans how, in the economy and other spheres, the country deals with its minority ruled past: by crisis followed by compromise.Crises are the only way change happens because, since the 1970s, the goal of the minority which has called the shots in the society for decades has been to ensure that changes alter as little as possible. Which, of course, means clinging to many of the inequalities which existed before all adults were allowed to vote in 1994.So most businesses  and professional practices and places of learning - do not change until a crisis forces them to look again at what they need to give up to keep things as much the same as possible. Because this means keeping black demands for change at arms length, the crises always happen when black people get angry with current arrangements and make demands which force a reaction.The negotiations which produced the 1994 constitution began because the costs of black anger at apartheid were growing. They followed reforms to labour law, which were triggered when angry strikers in Durban demanded pay increases in 1973, and the end of curbs which kept black people out of the cities, a reaction to the anger of the 1976 Soweto protests and the refusal of angry migrant workers in the same year to live in single-sex hostels.Recently, it took angry protests on campuses to trigger discussions at universities on how to change to meet the needs of black students. Race is debated seriously only when black people get angry over racial prejudices in advertising or company behaviour or on social media.The crises always end in compromises because none of the countrys key interests can impose what they want on the others without severely hurting themselves. This is particularly so in the economy: forcing change on the owners of capital will kill investment and growth  ignoring demands for reform will trigger costly resistance.The land debate illustrates the point.Moves to change the constitution are dramatic because they threaten the property rights on which the market economy rests. They are, therefore, the most significant expression of black anger at the survival of pre-1994 inequalities since South Africa became a democracy.Inevitably, they have prompted a crisis: a public debate which has been fixated on former president Jacob Zuma is now discussing economic divides. The debate is polarised and heated  but among middle class black people, support for the change seems overwhelming.Outsiders might be surprised that tensions caused by economic inequalities focus on land  farming has not been South Africas key industry for decades. The reason it triggers such heat is that for South Africans, land is a symbol of far more than an expanse of soil. For most people, it has nothing to do with agriculture at all.Historically, the demand by black freedom movements for the return of the land meant the return of the country to its people  it was directed not only at ownership of farms but at minority control of the economy and society . This is why expropriation without compensation has become a rallying cry for many who have no interest in farming but who feel that a quarter century of democracy has not ended white privilege . It symbolises a much broader demand for change.It is also why no-one has paid much attention to arguments about the technical merits of land expropriation and why there is such support for a constitutional change despite the fact that there is no need for it because expropriation without compensation is possible now.Property rights are protected by Section 25 of the constitution which stipulates that compensation must be paid. But it also says that this may not be used toSo, if the government can show that expropriation redresses race discrimination, it need not pay compensation.But this has been ignored because the dispute is about dignity and equality, not constitutional clauses.Like all South African crises, this one will end in a compromise  its details have been discussed by lawyers and reported by newspapers. It seems likely that Section 25 will be changed to allow for expropriation without compensation. But the clause will specify very clearly that this can only happen in very particular circumstances, which it will carefully define.If it does this, property rights will be protected because owners will know that they are entitled to compensation unless they act in a way which forfeits their right. It seems likely that investors will not have to do much to retain the right to compensation.On the surface, this, like all good compromises, will solve the problem by giving both sides some of what they want. Land owners who hold the state to ransom will risk losing compensation; property rights will be protected, making investment safe. But, if that is all that happens, an opportunity will be missed.The pattern described here  in which the countrys elites are very good at compromising in the face of crisis but just as good at creating the crises which force them to compromise  is hardly the ideal way to build a fairer economy and society.Crisis drives change because elites have avoided negotiating economic reforms which will redress past wrongs while protecting the assets of investors who play by the rules. This forces black people to get angry if they want to be heard and will create new crises if it is not addressed now.Since the dispute is really about the economy, the solution lies in negotiating the economic changes which cause the anger in the first place.The disputes importance depends not whether it produces a compromise on land but on whether it begins negotiations on opening the economy to the excluded. This alone will reduce the anger which makes crisis the only mode of change and ensure a less dramatic but more lasting way of addressing economic challenges.Popular artists from South Africas diverse art scene donated pieces to be auctioned. Pieces on offer were created by the likes of Janko de Beer, Mbongeni Buthelezi, Sizwe Khoza, Marieke Prinsloo, and Anton Smit.Ariella Kuper from Clear Asset Management conducted the auction. Key auction items were Janko de Beers, which sold for R390,000, and Mbongeni Buthelezis, which sold for R80,000.Commented former Springbok Captain Francois Pienaar, founder of MAD Leadership Foundation, Showcasing our extremely talented local artists is a tremendous privilege. Their donation of time, expertise and unique artwork contributes massively to supporting the leaders of tomorrow, leaders who will one day have a meaningful impact in their communities, cities and our country.The heart of MAD Leadership Foundation is to develop leadership through education. Their process is to identify scholars with potential, support them financially and mentor the development of their skills through integrated and comprehensive programmes.Lance Mambondiani, CEO: Steward Bank

The greatest story in Africa

Steward Bank, formerly TN Bank, was acquired by Zimbabwes Econet in February 2013. So, were a mobile company with a banking licence, he explained.In addition, Ecocash, the companys online payment system created to increase financial inclusivity, has eight-million subscribers in Zimbabwe.There are more cell phones in Africa than toothbrushes, and by 2020, there will be 720-million smart phone users on the continent, so this is where the future of financial inclusivity lies. But Mambondiani also believes that banking in Africa is not about sophisticated apps, but by utilising the simplest, free data transfer systems, because this is where people are spending most of their time.The greatest ever invention was the internet, and the greatest story in Africa is USSD, where 80% of all content and money transactions take place. The second greatest story is WhatsApp data bundles. People are spending a lot more time and money on WhatsApp. For one dollar, people can buy a bundle and stay in touch for a day. They would rather spend money on WhatsApp than on food.Were looking at the changing the story in Africa, by partnering mobile and banking services. We are moving towards fintech 4.0 where the holy trinity of big data, artificial intelligence and the internet of things will play a key role.The power of creating a platform is that you can be anywhere. The more digitised the world becomes, the more things will be available for free. Its what you do with it that counts. The future of banking is content and creating an open platform bank, he said.Since its inception in 2006, 24 aspirant winemakers and viticulturists have participated in the Cape Winemakers Guild Protege Programme. For the third year in a row, Amorim Cork has renewed its support for the programme, bringing its total contribution to this skills development initiative in the wine industry to R320,000.

Left to right: Sydney Mello, Joaquim Sa (Managing Director of Amorim Cork South Africa), Morgan Steyn

The intricacies of winemaking

Sydney Mello with his mentor, Etienne le Riche

A passion for bubbles

More than just winemaking

"By committing to the Protege Programme, Amorim aims to contribute towards the development of skilled and dedicated individuals who may otherwise not have had the opportunity to partake in an industry in which we feel they could make valuable contributions, says Joaquim Sa, managing director of Amorim Cork South Africa.For Sydney Mello, one of the proteges to come through the ranks, valuable experience, decisiveness and an intense love for sparkling wine stand out as the greatest gifts of his three-year mentorship experience.While growing up in Mahwelereng in Limpopo, Mellos curiosity about the intricacies of winemaking motivated him to make the journey to the Cape Winelands. After graduating from Elsenburg Agricultural College in Stellenbosch, he enrolled in the Protege Programme and has never looked back.The Protege Programme has provided me with a place of learning from the most brilliant minds in the wine industry. Not only do I see it as preparation for becoming a winemaker, but also as practical experience in making important decisions in my future career, says Mello, who is spending his final year in the programme alongside Etienne le Riche, one of the founding members of the Cape Winemakers Guild.Thanks to substantial support from sponsors, as well as funds raised by guild members themselves, one of the initiatives empowering the proteges, is valuable experience acquired in some of the worlds most renowned wine growing regions.For Mello, travelling to France last year was a once in a lifetime opportunity: It was my first time abroad and the experience that I gained participating in an international harvest was priceless. After spending time in Burgundy, we travelled to Champagne. Here, surrounded by bubbles I felt most at home. We visited big champagne houses as well as smaller producers, giving me insight into the wonderful world of sparkling wine. After graduating from the programme at the end of the year, I would love to specialise in the production of Methode Cap Classique for its complexity and mystery.Given the opportunity to bring his bubbly dreams to life, Sydney crafted his very own MCC in 2017 as making their own wine is an essential part of the Guilds Protege Programme. Special Protege wine presentation packs, including Sydneys sparkling wine, will be auctioned later this year at Gala Dinners in Johannesburg and Cape Town and at the Silent Auction that takes place during the annual Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction on Saturday, 29 September 2018. The money raised will be ploughed back into the Protege Programme.Second-year protege Morgan Steyn, of Riversdale in the South Western Cape, will be crafting his own wine this year. He believes that the Protege Programme not only helps him to become a good winemaker, but also a good leader: I see myself working with others to strengthen the wine industry in South Africa, he says. Steyn is spending his year with Morne Vrey as part of the team at Delaire Graff.Under the auspices of the Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Development Trust, the CWG Protege Programme gives young winemakers and viticulturists the rare opportunity of working side by side with members of the Guild. By cultivating, nurturing and empowering promising individuals to become winemakers and viticulturists of excellence, the Protege Programme plays an active role in the long-term health and sustainability of the industry.The Department of Trade and Industry is engaging the United States on its decision to impose a global tariff of 25% on imports of steel and of 10% on imports of aluminium.

SA steel exports

The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) is fully engaged with the matter and has undertaken discussions with the United States in a number of forums, said the department on Friday, 2 March.This as US President Donald Trump held a listening session with representatives from large steel and aluminium companies on Thursday. At the session, Trump heard concerns relating to imports of steel and aluminium raised by US companies.During the question and answer session, the president announced the decision to impose a global tariff of 25% on imports of steel and of 10% on imports of aluminium. The duties will be applicable to all importers into the US market. This as the White House or the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) and Commerce Department are yet to release an official statement on the duties or how the duties would be implemented.In its reaction to the decision, the dti is meeting with South African companies that have export interests in the US to ascertain the possible impact of the proposed measures.The dti is also assessing the compatibility of the proposed measures with the rules of the World Trade Organisation, it said.South Africas exports to the US of steel amounted to $950m in 2017 and accounted for 1.4% of the US global imports. In the case of aluminium, South African exports were $375m in 2017, accounting for 1.6% of U.S. imports from all global suppliers.It is clear that South African exports do not impose a threat to US industry and jobs. South African exports are in some cases used as inputs into further processes in the US manufacturing sector thus contributing to US jobs and production, said the department.During his 2018 national budget speech on 21 February, former Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba announced that the government would invest R57bn in free tertiary education. This is to help those from households with a combined income of under R350,000 per annum to study further and secure better futures for themselves.

Support for the plan

No correlation with skills shortage

No skills retention plan

Lower appreciation

While the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA) fully supports assistance to enable higher education, measures must be implemented to ensure the country benefits from this substantial investment. This is according to Ettiene Retief, chairman of the National Tax and South African Revenue Service (Sars) Committee at SAIPA.Yes, we need to assist those who aspire to be more but find themselves bound to a lower income group, he states. However, according to the then Finance Minister, this will be the fastest growing expense line item in our budget year on year, and several shortcomings need to be addressed. The allocation is expected to see an average annual growth of 13.7%.South Africa suffers from a shortage of specific skills and would do well to direct funding to the degrees that will give it an economic advantage. We should provide guidance to steer the youth as merely obtaining a degree will not guarantee a job or ensure an economic return on investment, says Retief. Free degrees should be used as an incentive for young people to follow valued career paths.After completing their studies, graduates are under no obligation to remain in South Africa. If they use their degree as an entry qualification to another country, says Retief, we immediately lose the benefits of free education. Some professions require a period of practical application, like doctors serving in state hospitals, and Retief suggests that a similar requirement should be made of free degree holders.There is no indication of a limit to the amount of time a student may spend on their degree. According to Retief, study credits may remain valid for up to 10 years. When a person pays tuition or gets a student loan, there is some urgency in completing the degree, but if funding is unlimited the student can take 10 years to complete a three-year degree. Also, how do we ensure that the person will even obtain their degree after spending years at university. Free degrees should, therefore, be time restricted.Also, higher-education institutions have limited capacity, and can only accommodate a limited number of students.Its a well-established fact backed by much research that when people get something for free, their appreciation of its value is much lower than if they had to pay for it themselves, even if they only make a small investment. While free tertiary education is commendable, says Retief, the learner should make some investment themselves. This will give students ownership of their studies and the perseverance to achieve their goals.Overall, Retief contends that the government should only implement free tertiary education with comprehensive guidelines and limitations. Rather than announcing an arbitrary figure, they need to provide details on how the plan will be implemented and how it will achieve its aim of developing the skills the country needs.Robyn Farah, chairperson of Women in Tech South Africa, says that the solution for inclusivity in the local tech sector lies in encouraging and supporting women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem). But, global research shows that, from a young age, gender stereotypes lead many women to avoid studying Stem.

 ammentorp via 123RF

Lack of support

Tech communities

Farah says that given South Africas poor levels of math and science education  ranked 128th out of 137 economics in the 2017-2018 World Economic Forums Global Competitiveness Index  many families cannot understand the value of math and science and instead encourage women to pursue more traditional jobs.Young women embarking in Stem often dont have their familys support as a result. This means they need to turn to their fellow students for support, who are often mainly males and also struggle to understand why a woman is studying a Stem subject.This lack of support has proven to limit women participation, says Farah.She points to the 2017 Women in Technology global survey conducted by ISACA which revealed that a lack of female mentors (48%), a lacked female role models in the field (42%) and limited networking opportunities (27%) were some of the top barriers experienced by women in technology.We have witnessed first-hand how these barriers impact their contribution to our local tech communities," says Farah.In 2012 and 2015 respectively, we started two tech communities: Arduino Cape Town, aimed at those who design and create in the world of electronics, and the Modern Alchemists for South Africas Maker community, those into art, coding, gaming, electronics, music or any form of making and incorporating tech into their creations.The meetups offer a chance to interact with like-minded people, skill swap, ask for advice, and build relationships, but we quickly realised that these groups were almost solely attended by men and those women who did attend felt isolated given it was a male-dominated community.Women in Tech Cape Town, which has close to 1,000 women, thus aims to empower gender diversity in the tech sector. This community, however, encourages men and women to participate. We are strong believers that the greater the diversity, the better the solution," she says.Farah concludes, If we are to bridge the gender gap in South Africa, we need to understand that South Africas challenges are unique when compared to Europe and the US, our struggles are broader. We need to start voicing these obstacles and work together to create solutions for the future we want to live in.GENEVA, Switzerland - Japanese car giant Toyota has announced that it will stop selling diesel cars in Europe, beginning the phase-out this year.

 Bjoern Wylezich via 123RF

"Diesel will be phased out in our passenger cars in 2018," Johan van Zyl, president of Toyota Motor Europe, said in Geneva, where Europe's first major car show of the year opens this week."We will not develop new diesel technology for passenger cars, we'll continue to focus on hybrid" vehicles, he added.An emissions cheating scandal, which blew up at Volkswagen in 2015, has heaped discredit on diesel technology, criticised for belching out nitrogen oxide and harmful particulates.This has been a major blow for car makers, who had essentially sought to bet the house on diesel as they strove for years to cut CO2 emissions with the support of public authorities.Major cities including Paris have announced plans to ban diesel, while a top German court last month opened the way for cities to ban older diesel cars from the streets on air quality grounds.Diesel's fall from grace has pushed manufacturers to turn their attention to producing more in-demand petrol models or make the jump to electric, or at least hybrid, vehicles.Last year nearly 15% of Toyota's sales in Europe were from diesel vehicles, down from 30% in 2012.Meanwhile, sales of Toyota's hybrid models have risen sharply.Toyota vice president Didier Leroy said that back in 2011, before "Dieselgate" erupted, the company had "already started to anticipate the fact that we should not allocate resources to develop a new small diesel engine".Now, in its 17th year, the Oliver Top Empowerment Awards is Africas most established platform for recognising leaders in black economic empowerment.Becoming a finalist is an achievement in itself as the entries are reviewed by a panel of peers, captains of industry and esteemed judges who ensure the Oliver Top Empowerment Awards are true accolades of distinction.On Wednesday, 7 March, at The Capital 20 West (Sandton), the judges will be meeting with and interviewing entrants in the awards individual award categories, ahead of deciding on the winners who will be announced at the glittering awards on 12 April, at Emperors Palace.View the full list of award finalists for 2018 here This years esteemed award category sponsors include:Want to attend the awards? Contact az.oc.ocpot@selba.edaj to book a seat or a corporate table while available.The third annual Forbes Woman Africa Leading Women Summit (LWS) will celebrate UN International Women's Day with 120 of South Africa's most influential women in attendance. This year's summit is themed: 'The Trillion Dollar Female Economy'.

2017 Forbes Woman Africa Leading Women Summit. Image provided.

Invitation-only summit

Unlocking the potential of women across sectors

The Leading Women Summit effectively encapsulates all thatstands for: feisty fearless women for who success is but a small step towards creating a world where jobs and opportunities exist for everyone; women whose collective might drives business in Africa, says editor of Forbes Woman Africa, Methil Renuka.Powered by MTN Business and taking place on Thursday, 8 March in Rosebank, Johannesburg, the event will see Advocate Thuli Madonsela, Dr Rolene Strauss and Vivian Onano take to the stage as some of the top-tier contributors on the day. The Summit will also feature a panel discussion with C-Suite executives on the role of women in leadership. Additionally, an all-female economists panel will be unpacking the economic outlook for South Africa in 2018 and the role women have to play in growing the economy. The March 2018cover will be the focus of a conversation with editor, Methil Renuka.Following last years successful all-day event, this Forbes Woman Africa gathering has become the definitive International Womens Day event in South Africa, says Roberta Naicker, managing director for the ABN group of companies. Since the maiden event in 2016, the event has grown in demand and stature with an extensive waiting list for people to attend this invitation-only summit, says Naicker.This event is not your typical women empowerment event as we focus more on sharing the successes of our fellow woman across Africa and across the globe. We are not only creating a premium network of individuals in a room, but also highlighting those women who are an inspiration to their peers and a younger generation.MTN Business South Africa has supported the event since inception, and has helped grow the event into a formidable one in the month of March for International Womens Day.Says Jacqui OSullivan, executive for corporate affairs at MTN South Africa: As an organisation that is committed to celebrating, enabling and empowering women, we view ourselves as more than an enabler of the ICT sector. We see it as our responsibility to create brighter lives by unlocking the potential of women across sectors and within the communities we serve. Sponsoring the Summit is an important step on this journey.The event welcomes the IDC as an event contributor; strategic partners, PPC and Thomson Reuters as well as Meyno, an official product sponsor to the 2018Leading Women Summit.The 2018Leading Women Summit is attended by high-profile women within their respected fields of influence. For those who wont be able to make it into the room, select parts of the event will be streamed live via social media to a larger global audience.In Africa, greenfield investment continues in the energy sector, particularly in renewables, which is forecast to grow in coming years. The extent of the power deficit across Africa is well known and increasing electricity generation, whether on-grid or off-grid, across the continent is the focus of a number of initiatives.

Policy certainty

Fit for purpose

The African Development Bank's (AfDB) New Deal on Energy for Africa has set as its target universal access to electricity across Africa by 2025. To achieve this, 160GW of new on-grid generation and some 75 million new off-grid connections will be needed, through a mix of conventional and renewable energy sources. Complementary initiatives by Power Africa, the EU and other multilateral and development finance institutions will also play a greater role.There is clearly a lot of opportunity for the energy sector in Africa. However, investment in the sector had in some instances stalled due to regulatory and political uncertainty, as well as economic conditions in particular countries in Africa.In South Africa, uncertainty surrounding the countrys future energy policy, the delay in the publication of the Integrated Resource Plan, anticipated additional political changes, as well as financial and governance concerns at the state-owned electricity supply company, Eskom, have all resulted in an uncertain energy landscape and a loss of potential direct foreign investment in the electricity sector.It is hoped that under the leadership of new South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, investors in the sector will receive the clarity they are looking for, which will act as a catalyst for renewed investor confidence.The recent appointment of Pravin Gordhan as public enterprises minister and Jeff Radebe as energy minister is considered to be a very positive move for the energy sector in that both men are highly experienced and respected. In addition, changes in leadership at Eskom, and Ramaphosa's commitment to finalising mining regulation, closing the fiscal gap, stabilising debt, addressing unemployment and restoring state-owned enterprises to health are all moves that will encourage investment in the sector.What the South African energy sector needs is more certainty and consistent implementation of energy legislation and policies. Certainty is also needed across other sectors that rely on the energy sector including the mining, industrial and commercial sectors. This will restore confidence in South Africa as an investment destination and facilitate direct foreign investment, which will in turn assist in much needed job creation and skills development. It will also be necessary to ensure transparency and integrity in the procurement of all goods and services as well as robust and independent energy regulation.In addition, the government must support and breathe new life into the stalled renewable energy programme, which will be the catalyst for the implementation of other energy programmes. This will ensure South Africa an energy mix that is progressive, capable of meeting customer demands, and that will assist in South Africa discharging its sustainability obligations.Clarity was also needed on whether, how and when the South African nuclear programme would go ahead. Ramaphosa said at the World Economic Forum in early 2018 that the countrys economic situation meant that South Africa could not afford to build a major nuclear plant and this sentiment has been echoed in recent announcements by the minister of finance.Going forward, bearing in mind the World Economic Forums theme of Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World, and the evolution of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we need to ensure that energy sector infrastructure investment in Africa is fit for purpose, and based on sustainable development principles.This means taking cognisance of technological innovation, decarbonisation and climate change, connectivity and digitisation, regionalisation and integration, urbanisation and industrialisation and inclusive economic growth models. We also must ensure that we adhere to the UN Sustainability Development Goals and principles for responsible investment.Civic participation in the entire process is essential to ensure that there are no trust deficits across all the supply chains. This will help to ensure procurement integrity and further bolster South African energy sector investment.Hyprop Investments continues to stand out as a property fund that rewards its investors in boom and bust times. Analysts have lauded the group for its results for the six months to December, which were released on Friday, 2 March.

Canal Walk

Hyprop owns Gauteng shopping centres The Mall of Rosebank, Hyde Park Corner and Clearwater Mall, and Canal Walk in Cape Town, among others. The real estate investment trust declared a dividend of 376.3c per share for the reporting period, a rise of 8.3% on the corresponding period in 2016.CEO Pieter Prinsloo said the company had also upgraded its dividend forecast for 2018, thanks to shrewd management strategies. He said some positive sentiment had returned to consumers and the company forecast dividend growth of between 8% and 10% for its full financial year to June.Hyprop's results were driven by a stable performance from South African shopping centres and a strengthening south-eastern European portfolio. Prior year acquisitions in the region proved successful and the firm continued on the acquisition trail after the period ended.Distributable earnings for the period benefited from income received from the investments in southeastern Europe, particularly the new acquisitions in Skopje, Macedonia, in November 2016 and in Sofia, Bulgaria, in October 2017. The inclusion of distributable earnings from Ikeja City Mall in Lagos, Nigeria, also contributed to the growth in distributable earnings for the reporting period.Keillen Ndlovu, head of listed property funds at Stanlib, said the results were very positive. "It's a good result in a tough retail environment. Management has done a good job in leasing most of the space vacated by Stuttafords as well as working on overdue refurbishments at Hyde Park Corner and The Glen," he said. "The result is even more exciting as management upped their guidance. This is becoming rare in the sector where we are seeing distribution growth guidance generally being reduced."Revenue and profits came in slightly lower compared with the 2016 period. Revenue earned slipped to R1.54bn from R1.62bn. After-tax profit dipped to R1.43bn from R1.55bn. Like-for-like growth in distributable earnings, excluding properties sold for the period, was 2.1%.Income was negatively affected by construction work at Rosebank Mall, The Glen and Canal Walk and by vacancies as a consequence of Stuttafords vacating malls in May 2017.A United Nations report identifies 60 verified incidents which violated the legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression of 102 victims, including 17 women, in the period from July 2016 to December 2017.

 laurent davoust via 123RF

Ongoing conflict

Violations

Amending legislation to decriminalise defamation and ensure that powers given to security forces do not infringe on the legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression.

Ensuring that violations of the right to freedom of expression are promptly investigated and prosecuted.

Strengthening mechanisms to combat incitement to hatred while fully respecting international human rights law.

Supporting the training of journalists and state agencies.

Ensuring the media authority is fully operational, independent and adequately resourced.

Genuine reconciliation and lasting peace will only be achieved in South Sudan if people are free and safe to express their opinions regardless of their ethnic or political affiliations, a UN report released recently says.The report, co-authored by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the UN Human Rights Office, warns that undue restrictions on freedom of expression are having a chilling effect and further shrinking the space for debate and dissent, while incitement to hatred also continues to cause mistrust, fear and violence.South Sudans conflict, with widespread human rights violations and abuses committed by all parties, has inflicted untold suffering on millions. People have been denied the right to life, the right to justice, and, as this report details, the right to freedom of opinion and expression  rights that are not luxuries but are essential to bring about peace and development, said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Raad Al Hussein.After five years of ongoing conflict in South Sudan, which has uprooted more than four million people, peace efforts are under way both internationally and at grassroots level. Given the importance of these initiatives, which include the High Level Revitalization Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the National Dialogue process; civil society actors, journalists, media houses and associations must be able to operate freely without censorship, harassment or being threatened.It is vital that the voices of all the people of South Sudan are heard so that genuine, inclusive and durable peace can be achieved, said the special representative of the secretary-general and head of UNMISS, David Shearer. All parties to the conflict must respect peoples right to freedom of expression regardless of their ethnicity, beliefs or political views.The report identifies 60 verified incidents which violated the legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression of 102 victims, including 17 women, in the period from July 2016 to December 2017.Incidents included the killing of two people, the arbitrary arrest and detention of 58 others, 16 people dismissed from their jobs, the closure or suspension of three newspaper printing establishments, censorship of newspaper articles and the blocking of websites. Those targeted were seen to be critical of the Government, tarnishing the countrys reputation, or dealing with issues deemed sensitive.It is important to note that only violations within Government-controlled territory were able to be verified in the report because of insecurity and access restrictions in opposition-held areas.The report found that Government security forces, including the National Security Service (NSS), Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) and the South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS), were responsible for two-thirds of the verified cases of human rights violations. The NSS broad powers of surveillance, arrest and detention, including the embedding of its officers in some media offices, meant that people were deterred from participating and discussing the state of the country or human rights, the report stated. This has led to a growing climate of self-censorship.Many victims said they had not lodged formal complaints because of fear of reprisals by influential people and a lack of trust in institutions including law enforcement and the judiciary.The report acknowledges efforts by the Government, civil society, and other stakeholders to promote an inclusive and safe environment for the exercise of the right to freedom of expression and the promotion of democratic dialogue, including through the release of political activists and journalists from prolonged and arbitrary detention.The report makes a number of recommendations, including:The report also calls on all armed forces to guarantee the protection of journalists, civil society, and human rights defenders and respect their right to monitor and report on the armed conflict.LONDON, UK - Christopher Bailey, who pioneered the transformation of British fashion brand Burberry in recent years, is stepping down in 2018, the company said on Tuesday.

President and chief creative officer Bailey, 46, joined Burberry in 2001. "In that time, Burberry has grown from a small licensed outerwear business to become one of the world's largest and most admired global luxury brands," Burberry said in a statement.Following the announcement, Burberry shares were down 1.46% at around 1000 GMT, making the stock the worst performer on a rising FTSE 100 index. After a period of rapid expansion, Burberry has seen sales stagnate in recent years.In July, Bailey was replaced as chief executive by Marco Gobbetti, former head of French luxury brand Celine. He will step down from his other roles on 31 March next year but will continue to provide "full support" to the team during a transition until 31 December."Burberry has undergone an incredible transformation since 2001 and Christopher has been instrumental in the company's success in that period," Gobbetti was quoted as saying in the statement.Established in 1856, Burberry is a quintessentially British brand which now employees 10,000 people worldwide.This job expired on 5 May 2018.This job expired on 4 May 2018.Got a question or tip? Contact us at bizmojoidaho@gmail.com.BORDERLAND BEAT

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Isaac of Nineveh

Core Fellow Jason Scully recently published a book entitled Isaac of Ninevah's Eschatology (Oxford University Press, 2018) in Oxford's Early Christian Studies series. Dr. Scully has been teaching in the Core for several years, and he brings his knowledge about church history into his teaching.

The book developed from his dissertation. He said, "I had always intended to write a dissertation on a Greek author, but during the course of my graduate studies, I became increasingly fascinated with early Syriac theologians. Once I realized how wide open the field of Syriac studies was ("you can pluck a dissertation topic from the ether," my advisor told me), I decided to write on a seventh century Syriac author named Isaac of Nineveh, a figure whose historical importance far outweighs the relative dearth of modern scholarship devoted to his thought."

Dr. Scully's book is one of only three books on Isaac of Ninevah in the English language and one of only five overall. However, as Dr. Scully pointed out, Isaac of Ninevah is an important figure, honored by Christians all over the world. He was, in fact, he said, "the model for Fr. Zosima in Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov."Students will learn the magic behind genomics at annual event

UB to host Genome Day at the new Jacobs School building downtown, with a keynote on Wizard Genetics of Harry Potter by Duke Universitys Eric Spana

BUFFALO, N.Y.  Four hundred 8th-graders from Buffalo Public Schools will visit the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo downtown on Thursday, March 8 for Genome Day, a hands-on event where the middle schoolers will extract their own DNA with guidance from over 50 UB students, faculty and staff.

Buses will arrive at 9:45 a.m. at the Jacobs School building at the corner of Main and High streets.

The students will begin the morning by extracting their DNA, which they will take home in a necklace.

If time permits, students may also participate in activities that include completing a karyotyping task to identify a disease by observing chromosomal differences; constructing a take-home origami model that promotes understanding of DNA structure; and identifying genetic mutations by interpreting sequences from healthy and tumor cells.

The 4th annual event will culminate with a keynote at 10:45 a.m. on the Wizard Genetics of Harry Potter by Eric Spana, PhD, a biology professor at Duke University specializing in genetics and molecular biology.

He is known nationally for engaging youth in science by using real biological mechanisms to provide hypothetical explanations for the unusual and fantastic occurrences in science fiction and fantasy, such as how a wizard in the Harry Potter world might be born to nonmagical parents.

Watch one of Spanas past presentations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yXSQI3BFlI

News media are encouraged to attend any part of Genome Day. Spana will be available for interviews after the keynote concludes at noon.

Media arrangements: Contact Julianna Fortain, marketing and special events coordinator with UBs Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships team, at jellis9@buffalo.edu or 716-881-7586. Fortain will be in the medical school lobby at Main and High streets starting at 9:30 a.m.

Sandra K. Small, PhD, science education manager at UBs New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences (CBLS) and lead event organizer, said, Genome Day is an excellent opportunity to show the community how CBLS and the Jacobs School building engage and inspire the next generation of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) professionals.

Genome Day is led by CBLS in partnership with the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB; UBs Genome, the Environment and the Microbiome (GEM) Community of Excellence; the City of Buffalo; and Buffalo Public Schools.Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

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Digital EditorArt of Living founder Sri SriRavi Shankar on Tuesday renewed his appeal to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to consider an out-of-court settlement to the Ram Janmabhoomi row, saying he feared a "large-scale" communal flare up if the case was settled by a court or through legislation.

In an open letter to the AIMPLB members, he said going through the court was a loss for both Hindus and Muslims and an out-of-court settlement would be a "win-win situation" for both the communities.

"I urge the leaders of both faiths to take this action seriously. Otherwise, we are pushing our country to the brink of a civil war," said Ravi Shankar, who has been making persistent mediation efforts, meeting Muslim and Hindu leaders, to find a solution to the dispute.

He gave four possible situations -- the court giving away the land to the Muslims, awarding the landto the Hindus, upholding the Allahabad High Court order that says there should be a mosque built on one acre whilst the remaining 60 acres be utilised to build the temple and Parliament passing a legislation.

"In all the four options, either through the court or through the government, the result will be devastating for the nation in general and the Muslim community in particular,"he said.

Ravi Shankar said the best solution would be an out-of-court settlement, in which the Muslim bodies come forward and gift one acre of land to the Hindus, who, in turn, would gift five acres of land nearby to the Muslims to build a bigger mosque.

He also told the AIMPLB leaders that Islam permitted the shifting of the mosque to another location and that cleric Maulana Salman Nadvi and many other Muslim scholars had endorsed it.

Ravi Shankar, however, said, "Muslims are not surrendering this land to the people who demolished the Babri Masjid or to a particular organisation.

"On the contrary, they are gifting it to the people of India. They must keep this in their minds and spirit. It is only reconciliation and an expression of their broad- mindedness, benevolence, magnanimity and goodwill.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Saudi Arabia had granted Air India permission to fly over its territory on its new routes to and from Tel Aviv. There was no immediate confirmation from either Saudi officials or Air India. Netanyahu made the announcement during a briefing in Washington to Israeli reporters after he had met US President Donald Trump. Saudi Arabia does not recognise Israel and lifting the 70-year-old airspace ban would reflect what appears to be thawing ties between Israel and the kingdom, both US allies with a shared concern over ...Political analyst Muralidharan has been quoted by Times NOW as saying that AIADMK and DMK, the two principal parties in Tamil Nadu are set to lose a chunk of their vote-share in the next round of polls. The 'Thalaivaa' explicitly said that he did not compare himself to MG Ramachandran and that one would be 'crazy' to do so. According to news agency ANI, the superstar ...

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



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Digital EditorSmall orders that are part of a large consignment out for multiple deliveries within a state may not require an electronic-way (e-way) bill in the goods and services tax (GST) regime. This will come as relief for e-commerce and consumer goods suppliers.

The e-way bill requirement will be limited to items priced over Rs 50,000 for intrastate supply. This is among changes expected in the GST e-way bill to ease the compliance burden and will likely be taken up by the GST Council during its meeting on Saturday. The exemption, however, will not apply to interstate movement of ...The two leaders will meet for a summit at the end of April along the border, the statement said, adding that North Korea was ready for candid talks with the U. S. to normalize relations. North Korea has clearly expressed its intention for denuclearlization on the Korean peninsula, and if there is no military threat, and North Koreas regime security is promised, they have clarified that there is no reason to hold ...

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Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

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As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



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Digital EditorNorth Korea is willing to hold talks with the US on denuclearisation and will suspend nuclear tests while those talks are under way, the South said on Tuesday after a delegation returned from the North where it met leader Kim Jong Un. North and South Korea will also hold their first summit in more than a decade next month at the border village of Panmunjom, the head of the delegation, Chung Eui-yong, told a media briefing. North Korea made clear its willingness to denuclearise the Korean peninsula and the fact there is no reason for it to have a nuclear programme if ...Pakistan is in talks with a Chinese financial institution to obtain $1 billion as a foreign commercial loan, a media report said on Tuesday.

The report in the Express Tribune said that amid declining foreign exchange reserves, the Pakistan government was in the process of scrutinising the loan term sheets and the agreement between the two nations was expected to be reached in March.

Pakistan has already obtained $1 billion as foreign commercial loan from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in the past three months.

During the last fiscal year, the Pakistan government had borrowed $2.3 billion from three Chinese financial institutions, according to the Finance Ministry publication.

In addition to the borrowing, Pakistan was also expecting to receive $200 million from a Chinese bank immediately to support foreign currency reserves, the daily reported citing sources.

The report said that the Pakistan government had shifted its focus towards easy but relatively expensive sources of financing.

The decision to get $1 billion was taken after the government in February called off the $1-billion Eurobond. The government was ready to float the bond but reversed the decision after financial advisers informed it that the 10-year bond may cost it 7.3 per cent, the sources told the daily.Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency for 10 days to rein in the spread of communal violence, a government spokesman said on Tuesday, a day after Buddhists and Muslims clashed in the Indian Ocean island's central district of Kandy. Tension has been growing between the two communities in Sri Lanka over the past year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam and vandalising Buddhist archaeological sites. Some Buddhist nationalist have also protested against the presence in Sri Lanka of Muslim Rohingya asylum-seekers from ...Of all the things that are passed on in New Yorkthe names of good hairstylists, restaurant recommendations, professional contacts and parking secretsperhaps the rarest and most valued is a good apartment. Who, in need of a new home, doesnt thrill to the news of a vacancy in a friends building? Two years ago, Nick Moran was on the receiving end of such good fortune. A friend with a two-bedroom in Astoria, Queens, was moving in with his girlfriend on the Upper West Side and asked if Mr.

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Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

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As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



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Digital EditorAndhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu on Tuesday reiterated the demand for special economic measures to the state and further warned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to "not play with Telugu people".

Speaking at the state assembly, the Chief Minister said, "The Congress, which had played with Telugu people, lost address in the state. The BJP should remember that."

Naidu said that they agreed for special economic measure to the state as the Centre disagreed to provide special status to Andhra Pradesh.

"The Centre has been speaking on many things but nothing is turning into action," he said.

Further, the Chief Minister refused to compromise on the matters of the state interest citing the State Reorganization Act.

He said, "There is no question of compromise in the matters of state interest, the centre should respect the sentiments of people and implement all the promises made in the state reorganization act".

Stating that the BJP is their ally party, Naidu said that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) are holding a peaceful agitation.

"We have spoken of good deeds of the BJP to the people of the state; however, our fight is for the promises unfulfilled," he added.

Earlier on Friday, Naidu exhorted the Centre to implement the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act in 'letter and spirit".

After the announcement of Union Budget 2018, the ruling TDP and the opposition Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party had condemned the Centre for rejecting their demands of providing special economic status to Andhra Pradesh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday announced a compensation of Rs. 4 lakh for the kin of the 26 people who lost their lives in Bhavnagar accident.

The Chief Minister also assured medical treatment for the injured.

Addressing the media, Chief Minister Rupani said, "Compensation of Rs. 4 lakh for next of kin of those who died in the accident and full medical treatment will be given to the injured. A thorough investigation will be done."

Earlier in the day, at least 26 people were killed and 12 were injured after a truck, they were travelling in, fell into a drain in Bhavnagar.

The incident took place near Ranghola on Rajkot-Bhavnagar state highway.

The injured were immediately rushed to a local hospital.

The vehicle was reportedly carrying 60 people.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Biplab Kumar Deb has been announced as the Chief Minister of Tripura and Jishnu Kumar Deb as the Deputy Chief Minister on Tuesday.

The announcement was made by Union minister Nitin Gadkari at the state guesthouse in Agartala.

"Biplab Kumar Deb to be the chief ministerial candidate for Tripura," Union Minister Nitin Gadkari told media.

The Union Minister further thanked the people of Tripura for their massive support.

"I would like to thank the people of Tripura that they have trusted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). I believe under Biplab Kumar Deb's leadership Tripura will march towards progress," Nitin Gadkari added.

"Jishnu Deb Burman will work with me as the deputy CM of Tripura," informed Biplab Kumar Deb.

Speaking to ANI, Jishnu Deb Burman said the party will work together to take Tripura on the path of development and will make it No. 1 state.

"I am elated. I, Biplab Ji with all the MLAs will work together to take Tripura on the path of development and will make it No. 1 state. Education, health and rural and tribal development are the biggest issues here which need stress," he added.

Meanwhile, Tripura is witnessing post-poll incidents of violence following the ouster of the Manik Sarkar government in the state.

In the wake of the sporadic violence, Section 144 has been imposed in several areas, prohibiting the assembling of four or more people.

On Monday, in Belonia town, BJP workers and supporters have allegedly brought down a statue of Lenin with the help of a JCB.

The BJP and its ally on Saturday scripted history by ending the 25-year reign of the Left Front led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) with a two-thirds majority in the Tripura legislative assembly elections.

The BJP won 35 of the 59 seats that went to polls in Tripura, ousting the Left which had been in power for 25 years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday submitted a letter of support from 12 MLAs to Nagaland Governor supporting Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader Neiphiu Rio as the chief ministerial candidate.

The NDPP-BJP alliance with the support of a newly-elected JD(U) MLA and an Independent legislator is all set to form the new government in Nagaland.

"The BJP has submitted letter of support from 12 MLAs to Governor supporting NDPP leader Neiphiu Rio as chief ministerial candidate of Nagaland," Union Health Minister J P Nadda confirmed to the media.

The alliance has garnered the support of the two MLAs to take their tally to 32 in the 60-member Nagaland House.

BJP won 12 seats while NDPP secured 18 seats in the just-concluded elections.

Earlier in the day, Nadda and BJP General Secretary Arun Singh and new BJP Legislature Party leader of Nagaland Y Patton met Nagaland Governor PB Acharya at Raj Bhavan, Kohima with a support letter in favour of formation of an NDPP-BJP government under the leadership of NDPP leader Neiphiu Rio.

The new ministry will be formed under the banner of People Democratic Alliance (PDA).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs on Tuesday staged a protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament premises demanding 'Special Category Status' for Andhra.

It was a continuation of their protest since yesterday when both the houses of the Parliament were adjourned within 10 minutes of convening amid protest by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs.

The MPs are seen holding placards with slogans like, "We demand special status for Andhra Pradesh state", " keep your promises ".

TDP MPs demanded that all the promises made earlier by the Central government related to Andhra Pradesh be fulfilled.

The decision to grant SCS was announced in the Parliament and endorsed by opposition parties, including BJP in 2014.

SCS was announced in lieu of foregoing Hyderabad, which houses employment generating industries, and such a precious clause should not be foregone for some insignificant package.

Earlier the TDP had expressed its disappointment with the Union Budget and had accused the Central government of failing to keep its promise of delivering the development package promised to them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Tuesday sent Vipul Chitalia, the Vice President of Banking Operations of Mehul Choksi's Gitanjali Group, to CBI custody till March 17 in the multi-crore Punjab Bank (PNB) fraud case.

Chitalia was arrested from the Mumbai airport on Tuesday morning by the CBI, soon after he landed in the city from Bangkok.

Later, he was produced before the Special CBI court.

The CBI told the court that Chitalia was instrumental in preparing fraudulent Letters of Understanding (LoUs) and Foreign Letter of Credit (FLC).

"Vipul Chitalia was instrumental in preparing the applications for putting through the fraudulent transactions of alleged Letters of Understanding (LoUs) and Foreign Letter of Credit (FLC) with the active connivance of Gokulnath Shetty, Dy. Manager, Punjab Bank and unknown persons," the CBI told the court.

The premier probe agency told the court that Chitalia was the mastermind behind the fraudulent transactions by the Gitanjali Group.

It added: "Chitalia was also the authorized signatory of the Gitanjali Group of Companies for the issuance of applications for LOUs/FLCs. He is the master-mind for putting through such fraudulent transactions along with Mehul Choksi, Chairman & Managing Director. He is also privy to the modalities for putting through the said transactions along with Mehul Choksi who has fled the country and is evading the process of law."

The CBI told the court Chitalia was non-cooperative during interrogation and did not divulge details about the modus operandi and other conspirators in this crime.

Seeking his custody, the premier probe agency said Chitalia along with Choksi is the brain behind this conspiracy and that crucial and incriminating documents are yet to be recovered /seized which are within the exclusive knowledge of Chitalia.

Choksi, along with diamond jeweller Nirav Modi, has been accused of defrauding the PNB of Rs 12,600 crore, including Rs 1,300 crore being added to the fraud kitty on February 26.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Attorney General K.K. Venugopal on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that the appointment of the Lok Pal would be announced soon.

He said that the meeting of the selection committee had taken place on March 1. The only absentee was Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge.

On February 23, the Centre told the apex court that the process for appointing the anti-graft Lokpal is ongoing. The court had also asked the Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training to file an affidavit about the "steps taken and proposed".

The bench was hearing a contempt petition filed by the NGO Common Cause, which had raised the issue of the non-appointment of a Lokpal despite an apex court order on April 27 last year.

Last year, the apex court had said there was no justification to keep the enforcement of Lokpal Act suspended till the proposed amendments was cleared by Parliament.

Under the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act of 2013, the high-level selection committee for appointments to Lokpal comprises the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, the Leader of Opposition (LoP), the Chief Justice of India and an eminent jurist chosen by them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kocchar and Axis Bank managing director Shikha Sharma were summoned for interrogation on Tuesday by Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), Mumbai, in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case.

Both the bankers have been summoned in a case of over Rs. 5,000 crore working capital facility given to Mehul Choksi's Gitanjali Group by a consortium of 31 banks.

The ICICI Bank, with a loan of around 400 crores, was a lead banker in this consortium, while Axis Bank had a major exposure too.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) detained Vipul Chitalia, vice president of Gitanjali Group, as a part of the probe into the case.

Chitalia was apprehended at the Mumbai airport and taken to CBI office for questioning.

The SFIO also said that PNB MD and CEO Sunil Mehta has been summoned for questioning.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday hit out at the Congress party and said the latter cannot blame the incumbent government for the escape of diamond merchant Jatin Mehta.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri while addressing a press conference here said all the loans to Mehta were approved between September 2010 and February 2013, and that the diamond merchant never returned to India after 2013.

"These toxic assets (NPAs) were produced during the 10 years of the Congress government... The banking fraud and the loans took place between September 2010 and February 2013. Jatin Mehta came to India and 'made exit' on the same day of July 25, 2013 and took citizenship of St. Kitts Island," Puri said.

Further criticising the Congress, Puri said the BJP had nothing to do with 'toxic assets' related with defaulters like Jatin Mehta and Nirav Modi.

"If there was lack of due diligence or there was connivance, it was during the period of previous regime," he said.

Puri also accused the Congress of colluding with the "dirty department in St Kitts", and said the matter had come into light during the investigation on Bofors scam.

"I would like to ask when Mehta renounced Indian citizenship and took citizenship of St Kitts, who was in power in India?" he said.

The business tycoon was in December 2016 declared a willful defaulter, he said, disclosing that four complaints were filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in September 2014, November 2015, June 2016 and November 2016.

The minister added the Congress allegations of the Modi government's involvement in the escape of Mehta was false "as the fact speaks for themselves".

He asserted the Enforcement Directorate had in May 2016 attached Mehta's properties and six more FIRs were registered against the merchant and Winsome Group in relation with bank loan default.

Puri said the BJP government initiated action against the trader as soon as it came to power in 2014, and registered fresh complaints against him in 2017.

The Gujarat-based diamond merchant owes more than Rs 6,500 crore to a consortium of banks.

The fresh row over Mehta comes after celebrated jeweller Nirav Modi cheated the Punjab Bank (PNB) to the tune of more than Rs 11,500 crore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Sri Lankan government on Tuesday has decided to impose a state of emergency for 10 days to control law and order in the country, following the violence against the minority community in Kandy district over the last two days.

Sri Lankan Social Empowerment Minister S.B. Dissanayake said that the decision was taken in today's cabinet meeting, chaired by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and a gazette in this regard will be issued later on Tuesday.

The decision comes, after a curfew was reimposed on Monday in two police divisions of Kandy district till Wednesday morning following the tense situation.

Several houses and business establishments in the district, belonging to minority Muslim community, were burnt on Monday while the body of a young man was found inside a burnt house today.

The police have said that the special security arragnments put in place in the areas will continue and the Special Task Force (STF) has been deployed to maintain peace.

This is the second such incident over past couple of weeks after Ampara in Eastern Province witnessed similar attacks last month.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Online marketplace for food delivery Foodpanda on Tuesday announced appointment of Gautam Balijepalli as their Head of Strategy.

In the new role, Gautam will directly work with the CEO and leadership team to lay out a strong strategic direction in sync with the organisation's objectives. This newly created role at Foodpanda is envisioned to effectively synergise with the food tech ecosystem for a unified approach towards creating the best in class offerings for partner restaurants and consumers.

Gautam was earlier a Venture Capital Investor at Ojas Ventures where he invested in a number of companies and helped them scale through active Board-level involvement.

An alumnus of IIT Chennai and London School, Gautam joins the team with a strong entrepreneurial background having co-founded CartPerk Technologies. He has also been an investor and mentor to businesses, such as WarmOven, in the food space.

"With Gautam coming on board, we intend to bring pertinent changes in our strategic direction and create the right intervention points for the industry to innovate and grow. His professional experience and industry knowledge will be great sources of insights for the goals we have set out to achieve for restaurant partners, delivery riders and consumers. His addition to the team is a step towards building a strong food tech ecosystem in the country," said CEO Foodpanda India, Pranay Jivrajka.

"The food tech industry is rapidly changing globally. With 1.3 billion people and only two percent of total food orders placed online, India is a market with massive potential. With that context, leveraging best practices will be our top priority to create value for all stakeholders, including consumers and restaurant partners. It is an exciting time for Foodpanda India and I look forward to working with Pranay and the team to drive significant value in this growing industry," said Gautam on his appointment.

Foodpanda aims to capitalize on the growth opportunities through deep partnerships with key restaurants and cloud kitchens and by expanding its delivery network. With recent funds allocation, Foodpanda is working on building a seamless experience for all its stakeholders - partner restaurants, riders, and end consumers - and creating a significant long-term value.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tech giant Google on Tuesday announced that Areo, its standalone app built specifically for India, is now ready to service users in Pune.

The app, available for download from Google Play Store, makes everyday chores and ordering food easier by catering to their service needs at their doorsteps. Users can compare prices, read reviews and complete their order, all in one app.

Areo was first launched in April 2017 in Bengaluru and Mumbai, and has since expanded to Gurugram Delhi, and now Pune. Currently, it offers services from over 14 partners including Faasos, Foodpanda, Freshmenu, Box8, Scootsy, Holachef, Ovenstory Pizza, Mojo Pizza, Behrouz Biryani, UrbanClap, Zimmber, HouseJoy, Timesavers, and Mr. Right.

With Areo, users can have food delivered from their favorite restaurants, providers and chefs, or get help with home services from local electricians, painters, cleaners, plumbers and more with a fast and secure checkout. Areo users can make payments via credit cards, netbanking, digital wallets, or cash on delivery.

For food deliveries, users can find their favourite cuisine and order using their preferred food delivery service such as Foodpanda and Scootsy, and also filter by their preference of vegetarian or non-vegetarian options. For home services, users can choose times that best suit them and schedule services accordingly.

User reviews across partners and service providers are available in one place, enabling users to make informed choices with respect to product quality or timeliness of service.

"We are energised by India's on-demand services ecosystem and excited to work with so many partners integrated on Areo. We hope to continue to delight our users, and deliver more value to our partners as we expand to more cities and offer more services in India," said Areo Product Manager Lilian Zia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Tuesday gave a cold response to the announcement of the chief minister and deputy chief minister.

Nitin Gadkari, Union minister and the BJP's central observer for Tripura, on Tuesday announced that Biplab Kumar Deb will be the next chief minister and Jishnu Debbarma will be deputy chief minister.

The BJP won 35 seats out of 59 in the Tripura legislative assembly elections.

The IPFT, which won eight seats, has said it would support the government from outside if it was not given 'respectable' positions in the ministry.

It was also pitching for the chief minister to be selected from the tribal community.

After the BJP named chief minister and deputy chief minister, IPFT president N.C. Debbarma gave a cold response to the development and said there is no question of us being pleased or displeased.

He also said that the BJP alone decided the name of chief minister and deputy chief minister.

The IPFT president said the party has discussed this development with other senior leaders and will also discuss this with BJP leaders Himanta Biswa Sarma and Ram Madhav tomorrow.

Sarma, the Assam minister is now the BJP's Northeast India strategist while Madhav is the BJP's Northeast in-charge.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Members of the Buddhist community held protests outside a police station in Sri Lanka's Kandy demanding the release of its people who were arrested in the riots.

More than two dozen arrests have been made so far, following the violence against the minority Muslim community in Kandy district which claimed two lives.

The Sri Lankan government earlier in the day imposed a state of emergency for 10 days to control law and order in the country.

Several houses and business establishments in the district, belonging to minority Muslim community, were burnt on Monday while the body of a young man was found inside a burnt house today.

The police have said that the special security arrangements put in place in the areas will continue and the country's Special Task Force (STF) has been deployed to maintain peace.

This is the second such incident over past couple of weeks after Ampara in Eastern Province witnessed similar attacks last month.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leaders on Tuesday staged a protest in Kolkata against the demolition of a statue of communist icon Vladimir Lenin in Tripura.

On Monday, in Belonia town, BJP workers and supporters allegedly razed a statue of Lenin with the help of a JCB.

The CPI (M) members took to the streets of Kolkata to express their anger against the incidence of demolition.

The CPI (M) supremo Sitaram Yechury had earlier said that the on-going violence points towards a bleak political future of RSS-BJP in the state.

"It is well-established from the on-going protests at Tripura that people of the state do not support them. Expect from inciting violence there is no further political future of the coalition. The citizens of Tripura shall give make them understand the same" Yechury told ANI.

Tripura has been witnessing incidents of violence in certain areas following the ouster of CPI-M in the state.

In the wake of the sporadic violence, Section 144 was also imposed in several areas.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India witnessed the first edition of International Exemplary Research and Performance Awards popularly called iERP Awards on February 26th, 2018. The ceremony received overwhelming participation from medical professionals all across the country. More than 150 medical professionals and researchers from more than 20 states were awarded in 100+ categories for their outstanding and exemplary work in the field of medicine and healthcare.

The awards were dedicated to ancient Indian stalwarts of medical science, namely, Sushruta (the Father of Surgery) and Charaka (Indian Father of Medicine). The medicos were honoured broadly in 5 categories, i.e., Allopathy, Dentistry, Homeopathy, Ayurveda and Medical Research. The awards are a feather in the cap of renowned medical professionals including Deans and HoDs of Medical and Dental College from all the domains of medical science for their excellence in the field of healthcare delivery, research, new innovations and rural health and social service for the betterment of society and health education.

The jubilant ceremony was held at the prestigious Lakshmipat Singhania Auditorium of PhD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, August Kranti Marg, New Delhi. Event ceremony was honoured with the presence of Imran Hussain ji (Delhi cabinet Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Environment and Forest and Election) as Chief Guest for the event. Doctors and Researchers were awarded by Dr Rajesh Malhotra (Professor and Head, Department of Orthopaedics, Chief, J P N Apex Trauma Centre, AIIMS, Delhi, B C Roy National Awardee-Eminent Medical Teacher 2014) and Dr V P Gupta (Principal, Professor of Ophthalmology, UCMS, Delhi).

In the words of the chief guest, "Doctors play vital role in the upliftment of society by dedicating their lives in the service of mankind." He quoted, "Half the disease is cured if a doctor talks sweetly and listens calmly to the patient."

Medha Gupta, Event Director, highlighted that it was a difficult process for the independent jury to shortlist awardees from the elaborate list of potential and deserving nominations.

The event was conceived by International society for holistic dentistry and International society for contemporary medical research (Registered with Govt. of Uttrakhand, India) and powered by Origami (technology partner). These Societies publish their fully indexed, monthly, peer-reviewed journals - International Journal of Contemporary Medical Research and International Journal of Contemporary Medicine, Surgery and Radiology which adheres to all publication guidelines of MCI and provide a forum for the presentation and criticism of original, innovative and thought provocative ideas in medical and allied specialties. Articles published in the journals go through the rigorous double-blind peer review and get high citation.

"We are thrilled with the response that we received for the first edition of the awards. We strongly feel that awards can definitely boost the outstanding contribution of the healthcare professionals for the betterment of society and health education. Awards will inspire the professionals to reach new limits and outcast their performance. Awards also bring visibility and differentiate the quality of achievements from others and brings in pursuit of happiness for the winners. Getting nominated beings you to the forefront on your industry and gives confidents to strive higher. iERP in near future will be a platform for exchange of ideas and knowledge in different genre," said Devanand Gupta, and Medha Gupta.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The SSB along with Khunti Police and CRPF 94 Batallion has apprehended a Naxal carrying a reward of Rs. 2 lakh on his head in Jharkhand.

Pattu Mahaa, a member of Peoples' Liberation Front of India (PLFI) was held on late Monday night in a joint operation conducted near Sarvoda forest area under Murhu Police Station area.

Mahaa had 28 FIRs against him and was involved in six encounter with the police.

The team also recovered a country made pistol and ammunition from his possession.

Meanwhile, three Naxals were arrested from Chintagufa area in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district in a joint operation by CRPF and district police force.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader Neiphiu Rio was on Tuesday appointed the new Chief Minister of Nagaland.

Rio was appointed by Nagaland Governor P.B. Acharya under clause (1) of Article 164 of the Constitution of India.

The Governor also requested the Chief Minister-elect to prove majority on the House floor on or before March 16.

In a letter addressed to Rio, the Governor said he had received letters of support in his favour from legislators of Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal (United) and an Independent MLA besides NDPP lawmakers.

According to the letter, the Governor has proposed to administer the Oath of Office and Secrecy to the council of ministers on March 8 around 11.30 a.m. at Khouchiezie, a local ground here.

Earlier in the day, Acharya accepted former Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang's resignation and requested him to continue in office till an alternative arrangement was made.

Quitting its 15-year-old alliance with the ruling Naga People's Front (NPF), the BJP contested 2018 Nagaland assembly elections in alliance with the NDPP.

The BJP won 11 seats, NDPP 16 seats, NDF 27 seats and others four seats in the election, paving way for the Rio-led party to form the next government in India's oldest insurgency-hit state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The newly appointed Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma laid out the priority of his government on Tuesday.

Speaking to media persons Sangma said "Our priority is very clear. We want to focus on good governance which has been missing and for that we need to get everything on track.

Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad earlier today conferred the oath of office to Sangma and his 11 member cabinet.

"There are many sectors that need to be looked into and we will look into them one by one separately" Sangma added.

On being asked whether there was any threat to his coalition government, he expressed confidence and said "every party and every MLA has the right to express their opinions and we need to show respect and keep an open channel of communication and we are confident that we have the support of all the MLAs".

On being asked what he thought of the outgoing Chief Minister Mukul Sangma's opinion that his government is a 'bundle of contradiction' he said that "coalition governments are always difficult to manage and the best way to manage it is to show respect for our allies. He expressed confidence and said that he wants to work with all the 60 members of the assembly to take the state forward".

He concluded by saying that "the oath taking was just the beginning and the real challenge and real work starts today.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will travel to United States of America (USA) tonight for medical treatment.

Personal Secretary (PS) to Chief Minister Parrikar Rupesh Kamat said, "As advised by the doctors at Lilavati hospital in Mumbai, the Chief Minister leaving tonight to USA for further treatment."

Yesterday, Parrikar had informed that he might travel abroad for curing his medical ailment.

In a video message, Parrikar stated that he would travel abroad, depending on the advice given to him by the doctors here, and also thanked the natives of his state for their well wishes at his time of recovery.

Before heading to Mumbai, Parrikar yesterday called a meeting with Chief Secretary, Dharmendra Sharma and Principal Secretary to CM P. Krishnamurthy and formed a cabinet advisory committee to take administrative decisions in his absence.

On a related note, Parrikar was hospitalised at the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on February 15 following mild pancreatitis problems and was discharged from there on February 22.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Piramal Realty, the real estate arm of Piramal Group, one of India's leading diversified conglomerates, on Tuesday announced the appointment of Naaman Atallah as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Naaman was formerly the CEO of Dubai Properties.

He led a portfolio of 144 projects worth USD 30 billion which included residential, commercial, retail and hospitality developments.

Previously, he held the position of COO at Qatari Diar where he was in charge of an international portfolio of over 30 projects worth more than USD 40 billion, including the prestigious Chelsea Barracks project in London.

He was also the COO of Emaar Properties PJSC, where he worked extensively on some of the world's most iconic projects such as Burj Khalifa, Armani Hotel Dubai and The Dubai Mall.

Before that, at Solidere, Naaman headed the development of the largest mixed-use project in Lebanon, the Beirut Souks. He was also the programme director with Fradim, in charge of celebrated real estate development projects on the French Riviera.

"Recent government reforms such as RERA, GST, bankruptcy code and demonetisation have been a great boost for institutional players such as Piramal Realty. These reforms will pave way for consolidation in the industry. Backed by a strong balance sheet and a great team, we are well positioned to acquire land at attractive prices and build a substantial company. In this context, we are delighted to welcome Naaman, one of the most experienced and successful professionals, to lead this exciting growth phase in our company's history," said executive director, Piramal Group and founder, Piramal Realty, Anand Piramal.

"India is the world's fastest growing and most dynamic large economy. Perhaps no country offers growth prospects for leading real estate professionals as India does. I hope to be an important catalyst in Piramal Realty's quest to become India's most admired real estate company and look forward to building on the foundation that I have inherited and bringing world-class cutting edge practices in design, development, construction, sales & marketing, to India. I aspire to build a company that sets a new benchmark in customer centricity and quality while providing superior returns to our shareholders," said Naaman Atallah.

Naaman holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Pepperdine University.

In addition, he has completed an Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD, France.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Varanasi on March 12, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.

Macron will embark on a four-day visit to India from March 9 to 12 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He will be accompanied by his wife, Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron, and a delegation of businessmen and ministry officials.

"The visit of President Macron is aimed at strengthening the bilateral economic, political and strategic dimension of our engagement", the MEA said in a statement.

"The strategic partnership between India and France, established in 1998, is one of the most important and comprehensive bilateral engagements and is marked by intense and frequent high-level exchanges and deep political understanding", it added.

Both sides will continue to enhance and cooperate in the defence, maritime, space, security, and energy-related sectors. And will also work together on issues of concerns such as terrorism, climate change, sustainable growth and development, infrastructure, smart urbanisation, science and technology cooperation and youth exchanges.

Prime Minister Modi and Macron will co-chair the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which will take place on March 11.

The ISA, an alliance of more than 121 countries, was initiated by Prime Minister Modi in January 2016. The primary objective of the alliance is to work for efficient exploitation of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

The last visit of the French President to India was in January 2016, when Macron was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations. Prime Minister Modi had last visited France in June last year.

The visit is also aimed at forging not only strong manufacturing and technology partnerships but also greater people to people contacts especially through greater exchanges of students and researchers.

The bilateral trade between India and France for the period between April 2016 to March 2017 reached USD 10.95 billion. France is the ninth largest foreign investor in India with a cumulative investment of USD 6.09 billion from April 2000 to October 2017.

Close to 1000 French companies are present in India. About 120 Indian companies have invested in excess of 1 billion euros in France and employ close to 7000 people. The India-France CEO's Forum will also take place during the visit.

The Indian community, including Non-Residential Indians (NRIs) in mainland France number around 1.1 lakh people, largely originating from the French enclaves of Puducherry and Karaikal (Tamil Nadu), Yanam (Andhra Pradesh), Mahe (Kerala) and Chandannagar (West Bengal).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A large number of Maldivians living in Sri Lanka held a protest rally against the President Yameen government in front of Maldivian embassy in Colombo today.

They demanded the resignation of President Abdulla Yameen, military chief Major-General Ahmed Shiyam and acting police commissioner Abdulla Nawaz.

The protesters were holding banners, saying "stop intimidating and illegally arresting innocent citizens" and "Stop the killings in the country. We want a peaceful country".

They called on the authorities to release political prisoners and implement the Supreme Court's unanimous ruling on February 1.

The island nation has been facing political turmoil after the Supreme Court ordered the immediate release of jailed political leaders including self-exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed.

President Yameen is facing mounting international pressure after exploiting the rights suspended under emergency state to crackdown hard on the opposition as police have made a series of high profile arrests, including former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, six lawmakers, chief justice Abdulla Saeed, top court judge Ali Hameed and the chief judicial administrator.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ordered a probe after spotting 21 machines engaged in illegal mining on the bank of Sutlej river.

The Chief Minister was on his way to Kartarpur in a chopper when he saw the "JCB machines evidently engaged in illegal mining on the Sutlej banks in Phillaur (Jalandhar) and Rahon (Nawanshahr)", he said in a tweet.

He also asked the concerned Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Senior Superintendents (SSP) to seize the equipment, adding that his government would fix responsibilities.

The Chief Minister recently ordered setting up of multi-department teams to keep a check on illegal sand mining, a major issue in Punjab.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday met Telugu Desam Party (TDP) workers, who are protesting at Parliament Street over 'special category status' for the Andhra Pradesh.

Rahul joined their protest at Jantar Mantar earlier in the day.

"We are here for 'Special Category Status' (SCS) for Andhra Pradesh. The first thing we will do when we come to power in 2019 is give the state Special Category Status," Rahul told media here.

"Confident that if we stand together, we will convince Government of India (GoI) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi what is due to people of state should be given," Rahul added.

Yesterday, ahead of the commencement of the second part of the budget session, the TDP MPs had staged a protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament premises demanding 'Special Category Status' for the state.

The MPs had been holding placards with slogans like, "Listen to the voice of five crores AP people", "Save alliance dharma".

TDP MP Jayadev Galla demanded all the promises made earlier related to the Andhra Pradesh to be fulfilled.

Interestingly, TDM MP Siva Prasad dressed as Lord Krishna during TDP protest here.

The decision to grant SCS was announced in the Parliament and endorsed by opposition parties, including BJP in 2014.

SCS was announced in lieu of foregoing Hyderabad, which houses employment generating industries, and such a precious clause should not be foregone for some insignificant package.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said on Tuesday that the government is ready to hold discussion with the Opposition over the issue of PNB scam, in both Houses of the Parliament.

"The government is ready to hold a discussion on the questions the Opposition is raising about the bank in both the Houses. The opposition is invited to a structural debate and to stop ruckus they are creating inside and outside the Parliament," said Kumar.

The Budget Session of the Parliament restarted on Monday amidst uproar by the opposition over the recent Punjab Bank (PNB) scam, in which noted jewellery designer and businessman Nirav Modi siphoned-off the bank's money to the tune of whopping 1.77 billion dollars.

Accusing the Congress party-led Karnataka government of killing 24 workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state, Kumar expressed confidence of winning the assembly elections in Karnataka, scheduled for later this year.

"In Tripura, nine of our workers were killed because of the Marxists. In Karnataka, Congress misgovernance killed 24 BJP workers. The public will give a befitting reply to this in the upcoming elections," he added.

Kumar, who belongs to Karnataka, also accused the state government under Siddaramaiah of insensitively splurging money even as large parts of the southern state reel from severe drought.

He said, "In the last four-and-a-half years, the Siddaramaiah government is spending money on useless things. This government has no sentiments for the public and doesn't care about drought in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tripura is witnessing post-poll incidents of violence following the ouster of the Manik Sarkar government in the state.

In the wake of the sporadic violence, Section 144 has been imposed in several areas, prohibiting the assembly of four or more people.

Two days since the Tripura Assembly election results were announced, the CPM and BJP have blamed each other for the clashes perpetrated by their supporters.

On Monday, in Belonia town, BJP workers and supporters have allegedly brought down a statue of Lenin with the help of a JCB.

In response to it, the leaders of the Communist Party of India (CPI) situated out of Tripura have expressed their anger over the demolition of the Lenin statue and further condemned the violence at Tripura.

The CPI leader D. Raja refused to accept the instances of violence in a democratic country.

He told ANI, "I strongly condemn this violence; this is not acceptable in a democracy. We are a multi-party democracy, some parties win and some lose, does not mean they can resort to vandalism".

"Violence like the demolition of Lenin statue will take place. Law needs to take its course "he added.

The CPI general secretary Sitaram Yechury further said that the on-going violence points towards a bleak political future of RSS-BJP in the state.

"It is well-established from the on-going protests at Tripura that people of the state do not support them. Expect from inciting violence there is no further political future of the coalition. The citizens of Tripura shall give make them understand the same" Yechury told ANI.

The Bhartiya Janata Party in coalition with the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) has come to power in Tripura.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Shiv Sena Member Legislative Assembly (MLA) on Tuesday walked out from the Lower House of the Maharashtra Assembly after they demanded the termination of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC), Prashant Paricharak.

In May last year, Prashant Paricharak, a BJP MLC and a legislator from Solapur was suspended for one-and-a-half year for allegedly making objectionable remarks on wives of army soldiers during campaigning for the local polls.

Last week, the Maharashtra Government had withdrawn the suspension of Paricharak, who had made objectionable comments about the wives of soldiers.

Paricharak had joked about soldiers stationed at the border that they distribute sweets when their babies are born although they haven't been to their home in a year, indirectly alleging their wives as unfaithful. However, he later apologised for his remarks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) on Tuesday issued letters to some banks asking them to explain about the working capital facility given to Gitanjali Group in the Punjab Bank (PNB) fraud case.

According to sources, a consortium of 31 banks had given working capital facility to Gitanjali Group.

The SFIO had earlier summoned Punjab Bank, and now it has issued letters to some more banks.

The Punjab Bank detected a 1.77 billion dollar scam in which Nirav Modi acquired fraudulent letters of undertaking from one of its branches for overseas credit from other Indian lenders.

The scam was started in 2011 and was detected in the third week of January this year, after which the PNB officials reported it to the concerned agencies.

Meanwhile, the PNB filed a second complaint with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 13.

The CBI had received the complaint from the PNB on January 28 and a case was registered in the case on January 31.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday said the fight for special category status is not a political one but for the people of the state.

Addressing Telugu Desam Legislative Party meeting here, Naidu said the party was asking for the fulfillment of mainly 19 issue highlighted in the Reorganisation Act, including special status.

"Hundred and twenty five year old Congress did injustice to Andhra Pradesh at the time of bifurcation and faced the wrath (of people) in the elections. We thought the BJP would do good for the state in fulfilling its promises on Reorganisation Act, and that is why we had a pre-poll alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party," the Chief Minister said.

Naidu recalled that he only took charge after making it clear to the BJP that he would not become the Chief Minister until seven mandals in Telangana were merged in Andhra Pradesh.

The Chief Minister said the mandals were necessary for the Polavaram project and the Centre had swiftly acted on it.

"I went to Delhi many times, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the presentation of the Union Budget, explained him the sentiments of Andhra people, and asked the central government for allocation. Not only the central budget does not favour Andhra Pradesh, but nothing in the Reorganisation Act provision has been fulfilled," the Chief Minister said.

Naidu stated the TDP had to start an agitation for the rights of Andhra Pradesh after the unveiling of the budget.

"This is not a political fight. Our state is wounded. The public wonders why the BJP ruled Centre is neglecting us."

Talking about the state budget, the Chief Minister said this might be the last full-fledged session as the next one would be before the elections.

The TDP chief asked the party members to maintain full attendance in the assembly session and encouraged them to indulge in serious discussions.

The party also paid tributes to senior party leader Gali Muddu Krishnama Naidu, who passed away recently.

He said the opposition Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) boycotting the budget session was not good.

Andhra Pradesh's fight for special status is in the parliament and even Congress President Rahul Gandhi has promised to give special status to the state once they come to power, Naidu said.

The Chief Minister during the state assembly session had earlier in the day clarified the TDP-led Andhra government had only agreed for special economic measures as the Centre denied special status.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Sri Lankan government on Tuesday strongly and unequivocally condemned the recent sporadic incidents of violence that had sparked off in Ampara and Digana near Kandy in Eastern Province in the country.

The riots in Kandy led to the creation of communal disharmony following which some places of worship, residences and businesses were damaged.

It also condemned the hate and mischievous misinformation campaigns carried out by some people, especially via social media, targeting the Muslim community in particular and others as well, in order to create disharmony among communities and inciting violence. It also urged every Sri Lankan citizen to desist from falling prey to such hate and misinformation campaigns respectively.

"As a country that had suffered by acts of violence for nearly three decades, we as a nation should desist from a repetition of such," the country's Department of Government Information said in a statement.

At the National Security Council meeting held on Monday, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena ordered the security forces and the police to enforce law and order and to take immediate action to counter any acts of violence affecting any community, in liaison with the government agents or divisional secretaries and other district administrative authorities of Sri Lanka.

"Already they are working in unity to ensure the full and impartial enforcement of the law to protect all communities against any attacks that create communal and religious disharmony," the statement signed by Sudarshana Gunawardhana, the Director General of Government Information said.

The statement emphasised that the Sri Lankan government will not hesitate to take firm and stern action against perpetrators found engaged in crimes and violation in law and order.

The Sri Lankan government has also urged for a total cooperation from all citizens irrespective of any communal and religious differences to build a country that is stable, peaceful and progressive, where diversity is respected and every individual has the opportunity to enjoy all freedoms that are the rights of equal citizenship.

"Every Sri Lankan citizen inclusive of the clergy, politicians, social leaders, civil societies and media should and must deplore any violence and must co-operate to bring peace and harmony to achieve reconciliation," the statement concluded.

The Sri Lankan government earlier on Tuesday imposed a state of emergency for 10 days to control law and order in the country.

Several houses and business establishments in the district, belonging to minority Muslim community, were burnt on Monday while the body of a young man was found inside a burnt house on Tuesday.

A curfew was reimposed on Monday in two police divisions of Kandy district till Wednesday morning following the tense situation.

More than two dozen arrests have been made so far, following the violence against the minority Muslim community in Kandy district which claimed two lives.

Members of the Buddhist community held protests outside a police station in Kandy demanding the release of its people who were arrested in the riots.

The police have said that the special security arrangements put in place in the areas will continue and the country's Special Task Force (STF) has been deployed to maintain peace.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Telangana Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy-led committee on Tuesday proposed to establish food processing units across the state.

The cabinet sub-committee, headed by the minister, discussed the possibilities for setting up the units in all the assembly constituencies across the state.

The meeting, which was held today at the Secretariat, was attended by state's finance minister Etela Rajender, irrigation minister T. Harish Rao, IT minister K. Tarakarama Rao, panchayat raj minister Jupally Krishna Rao and the officials concerned.

According to reports, the officials have been directed to prepare the plan and submit at the earliest.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)As RBI data reveals that currency in circulation is almost at pre-demonetisation levels, ToneTag - a sound-based proximity communications and payment services provider - has been promoting Digital India with its products.

RetailPod, its solution targeted at merchants, big and small, has now been deployed by over 50,000 Indian merchants and is helping the retail ecosystem go truly digital.

The RetailPod provides a completely inter-operable, safe, and secure mode of contactless and cashless transactions through sound which doesn't need a smartphone, an app, a QR code, or even the internet. It enables merchants to accept payments anywhere without any connectivity requirements, and is compatible with any mobile phone, e-wallet, or digital payment application. Payment is less cumbersome, reducing the time taken in the transaction and adding to the customer's convenience and experience.

Additionally, payment is contactless and provides real-time acknowledgement to improve transaction security. Combined with its other products - RetailPod and Presence - ToneTag is essentially empowering and equipping merchants by providing a seamless, contactless, and cashless payments ecosystem for customers and merchants alike.

"Technology has become an integral part of human lives because its helps solve problems. Over-reliance on cash in the economy has been identified as a problem, but in spite of impressive efforts by the government and other players, cash circulation still remains strong. This is because the fundamentals are left unaddressed. The reason cash is still popular is that it works everywhere and doesn't depend upon your phone or the internet. We're bringing that kind of experience with the benefits of digital payments - i.e., security and convenience - together to help retail merchants provide a payment system consumers will be happy to switch to," said CEO and co-founder, ToneTag, Kumar Abhishek.

ToneTag is an Indian company with a global solution. The company's solutions have touched the lives of over 50 million consumers and 295,000 merchants worldwide, and have reached the Middle East, South-East Asia, North America and some parts of Africa.

The company has entered into collaborations with noted global brands in the payments ecosystem like MasterCard, Infosys' Finacle, ICICI, and First Data along with other banks and wallets. The company has created a demand of over 100,000 RetailPods in international markets, and is targeting the deployment over 500,000 RetailPods worldwide in the next 18 months.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)U.S. President Donald Trump has tumbled down more than 200 places in the world's billionaire rankings after losing around $400 million in his net worth from last year.

The business tycoon, with $3.1 billion is now ranked 766th this year, down from a 544th ranking last year.

Forbes, the American magazine which compiles a list of the world's richest people annually, attributed his decline to "a tough New York real estate market, particularly for retail locations; a costly lawsuit and an expensive presidential campaign."

Trump also lost out around a billion dollars in net worth in 2017.

According to Daily News, Trump Tower, the President's New York home, lost an estimated $41 million in value last year.

Another property on 57th St. is losing a longtime tenant in Nike.

Trump also shelled out $25 million in settling lawsuits that alleged his Trump University real estate courses defrauded students.

The billionaires list features Amazon chief Jeff Bezos at the numero-uno spot, with his combined wealth totaling to a mind-boggling $112 billion. At the second place is former world's richest man and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, with his wealth at $90 billion.

According to the magazine, the gulf between the first and second spot has never been this big.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India's distinguished classical music icon and sarod legend Ustad Amjad Ali Khan has voiced his concern at the increasing extremism and violence in the society today, while urging people to rise above political and religious differences.

In an exclusive interaction with UNODC Regional Office for South Asia, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan expressed anguish over the prevailing social conflicts and frictions around the world and stressed that education had failed to create kindness in people.

"Even in the 21st century, we are still killing each other on account of religion. So, what have we really achieved? We are suffering on account of religion. Every day, we hear of people killing each other because of religious or political differences. Today's human being has become the most dangerous, most ferocious animal," Ustad Amjad Ali Khan told Samarth Pathak, UNODC's Communications Officer.

"Education has failed to create kindness and compassion in human beings. Certain countries are ruining the future of their children by injecting hatred on account of religion. Children are also targeted and are victims of radicalization and extremism. It is something that the citizens of the world have to deal with and take matters in their own hands."

The veteran musician, known for his virtuosity over the sarod, also rued the interplay of religion and politics.

"Unfortunately, the base of all political parties is religion. I feel very helpless. Especially in India, everytime there are elections, people play shatranj (chess) with the sentiments of every religion. I very strongly feel that election is a game of manipulation, those who can manipulate win the election, and those who cannot, lose the election. Politics has become a profession and that is not a healthy sign for our country," he said.

Reflecting on substance abuse among Indian youth, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan extended support to UNODC's Listen First campaign and urged children and students to stay away from drugs.

"I feel helpless to see our youth falling prey to drug use. It impacts health and well-being of not only the individual but also their family, community and society at large. I appeal to the youth to stay away from drugs and instead utilize your talents and energy in gaining new knowledge and skills. Pursue music, or painting or sports, or a passion you enjoy, and see how beautiful life can be! I support UNODC's 'Listen First' campaign, which calls for extending a patient ear to children and the youth, to help them help themselves. That is the first step to address the problem."

Disturbed by the spiraling gun violence in the US, the sarod maestro, who has taught music at the Stanford University and the Indiana University, urged President Trump to ban guns.

"I am absolutely shocked to hear the recent announcement of President Trump that he wants every school teacher to carry a gun to face the problem. Guns create problems, guns kill people, guns destroy culture. Guns cannot protect or save lives. America has achieved so much in the past decades, and we expect from President Trump to think seriously about the future generations. Children of America are killing each other and guns and weapons should be banned immediately."

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan also deemed music a great unifying force for humanity.

"Music is a precious gift of God and like the seven elements, does not belong to any religion. Think about it: the same seven notes form all music and songs we know today. All the shlokas, mantras, azaan, hymns, carols and every other type of religious music are based on the same seven musical notes. It is the greatest message of universal oneness and unity!" He added, "The seven notes of music are deeply connected with our mind. If you can sing them with focus and clarity, you will feel at peace with your surroundings. I wish every school made the children sing the seven notes, instead of any religious or patriotic songs-it will help them become more peaceful human beings.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)With International Women's Day inching closer, online marketplace and hospitality service Airbnb stated that women hosts on the platform have earned nearly USD 20 billion, thus taking a step further towards the financial, professional, and social empowerment of women.

"Last year, we were proud to announce that women made USD 10 billion on Airbnb since the company was founded in 2008. This year, we are thrilled to share that in the past year alone, women have made almost an additional USD 10 billion and represent more than half of the Airbnb community. Clearly, women are a driving force of the Airbnb community, and we are proud to provide the end-to-end travel platform for their entrepreneurial spirit to thrive," said Airbnb co-founder and CEO, Brian Chesky.

Women make up the majority of hosts overall. Among Experience Hosts, 50 percent are women, along with 55 percent of home hosts. Women make up a larger majority in some countries, like New Zealand (70 percent), South Africa (63 percent) and the Philippines (61 percent). Women are also among the most successful hosts, with women in the United States making the most overall last year by earning roughly USD three billion in total.

In India, over the past year, Airbnb registered a 25 percent growth in the number of women hosts joining the platform. Currently, there are around 4000 women hosts in India, contributing to 30 percent of the home host community and 50 percent of experience host community.

Whether it's sharing a home or hosting an experience, Airbnb endeavors to support women worldwide by providing a platform for entrepreneurship.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)China's recent bid to remove the two-term presidential limits, allowing President Xi Jinping to remain as the country's president and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), has come in as no surprise, a US-based think tank has said.

According to Dan Bluementhal, the Director of Asian Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on East Asian security issues and Sino-American relations, President Xi's rational move comes at a time, when he has spent the last six years on accumulating political power, recentralising economic and national security policymaking and getting rid of enemies.

Bluementhal added that the Chinese President is an avid admirer of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and is emulating the latter's various political and national security strategies.

When President Xi took over in 2012, China's economy was in tatters as it was starting to feel the pinch of a debt-fueled massive fiscal stimulus enacted during the 2008 global financial crisis. The country was plagued by a debt of nearly 276 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and market reforms had been hindered completely, The Hill reported.

"With an underperforming economy and lack of desire to return to the period of reform and opening, President Xi is betting his legacy and his legitimacy on what he calls the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation. His aspiration is that the CCP will not only survive but will return China to the geopolitical centrality it enjoyed during its imperial periods," the American author opines.

President Xi's also announced an ambitious plan, named the 'One Belt One Road' initiative, calling for the construction of massive Chinese infrastructure projects to link East with the West, on the lines of the ancient Silk Route. According to Beijing, it will greatly improve its energy security, acquire new forms of technology and create new land and sea routes for trading.

The Chinese President has also intensified its aggressive policies on territorial claims in the South and East China Seas and also towards Taiwan, which it considers as a "separate province".

Bluementhal believes that these measures initiated by President Xi have successfully turned these projects into a new economic order and is bringing back China into its glory days.

The author added that the Chinese President's latest move to remove the term limits have been described as the "Putinisation" of China. It means that the move has created plenty of problems for the US and its allies.

President Putin has consolidated Russia into a major international player by threatening Europe, attacking the democratic system of the US and disrupting the Middle East, by supporting the Syrian conflict, according to Bluementhal.

Both Washington D.C. and Beijing have been at loggerheads over the ongoing maritime disputes in the South and East China Seas. The US is finally waking up to China's provocations ranging from militarisation of the South China Sea to attempts to "export" the communist country's authoritarian US President Donald Trump has put forth a strategy to push back against China in every domain of power, which now depends upon his administration to implement it.

If the Trump administration succeeds, Washington D.C. will find that President Xi's rule is fragile than most assume Beijing as a strong global player in the Asian region. For example, China's censors had to work overtime to silence mass Chinese dissent after the news of Xi's power grab. Further, China has never been forced to face a real choice between spending on "guns versus butter," meaning the country's investment in defence and civilian goods.

According to Bluementhal, the US can challenge President Xi in terms of maritime disputes in the South China Sea. It should begin its campaign aggressively to expose the "rot and decay" at the core of the CPC. Faced with a serious geopolitical challenge, President Xi will have to choose between escalating his anti-US strategy or de-escalating and turning his attention to address the social and economic problems in China that its people will feel that he will address it.

Bluementhal feels that if Washington D.C fails to execute a strong campaign against China, President Xi will consolidate his position further in the field of international affairs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)After trimming intraday gains in mid-morning trade, key benchmark indices hovered with small gains in early afternoon trade. At 12:17 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex advanced 100.25 points or 0.3% at 33,847.03. The Nifty 50 index gained 41.35 points or 0.4% at 10,400.20. The Sensex was hovering below the 34,000 level. It had crossed that level in early trade.

Key indices opened the session on a stronger footing on firm global cues. Later, indices trimmed gains. Global stocks gained as worries about a potential trade war waned in the aftermath of US President Donald Trump's tariff announcement on steel and aluminum.

Among secondary indices, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index advanced 0.74%, outperforming the Sensex. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index rose 0.17%, underperforming the Sensex.

The breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was positive. On the BSE, 1,301 shares advanced and 1,114 shares declined. A total of 150 shares were unchanged.

Telecom stocks were mixed. MTNL (down 0.69%) and Idea Cellular (down 0.24%) declined. Reliance Communications (up 1.26%) and Bharti Airtel (up 0.66%) gained.

Metal and mining stocks gained on speculation that US President Donald Trump will soften his proposed trade tariffs on steel and aluminum. Tata Steel (up 1.98%), Vedanta (up 1.82%), Jindal Steel & Power (up 1.57%), NMDC (up 1.5%), JSW Steel (up 1.17%), SAIL (up 1.02%), Hindustan Zinc (up 0.93%), Hindustan Copper (up 0.07%) and Hindalco Industries (up 0.04%) edged higher. Nalco (down 0.23%) edged lower.

Metal and mining shares had declined yesterday, 5 March 2018 on uncertainty over the effects of US President Donald Trump's announcement of a plan to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum. Trump, on Friday, 2 March 2018, said that he would impose a 25% import tariff on steel and 10% import tariff on aluminum to protect US producers. The move could reportedly trigger a trade war with China and Europe. Trump said the import tariff hike would create jobs in the US and benefit its industries.

Axis Bank was up 0.42% at Rs 525.85. With regard to a media news captioned RBI fines Axis Bank Rs.30 million for flouting NPA norms", the bank issued a clarification. Axis Bank said that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) vide its press release dated 5 March 2018 has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 3 crore on the bank for non-compliance with the directions issued by it on Income Recognition and Asset Classification (IRAC) norms. The bank added that the said penalty will not have any material impact on it. The announcement was made during market hours today, 6 March 2018.

In a key development in the aftermath of a massive financial fraud at Punjab National Bank (PNB), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) stated vide its press release dated 5 March 2018 that it will inject additional liquidity of Rs 1 lakh crore in banks through longer tenor instruments to enable flexibility towards meeting their fund needs. This measure is to address additional demand for liquidity and with a view to provide flexibility to the banking system in its liquidity management towards March-end, the central bank said. This will be in addition to normal liquidity adjustment facility operations.

Overseas, Asian stocks rallied, tracking gains in the US and Europe in the last session as concerns over a potential trade war faded.

US stocks rose yesterday, 5 March 2018, erasing earlier losses, as worries about a potential trade war waned. US President Donald Trump announced tariffs on steel and aluminum that sparked fears of a trade war.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Reliance Infrastructure rose 1.28% to Rs 438.65 at 14:48 IST on BSE after the company said it won its case against the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation in the Delhi High Court.

The announcement was made during trading hours today, 6 March 2018.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 184.38 points, or 0.55% to 33,562.40.

On the BSE, 3.60 lakh shares were traded in the counter so far compared with average daily volumes of 3.02 lakh shares in the past two weeks. The stock had hit a high of Rs 450.60 and a low of Rs 436 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 630 on 12 May 2017. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 390.60 on 15 November 2017.

The Delhi High Court (HC) has upheld the arbitration award of Rs 2950 crore as compensation along with interest to Delhi Airport Metro Express (DAMEPL), a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra), by a three-member Arbitration Tribunal. Reliance Infrastructure stands to get Rs 5060 crore from the award, which it shall entirely utilize to reduce its consolidated debt. This amount is arbitration award amount plus interest till 31 March 2018.

The HC upheld the validity of the award granted by the three-member Arbitration Tribunal unanimously on the basis of termination provisions of the Concession Agreement, which DAMEPL had utilized to terminate its agreement with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

The compensation awarded by the tribunal was challenged in Delhi HC by DMRC. The award had been granted as a result of breach by DMRC of its obligations under the Concession Agreement and Material Adverse Effect on the ability of DAMEPL to perform its obligations under the Concession Agreement. The tribunal was constituted from a panel nominated by DMRC. Now the award has been upheld by the Delhi HC.

The three-member Arbitration Tribunal, formed out of the DMRC-nominated panel as per the Concession Agreement in September 2013. It gave its award in May 2017 after hearing the case for almost four years. The tribunal heard the submissions made by both the parties and after detailed proceedings in 68 hearings, it had issued its final order whereby it had awarded the compensation to DAMEPL.

On a consolidated basis, net profit of Reliance Infrastructure declined 19.6% to Rs 301.38 crore on 1.7% rise in net sales to Rs 5659.34 crore in Q3 December 2017 over Q3 December 2016.

Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra) is one of the largest infrastructure companies, developing projects through various Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) in several high growth sectors such as Power, Roads and Metro Rail in the Infrastructure space and the Defence sector.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Key benchmark indices slipped into the negative terrain in mid-afternoon trade. At 14:17 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 48.36 points or 0.14% at 33,698.42. The Nifty 50 index was up 1.85 points or 0.02% at 10,360.70. The Sensex was hovering below the 34,000 level. Capital goods and pharma stocks witnessed a mixed trend.

Key indices opened the session on a stronger footing on firm global cues. Later, indices trimmed gains and traded with small gains till afternoon trade. Indices slipped into negative terrain in mid-afternoon trade.

Global stocks gained as worries about a potential trade war waned in the aftermath of US President Donald Trump's tariff announcement on steel and aluminum.

Among secondary indices, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index advanced 0.37%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index fell 0.12%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

The breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, turned negative from positive. On the BSE, 1,405 shares declined and 1,160 shares advanced. A total of 166 shares were unchanged.

Capital goods stocks were mixed. BEML (down 5.28%), ABB India (down 1%), Bharat Electronics (down 0.42%) and Bhel (down 0.22%) declined. Thermax (up 1.23%), Siemens (up 0.68%), Havells India (up 0.15%) and L&T (up 0.27%) gained.

Pharma stocks also witnessed a mixed trend. Aurobindo Pharma (up 2.36%), Cipla (up 1.32%), Dr Reddy's Laboratories (up 1.29%) and Divis Laboratories (up 0.48%) edged higher. GlaxoSmithkline Pharmaceuticals (down 1.23%), Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (down 1.07%), Lupin (down 1.04%) and Cadila Healthcare (down 0.03%) declined.

Meanwhile, the second day of the second half of the Budget session of Parliament was also washed out today, 6 March 2018 as opposition parties stormed the Well to protest for different demands. While the Congress and the Trinamool Congress want debate on the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, the AIADMK is protesting over the Cauvery issue. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) wants the Constitution amended to skirt the 50% ceiling for reservation in jobs and education, while the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) wants special status for Andhra Pradesh.

Overseas, European and Asian stocks advanced, tracking gains in the US in the last session as concerns over a potential trade war faded.

US stocks rose yesterday, 5 March 2018, erasing earlier losses, as worries about a potential trade war waned. Last weekend, US President Donald Trump had announced tariffs on steel and aluminum that sparked fears of a trade war.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The seventh round of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks ended hereon a mixed note with the US calling the progress not good enough but Mexico remaining upbeat.

On Monday night, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said only six of NAFTA's 30 chapters have been closed so far, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We have not made the progress many had hoped... Our time is running very short. I fear that the longer we proceed, the more political headwinds we will feel."

Lighthizer said that the upcoming Mexican presidential elections, US mid-term elections, and polls in Canada's Ontario and Quebec povinces were complicating matters.

However, Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said the seventh round of talks had created "an adequate landing strip" for a successful resolution.

Differences in unresolved chapters such as e-commerce, telecommunications, energy and technical obstacles to trade were only "minimal", he said. "As we move forward, we will begin to fulfill our objectives and close our differences."

Countering Lighthizer's call for haste, Guajardo said Mexico will take the time it takes, at least until the mandate of President Enrique Pena Nieto ends on November 30.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said there is still hard work ahead for a successful updating of NAFTA.

Before the eighth round of talks starts in April, negotiators will meet to resolve the thorniest issues, such as the clause to terminate the NAFTA and the rules of origin in the automobile sector.

Canada, the US and Mexico have been carrying out intense negotiations to redraft NAFTA since August 2017 after American President Donald Trump said the deal has been unfair to Washington.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Pakistani engineer working in an oil field in southern Libya, who was abducted by an unknown armed group last week, has been released, a security official told Xinhua on Tuesday.

"The Pakistani engineer Shahid Abdul-Salam, who was kidnapped last week in Ubari city, was released by the kidnappers after they told him he was a suspect and not meant to be kidnapped," said Brig. Abdul-Qadir Al-Bakush, the chief of Ubari Security Directorate.

"I have communicated with the engineer and he informed me that he is in good health and was not beaten or hurt," Al-Bakush added.

He said that the engineer will remain in the city and will continue to work in the oil field.

The security official warned people coming from outside Ubari, some 1,100 km south of the capital Tripoli, not to move around the city without informing the security authorities to avoid similar attacks.

The Pakistani engineer was abducted 8 km west of Ubari, which is located near Al-Fil oil field that produces nearly 75 thousand barrels of crude oil per day.

--IANS

ahm/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday tore into the main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) in the state assembly and warned it against its disruptive agenda.

Speaking on the Address of the Governor to the House at the start of the budget session, the Chief Minister said the disruptive brand of that the SP patronises "will not be tolerated and will be dealt with a tough hand."

Amid a din by the opposition benches, the Chief Minister went on to say that the spirit of socialist ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia, whom the SP idolises, would be the most sad by the policies that the SP practices.

He also took a pot shot at the recent electoral understanding between arch rivals SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for the upcoming Lok Sabha by-polls in Phoolpur and Gorakhpur and said that the two parties had now become the 'Bahujan Samajwadi Party'.

Detailing what he called were the accomplishments of his government in the past one year, Adityanath said there has been no communal flare up in the state and that criminals were on the run due to the active pursuit by the police.

Reiterating his government's commitment to improving the law and order situation, the Chief Minister said the state government was committed to ensuring the safety and security of the people.

He also quoted his earlier response to a journalist that he was a Hindu and hence did not observe Eid and was proud of it.

However, he said the state government would continue to work for a peaceful Eid.

There are some people who wear a Janeyu (Hindu sacred thread) at home but would adorn a skull cap when coming out, he said, adding that he was not like them because he is a Hindu and has no reason to celebrate Eid.

Adityanath also pointed out how the people were accepting the policies and performances of BJP governments, as was evident in the assembly results of Nagaland, Tripura and Meghalaya in the North-East.

Looking towards the Congress members, the Chief Minister said people who have not even been able to open an account were now trying to preach to them.

He also accused his predecessor Akhilesh Yadav of not giving a single house to the poor while his government in 11 months had distributed 8.85 lakh houses to the poor.

The Chief Minister said that his government had so far provided 65 lakh new power connections and built 34 lakh toilets.

In the recent 'UP Investors Summit', Adityanath said, investment proposals of Rs 4.67 lakh crore had been received, "something which the BSP and SP governments of the past combined cannot claim".

We have changed the perception about the state which in the past was scarred, Adityanath said while accusing the previous SP government of honouring criminals at the Chief Minister's residence.

He alleged that police stations were mortgaged to the whims of SP activists, sugar mills were sold at throwaway prices and Rs 25,000 crore was due as cane arrears.

He said the present government had restarted 119 sugar mills and paid cane dues to the tune of Rs 15,000 crore.

--IANS

md/qd/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Air India will operate flights with all-women crew as part of its celebrations to commemorate the International Women's Day on March 8, the airline announced on Tuesday.

Air India's women employees will be operating a range of wide and narrow body aircraft in its fleet to celebrate the occasion, an airline statement said.

"The national carrier has planned several flights on its domestic and international sectors operated only by its women employees to salute woman power," it said.

"Air India will fly these all-women crew flights to all the US cities it operates to -- San Francisco, New York, Newark, Chicago and Washington DC -- besides destinations like Milan, Frankfurt and Singapore.

"A few destinations in the domestic sector will also see the airline operating with an all-women crew."

Air India said a number of "women-related" events will also be organised throughout its network to mark the occasion.

According to the airline, a unique feature of its all-woman crew flights is that most operations -- from cockpit to cabin crew, check-in staff, doctor, commercial staff, ground operators, to technicians, engineers, flight dispatchers, and safety and quality auditors -- are mainly performed by women.

--IANS

bc/him/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Saudi Arabia has given Air India approval to use its airspace for flights between Israel and India.

Netanyahu made the announcement during a briefing in Washington on Monday after meeting US President Donald Trump, the Times of Israel reported.

"Air India signed an agreement to fly to Israel over Saudi Arabia," he said, emphasizing that the flights to and from Mumbai would consume the same time as flights between London and Tel Aviv -- about five-and-a-half hours.

There was no immediate confirmation of the agreement from Saudi Arabia or Air India.

Currently, El Al Israel Airlines offers direct flights from Israel to India, with a Tel Aviv-Mumbai route.

In order to avoid Saudi Arabia, which has hitherto forbidden flights to and from Israel over its airspace, the plane must detour over the Red Sea and around the Arabian peninsula, adding over two hours to the journey.

The Indian airline's ability to fly over Saudi Arabia would substantially reduce the flight time. Netanyahu stressed the planes would not be able to fly over Iran, Iraq and Pakistan -- other countries with which Israel has no diplomatic ties, the Times of Israel reported.

The "agreement" marked a significant achievement as Jerusalem attempts to upgrade its relationship with Riyadh, the report said.

While no formal ties exist between Israel and Saudi Arabia, it was revealed by Israeli officials over the last several months that there had been covert contacts between the two countries, according to a Jerusalem Post report.

Netanyahu, who visited India in January, acknowledged the agreement could hurt El Al. During the India trip, Netanyahu had said that an "efficient and direct route" between the countries was an important goal.

--IANS

soni/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Telecom service provider Bharti Airtel on Tuesday announced an agreement with global cloud service provider Gulf Bridge International (GBI) to acquire the India leg of GBI's India-Middle East-Europe submarine cable system.

"Under the agreement, Airtel will acquire the ownership of the India leg of GBI's India-Middle East-Europe submarine cable," the Indian telecom major said in a statement, adding that: "Airtel will also pick up a significant capacity on Middle East-Europe section of GBI's cable system."

The company, however, did not divulge the acquisition amount.

Airtel and GBI also agreed to formulate joint "go-to-market" strategies and leverage the footprint of their respective global networks to serve global customers, it said.

"GBI is a multilayer terrestrial and subsea cable-meshed network, which bridges the East to the West through the Middle-East," the statement said.

"With this (agreement), we are adding a large capacity to meet the growing data, content demand in markets like India as well as serve the connectivity needs of global carriers and enterprise customers," said Ajay Chitkara, Director and CEO for Global Voice and Data Business, Bharti Airtel.

--IANS

rrb/ag/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Coming down heavily on the BJP for the demolition of a statue of Lenin and carrying out attacks on CPI-M activists and leaders in Tripura, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said she would protest against such atrocities.

"Just because somebody has formed a government, it is not his job to raze statues of great men. Being in government does not mean it is somebody's job to murder some others or attack opponents," Banerjee told a public meeting in Patrasayar in Bankura district.

Sounding a warning to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has taken power in Tripura, the Trinamool Congress chief said she would not accept such activities despite having "a ideological fight" with the Communist Party of India-Marxist.

"If you feel just because you have come to power, you will demolish the statue of Marx, Lenin, Gandhiji, Netaji, Swami Vivekananda, we won't accept that. I have fought with the CPI-M. We also came to power after 34 years. Please remember, our slogan was 'we want change, not revenge'.

"So despite the CPI-M carrying out so much atrocities on us, we did not pay them back in the same coin. This is not our nature. Whatever is happening there (Tripura) is not democracy."

On BJP West Bengal unit chief Dilip Ghosh saying that Marxist cadres have to be at the receiving end "to some extent" as saffron activists were beaten up and killed over the past 25 years of Left rule, Banerjee said "I have an ideological fight with the CPI-M, it will be there. I don't support their atrocities. Likewise I don't support the atrocities committed by the BJP."

Alleging that the BJP had used money and muscle and committed electoral irregularities to win in Tripura, Banerjee said: "They bulldozed their way, used muscle power, spread money. There are also lot of complaints of tampering of Electronic Voting Machines."

--IANS

ssp/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Admitting to a surge in crime across Bihar, Labour Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha on Tuesday supported getting rid of criminals in "encounters".

Sinha said the government was committed to controlling crime and would go for "encounters" -- an official euphemism for staged gun battles -- to bump off criminals if there was a need.

Stressing that criminals were becoming fearless, he said: "The government has directed the police to act against criminals."

--IANS

ik/him/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and RSS loyalist Biplab Kumar Deb will assume office on Friday as the 11th Chief Minister of Tripura, where the BJP voted out the Left Front after 25 years, in the February 18 polls.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari earlier on Tuesday announced here that Tripura BJP President Deb will be the new Chief Minister while the party's tribal leader Jishnu Debbarma will be the Deputy Chief Minister.

Earlier, the newly-elected MLAs of the BJP and its ally -- Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) -- met here in the presence of central observers Gadkari and Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and elected Deb as leader of the party's Legislature Party.

After the announcement, Deb, accompanied by other BJP leaders, met Governor Tathagata Roy at the Raj Bhavan and staked claim to form the government.

After an hour-long meeting with Roy, the Chief Minister-designate told reporters: "The Governor has appointed me the Chief Minister. The swearing-in-ceremony of the BJP ministry will take place at the Assam Rifles ground on Friday at 12 noon."

Deb refused to disclose the size of the ministry and the IPFT's representation in it.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and several central ministers and leaders would be invited to attend the event.

"We will give good governance in Tripura," Deb, 48, a RSS volunteer-turned-BJP leader, told the media.

BJP's permanent "Prabhari" (central observer) in Tripura Sunil Deodhar, another architect in the BJP's electoral success in Tripura, along with Deputy Chief Minister-designate Debbarma and BJP MLA Ratan Lal Nath among others accompanied Deb during his meeting with the Governor.

The Tripura ministry can have a maximum of 12 members.

IPFT president Narendra Chandra Debbarma, who accompanied Deb to the Raj Bhavan, said the number of his party's members in the new ministry would be discussed with BJP's Tripura election in-charge and Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday.

The IPFT had earlier demanded that a tribal leader should be the Chief Minister.

The BJP and the IPFT swept the February 18 polls, winning 43 of the 59 seats for which elections were held.

The BJP secured 35 seats in the 60-member Assembly and the IPFT, a tribal-based party, eight. The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) got 16 seats while the Congress drew a blank.

After 25 years of Left rule, a non-Left government would assume office on Friday.

After the erstwhile princely state Tripura merged with the Union of India in 1949, successive Congress government ruled the northeastern state until 1978, when the CPI(M)-dominated Left Front took over the power for 10 years (1978-1988) under the Chief Ministership of Nripen Chakraborty -- the father figure of Communist movement in Tripura.

The Congress fought the just-concluded polls alone and drew a blank.Refuting the Congress party's allegation that the NDA government helped jeweller Jatin Mehta, who has duped banks -- including the PNB -- of Rs 6,712 crore, flee from India, the BJP on Tuesday said he not only acquired "toxic assets" but also flew out of India during the UPA regime.

"Most of the advances or Letters of Credit (LCs) or all the loans were taken between September 2010 and February 2013. If there was lack of due diligence or connivance in the banking sector to make these advances available, that was entirely during the previous UPA regime," Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told a press conference.

Puri was responding to Congress allegations that the alleged jeweller duped banks of Rs 6,712 crore during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime and the Prime Minister was silent over the fraud.

"Many of these loans, bulk of these, took place during UPA 2. There were some loans of earlier vintage which go back to UPA 1," the Minister said.

Puri said Mehta's last entry in and exit from the country was on July 25, 2013, when the UPA was in power.

"To suggest that the NDA government has either anything to do with the generation of those toxic assets or those defaults, is a blatant lie. This is like 'ulta chor kotwal ko daante' (pot calling the kettle black). The Congress allegations are absurd," he said.

Puri said Mehta had acquired the nationality of St. Kitts in 2012 and despite that he came to India four times on Indian passport.

"He acquired the nationality of St. Kitts in 2012 and used the same passport to travel to India eight times. He took citizenship of St. Kitts before expiry of his Indian passport. It seems that he was given privilege in obtaining OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) card," he said.

He said that the NDA government initiated action against Mehta soon after it came to power in 2014.

"The first complaint against him was filed in September 2014. The CBI and the ED registered cases against him as the scale of corruption came to notice. At least six FIRs were registered in 2017 only," he said.

The Congress had on March 1 claimed that the "art of leaving after defrauding banks" is the new culture under the Narendra Modi government, and said that after the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud accused Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi (jewellers from Palanpur, Gujarat), Mehta had duped the banks, including the PNB, of Rs 6,712 crore.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader G.V.L. Narasimha Rao, who was also present at the press conference, said the eight bank fraud cases involving a total of Rs 54,318 crore which the Congress referred to were perpetrated by the Congress government.

"The manner in which procedures were flouted and the bank frauds were perpetrated clearly show the Congress 'hand' in these scandals. By crying hoarse, the Congress party cannot absolve its direct culpability, collusion and connivance in perpetrating these frauds," Rao said.

Calling it the "world's most corrupt party", he said the Congress whose senior leaders "were either in jail or on bail" cannot mislead people with its lies.

"Over the past few weeks, the Congress party has been making fraudulent attempts and spreading lies in the hope that the allegations would help it politically," he said.

--IANS

vv-bns/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Writer Apurva Asrani, who penned the critically acclaimed drama "Aligarh", has revealed he woke up with Bell's Palsy -- a condition that leaves the face partially paralysed -- two months ago. He, however, says his condition is gradually improving.

Asrani, who also had an infamous fallout with filmmaker Hansal Mehta over the writing credits for "Simran", shared a Facebook post on his condition and shared a few photographs of himself during various stages of the illness.

"Almost two months ago, I woke up with the right side of my pace completely paralysed. Fearing a stroke, I was rushed to the hospital, and after an MRI ruled that out, my condition was diagnosed as Bells Palsy -- where the facial nerve is inflamed, causing loss of muscle movement.

"What causes this is still a mystery, but they gather that it could be a viral infection. Stress is a major factor and god knows I had more than my share of that in 2017," Asrani wrote.

It was just last year that he had raised an objection to actress Kangana Ranaut taking "undue credit" as "co-writer" of "Simran", leading to a heated controversy. Asrani was also among those who stepped down from the Indian Panorama jury of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) jury over the exclusion of controversial Malayalam film "S Durga".

Asrani said the Bell's Palsy condition is reversible, but he has been through a tough time.

"But it could take weeks, months or even years in some cases. Mine was accompanied by severe vertigo, and I couldn't stand without falling over.

"After taking antivirals, steroids and doing weeks of physiotherapy and acupuncture, there was still no thaw. One senior neurologist told me to be prepared that if there was nerve damage, I might never recover from this.

"Fortunately after a harrowing month, the face finally began to thaw. Everyday there is a little progress, tiny little twitches that promise to grow into something more significant tomorrow. And I wait patiently. I am certain that in the next few months," he added.

Asrani said the fear has been "indescribable".

"I have been unable to smile. To shut the right eye. To walk without falling, to eat or even drink water without spillage.

"When I walked in the street and people looked at me, there wasn't the warmth that I was used to. My face drooped to one side, one eye wide and unblinking, and my mouth twisted. I realised how blessed I had been to be able to smile, (it really can do wonders for you)," he wrote.

The experience, he said, has also led him learn about his social media 'life' -- wherein people post the "good stuff" to give an impression of "doing so well all the time".

"There's nothing wrong with posting the good stuff, the problem is that nobody's sharing the shit stuff. The stuff that's making us fall apart. The bad face days, the lost jobs. The loneliness. The fears. The failures. The ugliness.

"Aren't we all those things too? And I wonder, if we were a society that didn't set such high standards, wouldn't life just be easier for everyone?

"My heart goes out to actors and actresses, who project a perfect life, but are crumbling on the inside -- unable to show anyone the cracks. We see them happy, performing for us, laughing, dancing for us, and one day when they drop dead, we wonder how this could have happened so suddenly.

"Well it didn't. It happened over years, while we were applauding their dancing, their spirit, their joys and encouraging them to smile for us."

--IANS

rb/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The CBI on Tuesday arrested the Vice President of Banking Operations of Mehul Choksi's Gitanjali Group in connection with its ongoing probe into the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, officials said.

"Vipul Chitalia was arrested by the agency officials after a brief questioning," a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official told IANS in Delhi.

He also said that Chitalia would be produced before a court in Mumbai later in the day.

Earlier in the morning, he was taken away from the Mumbai airport by the CBI, soon after he landed in the city from Bangkok.

Choksi, along with diamond jeweller Nirav Modi, has been accused of defrauding the PNB of Rs 12,600 crore, with Rs 1,300 crore being added to the fraud kitty on February 26.

The CBI had filed the first FIR in the scam on February 14 against Nirav Modi, his wife Ami, brother Nishal, uncle Choksi and his firms Diamond R US, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamond.

Modi, his family and Choksi had left the country in early January.

The CBI filed a second FIR on February 15 over a Rs 4,886.72-crore fraud against Choksi's Gitanjali Group.

To date, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has carried out searches at over 198 locations across the country and seized properties worth nearly Rs 6,000 crore, while the CBI has arrested at least 19 persons in the case so far.

--IANS

aks/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)There has been a significant drop in the number of child marriages in India -- from nearly 50 to 30 per cent -- in the last 10 years, a survey by UN children's agency Unicef showed on Tuesday.

There has been significant drop globally in the practice as well, and 25 million child marriages have been prevented in the past decade worldwide, the UN Children's Fund said.

According to the new data, the total number of girls across the globe married in childhood is now estimated at 12 million a year.

Unicef pointed that worldwide, an estimated 650 million women alive today were married off as children.

South Asia witnessed the largest decline in child marriages worldwide in the last decade as a girl's risk of marrying before turning 18 dropped by more than a third.

One in five girls are now married before they are 18, compared with one in four a decade ago.

According to the Unicef, increasing rates of girls' education, proactive government investments in adolescent girls, and strong public messaging around the illegality of child marriage and the harm it causes are among the reasons for the shift.

However, Unicef also noted that despite the overall decline in India, national and state averages mask realities at the district level as a few districts continue to have high rates of child marriage.

"The states with the highest prevalence of child marriage are Bihar, West Bengal and Rajasthan with close to 40 per cent prevalence.

"While Tamil Nadu and Kerala have prevalence below 20 per cent, they have pockets of disparity concentrated in tribal communities and amongst particular castes including the Schedule Castes," the agency added.

"When a girl is forced to marry as a child she faces immediate and lifelong consequences. Her odds of finishing school decrease while her odds of being abused by her husband and suffering complications during pregnancy increase.

"There are also huge societal consequences, and higher risk of intergenerational cycles of poverty," Anju Malhotra, Unicef's principal gender adviser, said.

The report said that the burden of child marriage was shifting to sub-Saharan Africa, where more progress was needed to offset population growth. Nearly one in three child marriages were now in sub-Saharan Africa, compared with one in five a decade ago.

World leaders have vowed to end child marriage by 2030 under the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Malhotra said that to meet that target, efforts had to be stepped up "to prevent millions of girls having their childhoods stolen through this devastating practice".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Kerala High Court on Tuesday ordered a police probe against the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Cardinal and others for allegedly effecting a land deal that caused a loss of crores of rupees to the Church here.

Besides Cardinal Mar George Alencherry, the court also ordered the probe against two priests and a middleman, allegedly involved in the deal that was "effected" by Alencherry.

The Ernakulam archdiocese in 2016 had sold a three-acre piece of land in Kochi to repay a Rs 60 crore bank loan it had earlier taken to construct a medical college.

The agent appointed by the church to facilitate the deal had estimated the value of the land at Rs 27.30 crore, but priests and local people claimed that the property's real value was at least Rs 80 crore.

The court on Tuesday came down heavily on the Cardinal and asked whether the "Cardinal is the King".

This was after last week, when the court had taken a strong view of the Cardinal's counsel's contention that as far as the Cardinal is concerned, the appellate authority is the Pope.

The court had then said that it was strange to hear that the law of the land was not applicable to the Cardinal.

It had also made it clear that it was looking if there was any breach of trust in the land deal.

The court's observation on Tuesday came in the light of a petitioner seeking a probe into the land deal done by the Cardinal, which came under severe attack both from the public and even a section of priests attached to the diocese headed by the Cardinal.

The Cardinal's counsel had argued that despite a few petitions against the land deal and the demand for a detailed probe raised with the Vatican, no action has been initiated by the Pope.

The petitioner had urged the court to order the probe. Now with the court ordering the police probe, an FIR would be registered soon in the case.

Reacting to the verdict, Paul Thelekkat, senior priest of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church said that it was a sad and very painful verdict.

"Everyone in the Church, including the Pope, is aware of what has happened. But despite the best efforts, it was not resolved.

"What must be noted is that despite ways and means of a course correction being there in the system -- that also was not used. This is a sad and painful verdict," said Thelekkat.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress party will unveil a vision for India in its upcoming Plenary Session, which is scheduled to take place from March 16-18 in the capital.

"Under the leadership of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, the Congress Party will unveil a vision for India in its upcoming Plenary Session from March 16-18, 2018," the party tweeted.

"It's time to #ReclaimIndia," it also added.

A plenary session of the Congress will be held here from March 16 to 18, wherein it is likely to ratify Rahul Gandhi's elevation as party President and pave the way for selection of new members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC).

Rahul Gandhi had earlier constituted a 46-member Drafting Committee headed by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the party's plenary here.

He had also constituted an Organising Committee, four subgroups, besides a Constitution Amendment Committee.

Rahul Gandhi formally took over as the new Congress President from his mother Sonia Gandhi on December 16, 2017.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The CPI-M on Tuesday accused the BJP and its allies of large-scale post-poll violence and vandalism against its party workers across Tripura and announced protests all across the country.

Terming the attacks by the BJP-RSS and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) anti-democratic and fascist, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said his party will take up the challenge.

"So far there have been individual torture of 514 of our workers. A total of 1,539 houses have been attacked, 196 houses of our praty comrades and leaders have been set on fire, 134 party offices have been attacked with 64 completely destroyed. In addition, 204 party offices have been occupied by the RSS and BJP," Yechuri told reporters here.

"The CPI-M has decided to organise protest action all across the country. Since the CPI-M state conference is going on in Bengal, all the party leaders and delegates would march from the conference venue to the Lenin statute in Esplanade area. We will take on this fight. This is the challenge they are posing to us, we will take it head on," he announced.

Yechury condemned the dismantling of a Lenin statue in Tripura's Belonia area on Monday and criticized the statements by Governor Tathagata Roy, who condoned the act of hooligans.

"Their anti-Communist nature has come into the fore as they have brought down a statue of Lenin and they are extremely gleeful about the action," he said.

"The Governor has expressed his happiness on Twitter about the incident. This is the partisan manner in which they have captured all the constitutional positions in the country and this poses a graver danger to the whole country," he said.

Yechury said the saffron brigade had never expanded its mass base or social network without resorting to political violence and pointed out that every single judicial inquiry following communal riots in the country had directly held the RSS responsible for communal polarization.

He also accused the BJP of aligning with separatist elements like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) in Tripura for electoral benefits.

"In reality, for their political gains, they are actually aligning with such elements which seek separation from India. There cannot be a more crass form of opportunism," he added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Delhi Cabinet meeting on Tuesday was recorded by the General Administration Department (GAD) of the Delhi government, a senior official said, a week after the last cabinet meeting was recorded by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's "media team".

This comes in the wake of an alleged attack on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal in the presence of Kejriwal at the Chief Minister's residence -- where the officer had gone for a meeting -- on Fabruary 19. Khan and Jarwal were later arrested.

Tuesday's meeting was recorded by the GAD, a senior official told IANS, but added that "it was not based on any request" from the Chief Minister or the political executive.

After the last Cabinet meeting on February 27, Principal Secretary (GAD) Manoj Kumar Parida had written a letter to Kejriwal and requested that the original footage be handed over to the department for "safe keeping".

The last meeting was recorded by Kejriwal's "media team" and not by the government officials, Parida had said. But, an AAP government spokesperson had denied Parida's claim and said that the "Delhi government" did the recording.

Both Cabinet meetings were attended by Prakash.

Sources told IANS that the footage of the previous meeting was not yet handed over to the GAD.

When reached out for a comment on GAD recording the meeting, an AAP government spokesperson told IANS: "We welcome the move and are open to any idea for transparency."

But when asked about the delay in handing over footage of the last cabinet meeting, his cryptic reply was: "Talk to GAD or Chief Minister's Office."

A week after Prakash was allegedly attacked, sources close to the Chief Minister had said that the Delhi government was planning to live-stream all official meetings and the February 27 Cabinet meeting was recorded in line with the plan.

The alleged attack has created a rift between the AAP government and the bureaucracy, with Delhi Government Employees Joint Forum boycotting all meetings with ministers till Kejriwal tenders a "written public apology" for the incident.

Also, scores of officers are holding a five-minute silence every day during the lunch break outside their respective offices across the city.

Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said that several government meetings were cancelled as bureaucrats boycotted them.

A Cabinet meeting was also cancelled last week as the bureaucrat concerned proceeded on a week-long leave.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)France plans to fix the legal age of sexual consent as 15, meaning sex with someone younger than that would be considered rape.

Equality Minister Marlene Schiappa welcomed the move, which follows advice from doctors and legal experts, BBC reported.

Currently, prosecutors must prove sex with someone under 15 was forced in order to bring rape charges. The change comes amid uproar over two recent cases of men accused of having sex with 11-year-old girls.

Under the existing legislation, if there is no violence or coercion proved, offenders may only be charged with sexual abuse of a minor and not rape. This has a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $87,000.

The government is to approve the new age limit as part of a package of other laws against sexual violence and harassment in the coming weeks. It had been discussing whether to set the age as 13 or 15, which is what groups fighting violence against children had campaigned for.

Last November, a 30-year-old man was acquitted of rape after a court determined his 11-year-old victim had not been subjected to "constraint, threat, violence or surprise".

--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 Malta on Tuesday discussed ways to strengthen ties across multiple sectors during a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Maltese Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion Carmelo Abela here.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted that the two sides "discussed steps to strengthen our ties in trade and investment, IT, renewable energy, health, culture, consular, people-to-people sectors, as well as exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues".

Trade between the two countries stood at around $160 million in 2016-17, according to figures provided by the ministry.

In a separate tweet, Kumar said that both India and Malta shared the common heritage of the Commonwealth.

Efforts are on to revive the relevance of this grouping of former British colonies and this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will be held in Britain next month.

"India was one of the first countries to recognise independence of Malta in 1964 and the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1965," the spokesperson said.

--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 Malta on Tuesday discussed ways to strengthen ties across various sectors during a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Maltese Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion Carmelo Abela here.

According to a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry, the two leaders held discussions on various aspects of bilateral ties as well as important regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

"The discussions between the two Ministers focused on building closer cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, trade fairs, financial services, information technology and tourism," it stated.

India and Malta share a rich common heritage in the context of Commonwealth and relations between the two countries have strengthened considerably in recent years with India reopening its resident mission in Malta last year. The nation in the central Mediterranean Sea is also home to a 400-strong Indian community.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted that both India and Malta shared the common heritage of the Commonwealth.

Efforts are on to revive the relevance of this grouping of former British colonies and this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will be held in Britain next month.

"India was one of the first countries to recognise independence of Malta in 1964 and the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1965," Kumar said.

India's economic ties with Malta have grown stronger with annual bilateral trade reaching around $350 million last financial year.

"A new beginning has been made in recent years on the culture front, with an Indian film being shot in Malta and courses on Sanskrit grammar being held at University of Malta," the External Affairs Ministry statement said.

During the course of his visit, the Maltese Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion Minister participated in the fourth edition of the India-Europe 29 Business Forum (IE29BF) here on Monday.

The Forum was created for the first time in 2014 by the External Affairs Ministry and industry body Federation of Indian Chambers and Commerce (FICCI) to provide an institutionalised platform for promoting business exchanges between India and the 29 countries of the Central Europe region.

The theme of IE29BF 2018 was "Synergising Economic Vision for Expanded Relations".

The focus sectors for the Forum were "Industry 4.0: Defining India-Europe 29 Cooperation through Developing Innovation Eco-system in Hi-Tech Manufacturing and Skilling & Transforming Human Capital in India", "Promoting E-Governance through ICT and Inviting Europe 29 Expertise for Digitalisation of Healthcare Sector in India" and "Collaborating to Develop 100 Smart Cities in India: Innovative urban Transport Solutions and Clean Technologies to Define India-Europe 29 Future Partnership".

This year, the Czech Republic was the focus country of the Forum. Eighteen other European countries participated in the event. It was attended by 180 business delegates and officials from European countries and 200 business delegates from India.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Indonesia's government on Tuesday blocked online blogging service Tumblr over "inappropriate content" in more than 360 of its accounts, authorities said.

"Tumblr had no mechanisms or tools to report inappropriate content", said the Indonesian Ministry of Technology and Information in a statement.

The web content monitoring team sent a letter to the Tumblr platform on February 28, giving the American company 48 hours to remove the pornographic content, Efe news reported.

According to the Ministry, Tumblr which hosts more than 400 million blogs through its service globally did not respond to the letter within the stipulated deadline.

Late Monday, Tumblr users criticised on other the failure to access the service, a second time for the same reason, after a ban of less than a day in February 2016.

Indonesia has temporarily blocked access to messaging applications and social platforms on several occasions to pressure companies to remove radical and pornographic content.

In January, Google pulled Blued -- one of the most popular gay dating apps -- from the Indonesian version of its online store after the government denounced its inappropriate content.

Also at the beginning of the year, the government announced the National Cyberspace and Encryption Agency would begin searching for online cyber crime, hoaxes and defamations.

Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, with nearly 88 per cent of its population of 261 million following Islam.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Karti Chidambaram "is not a terrorist" that he cannot be questioned without taking him in custody, his lawyer told a court on Tuesday after the CBI sought his remand for nine more days to interrogate him and get a confession in the INX Media money laundering case.

A Special Court hearing the case reserved the order till 4.30 p.m. after Karti Chidambaram's lawyer Abhishek Singhvi opposed the CBI plea, saying his client was cooperating in the investigation.

One of the lawyers for the agency told the court that it had "prima facie material" pointing to Karti Chidambaram's wrongdoing and that "there is a need for his custodial interrogation" as his previous custody was only for four days.

The CBI submitted documents in the court which it said were related to foreign transactions in the INX Media case involving Karti Chidambaram, the son of Congress leader P. Chidambaram.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who is arguing the case for the CBI, alleged that Karti Chidambaram had been tampering with evidences in the case and "if the court extends the custody, then I will get a confession" from him.

He said Karti Chidambaram had refused to share his phone password with his interrogators which "is also a proof" that he was not cooperating.

"I agree that Karti Chidambaram has a right to remain silent. But when relevant questions are asked, he should answer them."

Singhvi told the court that the accused had already spent five days in the agency's custody and was confronted with Indrani Mukerjea, a former media executive jailed in a murder case and a witness in the money laundering case, in Mumbai for only 25 minutes.

He contended that the agency had not submitted a single reason why it wants extension of the remand.

The CBI had in the last hearing of the case told the court that Karti Chidambaram was to be confronted with Mukerjea who has allegedly claimed that he demanded $1 million from her and that she had paid him the bribe.

The bribe was allegedly demanded to facilitate a clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for INX Media when P. Chidambaram was the Union Finance Minister.

Singhvi, also a Congress leader, questioned if Mukherjea's statement was even admissible in the court. "The law of evidence and Article 21 of the Constitution prevent such statements to be admissible in the court of law."

He dismissed the CBI contention that Karti Chidambaram was not cooperating. "A custody is given only for if there is a (fear of) fleeing away, tampering with evidence and non-cooperation."

He said his client returned to India and there was no reason for him to flee as the case is 10-year-old. "There is no chance of tampering with the documents. The extension of police custody application by the CBI does not have any grounds."

He argued that the CBI has not produced even a single evidence to prove that there has been an attempt to tamper with evidence.

"Karti is not a terrorist with a bomb that he cannot be interrogated without keeping him in custody."

He said the CBI's application for further remand didn't include any reason why the agency was seeking extension of Karti Chidambaram's custody.

He told reporters later that extension of remand was not automatic, routine or casual. "It has to account for every day, every hour and every minute of the accused in its custody."

The court allowed Karti Chidambaram to meet his father and mother Nalini for 10 minutes in the court room.

--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 court on Tuesday extended by three days the custody of Congress leader P. Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram after the CBI claimed it had "new substantial evidence" proving his involvement in the INX Media money laundering case.

The CBI had sought a nine-day extension in the businessman's remand to question him. He was arrested last week and has since remained in CBI custody.

Judge Sunil Rana, in his five-page order, said extending Karti Chidambaram's CBI custody was "necessary" for the "purpose of further and complete investigation and interrogation of the accused: and to "speed up the investigation to secure the evidence, which may be useful at the trial or to arrive at the truth".

"Karti Chidambaram is remanded to three days' police custody remand. Let the accused be produced before this court on March 9."

Earlier, during arguments that ran for hours between the defence and prosecution, Karti Chidambaram's lawyer told the court that his client "is not a terrorist" that he could not be questioned without taking him in custody.

Singhvi said his client was cooperating in the investigation and he could be called for questioning whenever the CBI wanted to.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, arguing the case for the CBI, said the agency needed to interrogate Karti Chidambaram because it had found new "substantial evidence against" him.

"Names of a few more companies have surfaced yesterday only and for this purpose further custody remand is required."

The CBI submitted documents in the court which it said were related to foreign transactions in the INX Media case involving Karti Chidambaram.

Mehta alleged that Karti Chidambaram had been tampering with evidence in the case and "if the court extends the custody, then I will get a confession" from him.

He said Karti Chidambaram had refused to share his phone password with his interrogators which "is also a proof" that he was not cooperating.

"I agree that Karti Chidambaram has a right to remain silent. But when relevant questions are asked, he should answer them."

Singhvi argued that the accused had already spent five days in the CBI custody and was confronted with Indrani Mukerjea, a former media executive jailed in a murder case and a witness in the money laundering case, in Mumbai for only 25 minutes.

He contended that the agency had submitted no new ground why it wanted extension of the remand.

The CBI had in the last hearing of the case told the court that Karti Chidambaram was to be confronted with Mukerjea who allegedly claimed that he demanded $1 million from her and that she had paid him the bribe.

The bribe was allegedly demanded to facilitate a clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for INX Media when P. Chidambaram was the Union Finance Minister.

Singhvi, also a Congress leader, questioned if Mukherjea's statement was even admissible in the court. "The law of evidence and Article 21 of the Constitution prevent such statements to be admissible in the court of law."

"Karti is not a terrorist with a bomb that he cannot be interrogated without keeping him in custody."

Mehta in his rebuttal said Mukerjea's statement was not the only piece of evidence against the accused.

"From India to global, from rupees to dollars, we have suffered damage. It is a huge investigation and (the CBI) has made substantial progress (in the case) but needed more time."

The court allowed Karti Chidambaram to meet his father and mother Nalini for 10 minutes in the court room.

Earlier, in a related development, the Supreme Court refused to to give Karti Chidambaram interim protection from a possible arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

He had approached the top court seeking cancellation of the summons issued to him by the ED. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on March 8.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The opposition Kerala Congress (Mani) and the UDF joined hands on Tuesday to slam the CPI for playing into the hands of the land mafia that may cause the loss of a significant amount of land to the Forest Department.

In an interesting grouping of political forces, the state assembly witnessed after a long time the Kerala Congress (Mani)-led by veteran legislator K.M.Mani and the Congress-led United Democratic Front joining forces against the CPI -- the second biggest ally of the ruling Pinarayi Vijayan government.

They attacked State Forest Minister P. Raju, a senior leader of the CPI, over the manner in which his department "could lose" a huge area of the 7,000 acres of vested forest land to a group of individuals.

Mani on Tuesday with the help of the UDF, sought leave for an adjournment motion stating that the government counsel representing the Forest Department purposely failed to fight with sincerity the case filed by private parties in the Kerala High Court over the forest land.

This was the first time that Mani and the UDF joined hands on the floor of the assembly, after the former split with the UDF more than a year back.

"It has now come to a stage that due to the callous attitude of the government counsel, who failed to present the facts of the case in right earnestness, the title deed to the huge forest cover could well go away from the hands of the state government," Mani said.

It was in 1905 that this area was listed as a forest and the case has been going on since then.

Finally in 1981, a single bench of the Kerala High Court ruled in favour of the state, which a full bench upheld in 2001.

"Then these private individuals fighting the case approached the Supreme Court, which directed the High Court to have a re-look and it's here that the Forest Department and the counsel played truant and let down the interest of the state.

"Forcing the court to give an almost favourable verdict to the individuals which states that the title deeds be given to the individuals while the state would own the land -- this has now turned to be a tricky position," said Mani.

He added that if the state government does not employ senior counsels from the Supreme Court, this forest land could well disappear.

But Raju played down the allegations and said the state government has already filed a revision petition.

"The opposition is using this to play ..We will see to it that we give title deeds to 414 families, who have been living in the area prior to 1977.

"We will ensure that they are given proper title deeds, unlike the previous Congress-led government which gave false title deeds," said Raju.

However, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said Raju's statement is like saying, "operation successful, but patient is dead".

"This is a clear-cut case of conspiracy that has been hatched at the highest level. It was during our tenure that we managed to establish that this is forest land.

"But now it has been handed on a platter to the land mafia. The case has been going on for several decades and this is the first time that the state government counsel played into the hands of the mafia.

If the state government fails to act quickly, then precious forest land will be lost, said Chennithala.

Later the entire opposition walked out of the assembly.

All through the attack against Raju by the combined opposition, it was only the CPI legislators who stood up to defend their Minister, with the CPI-M legislators not showing much enthusiasm.

It was the CPI which has been going hammer and tongs at Kerala Congress (Mani), who along with his group of six legislators, had been contemplating to move to the Left fold.

The CPI -- the biggest ally in the ruling Vijayan government -- has been strongly opposed to this move for a while now.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Absconding Senior Police Inspector Younus Shaikh was nabbed early on Tuesday for harassment, torture and abetment to suicide by two brothers, a Maharashtra State CID official said here.

Shaikh was nabbed around 1 a.m. by a State CID team from Dongri in Mumbai and produced before a Palghar court which remanded him to three-day police custody.

His suspected accomplice and prime accused, Munaf Baluch, a self-proclaimed social activist, is still on the run.

The matter dates back to November 2016 when Shaikh - who was with Virar city's Manikpur Police Station - picked up Vikas Jha (23) and his brother Amit Jha (29), both from Virar, for allegedly promising to exchange a certain amount of demonetised currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000.

The Jha brothers were charged with fleeing with the spiked notes and failing to honour their commitment, but the brothers cried foul and said they were being framed by Baluch and some police officers.

Later, the police in Virar said there were at least seven more cases against Vikas, including alleged molestation of a local woman, and he was detained and arrested and externment proceedings were initiated against him.

As the Jha brothers and their family fought to prove their innocence in what they contended were false cases, on November 11, 2017, Vikas poured kerosene on himself and committed suicide outside the office of the District Superintendent of Police, sending shockwaves through the police force.

He left behind a recorded video message blaming Shaikh and Baluch for his suicide, and mentioned how all top officials in the district police ignored his appeals for justice, the false cases against him and not a single charge was proved.

Amit continued his fight, along with his younger sister Ekta, and vigorously pursued the matter, but again without success.

Dejected by the complete lack of help from police, Amit consumed a pesticide at his home on January 21 and died two days later in a Mumbai hospital.

Before his death, Amit uploaded a selfie-video on social media in which he directly accused Baluch and Shaikh as responsible for his and his brother's suicides, and said he "would be happy living with his (deceased) brother".

Following a furore over the second suicide within two months, the police finally acted and Shaikh was transferred, a probe was ordered and was later handed over to the State CID, even as the police official and Baluch both went into hiding.

The Jha family alleged that they were pressurised to name only Baluch and not any police official for their brother's suicide, but they did not succumb to their tactics and threatened that they would not perform the last rites of the brothers till Shaikh was also booked.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The ruling AAP on Tuesday asked the Municipal Corporations of Delhi to apologise to the people of the capital for their "inability" to run schools and hospitals.

AAP leader Dilip Pandey told a media conference that the BJP-run MCDs have "deceived" the citizens of Delhi under its campaign slogan -- 'Naye Chehre Nayi Udaan'.

"The BJP that talks of good governance is unable to manage such a small-level body. MCDs run by them have ruined the condition of schools and hospitals."

He noted that the Delhi High Court on February 23 suggested to the civic bodies to hand over their schools to the AAP government if they cannot pay the wages of the teachers.

"The salary of teachers and other employees has not been disbursed for past three-four months. The MCDs are running away from their responsibility by asking the Centre to take over their hospitals."

"You should apologise to the people of Delhi for this," said Pandey.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Microsoft on Tuesday said it completed its first renewable energy deal in India which will help power its new office building here with solar power.

As part of the deal, the tech giant will purchase three megawatts of solar-powered electricity from Bengaluru-based renewable power producer Atria Power.

This will meet 80 per cent of the projected electricity needs at the new facility, Microsoft said.

"Investing in local solar energy to help power our new Bengaluru office building is good for Microsoft, good for India and good for the environment," said Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India.

This deal is part of the Karnataka government's programme to encourage investments in local solar energy operations, and in line with the larger Indian government goal to ramp up solar power generation to 100 gigawatts by 2022.

"We are proud to be deepening our long history of partnership and investment in India with this agreement. This deal will help us grow sustainably and supports the growth of the Indian solar energy industry, so that the entire country can more easily and reliably access clean electricity," Maheshwari added.

This is Microsoft's first solar energy agreement in India, and one of the first in Asia -- the company completed a new solar agreement in Singapore last week.

Once completed, this project will bring Microsoft's total global direct procurement in renewable energy projects to nearly 900 megawatts.

"Microsoft, like India, has ambitious commitments to use more renewable energy," said Rob Bernard, Chief Environmental Strategist, Microsoft.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Normalcy appeared to be returning to the Kashmir Valley on Tuesday even as clashes erupted between security forces and protesters in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district amid a crippling shutdown there.

Youths clashed in Shopian town with security forces who used tear smoke shells to disperse the protesters.

A large number of people gathered at the house of a militant killed in a gunfight with the security forces along with five other persons in Pahnoo village on Sunday.

The protesters were agitated over the killing of two militants and four civilians in Sunday's gunfight.

Authorities have suspended Internet services in south Kashmir areas to prevent the spread of rumours.

Elsewhere in the Kashmir Valley, life limped back to normal after Monday's protest shutdown.

Shops and businesses opened while public transport was normal in Srinagar and other places. But educational institutions have been closed till Thursday as a precaution.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Opposition continued to force adjournments of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the second day on Tuesday over the Rs 12,600 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud with differences cropping up between the government and the Congress in the lower house over the rule under which the issue should be discussed as also the wording of the motion.

Outside the house, Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.N. Ananth Kumar accused the Congress of running away from debate on the issue as there were "skeletons in the cupboard" of the UPA regime.

A combination of reasons resulted in uproar in the Lok Sabha, which witnessed a huge din in the morning with BJP's ally Shiv Sena joining the protest near the Speaker's podium demanding classical status for Marathi. Another BJP ally TDP continued its protest over its demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh. AIADMK members were also near the podium demanding constitution of a Cauvery Management Board.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House as she was not able to proceed with the Question Hour.

When the house met at noon amidst similar scenes, Kumar said the discussion of the irregularities in banking sector had been listed in the business of the day following notice given by Congress members and the Finance Minister will reply to the debate.

"I don't understand why my friends from Congress are agitated. They wanted discussion on irregularities in banking, we are ready for that," he said.

"Why are they afraid, why are they running away. Those who have committed crime should be punished. In all these years, whatever has happened should be discussed. The crimes and irregularities committed during the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government, that should also be discussed," he said.

There was "no question" of saving anyone, the minister said.

The motion under Rule 193 read: "A discussion on alleged systemic irregularities in banking sector over the years and its impact on Indian economy."

However, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge demanded discussion under rules that entail voting.

He said the party wants discussion on financial default of crores of rupees in various nationalised banks which resulted in the loot of public money.

He said the perpetrators were "allowed to leave (India) despite complaints against them".

With order not being restored, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day.

Later, talking to reporters, Kharge said that the wording of the motion under Rule 193 was not the same as given in their notice.

He said the party would give another notice of adjournment motion.

Kharge said if the government wanted to discuss the past irregularities in banks, it should do it separately. He said the party was raising "recent occurrences of public importance" through its adjournment notice and other opposition parties were on board on the issue."

"Bring our issue in the debate," he said.

Ananth Kumar later told reporters that the Congress demand for discussion under a rule that entails voting came as an "afterthought" following the return of its President Rahul Gandhi from Italy.

"They are scared of debate. Many skeletons of banking scam will tumble out of the UPA regime. They don't want it to be discussed. They want to hide things. We want discussion, they do not want it," he said.

Referring to Congress members earlier giving notice under rule 193, which does not entail voting, he said: "What is the enlightenment you got today? Why this sudden change of heart...."

He said the Congress apparently had objection to the use of "over the years" in the motion decided under Rule 193.

"Why should there be objection. Why you want to restrict the debate to one individual. Why you want to restrict the period of discussion. You can't say NPAs started in 2014, Karti Chidambaram started in 2014, PNB issue started in 2014," he said.

In the Rajya Sabha, opposition protests continued whenever the House met and it was finally adjourned for the day in the post-lunch session after several adjournments.

Like in the Lok Sabha, TDP members voiced their demands concerning Andhra Pradesh in the Upper House also.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu first adjourned the House till 11.30 a.m. and asked the party leaders to meet him in his chamber.

However, the meeting did not seem to be fruitful as the opposition MPs were on their feet. Naidu expressed his displeasure at the conduct of the MPs and again adjourned the House till 2 p.m.

When the House met again the scene was no different.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said the government was ready for a discussion on any issue and urged the members to return to their seats. As the din continued, the House was adjourned till 3.30 p.m and later for the day.

Tuesday was the second day of the second half of the Budget session, which will conclude on April 6.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Under the "Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao" programme, the prayer meetings in Rajasthan schools will include discussions on healthy nutrition, an official said on Tuesday.

According to Rajasthan Minister of State for Vasudev Devanani, these discussions will ensure that girls studying in schools are aware of nutrition-related issues.

Teachers will have to update about the nutrition being given to the students from time to time, he added.

He informed that instructions have been given to the authorities for organising various programmes on recitations in connection with "Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao" in the school prayer meetings.

Instructions have also been issued for organising quiz competitions on health-related issues during prayer meetings in schools on March 8 - the International Women's Day. This initiative aims at spreading awareness on girl students' health, he added.

Devanani further informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's programme to be organised in Jhunjhunu will be broadcast in all schools from 1.00 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. on March 8, especially for students of classes 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11.

Secretary Nareshpal Gangwar on Tuesday organised a video conference with the District Education Officers and Additional District Coordinators from all districts of the state.

During this conference, he instructed the officials to organise various programmes in the districts under the "Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao" programme.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Rajinikanth wants children to call their parents Mummy and Daddy and not Amma and Appa, Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar on Tuesday.

After Tamil versus Hindi/Sanskrit, a Tamil versus English fight seems to be starting in Tamil Nadu, thanks to the stand taken by actors-turned politicians Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth.

Referring to Rajnikanth's speech at a college here on Monday where he asked students to speak in English, Jayakumar said the actor wants the children to call their parents Mummy and Daddy.

Rajinikanth's call to students to speak in English to do well in their career is in contrast to what fellow actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan urged the people in Madurai.

Launching his party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) in Madurai, Kamal said if people speak in Tamil, the language would continue to grow.

In the same breadth, he said if people feel shy of speaking in Tamil, then the language would face an immediate death.

Kamal spoke in Tamil without any mixture of English words in Madurai whereas Rajinikanth, who claimed to be a 'Pachai Tamizhan' or pure Tamilian, spoke 'Tanglish' -- mix of Tamil and English.

Rajinikanth urged the students to speak in English among themselves so that their language skill improves.

He said Tamils should move outside the state and the country and grow in their career if they knew English.

He added that after studying in Tamil medium till Class 12, students find it difficult to cope with their subjects in college as they are in English.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Rajya Sabha was on Tuesday adjourned for the day amid slogan-shouting by opposition and TDP members minutes after it met at 3.30 p.m. following multiple adjournments during the day.

As the House was reconvened at 3.30 p.m., the opposition MPs as well as those from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) trooped to the Chairman's podium.

The opposition MPs were shouting slogans against the government over various public sector bank frauds, particularly the Rs 12,600-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam involving Nirav Modi.

On the other side of the podium (towards the treasury benches), the TDP members were agitating and displaying placards demanding "justice" for Andhra Pradesh in terms of a special financial package for the development of the state.

The TDP is a partner in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which is led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien adjourned the House for the day after his repeated appeals to maintain order and discuss issues failed to convince the agitating members.

Earlier, the upper House of Parliament saw repeated disruptions and consequent adjournments right after it met for the day at 11 a.m.

The first adjournment came minutes after the House met for the day.

The TDP and some Opposition MPs protested near the Chairman's podium, showing placards and raising slogans.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu, who was presiding in the first-half, adjourned the House till 11.30 a.m and asked the party leaders to meet him in his chamber.

However, the meeting did not seem to be fruitful as the opposition members were on their feet and the TDP members trooped to the podium as earlier with placards as soon as the House met again at 11.30 a.m.

Naidu expressed his displeasure over the conduct of the MPs, saying he did not approve of such ways and "tactics" by the MPs, before adjourning the House till 2 p.m.

The scene was no different when the House met again at 2 p.m. Besides, the TDP and the opposition MPs, the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MPs too came near the podium, agitating over the Cauvery water issue. The AIADMK too is a BJP-friendly party.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said the government was ready for a discussion on any issue and urged the members to return to their seats.

"All members who are in the well (near the podium), it is my request to them... This session is important, budget has to be passed. People of this country are watching, so I would request the members, whether it is AIADMK, TDP or Congress that we are ready for debate on banking irregularities," he said.

"We are ready for debate on any issue that the opposition wants to raise," he added over the noise.

As the agitating MPs did not relent, Kurien adjourned the House till 3.30 p.m.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Reliance Infrastructure won its case against the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in the Delhi High Court on Tuesday.

"The Delhi High Court has upheld the arbitration award of Rs 2,950 crore as compensation along with interest to Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL), a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure Limited (RInfra), by a three-member Arbitration Tribunal," a company statement said here on Tuesday.

Reliance Infrastructure stands to get Rs 5,060 crore from the award, which it would entirely utilise to reduce its consolidated debt. This amount is arbitration award amount plus interest till March 31, 2018, the statement said.

Delhi High Court has directed DMRC to deposit Rs 3,502 crore in escrow account within four weeks.

Following the judgment of the Delhi High Court in the matter, an Reliance Infrastructure spokesperson said: "Now that the Delhi High Court has upheld the award by the arbitration tribunal, we expect the compensation to be paid expeditiously, which we shall utilise to retire the outstanding debt of RInfra and DAMEPL."

"The High Court upheld the validity of the award granted by the three-member arbitration tribunal unanimously on the basis of termination provisions of the concession agreement, which DAMEPL had utilised to terminate its agreement with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation," the statement said.

The three-member Arbitration Tribunal, was formed out of the DMRC-nominated panel as per the Concession Agreement in September 2013. It gave its award in May 2017 after hearing the case for almost four years.

The tribunal heard the submissions made by both the parties and after detailed proceedings in 68 hearings, it had issued its final order whereby it had awarded the compensation to DAMEPL.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Kremlin on Tuesday said it has "no information" about what could have led to a former Colonel in Russian military intelligence -- convicted of spying for Britain -- collapsing in Salisbury.

But Moscow said it was willing to co-operate in the police investigation, the Russian media reported.

The British police were trying to identify what substance rendered Sergei Skripal, 66 -- who was granted refuge in the UK in 2010 under a "spy swap" -- and a 33-year-old woman critically ill in hospital.

The pair were were found unconscious on a bench at a shopping centre on Sunday.

Col. Skripal was jailed for 13 years by Russia in 2006. He was convicted of passing the identities of Russian intelligence agents working undercover in Europe to the UK's Secret Intelligence Service, MI6.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that "Moscow was prepared to help with the investigation", Tass news agency reported.

"We see this tragic situation but we don't have information on what could have led to this, what he was engaged in," he said.

Wiltshire Police said the pair, found at The Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, had no visible injuries -- but still they were investigating whether a crime had been committed.

Meanwhile, the police closed the nearby Zizzi restaurant "as a precaution" following the incident, the BBC reported.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden said: "They are currently being treated for suspected exposure to an unknown substance.

"The focus is on trying to establish what has caused these people to become critically ill."

He said the police's "major incident" response was not a counter-terrorism investigation, but that multiple agencies were involved and police were keeping an "open mind".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov has vowed to continue supporting a libel suit of three national female biathletes against former head of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov, despite recent warnings from Russian whistleblowers US lawyer James Walden to launch a countersuit.

In late February, three Russian biathletes Olga Zaytseva, Olga Vilukhina and Yana Romanova filed a lawsuit with a court in New York against Rodchenkov accusing him of defamation and destroying their careers, reports Tass news agency.

Prokhorov pledged to render the necessary support, including the financial assistance, to the lawsuit submitted by the Russian biathletes in the United States, which sheltered Rodchenkov.

Last week, Yahoo News reported citing a letter from Walden to Prokhorov, dated as of February 23, that the US lawyer for Rodchenkov threatened the Russian billionaire businessman with a "countersuit aimed at exposing the Russian government's efforts to harass and intimidate his client in the United States".

The letter from Walden stated in particular that the support by Prokhorov lawsuit appeared "to be intended not to vindicate any actual wrongs committed against the plaintiffs, but instead to intimidate or retaliate against a whistleblower".

In his letter to Walden, a copy of which was exclusively provided to Tass, Prokhorov replied: "It occurs to me that a person of your profession and education would have more integrity than to suggest that the lawsuit I am helping to finance against your client is intended to 'retaliate or intimidate a whistleblower'."

"I believe in the three plaintiffs who are suing Rodchenkov for libel," Prokhorov stated in his letter. "From everything I know and observed during their time in biathlon, they were clean, and this is why I am helping them clear their names. My only motivation to help the athletes is because I believe in their innocence."

"I am astounded that you would be critical of anyone wanting to have their day in court and be judged based on the evidence presented," according to Prokhorov. "I believe in the American justice system and, as a lawyer, I would expect that you do too."

Prokhorov also wrote to Walden that he had been always fighting against the abuse of banned performance enhancing drugs in sports, including his time of the presidency in the Russian Biathlon Union (RBU) between 2008 and 2014, while Rodchenkov admitted to be behind a covert doping scheme during his work in Russia.

"Whatever else he might be, your client has acknowledged that he ran a covert doping ring intended to sell banned substances to athletes for personal profit and also to replace athletes' samples with no remorse whatsoever," Prokhorov wrote to Walden. "This does not make him a hero whose every word must be taken as the truth. To the contrary, his own admitted history of lies and deception cries out for a robust challenge to his allegations."

"My team was recognised twice by the International Biathlon Union for achievements including work on anti-doping," Prokhorov wrote. "We conducted some 4,000 tests, including a separate contract for 250 tests that were not required by international standards, that resulted in our ejecting 10 athletes from the sport during my time at the RBU. Catching violators was, plain and simple, a top priority."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sri Lankan police on Tuesday re-imposed a curfew in parts of Kandy city after after clashes triggered by racial violence erupted between two groups.

A police officer told Xinhua news agency that the curfew would remain in place till 6 p.m.

The curfew was imposed on Monday evening and lifted on Tuesday morning, but was re-imposed due to a threat of violence erupting again.

The officer said security was heightened while schools and businesses remained closed.

The Sri Lankan government, in a statement, strongly condemned the violence and warned strict action against the perpetrators.

Clashes first erupted in the city's Digana area on Sunday night after a 41-year-old man succumbed to injuries at a hospital after being attacked by a group of people over an incident involving two vehicles on February 22.

The police official said 24 people had been arrested over the killing so far. Out of the 24, 10 were directly involved in the killing.

The protests continued throughout Monday night.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Tuesday decided to declare a 10-day state of Emergency after communal clashes erupted in Kandy district.

Minister of National Dialogue Mano Ganeshan told Xinhua news agency that the decision had been taken following a special cabinet meeting held on Tuesday morning.

Ganeshan said the state of Emergency would give Sirisena the power to deploy the armed forces across the country.

Earlier on Tuesday, the police reimposed curfew in parts of the district after mobs took to the streets on Monday night burning houses and businesses in the latest spate of racial violence to hit the island country.

The government strongly condemned the violence and vowed to take stern action against the perpetrators.

Clashes first erupted in the city's Digana area on Sunday night after a 41-year-old man succumbed to injuries at a hospital after being attacked by a group of people over an incident involving two vehicles on February 22.

According to the police, 24 people have been arrested so far.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The valuations in the stock markets are still too high and fundamentals need to catch up with them, according to a top official of the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

"Fundamentals need to certainly catch up with the valuations. So my hope is that corporate earnings and GDP growth over the next few quarters will improve and catch up with the valuations," Vikram Limaye, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NSE, told IANS.

Although he did not say in so many words that the markets were over-priced, the implication of his words is that they are.

"There is liquidity in the market which has driven valuations and, at some point of time... there is a need to have fundamentals that justify valuations," Limaye told IANS in an interview.

On the ongoing downtrend in the equity markets and its likely impact on the key investment instrument, he said the slide was not unique to India.

"There has been a global correction and this is not unique to India. Our Indian markets also went up straight without any corrections for the last two years," he pointed out.

"So a correction of 5-10 per cent is not the end of the world. People have to think medium- to long-term, if they have to invest in equities. Equities as an asset class outperforms any other asset class, when you are looking at a 10- to 15-year horizon."

The massive sell-off in the global markets which began in the first few days of February, along with volatility unleashed due to the stress being faced by the domestic banking sector, has pulled Indian equity indices down sharply.

Since January 31, 2018, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensex has shed around 1,918 points and the NSE Nifty50 has declined by 567 points.

According to Limaye, there is a case and a need to have more start-ups to raise funds from the domestic equity markets to unlock value for initial investors.

"Indian markets have evolved quite significantly over the last five years and domestic listing is the right thing to do for an Indian business," he asserted.

"If it (a company) is selling to Indian customers, it is logical for that company to list here, to build its brand and get the right kind of valuations because the story is well understood here, since they are doing business here," Limaye said.

The NSE chief added that domestic mutual funds have a large corpus that can be invested in technology firms and that, initially, he wants to get some four to five companies to list for a "demonstration effect".

"There are almost 1,500 companies funded by VCs (venture capitalists) and PE (private equity) firms for the last five to seven years. Many of them will require an exit in the next 12-24 months; so my hope is that even if a small percentage of them decide to list in India -- then it will not be a small number," Limaye added.

NSE is aggressively focusing on bringing start-ups, including "new economy, Fintechs, MSMEs and SMEs", to list on its platform.

(Rohit Vaid can be contacted at rohit.v@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The owner of a luxury hotel in Panama City has said he regained control of the building after a legal battle with its management -- the Trump Organization.

The removal of the Trump name from the Trump International Hotel Panama came after a days-long standoff between the majority owner, Cypriot businessman Orestes Fintiklis, and the President's company, the Washington Post reported on Monday.

Fintiklis has been fighting to cancel the contract with the Trump Organization which runs through 2031 because he blamed the company and the Trump brand for a fall in profits.

Within hours of the verdict from a Panamanian court, hotel staff removed the Trump name from its main entrance.

Fintiklis hailed the court decision: "Panama has made us proud. Today, this dispute has been settled by the judges and the authorities of this country."

However, the building's future remained uncertain as the Trump Organization said it could still retake control of the hotel.

The standoff between Miami-based Fintiklis and the management team at the hotel lasted over a week.

On Monday, the police and a court official enforced the owner's claim to the hotel as Trump Organization executives and security staff abandoned the building.

Hotel employees then pried the Trump logo from the entrance.

For its part, the Trump Organization accused Fintiklis of breaching his contractual commitments.

"Trump Hotel remains fully confident that it will not only prevail, but recover all of its damages, costs and attorneys' fees, including those... arising from today's events."

President Donald Trump had said that he gave up day-to-day control of his businesses, including the Panama hotel, when he took the office. But he still owns these businesses and he can withdraw money from them at any time.

In his last financial disclosures, Trump reported that his company had made about $810,000 in management fees from the Panama hotel in the preceding 15 months.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Washington's unilateral decision to withdraw its embassy staff from Havana is "politically motivated" that will affect thousands of people in both Cuba and the US, according to a diplomat.

Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, director general for US affairs at Cuba's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the move by the US State Department to permanently pull its personnel from the island had nothing to do with their safety, reports Xinhua news agency.

"It's another political fabrication that is part of Washington's long history of hostility against the people of Cuba," he said.

Over 20 US diplomats and their family members said they have suffered hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, headaches and fatigue. The incidents were first reported in November 2016.

Washington's decision will have an impact on consular services as Cubans will have to travel to third countries to obtain visas to the US, Fernandez said.

"The US has imposed a financial punishment on thousands of families as well as agony and insecurity. Washington is responsible for the humanitarian cost of this move," he said.

The Cuban official rejected the State Department's reference to the health issues as "attacks", saying Cuba ensures diplomats' safety.

Neither the State Department nor American agencies and scientists have confirmed any evidence of such attacks, he said.

Fernandez also condemned Washington's decision to issue a travel advisory, warning US citizens of security risks if they visit Cuba.

The US has not formally accused Cuba of carrying out the attacks, but Trump said in October that he believed Havana was responsible.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)As many as 1,185 border outposts (BOPs) have been sanctioned by the government along the India-Bangladesh frontier, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said a Border Protection Grid (BPG) along the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh Border had already been set up.

"1,185 border outposts (BOPs) have been sanctioned by the government along the Indo-Bangladesh border," he said replying a written question.

The BPG, comprising state authorities and all other stakeholders, will continuously evaluate threats from across the border.

It will observe and analyze crime patterns and other suspicious activities, and formulate an appropriate response mechanism.

The grid will have five layers -- elements ahead of the border fence, physical border infrastructure, border guarding force, intelligence grid and police.

Rijiju said as the strengthening of border is a continuous process, the implementation of the BPG on other borders will be taken up in due course.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Maharashtra Energy Minister Chandrashekhar Bavankule today said 132 police stations in Maharashtra have been authorised to register cases related to electricity thefts.

The move will help in curbing the losses due to power thefts, he said.

The minister was speaking to reporters outside the state Legislative Assembly here.

"Earlier, there were only six dedicated police stations in the entire state to register cases related to power theft. We have scrapped them and decided to allow 132 police stations to register such cases," he said.

"The decision will help in curbing the losses due to power theft, which is 10 per cent of the total power consumption," Bavankule said.

The move will also help in increasing the conviction rate (in power theft cases), which is currently very low, he added.

The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) had started six police stations - in Kalyan, Nashik, Pune, Jalna, Latur and Nagpur - in 2006 to investigate the cases of electricity theft.

The minister also told the reporters that although around 20 lakh illegal power connections were snapped across the state, they somehow manage to draw electricity.

"To control that, we need dynamic infrastructure of the police department," Bavankule said.

He also said that there is requirement of 14,000 MW to 22,000 MW power in Maharashtra every year.

"We would like to introduce an amnesty scheme to recover the outstanding bills. Going by the existing way of things, it is highly impossible to recover the unpaid bills," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)At least 16 people, mostly women and children, were killed in clashes between youths and cattle herders in central Nigeria, police said today.

Yesterday's violence in the village of Omutu, in the Okpokwu area of Benue state, is the latest flare-up linked to tensions over land and grazing rights in the restive region.

State police spokesman Moses Yamu said in a statement that a meeting had been called to calm anger after a herdsman was killed on Monday and another went missing.

"Unfortunately as the search and peace meeting were going on some herdsmen surreptitiously went on (a) rampage, resulting in the macheting to death of 15 persons, mainly women and children," he said.

Yamu said some houses were set on fire during the violence and four people were arrested.

"An extensive patrol of the community is ongoing, which will be reinforced with the (military) special forces," he added.

The chairman of the Okpokwu local government area, Francis Ejembi, described the violence as "heart-rending", and said the death toll could increase.

"We are moving corpses and the injured from the village to the hospital and so far we have moved about 10 corpses and several injured persons to Saint Mary's Hospital, Okpoga, the local government headquarters," he said.

"We are still searching for more corpses and the injured and it is very possible that we may recover more dead bodies and injured persons because the village has been sacked and many are still missing."



Central Nigeria has become the scene of almost daily clashes between settled farmers and the largely nomadic herders in a battle for land and resources.

Religion adds an extra dimension to the clashes, as farmers such as the ethnic Tiv people of Benue are Christian, while the herders are mainly ethnic Fulani Muslims.

Benue has been a flashpoint in recent months after resistance to a new law banning open grazing for cattle.

In January, 73 people from Tiv farming communities were buried at a mass funeral after a series of attacks blamed on Fulani herders.

More than 100 people have been killed since early January, with 100,000 fleeing their homes to safety, according to the local emergency management agency.

After months of pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to act, the Nigerian army announced the deployment of troops to several states, including Benue, to end the violence.

Buhari, a northern Muslim, was this week also visiting Benue and four other troubled states.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two statues of communist icon Vladimir Lenin were brought down in South Tripura, the police said today, as the CPI(M) and its arch-rival in Bengal, the Trinamool Congress, blamed the BJP for the incidents.

The statues were pulled down just days after the Left was defeated in Assembly polls by the BJP and its ally IPFT, which together won a two-third majority in the House in a state where the CPI(M) was in power for 25 years.

A five-foot high fibre glass statue of Lenin was toppled at Belonia yesterday, while a smaller figure was razed at Sabroom two days ago, district superintendent of police Monchak Ipper said.

Tripura chief minister-designate Biplab Deb has urged the people of the state to maintain peace and said anybody indulging in violence would be punished.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to state Governor Tathagatha Roy and the director general of police, asking them to ensure peace till a new government was installed, an official said in New Delhi.

The demolition at Belonia evoked a sharp reaction from Trinamool Congress chief and Mamata Banerjee, who blamed the BJP and the RSS for the incidents.

Tripura CPI(M) district secretary Tapas Datta alleged that the statue, unveiled by the party's Politburo member and former general secretary Prakash Karat a few months ago, was razed by BJP workers yesterday at College Square in Belonia, about 110km from here.

"After pulling down the statue, slogans of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' were raised,'' Datta told PTI.

Ipper said the driver of the JCB excavator machine allegedly used to bring down the Lenin figure at Belonia was arrested and a notice sent to its owner.

The statue would be handed over to the authorities of the Belonia Municipal Corporation, he said.

The incidents took a controversial turn with a tweet posted by Governor Roy.

''What one democratically elected government can do another democratically elected government can undo. And vice versa'', he tweeted.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who criticised the incidents, described the tweet as "unfortunate".

''The tweet by the governor is unfortunate ... This shows how constitutional posts are being undermined," he said.

Asked by a TV channel for his comment, Roy said, "'Yechury may go on making charges. It is not my duty to reply.''



Prohibitory orders were clamped on several areas of West Tripura district including - Srinagar, Lefunga, Mandai, Amtali, Radhapur, Arundhatinagar, Jirania, Mohanpur following post-poll violence, district magistrate Milind Ramteke said.

The CPI(M) accused the BJP and the IPFT of unleashing an "unprecedented reign of terror" across the state after the election results were announced on March 3.

Yechury alleged in Kolkata that 514 party activists have been assaulted, 1,539 houses of party activists attacked and 196 houses set ablaze in the last few days.

He also claimed 134 CPI(M) offices were attacked and looted, 64 party offices set on fire and 90 offices of mass organisations occupied by BJP-IPFT supporters.

The party top brass including Yechury and Politburo members Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat and Surjya Kanta Mishra led a rally in Kolkata, which ended in front of a statue of Lenin at Dharmatalla in the heart of the city.

Tripura CPI(M) state secretary Bijan Dhar appealed to the state administration and the BJP to "stop the violence".

''In a democratic system a change of government is usual, but violence in such a grave form is not acceptable," he said.

The police today said it had received complaints of post-poll violence from various parts of the state since Sunday night.

Senior CPI leader D Raja said while one party may win and another party lose an election, it did not mean either could indulge in vandalism.

''Lenin is considered one of the tallest leaders of the world. We should have that respect,'' he told a TV channel.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the RSS-BJP for their alleged involvement in the pulling down of Lenin's statues.

"It is not one's job to pull down the statue of an icon after coming to power in a state," she said at a public meeting in Bankura in West Bengal.

Tripura's BJP vice-president Subal Bhowmick had alleged yesterday that CPI(M) activists assaulted 49 BJP supporters, 17 of whom had to be hospitalised.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)There were a total of 28 incidents of airline employees involved in smuggling of foreign currency, gold and other contraband in the last two years, the government told Parliament today.

However, according to the figures shared by the Centre, these incidents have dropped by 60 per cent in 2016-2017 as compared to the previous year.

As per the data shared by Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla in Rajya Sabha today, there were 20 cases of airline employees involved in smuggling in 2015-2016 and eight instances in 2016-2017.

Low-cost carrier SpiceJet recorded nine cases between 2015 and 2017, Air India saw eight cases, Jet Airways had six and IndiGo one such case.

Foreign carriers Gulf Air, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Virgin Atlantic also recorded a case each in 2015-2016.

Earlier this year, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested a Jet Airways cabin crew member in Delhi for allegedly smuggling forex worth over Rs three crore to Hong Kong.

The government also told Parliament that it takes various steps to prevent these incidents, such as sensitising field staff, issuing alerts and gathering and sharing of intelligence.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three persons, including a woman, were killed when their motorcycle collided with a vehicle on Kota-Jaipur national highway near Chatarganj overbridge in Bundi district, the police said today.

The incident occurred last night when the three persons were returning home from a family function, SHO of Hindoli police station Laxman Singh said.

They were rushed to Bundi district hospital, where they declared brought dead, he said, adding the victims, all relatives, were identified as Gopal Mali (50), Srikishan Mali (45) and Rukmabai (60).

The bodies were handed over to the family members after post-mortem and a case has been registered against the driver of the unidentified vehicle, the police official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A three-year-old girl has been allegedly raped by a bus-cleaner inside a parked luxury bus in city's Canal (West) Road, police said today.

The accused 45-year-old Sheikh Munna has been arrested for allegedly raping the girl who is being treated at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said.

"We are waiting for the report of the tests conducted on the girl to confirm rape. We are questioning the accused and our forensic experts have collected samples from the spot where the alleged incident took place," the officer said.

According to doctors at the state-run medical facility, the girl was bleeding profusely when she was brought to the hospital.

"She had bled profusely but her condition has improved since last night and possibly she will survive. Signs are clear that she had been brutalised," one senior doctor said.

The alleged incident happened last evening, when the accused Munna had dragged the victim inside the parked bus on Canal (West) Road in north Kolkata and then allegedly raped her.

The victim was playing with her five-year-old brother when Munna had allegedly lured her inside the bus on the pretext of giving her a chocolate, the officer said.

"The victim's brother had pleaded with Munna to open the door and let her his sister go when she was screaming. The boy continued banging on the bus's door but there was no result," he said.

The boy then ran to inform about the incident to their mother, who is a widowed rag-picker.

"The woman alerted her neighbours, who rushed to the bus and rescued her from the accused's grip and then thrashed him before informing the police.

"We found the girl lying in a pool of blood on a bus seat. The child's clothes were torn and she was bleeding profusely," the senior police officer said adding that the accused had blood on his hands and trousers when he was arrested.

Forensic experts have also collected blood samples and stains from the bus which has been seized, the officer added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)At least 30 members of a wedding party were killed and as many injured when their truck fell from a bridge near a village in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district while trying to overtake a vehicle this morning, the state government said.

Among the injured, eight were reported to be in a critical condition, Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja said, adding the deceased included four children and eight women.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident, while Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani ordered an inquiry and announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of each deceased.

Bhavnagar's in-charge Superintendent of Police I M Sayed said the truck was carrying around 60 people from Anida village, who were going to attend a wedding ceremony in Totam village of Botad district.

The death toll in the accident has gone up to 30, Jadeja informed the state Assembly in Gandhinagar, adding that while 26 people died on the spot, four succumbed to their injuries at a hospital.

Around 60 people were travelling in the truck. They were going to attend a wedding ceremony in Botad district when the vehicle fell from the bridge on the Bhavnagar-Rajkot highway while overtaking a vehicle, he said.

"The truck fell on a concrete base under the bridge. Twenty-six people died on the spot while four others died during treatment. The injured people have been shifted to a hospital in Bhavnagar," Jadeja said.

The accident took place between 7.30 am and 7.45 am. Officials of the district administration as well as people from nearby villages rushed there to rescue the victims, Jadeja said, adding officials from nearby police stations also reached the spot and ambulances were called in to shift the injured and the bodies to a hospital in Bhavnagar.

Bhavnagar's in-charge Superintendent of Police said, "The truck fell into a pit when its driver tried to overtake another vehicle."



Prime Minister Modi said the accident was "extremely unfortunate and anguishing".

"My condolences to all those who lost their loved ones due to an accident near Ranghola in Gujarat. The accident was extremely unfortunate and anguishing. May those who have been injured recover at the earliest," he was quoted as saying in a tweet by the prime minister's office.

According to a state government release, the chief minister has announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased from the CM's Relief Fund and ordered an inquiry into the accident.

The chief minister expressed grief over the incident and prayed for the departed souls, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)As many as 35 delegates from Iran, Bangladesh, Germany and Korea are participating in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) international trade fair in Odisha.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the fair yesterday where more than 350 stalls with six pavilions belonging to various international organisations, 30 start-ups, industry associations, exporters, state PSUs and other central government organisations have been put up.

"The state government is committed towards development of MSMEs in Odisha. The trade fair will lay special emphasis on development of food processing sector. It will also go a long way exploring business opportunities in the state," Patnaik said.

He said over 3.12 lakh MSMEs have been set up in the state with a cumulative investment of more than Rs 15,300 crore and employment to over 13 lakh persons.

The investment promotion in MSME and food processing sector remains a focus area of the government, the chief minister said.

MSME Minister Prafulla Samal said development of MSMEs and provision of a conducive eco-system for their development remains the focus of the state government.

He added the government is assisting the entrepreneurs with new declared policies for MSME and food processing sectors along with credit mobilisation.

Union MSME Secretary Arun Kumar Panda congratulated the state government for organizing the trade fair and taking steps for growth of MSMEs in Odisha.

He said the government would extend all cooperation for the growth of MSMEs of Odisha through cluster funding ZED, GeM and Digital Marketing.

Additional Chief Secretary, MSME LN Gupta said these trade fair this year focuses on the food processing sector.

As many as 70 entrepreneurs related to food processing sector, 50 of engineering, chemical and plastic sector, 30 of handicrafts and textile sector, 30 of ST/SC and 60 women entrepreneurs have put up their stalls.

This apart, 31 startups have also showcased their products at the trade fair which will continue till March 10.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)As many as 4,592 persons died due to cancer in Haryana in 2017, the State Assembly was informed here today.

The cancer deaths in the state were 3,380 in 2015 and 3,782 in 2016, the Assembly was informed in reply to a question raised by INLD MLA Parminder Singh Dhull.

The highest number of cancer deaths last year took place in Faridabad district (771), followed by 501 deaths in Yamuna Nagar, 440 in Jind and 354 in Rohtak district.

Panchkula district had the least number of cancer deaths (five) last year.

In reply to another related question, the State Assembly was informed that Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC), biopsy and pap smear for early detection of cancer are being performed free of cost in various civil hospitals of the state.

Cancer patients in Haryana are also allowed to travel in Haryana Roadways buses for free.

The state government spent over Rs 2.27 crore from January 2015 to January 2018 for treatment of cancer patients under various schemes.

No direct financial assistance is provided to cancer patients, the Assembly was informed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Four people were killed and three others injured when their car met with an accident in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district early today, the police said.

The victims were returning to Gorakhpur after attending a wedding here. The driver lost control of the vehicle and dashed it into a roadside tree, after a truck hit it from behind near Pipra village under Rudrapur police station, a police official said.

Telhu Sonekar (50), Shrawan Patwa (38), Dharamvir Sonekar (33) and Laloo Jaiswal (28) died on the spot, the official said, adding that the three injured have been admitted to a hospital.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Eight soldiers were killed and 61 injured, as well as 24 civilians, in last week's twin attacks in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou, the authorities said today, adding that eight jihadist assailants also died.

The previous official toll from Friday's twin assault on the country's military headquarters and the French embassy had been seven soldiers and nine attackers dead, and there was no mention of any civilian casualties.

"The confusion (over the number of dead) stemmed from a body that was found on the site" of the attacks, public prosecutor Faso Maiza Sereme told a press conference.

"After further tests and checks, it proved to be one of our soldiers," she said.

The authorities had previously said around 80 were injured, but not mentioned any civilians among these casualties.

Eight people have been arrested, including two soldiers and a former soldier who had been thrown out of the armed forces, Sereme said.

"Complicity cannot be ruled out" in the attack against the military HQ, she said. Other sources have previously suggested that the attackers had had inside information from within the armed forces.

Government and security sources, speaking in the wake of the attack, said two men were in custody, one of whom could be a mastermind of the operation, which has been claimed by a jihadist group called the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM).

Sereme said the attackers were young, all aged below 25, wore or had on them white headbands bearing allegiance to Prophet Mohammed, and either spoke the local language Bambara or Arabic. None of them have been identified so far.

She said the first attack took place outside the French embassy at 10 am when three men travelling in a car whipped out Kalashnikov assault rifles and opened fire, killing a Burkinabe security guard stationed outside the building.

However, they failed to enter the complex.

Minutes later, four others -- two travelling on a motorbike and the two others in a car -- attacked the army headquarters with Kalashnikovs and grenades.

Three of them entered the building while the driver staged a suicide attack with the car, which was packed with explosives.

The attack on the military headquarters, said sources, appears to have been aimed at a scheduled meeting of the so-called G5 Sahel -- a French-backed group of five countries fighting jihadism in the volatile Saharan region.

The room in the complex where the meeting was to have taken place was wrecked by the car bomb -- however, the venue was swapped at the last minute, which prevented carnage.

GSIM said the attack was a response to the deaths of some of its leaders in a French army raid in northern Mali in February in which 20 jihadists were either killed or captured, according to French military sources.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in Paris Tuesday that he will travel to Burkina Faso "next week" to visit both the embassy and the army HQ.

He told the French parliament's foreign affairs committee he would "show our solidarity with the embassy personnel and the Burkinabe forces".

Le Drian will also visit neighbouring Niger, along with French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb, to identify people who deserve asylum in France from a list drawn up by the UN's refugee agency.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, arrested for allegedly assaulting Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash, today moved the Delhi High Court seeking bail.

The bail plea has been listed for hearing before Justice Mukta Gupta tomorrow.

Khan approached the high court after his earlier bail plea was dismissed by a trial court.

In a plea filed through advocate Mohd Irshad, he sought his release saying he was a sitting MLA from Aam Aadmi Party and not a hardened criminal.

Khan, who was arrested on February 21, is currently lodged in judicial custody in the case of alleged assault on the bureaucrat during a meeting at Delhi Chief Minister's Arvind Kejriwal's residence on the night of February 19.

Another MLA Prakash Jarwal was also arrested in the case.

Jarwal's bail plea is also pending before the high court which had sought response of the Delhi Police on the petition. His bail plea was dismissed twice by a sessions court and a magisterial court.

A magisterial court had on February 23 refused to grant bail to Khan and Jarwal in the assault case saying the matter cannot be treated in "a casual and routine manner", while dubbing them as "history-sheeters".

Both the MLAs were on February 22 sent to 14-day judicial custody by the court. While Deoli MLA Jarwal was arrested on February 20, Khan, an MLA from Okhla, was taken into custody the next day.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Air India will operate flights with all-women crew to New York, Frankfurt, Singapore and various other destinations to commemorate International Women's Day on



March 8.

The national carrier today said it has planned several flights, domestic and international, operated only by its women employees.

"Air India will fly these all-women crew flights to all the USA cities it operates to -- San Francisco, New York, Newark, Chicago and Washington DC -- besides destinations like Milan, Frankfurt and Singapore. A few destinations in the domestic sector will also see the airline operating with an all-women crew," it said in a release.

Air India group has a fleet of more than 150 aircraft, as per its website.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Air India has been allowed by Saudi Arabia to fly over its territory on its new route from New Delhi to Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said here today, a move which would slash travel time between the two cities by two and a half hours.

India's national carrier Air India is scheduled to begin its direct flight between New Delhi and Tel Aviv soon.

Interacting with reporters after his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, Netanyahu said that Air India has signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia to use its airspace.

"Air India signed an agreement today to fly to Israel over Saudi Arabia," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu said that Saudi Arabia has not granted overfly permission to Israeli national carrier El Al, which operates four weekly flights to Mumbai.

Israel does not have diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, but it was reported that the two nations have been working covertly on their shared security concerns over Iran after the 2015 nuclear accord, which both governments strongly opposed.

Such a permission by Saudi Arabia would reduce the air travel time from New Delhi to Tel Aviv by Air India from about eight hours to five and a half hours, Netanyahu said.

Since El Al's flights will take longer and be more expensive, as the planes consume more fuel because they fly a longer, more circuitous route, the Israeli prime minister said he is in talks with the national carrier to ensure that it does not get hurt economically.

Netanyahu did not elaborate, thought it seems he was hinting at subsidies, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Meanwhile in New Delhi, an Air India spokesperson reacting to Prime Minister Netanyahu's statement said, "We are yet to receive any communication from the Indian regulator."



Air India has sought permission from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for thrice-a-week flight from Delhi to Tel Aviv.

Israel's Ministry of Tourism will approve a one-time grant of 750,000 euros to Air to launch the flight service, an Israeli official had said last month.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has assured his Jammu and Kashmir counterpart Mehbooba Mufti that all attempts are being made to trace the missing student who hails from that state.

"Our government is doing everything to trace Suhail. State police and investigative agencies are on the job and all efforts are being made to trace out the student," Patnaik said in a tweet reply to the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister.

Patnaik's reply came after Mehboob Mufti in a twitter post tagging the CMO Odisha said, "Concerning reports coming in about a Kashmiri student, Suhail Aijaz of Kupwara being kidnapped in Odisha. I request the authorities to investigate & take swift action."



Mufti tweeted yesterday after a suspected Maoist poster was recovered from Bhubaneswar claiming that the Kashmiri youth, a student of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, has been abducted.

The alleged Maoist poster was put up near Baramunda bus stand in Bhubaneswar claiming that Suhail has been kidnapped by them.

In the poster, the left wing extremists have threatened to kill Suhail if their leader Sabyasachi Panda, who is currently in jail, is not released within seven days.

Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Satyabrata Bhoi has said that the police are investigating the authenticity of the poster.

Suhail Aijaz, a native of Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir and a second year MBBS student at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar has been missing since February 9.

The police of three states - Odisha, West Bengal and J&K have so far not been able to trace the missing MBBS student.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The standing committee on railways has asked the transport behemoth to allocate more funds to the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL) as it is the oldest running metro of the country and also caters to the needs of the congested city.

The committee headed by the Trinamool MP from Kolkata North, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, has said that the allocation to Kolkata metro has been revised downwards by almost 25 per cent from Rs 1,937 crore at BE (budget estimate) 2017-2018 to Rs 1,500 crore at RE (revised estimate)2017-2018.

Further, the budgetary allocation for the year 2018-2019 has been kept at Rs 1,100 crore, which is Rs 400 crore lower than RE 2017-2018.

"In this regard we strongly opine that more fund should be allocated to KMRCL as it is not only the oldest running metro in the country but also caters to the needs of growing population of the largest city of Eastern India (which) is faced with acute congestion on roads...," the report which was tabled in both Houses of Parliament today said.

The committee said that since the Kolkata metro was owned by the Railways, it was imperative for the railways to provide sufficient funds to it.

It recommended that instead of reducing fund allocation to KMRCL, the ministry should enhance the funding so that all the undergoing works and projects are completed within stipulated time frame without any time and cost escalation.

"Once completed, operationalized Metro lines will start paying off the railways' incurred cost as they will run in remunerative parts of the city," the report said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh here today dedicated the second phase of the 'Jang-e-Azadi' memorial to the nation.

He also announced an allocation of Rs 25 crore for the completion of the third phase in the forthcoming budget and sanction of Rs 9.5 crore towards the pending arrears for Phase I construction of the memorial.

The chief minister lauded the initiative as an iconic step towards imbuing the new generations with the spirit of India's independence struggle, as per the official release.

On this occasion, Amarinder also appreciated the former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal for his vision in giving to the state two prestigious projects, including Jang-E-Azadi at Kartarpur and War Heroes Memorial at Amritsar.

The monument depicted 100 years of the struggle of the Punjabis. In the second phase, six galleries were being dedicated to the nation, the release said.

He assured the memorial committee, which comprised noted historian Kirpal Singh, besides J S Grewal, Jaspal Singh, Pritipal Singh Kapur, K L Tuteja and Harish Sharma, of his government's full support for the completion of the next phase of the memorial.

Amarinder directed the memorial committee to allow free entry for the families of freedom fighters, and also asked it to depute tour guides to educate children about the monument's significance.

The chief minister suggested that names of all freedom fighters from Punjab should be included in the inscription of the memorial.

Recalling his post-Tsunami visit to the Andaman and Nicobar islands to undertake rehabilitation work there, Amarinder said that he was really moved on reading the names of the martyrs, including thousands from Punjab, who had made the supreme sacrifice in Port Blair jail.

Stating that this memorial would go a long way in invoking a sense of patriotism amongst the younger generation, he recalled his own maternal grandfather Harcharan Singh Jaijee's close association with the pioneer of 'Praja Mandal' movement Sewa Singh Theekriwala, which continues to inspire him even today.

Earlier, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president and Gurdaspur MP Sunil Jakhar urged the chief minister to issue directions to the education department to make visits by school students to the memorial and other such historical places mandatory to imbibe in them a passionate spirit of patriotism.

Freedom fighters did not belong to any political party, nor could they be cast in the narrow confines of caste, colour, creed or religion, said Jakhar, calling upon the people not to fall prey to politicians who used them as vote banks.

Tourism and Cultural Affairs minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said the Jang-E-Azadi memorial would be a bridge to connect the younger generation with their glorious legacy of patriotism.

Describing it as an ideological symbol rather than a brick and mortar structure, he said it epitomised the supreme sacrifices made by our great martyrs and freedom fighters.

Sidhu sought personal intervention of the chief minister in directing the education minister to make mandatory the study of the biographies of India's freedom fighters and martyrs, such as Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Madan Mohan Malviya and Ram Prasad Bismil, in order to rekindle the spirit of nationalism and patriotism amongst youngsters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Amplus Energy Solutions today said it has signed agreements with Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to build solar projects with an investment of Rs 2,700 crore.

The Gurgaon-based company has signed an MoU with Andhra Pradesh to install 200 MW solar capacity with investment of Rs 1,200 crore. The project is expected to create 400 jobs in the state, Amplus said in a statement.

The MoU with Maharashtra is for 300 MW solar capacity, of which 250 MW would be for ground-mounted captive and 50 MW for rooftops across the state. This will require an investment of Rs 1,500 crore and is expected to generate employment for 150 people.

Amplus Energy MD and CEO Sanjeev Aggarwal said : Our agreements with Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh governments will help us expand in these states and ramp up our business and achieve our solar power targets."



In February, Amplus signed an MoU with Uttar Pradesh to invest Rs 2,200 crore for 500 MW solar capacity.

For funding its projects, Amplus has a partnership with Yes Bank to co-finance and develop projects in the solar energy sector in India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)By-poll in the Araria Lok Sabha constituency, scheduled later this week, will be a test for the ruling JD(U)-BJP combine in Bihar as well as the opposition RJD-Congress alliance, ahead of the big battle in the general elections due next year.

By-election in the seats was necessitated by the death of Mohd Taslimuddin of the the RJD.

Though seven candidates are in the fray at Araria, the contest is mainly between RJD's Sarafaraz Alam, Taslimuddin's son, and the BJP's Pradip Singh who had won the seat in 2009 and finished runner-up in 2014.

At that time, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) had fought separately and finished third.

"I am confident of victory this time. My defeat in 2014 was not a result of Taslimuddin's popularity. We suffered as votes of the Mahadalits and the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) had split between the BJP and the JD(U)," Singh said.

The total number of votes polled by the BJP and the JD(U) much more than what Taslimuddin had got, he said.

"Hence, there is no reason for worry. We are making efforts only to ensure a big margin," Singh told PTI.

The RJD, however, is not ready to concede saying it now has Mahadalit leader Jitan Ram Manjhi as an ally.

"Two plus two is not always four in politics. The JD(U) and the BJP may have come together again, but it would be hard for them to revive their old electoral chemistry," RJD vice-president Shivanand Tiwary said.

"Nitish Kumar has lost his sway among the Mahadalits because of the ill-treatment meted out to leaders like former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi who is now with us," he said.

Manjhi's Hindustani Awami Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) has cut his ties with the NDA and joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led Grand Alliance on February 28.

Manjhi, former chief minister, left the NDA claiming that 'faulty' sand mining policy of the Nitish Kumar government had stalled construction activities, thereby badly hit workers from the Mahadalit section and EBCs.

They "may not support the JD(U)-BJP combine. Besides, there is perceptible anger among all sections of the society over the betrayal of public mandate of which the JD(U) and the BJP are equally guilty," Tiwary said.

As far as caste equations go, he said, out of the six Assembly segments in Araria, four have a high concentration of either the Yadavs or the Muslims, both of whom have been traditional RJD voters.

"It is likely that they would be with us more firmly as they are angry over the harassment of Lalu Prasad and his family in the name of corruption cases," Tiwary said.

"We, however, are afraid that the BJP may indulge in its old strategy of polarization along communal lines. A memorandum expressing this apprehension was submitted by us to the Election Commission last week," he said.

Singh, however, claimed that RJD's Sarfaraz Alam has been a controversial character and never been very popular with the Muslims.

"Even if the minority community people do not vote for us, they are unlikely to fully back the RJD. We are going to slice a bit of the Yadav votes," he said.

The electoral chemistry between the BJP and the JD(U) is as potent as it was prior to the break-up in 2013, Singh said adding that JD(U) leaders have been campaigning here and chief minister will address a rally tomorrow.

"Besides, there is the tremendous popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi among all sections of the society," he added.

By-polls will be held for Bhabhua and Jahanabad assembly segments along with Araria parliamentary constituency on March 11.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Army today paid tributes to the soldier who died in a snowslide near the Line of Control in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir on last Sunday.

"Army paid befitting tributes to its comrade who made the supreme sacrifice fighting nature's fury at Pharkian Gali on 4 March 2018," an army official said.

General officer Commanding of Army's 15 Corps Lt Gen A K Bhatt and all ranks paid homage to the Sapper Amandeep Singh.

Singh was part of a snow clearing team at Pharkian Gali when he got caught in a snowslide, the official said.

The 25-year-old soldier hailed from village Kalloh located in district Mansa of Punjab and had joined the Army in 2012, he said.

"Mortal remains of the martyr were flown for last rites to his native place and would be laid to rest with full military honours," the official said.

"In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved family of the martyr and remains committed to their dignity and well being," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Army will hold a 15-day long recruitment recruitment drive for the ten districts of Jammu region, an official said today.

"An Army recruitment rally will be held at Udhampur from April 13 to 28 for all categories which include Soldier General Duty, Soldier Technical, Soldier Clerk, Store Keeper and Soldier Nursing Assistant for candidates of district Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch and Ramban," PRO, Defence, Jammu, Lt Col Devender Anand said.

The recruitment will be based on an on-line application system in which candidates will have to register and apply on-line to participate in the rally, he said adding the screening of candidates will commence at 0500 hours on each day from 13 April 2018.

The Army PRO said all the candidates who have registered themselves and applied on-line, are required to report at the rally site according to the dates for their respective tehsils and districts.

Medical Examination will be conducted for those candidates who pass the physical fitness tests, physical measurement tests and whose documents are in order, he said.

The Common Entrance Exam (CEE) for all categories will be intimated after screening during rally, he added.

For further details candidates may contact or visit the Army recruitment office in Jammu or the Sainik Board Office or DC Office. For the recruitment, all Hindus of J&K will be considered as Dogra, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Around 25,000 farmers today set out for Mumbai from Nashik in northern Maharashtra as part of a "long march" protest organised by the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) for a complete loan waiver and other demands.

The farmers from districts of Thane and Palghar on way to Mumbai are expected to join the march later.

Addressing a huge gathering of farmers at the CBS chowk in central Nashik this evening, farmer leaders announced they would 'gherao' the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha in Mumbai, a distance of 180 kms from Nashik, for resolution of their issues.

Agriculturists have been demanding a complete waiver of loans and electricity bills apart from implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.

"We also want the state government to refrain from forceful acquisition of farm lands in the name of development projects like Super Highway and Bullet Train," AIKS Secretary Raju Desle said while addresing the farmers.

He said a total of 25,000 farmers started for Mumbai this evening.

Desle claimed as many as 1,753 farmers have killed themselves since June last when the BJP-led state government announced a conditional farm loan waiver of Rs 34,000 crore.

The government had announced the waiver following unprecedented protests by farmers in various parts of the state.

He accused the Centre and the state government of adopting "anti-farmer" policies.

AIKS national president Ashok Dhavle, local MLA J P Gavit and other leaders are leading the long march, which will culminate in Mumbai on March 12.

AIKS national president Ashok Dhawle yesterday said the BJP government had betrayed the farmers by not honouring the assurances given to them.

"We will demand a complete change in the river linking scheme proposed to be implemented in Nashik, Thane and Palghar districts, so as to ensure that tribal villages are not submerged and water is made available to these districts and to other drought-prone districts," he said.

Farmers are also demanding the transfer of forest land to those who have been tilling it for years and increase in the compensation for peasants whose crops were damaged in recent hailstorms and pink bollworm infestation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An Islamic seminary in Bangladesh has burned hundreds of mobile phones seized from students claiming that they were getting distracted by it, according to a media report.

Mufti Jasim Uddin, the superintendent of Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam, known as Hathazari Barha Madrasa said yesterday that the resident students are not allowed to use mobile phones, bdnews24 reported.

We seize mobile phones, especially the ones that play music and videos, from the resident students during admission every year, he said, skirting a query as to whether they have destroyed the phones.

Some students, requesting anonymity, told the newspaper that the authorities seized and burnt two sacks full of around 400 seized handsets on Sunday, the report said.

The seminary -- a 123-year-old institution with 14,000 registered students -- was not against technology but the negative results of mobile phones far outweigh its positives.

The madrasa is run by Shah Ahmed Shafi, chief of Hifazat-e-Islam, an Islamist pressure group of madrasa teachers and students, which in 2013 had demanded for the enactment of a blasphemy law.

The Hefazat-e-Islam or 'Protectorate of Islam' has unleashed riots on Dhaka streets to mount pressure on the secular Awami League-led government to implement its 13-point demand, including the enactment of a blasphemy law to punish those who insult Islam.

The members of Hefazat, comprising mainly teachers and students of several thousand unregistered madrasas, allegedly backed by Jamaat workers carried out the two days of mayhem in the capital city and Chittagong.

In Muslim-majority Bangladesh, Muslim clerics are highly influential, particularly in the socially conservative rural areas of the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The resolution plan for Bhushan Power and Steel, facing insolvency proceedings, is likely to be finalised this month, the IRP for the firm Mahender Kumar Khandelwal said on Tuesday.

His comments come amid the Indian arm of Belgium-headquartered accounting and advisory firm approaching the Bombay High Court to initiate arbitration proceedings against Khandelwal, who quit BDO India as partner in January to join rival PwC.

"Resolution plans for Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd are already in the process and the same are likely to be finalised within March 2018," Khandelwal said.

He is the interim resolution professional (IRP) for the company.

In an e-mail response to PTI, BDO LLP managing partner Milind Kothari said: "While the issues for which we have filed a plea for restraint against Mr Mahender Khandelwal remain sub-judice, I would say that the core reason for us to move the Court was that Mr Khandelwals intended exit would have greatly upset the mandate as a Resolution Professional of Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd and Educomp Solutions Ltd."



He further said: "We had to stick our neck out and confront Mr Khandelwal in this regard as his intention was to relieve himself of his obligation to the Firm without notice."



Khandelwal said however that the company "has gone to the court to tarnish our reputation as Insolvency professionals because we are joining rival firm PwC. They are scared that they will not be able to establish themselves in IBC practice and hence jealous of our resolutions in progress".

He said he did not want to comment further on the matter as it was sub-judice before the High Court of Bombay.

"We wish to state that the current dispute has no bearing on the ongoing assignments being carried out by us, he added.

Khandelwal further said that he had already informed in the meetings of Committee of Creditors of Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd and Educomp Solutions Ltd that he had resigned from the partnership in BDO.

"I have also assured the lenders that I will complete the assignments of Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd, and Educomp Solutions Ltd," Khandelwal said.

He is also the resolution professional of Educomp.

"In fact, Educomp Solutions Ltd assignment period is already over and the resolution plan is in the process of being submitted to NCLT," he said.

Bhushan Power and Steel, which owes about Rs 450 billion to lenders, is among the 12 non-performing accounts referred by RBI for NCLT proceedings.

The Committee of Creditors had earlier rejected the bid of UK-based Liberty House to acquire Ltd, leaving Tata Steel and JSW Steel in the race for taking over the assets of the bankrupt firm.

Hit by rejection of its bid to acquire Bhushan Power and Steel, UK-based Liberty House later moved NCLT to direct creditors and resolution professional to consider its offer.The Congress today rubbished as "false and baseless" the charges levelled by the BJP against former Finance Minister P Chidambaram that he had favoured private entities through a gold import scheme introduced by the UPA dispensation, and accused the government of trying to divert the people's attention from multi-crore bank scams.

Senior Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said the charges levelled by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad were "not backed by facts" and an attempt to evade the government's accountability in bank scams that happened during its tenure.

The Congress leader said that in view of "pressure in the current account" due to huge imports of gold and crude oil, the UPA government had in 2013 imposed restrictions on import of gold and made it mandatory to export 20 per cent of imported gold after value addition under the 80:20 scheme.

He said it was the BJP-led government which removed all the restrictions imposed earlier and made gold imports free.

Sharma also accused the government of "manufacturing documents" to hit out at its political opponents as tactics to divert public attention from the multi-crore bank scams involving Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Jatin Mehta, who he alleged were "beneficiaries of their patronage".

Nirav Modi and Choksi are accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank to the tune of Rs 12,636 crore, while Jatin Mehta of Winsome Group is involved in an alleged fraud of Rs 6,712 crore.

The former commerce minister also denied that any files were signed by the former finance minister on May 16, 2014, as alleged by Prasad, saying the model code was in force at that time. If the government has any document, it should make public. He said the 80:20 policy was finalised by the RBI in 2013 and no circular was issued after it.

"Yesterday's statement made by Ravi Shankar Prasad is preposterous. He has levelled unwarranted allegations which we reject and condemn.

"It has become the hallmark of this government that it is deflecting attention, diverting public focus from the real issues and trying to escape is own accountability in the biggest bank fraud in the history of independent India," he told reporters.

He said charges made by Prasad are "the most absurd things heard in my political career" as also "irresponsible".

The Congress leader alleged that what this government is doing is not only "targeted vendetta" against the former finance minister, but also "excessive vilification".

"We would like to warn the government today and caution the country that India's governance and administration will be collapsing under this vendetta campaign of the government," he said.

Sharma also demanded that Banking Board chairman Vinod Rai be removed as he was "guilty of inaction and conspicuous by his silence".

"The government should remove him and disband the Banking Board after the incidents of serious frauds in public-sector banks and loot of public money," he said.

He said the government must answer the real question -- when the Prime Minister's office, Reserve Bank of India, Enforcement Directorate and SFIO were forewarned in writing about the bank fraud being committed by Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and by Winsome Diamonds, why were they allowed to leave the country.

Sharma said Prasad is the Law Minister and he must understand that the restrictions imposed on gold imports did not lead to bank frauds and escape of these perpetrators from the country.

"This government through its actions has cast serious aspersions on many former senior most civil servants of India. They are being tarred and their reputations torn apart by the prime minister and his government, which is keen to have personal vendetta against P Chidambaram, the former finance minister," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A row erupted in Tamil Nadu today over BJP leader H Raja's remarks indicating that statues of rationalist leader E V Ramasamy "Periyar" could be the next to be pulled down after a Lenin statue was razed in Tripura.

As the comments in a facebook post against late Ramasamy, founder of the Dravidian movement, drew condemnation from several political parties in the state, Raja deleted it while BJP's state unit distanced itself from the issue, saying it was his personal view.

Political parties including DMK, MDMK and the Left lashed out at Raja, a BJP National Secretary, with DMK Working President M K Stalin leading the charge seeking his detention under the 'Goondas Act'.

"Who is Lenin and what is the connection between Lenin and India? What connection India has with Communists? Today Lenin's statue removed in Tripura, tomorrow it will be the statue of EV Ramasamy in Tamil Nadu", Raja had said in the Tamil post in facebook that had been deleted.

He was referring to the pulling down of a statue of communist icon Lenin by some persons using an excavator machine at Belonia in South Tripura district, days after the BJP defeated CPI (M) in the closely fought assembly polls.

The CPI(M) has held BJP workers responsible for pulling down the statue of Lenin.

Condemning Raja's post, Stalin said nobody was qualified to "even touch" a statue of 'Periyar', as the rationalist leader was popularly known.

"A senior leader like H Raja is often making comments that will trigger violence. My view is that he has to be arrested under the (stringent) Goondas Act," Stalin, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, told reporters.

MDMK founder Vaiko warned of "retaliation" by his party workers if any one caused damage to statues of Ramasamy.

"If anybody tries to cause damage to (statues of) Periyar, MDMK will not keep quite and will retaliate by breaking the hands of the persons involving in such acts," he told reporters in Erode.

CPI(M) State Secretary K Balakrishnan, Dravidar Kazhagam leader K Veeramani and pro-Tamil leaders Thol.Thirumavalavan and Seeman also hit out at Raja and demanded action against him.

However, the BJP's state unit sought to distance itself away from Raja's now deleted post, saying it was his "personal view."



Party's state unit President Tamilisai Soundararajan said comments made by Raja were not that of the party.

"This is not an official view. I can make a comment if it was a view of my party. I consider it as his personal view", she told reporters in Tirunelveli.

Ramasamy is a Dravidian icon in Tamil Nadu who heralded the self-respect movement.

A staunch atheist, he had often questioned then prevailing social and religious customs, drawing the ire of a section of the society.

He had founded the Dravidar Kazhagam, the parent organisation of DMK, floated by late chief minister C N Annadurai and taken forward by its incumbent chief M Karunanidhi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Top stock exchange BSE and the Federation of Indian Spice Stakeholders (FISS) have join hands for the growth and systematic development of the commodity derivatives markets in the spices segment.

"Through this memorandum of understanding (MoU), BSE and FISS will co-ordinate and work jointly in the initiatives to deepen the understanding of commodity market amongst stakeholders," the stock exchange said in a statement.

Under the pact, FISS with its domain knowledge and stakeholders ranging from farmers, traders and exporters, will assist the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in designing new and innovative products.

BSE which plans to launch commodity derivative trading on its platform is awaiting detailed guidelines from capital markets regulator Sebi.

"The exchange and FISS fully acknowledge and appreciate their strengths, resources, experience and expertise, therefore, they feel it expedient to join hands for mutual benefits in pursuit of common goals with the objective of developing and strengthening the commodity derivatives market," said Ashishkumar Chauhan, managing director and chief executive officer, BSE.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Leading bourse BSE today signed a pact with Federation of Indian Spice Stakeholders (FISS) for the growth and systematic development of commodity derivatives markets in the segment.

The move comes as BSE is preparing itself to launch trading in commodity derivatives.

The two organisations will co-ordinate and work jointly in the initiatives to deepen the understanding of commodity market amongst stakeholders, BSE said in a statement.

FISS with its domain knowledge and unique stakeholders ranging from farmers, traders and exporters, will assist BSE in designing new and innovative products, the exchange noted.

"BSE and ISS fully acknowledge and appreciate their strengths, resources, experience and expertise therefore they feel it expedient to join hands for mutual benefits in pursuit of common goals with the objective of developing and strengthening commodity derivatives markets," BSE MD and CEO Ashishkumar Chauhan said.

The memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed as BSE will soon enter the commodities markets and FISS as an organisation will provide the exchange the necessary inputs of the industry.

"The two organisations will work together for the benefit of the trade," FISS Chaiman Ashwin Nayak said.

In January, BSE conducted mock-trading for commodity derivatives segment as it prepares itself for the launch of trade in such products.

The platform currently offers trading in equities, equity derivatives as well as currency derivatives.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)E-commerce firm mjunction today said it has been appointed by Bihar State Mining Corporation (BSMC) to implement coal e-distribution in the state.

"BSMC, the designated state-nominated agency (SNA) for Bihar, has appointed mjunction, Indias largest B2B ecommerce company, for implementation of coal e-distribution in the state, which will enable MSME consumers to buy coal from BSMC in a fair and convenient manner without middlemen or agents," mjunction said in a statement.

mjunction is a joint venture between Tata Steel and SAIL.

Distribution of coal to MSMEs in Bihar will be reinstated after nearly seven years, and Coal Indias allocated quantity of the dry fuel to the state for this purpose is 3.85 lakh tonnes per annum.

"Digitisation of coal distribution will benefit MSMEs significantly, making the process transparent and efficient. The e-platform will make it easy for the SNAs to manage coal distribution and help eliminate dependency on handling agents," mjunction CEO Vinaya Varma said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The CBI today arrested Vipul Chitalia, the vice president of Gitanjali Group of Companies, in the multi-crore PNB scam and claimed that he was a "mastermind" who reported directly to diamond trader

It was the 19th arrest in the case, the CBI said.

Chitalia was produced before a special CBI court here in the afternoon after he was detained at the airport and questioned by the agency. Judge S R Tamboli remanded him in CBI custody till March 17.

The Central Bureau of Investigation said that Chitalia had left the country in the last week of January, as did the prime accused and Nirav Modi.

"There was a look-out notice against him, hence the immigration officials detained him at the airport as soon as he arrived from Bangkok," an agency official said.

Special prosecutor A Limosin told the court that Chitalia reported directly to Choksi.

"Chitalia was instrumental in preparing applications for putting through the fraudulent transactions of the LoUs (Letters of Undertaking) and FLCs (Foreign Letters of Credit) with the active connivance of key accused Gokulnath Shetty," Limosin told the court.

Shetty is a retired deputy manager of Punjab Branch.

Chitalia was also the authorised signatory of Choksi's Gitanjali Group for issuance of applications for LoUs and FLCs, he said.

"He is the mastermind for putting through fraudulent transactions along with Choksi. He was also privy to the modalities for putting through the transactions," the agency said in the remand plea.

Meanwhile, the court today also remanded Shetty, earlier arrested in connection with the case of Modi's firms, in CBI custody till March 15 in connection with the case of Choksi-owned firms.

The Rs 12,636-crore fraud was allegedly perpetrated by Modi and his uncle Choksi, the promoter of Gitanjali Gems.

It is alleged that they got LoUs and FLCs of Rs 12,636 crore issued in favour of foreign branches of Indian banks based on fraudulent claims.

The accused PNB officials allegedly did not enter the instructions for these LoUs in their internal software to avoid scrutiny. They were sent through an international messaging system for banking called SWIFT, used to pass instructions among banks globally to transfer funds.

An LoU is a guarantee which is given by an issuing bank to Indian banks having branches abroad to grant short-term credit to the applicant. In case of default, the bank issuing the LoU has to pay the liability to the credit-giving bank.The CBI today arrested Vipul Chitalia, the vice president of Gitanjali Group of Companies, in the USD 2 billion PNB scam, who had escaped to Dubai in the first week of January before the fraud was reported by the public sector bank.

He was detained by the agency at the Mumbai airport when he returned to India, they said, adding that he was questioned at the CBI office here before his arrest.

Chitalia was produced before a special CBI court here in the afternoon. Judge S R Tamboli remanded him in CBI custody till March 17.

In addition to Chitalia, the CBI also took custody of Gokulnath Shetty, a retired deputy manager of the Punjab National Bank, in the FIR pertaining to businessman Mehul Choksi and Gitanjali group.

He was earlier sent to judicial custody in the FIR pertaining to Nirav Modi, they said.

The special court has now remanded him to CBI custody in the Gitanjali case till March 15 for questioning.

Chitalia had left the country for Dubai in the first week of January, as did the prime accused Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi.

"There was a look-out notice against him, hence the immigration officials detained him at the airport as soon as he arrived from Bangkok," an agency official said.

Special prosecutor A Limosin told the court that Chitalia reported directly to Choksi.

"Chitalia was instrumental in preparing applications for putting through the fraudulent transactions of the LoUs (Letters of Undertaking) and FLCs (Foreign Letters of Credit) with the active connivance of key accused Gokulnath Shetty," Limosin told the court.

He was also the authorised signatory of Choksi's Gitanjali Group for issuance of applications for LoUs and FLCs, he said.

"He is the mastermind for putting through fraudulent transactions along with Choksi. He was also privy to the modalities for putting through the transactions," the agency said in the remand plea.

Meanwhile, the CBI today questioned four general manager and assistant general manager-ranked PNB treasury officers, they said.

The Rs 12,636-crore fraud was allegedly perpetrated by Modi and his uncle Choksi, the promoter of Gitanjali Gems.

It is alleged that they got LoUs and FLCs of Rs 12,636 crore issued in favour of foreign branches of Indian banks based on fraudulent claims.

The accused PNB officials allegedly did not enter the instructions for these LoUs in their internal software to avoid scrutiny. They were sent through an international messaging system for banking called SWIFT, used to pass instructions among banks globally to transfer funds.

An LoU is a guarantee which is given by an issuing bank to Indian banks having branches abroad to grant short-term credit to the applicant. In case of default, the bank issuing the LoU has to pay the liability to the credit-giving bank.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The CBI today questioned Managing Director of Simbhaoli Sugars Limited Gursimran Kaur Mann in connection with the alleged bank fraud of Rs 97.85 crore, officials said.

The agency had called Mann, who was the Executive Director during the period when the alleged fraud was committed, to its headquarters here today where she was grilled on various aspects of the bank loan and alleged default causing a loss of Rs 110 crore to Oriental Bank of Commerce, they said.

The CBI had registered a case against the sugar mill, its chairman Gurmit Singh Mann, the then (in 2015) Deputy Managing Director Gurpal Singh (now director) and others in connection with the alleged bank loan fraud case.

Simbhaoli Sugars Limited is one of the largest sugar mills in the country. The then CFO Sanjay Tapriya, Gursimran Kaur Mann and five non-executive directors were also booked by the agency.

The CBI had carried out searches at eight premises including residences of the directors, factory, corporate office and registered office of the company in Delhi, Hapur and Noida.

The probe focuses on two loans Rs 97.85 crore which was declared fraud in 2015 and another corporate loan of Rs 110 crore which was used to repay the previous loan.

The second loan was declared Non Performing Asset (NPA) on November 29, 2016, nearly 20 days after scrapping of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes was announced, according to the CBI FIR.

The bank was allegedly cheated to the tune of Rs 97.85 crore, but the loss incurred by the bank was Rs 109.08 crore, the FIR read.

The lender, Oriental Bank of Commerce, complained to the CBI on November 17, 2017, but the agency registered a case of criminal conspiracy and cheating under the Prevention of Corruption Act on February 22. According to the FIR, OBC sanctioned a loan of Rs 148.60 crore to the company in 2011.

The loan was sanctioned for financing 5,762 sugarcane farmers based on a tie-up agreement under an RBI scheme for supplying sugar produce to the company from January 25, 2012 to March 13, 2012.

The loan money was dishonestly and fraudulently diverted by the company for its own needs, the CBI alleged. The account turned NPA on March 31, 2015 and was declared alleged fraud by the bank to RBI on May 13, 2015 for an amount of Rs 97.85 crore.

OBC alleged that in addition to the existing NPA, the bank, under multiple banking arrangements, sanctioned another corporate loan of Rs 110 crore to the company on January 28, 2015 to pay its outstanding loan of Rs 97.85 crore.

The bank adjusted the total liability of Rs 112.94 crore towards the company through deposit of the new corporate loan. The corporate loan, too, turned NPA on November 29, 2016, the CBI had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Centre has agreed to buy additional 1 lakh tonnes of tur dal at MSP from Karnataka, state Chief Minister Siddaramaih said today.

Siddaramaiah called on Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh today to discuss the matter in detail. He demanded the centre to buy additional 2.35 lakh tonnes of tur dal from the state at the minimum support price (MSP).

"Already, the Centre has purchased 2.65 lakh tonnes of tur at the MSP under the price support scheme. We requested them to buy additional 2.35 lakh tonnes. They have agreed for procurement of 1 lakh tonnes of tur dal," the chief minister told reporters after the meeting.

The procurement is being undertaken by central agency Nafed and state agencies as prices have fallen below the MSP. The rates in the market are ruling in the range of Rs 4,000-4,500 per quintal, while the MSP is fixed at Rs 5450 per quintal.

The state had harvested a bumper crop of 9 lakh tonnes in the 2017-18 crop year (July-June).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The charred body of a teenaged Dalit boy was found in the Bhiwadi town of Rajasthan's Alwar district, police said today.

The body of the victim, identified as 17-year-old Ajay Jatav, was found in the Phool Bagh police station area yesterday.

"Family members have claimed that some unidentified persons burnt him alive in connection with clashes that took place in Bhiwadi on March 3. However, preliminary investigation has indicated that the victim was not present on the spot of the clashes, Additional Superintendent of Police, Pushpendra Solanki, said.

Solanki added that some members of Jatav community had submitted a memorandum that suggested the victim committed suicide and had attempted killing himself a few days earlier as well.

However, we are investigating all the angles. The body was handed over to the family members after post-mortem and last rites were performed today, the police official said.

Significantly, Ajay Jatav's body had surfaced only days after another Dalit youth was beaten to death.

On Saturday, following arguments during 'Holi' revelry, a 16-year-old Dalit youth, Neeraj Jatav, of Bhiwadi was killed allegedly by a group of persons.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)China confirmed today that it had put a hold on a US bid to blacklist ships helping North Korea circumvent sanctions, saying it needs more time to investigate the measure.

The US last month presented the request to a United Nations sanctions committee to ban 33 ships from ports worldwide and blacklist 27 shipping firms for aiding Pyongyang.

The move is part of a crackdown on the smuggling of North Korean commodities in violation of UN sanctions resolutions, which were brought in over Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

But China -- North Korea's sole ally -- on Friday "placed a hold on the proposals" from the United States, said the Dutch chair of the sanctions committee in a letter seen by AFP on yesterday.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang confirmed the move Tuesday, telling a regular press briefing that Beijing had put a hold on the request "for technical reasons."



"This proposal at the UN Security Council involves a lot of ships and entities. China needs some time to conduct inter-agency investigations," he explained.

The US request lists 33 vessels -- 19 of which are from North Korea -- that would be barred from entering all ports worldwide.

Of the 27 shipping and trading firms facing a UN assets freeze, five are based in the southern Chinese city of Hong Kong including Huaxin Shipping, which has allegedly used its vessels to deliver North Korean coal to Vietnam.

Two other listed companies also based in China -- Shanghai Dongfeng Shipping and Weihai World Shipping Freight -- are cited for carrying North Korean coal on their vessels.

The US blacklist request to the UN, made on February 23, also targets a national from Taiwan, Tsang Yung Yuan, who is said to be coordinating illegal North Korean coal exports with a North Korean broker in Russia.

It coincides with President Donald Trump's announcement last month of the "heaviest sanctions ever" on North Korea.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP today hit back at the Congress over the alleged fraud of Rs 6,712 crore by Winsome Group chairman Jatin Mehta, saying that bank loans to the jeweller were granted during the UPA government and that the party let him flee India on "illegally acquired" passport of Saint Kitts.

The BJP refuted the Congress's allegations that Mehta ran away from the country after non-payment of bank loans and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was providing protection to him.

"The Congress's allegations are nothing but logical absurdity. The party is speaking blatant lies. Advances to Mehta were granted between September 2010 and March 2013 during the Congress-led UPA government. And his last entry and exit into India was on the same day on July 25, 2013 and everyone knows who was in power at that time," Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told reporters here.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Puri, a former diplomat, presented the party's views on the issue with a power-point presentation, and said the diamond baron illegally acquired passport of Saint Kitts, an island country in the West Indies, in November 2012 without renouncing his Indian citizenship and travelled to India on both passports during the Congress-led government's tenure.

Mehta travelled to India on four occasions on his Indian passport after November 2012 and eight times in 2013 on passport of Saint Kitts, but every time it was "intentionally overlooked" by the then party in power, BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said.

Rao said the Congress not only allowed Mehta to ran away from the country but also helped him do so. It was the BJP-led NDA government who unearthed this "fraud" in December 2014 and declared him a "willful defaulter" in December 2016.

"The Congress did nothing to check this mess in the banking system, but during our government we ensured that complaints were filed in this case and six FIRs were registered in April 2017 against Mehta and his companies," Rao told reporters here.

Earlier this month, Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala alleged that Mehta, who hailed from Palanpur in Gujarat, and his family were allowed to leave India even when there were complaints pending against him with the CBI since February 2014, but an FIR was lodged only in April 2017.

The Congress leader also claimed Mehta's modus operandi was the same as billionaire jewellery designer Nirav Modi and his uncle and business partner Mehul Choksi, who are accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank to the tune of Rs 12,636 crore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress is likely to announce its list of candidates for Karnataka Assembly polls by the end of this month, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said today.

There is no 'Modi wave' in the state and the Congress is confident of winning the Assembly polls due in April-May, he added.

"The ticket distribution process is on. By the end of March, we will announce our list of candidates," Siddarmaiah told reporters here.

Already, a state election committee has been constituted, which will soon hold a meeting and recommend names to the screening committee which will further suggest the names to the central committee, he said.

Asked if the BJP's victory in northeast will have an impact in Karnataka, he said "there is no anti-incumbency in the state. "That's why we are confident and we will come back."



"It is not going to be 'Modi versus the CM' but 'communalism versus secularism," he said.

Asked if frequent tour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah to the state will dent the party prospects, he said, "More and more Modi and Shah visit the state, it will benefit Congress. We are not afraid."



"Congress President Rahul Gandhi's poll campaign in the state will definitely yield results," he added.

Siddaramaiah was here in the national capital to discuss with Rahul Gandhi about the Rajya Sabha polls. He also met Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh with regard to tur dal procurement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Haryana Congress MLAs held a protest by selling 'pakoras' on a road near the state Assembly complex here and took a swipe at the Centre and Haryana goverment's track record in employment generation.

Congress MLAs, including their state legislature party leader Kiran Choudhary, were seen selling 'pakoras' on a 'rehri' (cart).

Holding the 'pakoras' in a basket, the Congress legislators tried to march towards the Assembly but they were stopped by the police.

The opposition party legislators present on the occasion also included senior leaders Karan Singh Dalal, Kuldeep Sharma, Geeta Bhukkal and Shakuntala Khatak.

"The Centre and Haryana governments had promised to create large number of jobs for the unemployed. But now they are assuring 'pakoda jobs' to millions of people looking for work. For BJP leaders, even people earning Rs 200 a day selling 'pakoras' can be considered unemployed, which is a cruel joke," Dalal said while speaking to reporters.

The Congress leaders were seen carrying placards, which carried pictures of top BJP leaders and ministers in the Manohar Lal Khattar cabinet.

Rates of 'pakoras' were displayed on the side of the photos of the BJP leaders in the placards.

As Congress leaders were busy offering 'pakoras' to people who passed by, Chief Minister Khattar who was on his way to attend the ongoing Vidhan Sabha's budget session, stopped his cavalcade and got down from his vehicle.

Khattar even purchased small quantity of 'pakoras' from the Congress MLAs.

"If anyone is getting employment by selling 'pakoras', then it is a good thing. They (Congressmen) have become unemployed, now they have got the 'pakora' selling job, which is a good thing," Khattar said in a lighter vein taking a swipe at the Congress legislators selling 'pakoras'.

Haryana's Agriculture Minister O P Dhankar also took a dig at the Congress legislators selling 'pakoras', saying their party was in the habit of "insulting poor."



He slammed Congress for being elitist and looking down on those belonging to humble backgrounds.

"First they made joke of a tea seller, now they are doing the same thing with the poor people selling 'pakoras' for a living. They have elitist mentality and cannot tolerate 'chaiwalas' and 'pakorawalas'," Dhankar said.

Inside the state Assembly, Health Minister Anil Vij told the Congress legislators in a lighter vein that his Department will get the 'pakoras' checked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A sub-group formed by the Congress to draft its resolution on agriculture and other issues ahead of its plenary session met for the first time here today under the chairmanship of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, sources said.

During the meeting, held at Hoodas residence, preliminary documents on agriculture, employment and poverty alleviation were shared with its eight other members, whose suggestions were also sought on the same, the sources added.

Meetings are proposed to be held with experts and farmers bodies on the issues concerned. Their suggestions relating to farmers welfare will be considered in the draft resolution.

After incorporating these suggestions, a draft of the resolution will be discussed with former prime minister Manmohan Singh before it is finalised, one of the sources quoted Hooda as saying.

Apart from Hooda, former Union minister K V Thomas, Rajya Sabha member P L Punia, Congresss chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, former Maharashtra minister Balasaheb Thorat attended the meeting.

The sub-group will meet next on February 9 in the national capital, the sources said.

The Congresss plenary session will be held between March 16 and March 18.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The government today claimed that the Congress was running away from a debate in Parliament on the PNB scam and blamed its president Rahul Gandhi, saying the party had agreed to a debate earlier but changed its stand after his return from Italy.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters that a debate under Rule 193, which does not entail voting, was included in the today's list of business for the Lok Sabha only after the Congress had agreed to it but the party changed is stand in the House.

"I want to know what is the enlightenment that you got today morning that you went back on your demand made earlier. Has this enlightenment come from your president Rahul Gandhi who has returned from Italy?" Kumar said.

The Congress has opposed the subject of debate, which is "alleged systematic irregularities in banking sector over the last few years and its impact on economy", saying it wanted a discussion on recent scams.

The subject would allow the treasury benches to shift the spotlight on financial irregularities and scams that happened under the UPA while the Congress wanted the PNB scam at the centre of discussion.

Kumar said the subject's phraseology is the Speaker's prerogative and a debate is often broadened to include demands made by several members on a related matter.

The Congress also today demanded that the discussion should be held under Rule 56, which seeks to adjourn all other matters to take up a debate and entails voting, Kumar said, adding that it amounted to making a mockery of parliamentary proceedings as a debate under Rule 193 was already agreed to.

"The fact is that the Congress does not want any discussion. It has many skeletons in its cupboard and it is afraid that they will come out in open. After all the PNB case did not happen overnight and was an outcome of something going on for many years," he said.

Nobody has stopped the Congress from speaking on the PNB issue but it does not want a discussion because it is nervous, he said.

For the first time roles have been reversed and it is opposition and not the government which is in dock in Parliament and the Congress wants to avoid it, he claimed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)National People's Party president Conrad Sangma was today sworn in as the 12th chief minister of Meghalaya by Governor Ganga Prasad here.

Sangma, 40, who is currently a Lok Sabha member from Tura, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Prasad at the Raj Bhavan.

Apart from Sangma, 11 other cabinet ministers were also sworn in by the governor.

They are Prestone Tynsong, Comingone Ymbon, Sniawbhalang Dhar and Conrad's brother James P K Sangma (all from NPP), Metbah Lyngdoh, Lakhmen Rymbui, Kyrmen Shylla (all UDP), Banteidor Lyngdoh (PDF), Hamlet Dohling (PDF), Samlin Malngiang (HSPDP) and A L Hek (BJP).

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president Amit Shah, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and BJP national spokesperson Nalin Kohli were present at the swearing-in ceremony.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Sangma on becoming the chief minister.

"Congratulations to @SangmaConrad on taking oath as Meghalaya CM. I also congratulate all others who were sworn in today. My best wishes to this team as it begins to work towards fulfilling the dreams and aspirations of the people of Meghalaya," he tweeted.

After the swearing-in ceremony, Sangma told reporters that his government is clear about its agenda which is good governance.

"... We feel that governance has been missing and it is important to get everything on track and of course many sectors that need to be looked into," he said.

"I want to say that we as a cabinet, as a government and in fact all the MLAs and political parties will work together to take our state forward," he added.

Shah also took to Twitter to congratulate Sangma.

"Congratulations to the newly sworn in CM of Meghalaya Sri @SangmaConrad and his team. I am sure that the new government of Meghalaya under the central guidance of PM@narendramodi ji will act as a double engine to bring peace, progress and prosperity in the state of Meghalaya," Shah tweeted.

Outgoing chief minister Mukul Sangma said, "I wish the new team my best wishes and I hope they do justice to the people and the state befitting to the expectations and aspirations of those who have given them the mandate."



The Conrad Sangma government is supported by the United Democratic Party (6 MLAs), Peoples' Democratic Party (4), two MLAs each of the Hills State Peoples Democratic Party and the BJP and an Independent MLA Samuel Sangma.

First time UDP MLA Kyrmen Shylla, 26, became the youngest minister.

Meghalaya threw up a fractured mandate on Saturday with the Congress emerging the largest party winning 21 seats.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Bombay High Court today held that a Hindu woman or a man does not lose the right to inherit parents' property under the Hindu Succession Act even after converting to another religion.

Justice Mridula Bhatkar upheld a lower court's order in favour of Nazneen Qureshi, a city resident.

"The right to inheritance is not a choice but it is by birth and in some cases it is acquired by marriage. Therefore, renouncing a particular religion and to get converted is a matter of choice and cannot cease relationships which are established and exist by birth," Justice Bhatkar said.

"Therefore, a Hindu convert is entitled to his/her father's property, if father died intestate (without making a will)," she added.

Qureshi, born to Hindu parents, converted to Islam in 1979 and married a Muslim man.

After the death of her father, she laid equal claim to a flat and a shoe shop owned by her father along with her five sisters and a brother.

Her brother contested her claim, saying that as she had converted to Islam, she must be disqualified under the Hindu Succession Act.

The brother also sold off the shoe shop and did not share the proceeds with Qureshi, her plea said.

She filed a civil suit and the lower court granted her plea that her brother be restrained from selling or creating any third party rights in the family's flat.

The brother challenged the order in the HC.

His counsel argued that as the Act did not apply to Muslims, Christians, Jews and Parsis, by marrying a Muslim and changing her religion Qureshi had "lostthe right in the suit property".

Her lawyer, however, argued thatsection 26 of Hindu Succession Act disqualifies descendants of a convert, but not a convert herself or himself.

Justice Bhatkar upheld the argument, saying the section 26 does not take away the rights of succession of a convert.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Maharashtra Legislative Council chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar today barred independent MLC Prashant Paricharak from attending the House till a resolution moved by a Shiv Sena member seeking his expulsion is decided.

Paricharak, a BJP-backed MLC, was suspended from the Council in March last year after he joked about the wives of soldiers during an election campaign. He later apologised, and the government last week revoked the suspension.

Council chairman Nimbalkar today asked Parliamentary Affairs Minister Girish Bapat to convey it to Paricharak that he should not attend the proceedings, till Nimbalkar does not give ruling on the second resolution moved by Anil Parab (Shiv Sena).

As soon as the House assembled, Parab said after the House last week approved the motion revoking Paricharak's suspension, he (Parab) had moved a second motion seeking dismissal of Paricharak and a case for 'treason' against him.

Parab demanded that Paricharak should not be allowed to step into the House till the motion is decided.

The Council chairman, citing rules, said a second motion cannot be moved on the same matter within a year of the house voting and adopting the earlier motion.

He will give ruling on the second motion as Parab has argued that he had changed the tenor of his motion, Nimbalkar said.

Earlier, in the morning, the revocation of Paricharak's suspension led to uproar in the Assembly.

The Shiv Sena demanded Paricharak's expulsion from the Legislative Council. Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik sought to know government's stand on the issue.

Speaker Haribhau Bagde said Paricharak was not a member of the Lower House, and there was no need to discuss proceedings of the Upper House in the Assembly.

But senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan supported the Sena's stand, saying Paricharak's controversial remarks hadn't been made in the Legislature.

"There is severe resentment among people about what Paricharak had said....We want to know the government's stand on the demand to expel him from Council," Chavan said. Jayant Patil of NCP too demanded that the government put forth its stand.

Sunil Prabhu of Shiv Sena said his party was firm on its demand that Paricharak be expelled from the Council and a case of treason be filed against him.

The Speaker asked Bapatto make a statement. Bapat said he would do so before the day's proceedings ended.

Sena, Congress and NCP MLAs rushed into the well, shouting slogans against Paricharak. The Speaker then adjourned the House for 15 minutes.

After the House reassembled, Prabhu reiterated his party's stand.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the Assembly that he was of the view that action should be taken against such wrongand condemnable comments.

"The Upper House had unanimously suspended Paricharak and (later) also revoked the suspension. The issue is in the domain of the Legislative Council. The government will make a statement on the issue after the Upper House takes a decision on the resolution to expel Paricharak as its member," he said.

Not satisfied, Sena MLAs walked out.

State revenue and PWD minister Chandrakant Patil told PTI that Paricharak's suspension for one year was sufficient.

"We do not support Paricharak's comments, but we think that one-year suspension is sufficient for a legislature...Hence, the motion was moved to revoke his suspension," Patil told PTI.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India has 151 police personnel per lakh of population as compared to 222 per lakh police to population ratio recommended by the United Nations, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir also said there was no proposal under consideration of the government to outsource non-core functions of the police such as verification for passport, serving court summons etc. to reduce its workload.

"Police being a State subject falling in List-II of the seventh schedule of the Constitution of India, it is primarily the responsibility of state governments/UTs to take appropriate steps to enhance efficiency of the force and to increase police-to-population ratio. However, the Centre advises states/UTs from time to time," he said in response to a written question.

He said that according to the recommendations of the United Nations, the police-to-population ratio should be 222 police personnel for one lakh citizens, whereas in India the ratio is 151, as per data compiled by the Bureau of Police Research and Development, as on January 1, 2017.

"The considerable gap in the said ratio exists due to shortage of police personnel. Vacancies in the service are caused due to factors such as retirement, resignation, death, etc. All these factors are recurring in nature and recruitment is a continuous process," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A constitutional amendment to scrap the two-term rule for President Xi Jinping and allow him to become the leader for life was tabled today in China's national legislature by the ruling Communist Party, which claimed an overwhelming support from the cadres and public for the controversial move.

The annual session of China's parliament commenced yesterday, setting the stage for the ratification of controversial measures to remove two term limits for 64-year-old Xi and inclusion of his thought into the Constitution.

Nearly 3,000 legislators from around the country is expected to attend the two-week gathering of China's National People's Congress (NPC) here.

A draft amendment to China's Constitution, along with other amendments, was submitted to the national legislature for deliberation yesterday and is expected to enshrine Xi's 'Thought on Socialism' with Chinese characteristics for a new era in the fundamental law of the country, the state-run Xinhua agency reported.

Since the era of the party founder Mao Zedong, whose rule was marked the horrific Cultural Revolution (1966-76) in which millions reported to have been killed, the party followed the two term for the top posts to ensure collective leadership and to prevent emergence of dictatorial setup in the one-party state.

The NPC, often regarded as the rubber stamp parliament for its routine adoption of bills moved by the CPC, is expected to ratify the amendments later this week without any problem.

These constitutional amendments will the first in 14 years for the Chinese constitution. The current Constitution was formulated in 1982 and was last amended in 2004.

In a rare move, the CPC which keeps the NPC proceedings on sensitive issues under wraps revealed a speech by a senior official claiming the move to scrap term limit for Xi was moved following overwhelming appeal from the party and the public.

Yesterday, speaking to the lawmakers, who are widely expected to approve the change in a vote next Sunday, Wang Chen, secretary general of the NPC justified the move.

During consultations and surveys at the grass-roots level, many regions, departments and members of the party and the public have unanimously called for the rules on presidential term limits in the constitution to be revised, he said, without identifying regions or departments, the Hong Kong based South China Morning Post reported.

The President's post is largely ceremonial while the real power rests General Secretary of the CPC and Chairman of the Military Commission, (CMC) the overall high-command of the military.

But the President is the only one with a formal limit of two terms introduced by late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping in 1982 to prevent another lifelong dictatorship after Mao Zedong's tumultuous rule.

Wang said proponents of the repeal suggested removing the limit would put the presidency on a par with the other two positions, which would help to protect the authority of the party's top leadership with Xi at its core and improve the leadership system, the Post report said.

He also said that the team tasked with amending the constitution had sought opinions from a wide range of groups from officials and party elders to non-party members and academics since November.

But observers were not convinced, the Post report said. Kerry Brown, director of the Lau China Institute at Kings College London, said Wang's claim that the proposal had overwhelming support could be a veneer.It seems a highly tactical move, and one where those who were likely to be supportive were selected and recruited into the proposed change, creating a sense of consensus, and those likely to oppose it were kept out of the loop, he told the Post.

It is almost impossible to precisely gauge genuine public opinion on the extension of Xi's rule, with state media strictly controlled by the government and the internet diligently scoured by censors for any comment that harbours explicit criticism or veiled mockery, the Post report said.

Well-educated urbanites took to social media to express their thinly veiled disaffection, but their sarcastic posts were swiftly met with blanket censorship. In the country's vast rural backwaters, however, Xi seems to enjoy more support among the less privileged thanks to his popular war on graft and poverty, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The CPI(M) top brass, including its general secretary Sitaram Yechury, today took out a rally in the city in protest against the pulling down of a statue of communist icon Vladimir Lenin in Tripura.

Yechury along with Politburo members Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, Biman Bose, M A Baby and CPI(M) state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra walked in the rally from Promode Dasgupta Bhawan to Lenin's statue in Esplande area in the heart of the city.

''We condemn such fascist onslaught against the CPI(M) cadres and workers in Tripura. We may have lost an election (in Tripura) but that has not given anyone the right to attack and kill our party workers," Yechury said.

The CPI(M) today accused the BJP and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) of unleashing an ''unprecedented reign of terror'' in the state after the declaration of the election results. The saffron party and its tribal ally had won 43 of the 60 seats in the state assembly, ending 25 years of Left rule in the north eastern state.

Yechury appealed to all secular and democratic forces in the country to put up a united fight against the Modi government.

Yesterday, the statue of Lenin was pulled down by some people with an excavator machine at Belonia in South Tripura district, with the CPI-M holding BJP workers responsible for it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A massive crackdown was launched on the mining mafia today in the Nawanshahr and Jalandhar districts after Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh noticed illegal activity on the Sutlej river bed as he flew over the Sutlej river bed in a chopper on way to Kartarpur.

An angry Punjab chief minister promptly ordered a probe and seizure of the equipment that appeared to be enegaged in illegal mining, an official spokesperson said.

The Nawanshahr authorities seized some heavy earth moving machines along with two Forklifts and 30 Tippers (Trucks) from village Malikpur following Singh's directive.

The chief minister was flying to Kartarpur near Jalandhar to dedicate to the nation the second phase of the Jang-e-Azadi Memorial monument when he spotted the blatant illegal activity, largely in the Rahon area of Nawanshahr, and also in Phillaur (Jalandhar), he said.

Perturbed at the shocking sight, Singh asked the helicopter pilot to fly lower and took a sortie around the river bank. Having confirmed his suspicion, Singh wasted no time in ordering an urgent and thorough probe into the matter, the spokesperson said.

The chief minister directed the deputy commissioners and SSPs of the concerned districts to crack down on the activity and seize the equipment, he added.

Clearly upset at having witnessed the blatant violation of norms, Singh instructed the state DGP Suresh Arora to expedite the formulation of a comprehensive strategy, in coordination with the mining department and the district administrations, to curb the illegal activity.

He made it clear that non-compliance or further delay in this regard would not be tolerated, the spokesperson said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Male volunteers of the DCW's 'Rape Roko' campaign today walked the streets of the national capital wearing only their boxer shorts to give the message that 'clothes do not cause rape, sick mentality does'.

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) had launched the 'Rape Roko' campaign after the brutal rape of an eight-month-old baby in January.

The volunteers marched from Mandi House to Central Park carrying boards and placards with slogans like "Her clothes are not short, your mentality is" and "What clothes was the eight-month-old baby wearing?" -- in a bid to challenge the mentality that tends to shame the survivors.

The protesters expressed anger against the silence of society and government on rapes and appealed people to join the movement and reach Central Park, Connaught Place at 9.30 am on March 8 to form a peaceful human chain.

They demanded strong action against rapists and completion of trials in case of sexual assault within six months.

Abhishek, a student of Delhi University said, "I am walking half-naked but society allows me to. If a girl walks in a sleeveless top, men letch at her. This is not right."



Another protester, Jatin, had a placard that read 'I feel safe in these Boxers. How much fabric does she need to feel safe?'



Many girls also attended the rally to extend their support to the cause.

The Indian Medical Association and the district court bar associations in Delhi have also extended their support to the campaign.

In a letter to DCW chief Swati Maliwal, the IMA had said: "We strongly support the people's movement 'Rape Roko' launched by DCW chief to demand a robust criminal justice system which ensures cases of sexual crimes against women and children are tried by fast-track courts within six months and rapists of children are essentially accorded death penalty as a strong deterrent for others against such crimes".

The IMA has requested their state and local branches in Delhi to join the movement.

The co-ordination committee of all district court bar associations in Delhi have also supported the movement, a senior DCW official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Congress leader Narayan Rane, who was reportedly offered Rajya Sabha berth from Maharashtra by the BJP, today said the decision regarding his candidature will be finalised after tomorrow's meeting between party chief Amit Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

"I met Fadnavis regarding various issues. He asked me about Rajya Sabha election and I told him my opinion," Rane told reporters on the state legislature complex here.

He said Fadnavis had told him that he would discuss this issue with Shah in Mumbai tomorrow.

"I and Fadnavis will discuss the issue after two days," Rane said.

Rane, who had served as state chief minister in 1990s when he was in Shiv Sena, last week claimed that Shah had offered him a Rajya Sabha berth.

However, Rane didn't disclose whether he has accepted the "offer", as doing so would mean staying away from the state at a time when he is waiting in wings to enter the Maharashtra cabinet.

His Cabinet entry was reportedly delayed due to the strong opposition by the Sena, the ruling partner in the Centre and the Maharashtra government.

Interestingly, Rane's son and Congress MLA Nitesh Rane recently tweeted that "Well-wishers like us want Rane saheb to be in state for longer time...Maharashtra needs him more..We want to see him in The Vidhan sabha..Hope he considers!"



His tweet ended with two words, fingers crossed and a hashtag #RaneforMaharashtra.

When asked about the tweet, Rane said it was Nitesh's personal opinion.

"I will think over it. My decision will have some reference to his tweet. What I feel about the tweet would be out after two days, not now. After two days, the decision will be taken after discussing it with Fadnavis and Shah. I will meet Shah wherever he is and whenever he calls me," Rane said.

He said the contents of his son's tweet were not discussed today during his meeting with the chief minster.

When asked about whether he will personally meet Shah tomorrow, Rane said, "I am not in Mumbai tomorrow".

The Konkan strongman denied receiving any new proposal from the BJP or Fadnavis regarding Rajya Sabha elections.

"I have also discussed the issue with some experts and journalists," he said without elaborating.

Rane, who floated the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksh after he quit the Congress last year following a 12-year stint, is eyeing a berth in the Fadnavis-led ministry, which completed three years in October last year.

Soon after forming the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksh last year, Rane had announced his support to the BJP-led NDA.

The election for six RS seats from Maharashtra will be held on March 23.

Presently, the Congress and the NCP each hold two of these six seats while the BJP and Shiv Sena share the rest.

The BJP has 122 MLAs in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and is in a position to get three candidates elected to the Rajya Sabha.

The deadline for submission of nominations is March 12 and the election, if necessary, will be held on March 23.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Tibetan government-in-exile has cancelled an event in Rajghat here and shifted another to Dharamsala that were planned to commemorate Dalai Lama's 60th year in exile in India, a Tibetan official said today.

Sonam Dagpo, Spokesperson of the 'Central Tibetan Administration', said this in the backdrop of a media report about an Indian government directive to senior functionaries at the centre and in states to skip events being organised by the Tibetans.

The planned inter-faith prayer meet at Rajghat has been cancelled and the 'Thank You India' event, which was to be held in Thyagaraj stadium here on March 31, will now be held in Dharamsala either on March 31 or April 1, he said.

The Dalai Lama was scheduled to attend both the events.

The Spokesperson said the 'Central Tibetan Administration' has not received any communication from the Indian government on the issue.

"We do not have any comment on the issue. We are grateful to the government and people of India for hosting Tibetan refugees for last 60 years. We want to express our gratitude to people of India for it," Dagpo told PTI.

Last week, the Indian Express had reported that following a communication by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha had sent out a note to senior functionaries of the central and state governments asking them to skip events being organised by the Tibetans.

The report had said the government had issued the note citing "sensitive" phase of India's ties with China.

Asked whether the Indian government's reported note is an indication of change in New Delhi's policy towards the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan refugees, Dagpo said, "No".

"The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) already clarified its position on the issue last week," he said.

Following the media report on the note by the Cabinet Secretary, the MEA on Friday had said that the Dalai Lama is a revered religious leader and is deeply respected by the people of India, adding there is no change in that position.

"Government of India's position on His Holiness the Dalai Lama is clear and consistent. He is a revered religious leader and is deeply respected by the people of India. There is no change in that position," MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said.

He said the Dalai Lama is "accorded all freedom to carry out his religious activities in India".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi government today approved a proposal for delivering rations in sealed packets at he doorstep to PDS beneficiaries, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said today.

The proposal of the Department of Food, Supply and Consumer Affairs for providing doorstep delivery of wheat/flour, rice and sugar for eligible beneficiaries was passed at a Cabinet meeting today and will be now be sent to the Lt Governor for final nod.

The meeting was attended by Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash and other officials.

"Attempts were made to put roadblocks in the passage of the scheme but then it was approved by the Cabinet today. It will now be sent to LG for his consent. I will also request the LG to consider it keeping in mind the poor residents of Delhi and pass it," Sisodia said.

Theft of ration, poor quality of supplies and shops remaining closed were the major issues that residents were facing and the implementation of this new scheme would put an end to these harassments, he said.

"Delhi government is committed to ensure that eligible beneficiaries receive their due ration in a transparent manner with maximum ease," he said.

Once approved by Lt Governor Anil Baijal, the service provider for home delivery of ration will be selected in a transparent manner through open bidding, a senior official said.

The attention of the Cabinet was also drawn to the extant laws/rules and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Government of India, asking state governments to ensure home delivery of ration to the beneficiaries experiencing difficulty in getting their entitled quantum of subsidised food grain due to old age, physical disability etc.

According to a government official, there are around 72 lakh PDS beneficiaries in the city.

Meanwhile, reacting to Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri's remarks about the AAP government "sitting" on the Delhi Metro phase IV project, which is pending for the last three years, Sisodia said he has gone through the proposal.

"The proposal says that many of the routes are not viable and if implemented in its current form, the metro fares will have to be increased which will affect common people. We have to thus make it more practical so that daily commuters do not suffer," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court was informed today that some alterations might have been done in Mahatma Gandhi's memorial at Rajghat, giving rise to maintenance issues.

An inspecting panel, comprising the CEO of Agha Khan Foundation and officials of the authorities concerned, told the court that possibly some changes have been brought at the memorial later and that material of inferior quality was used to construct the pathways.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to give the original site plan of Rajghat to the foundation's CEO Ratish Nanda who would examine it and submit a report after further inspecting the place.

The bench, which listed the matter for April 3, said he would mention in his report about the entire exercise which needed to be undertaken to maintain the pristine glory of the 'samadhi' and other regular steps.

The foundation, which is into restoration of several historical sites of national importance, has also pointed out that the memorial was in a reasonable condition but certain steps needed to be taken for which the original plan of the memorial was required.

During the hearing, Nipun Malhotra, on whose plea the court had earlier ordered a disability audit of government buildings in the national capital, also submitted his report on the disability audit conducted by him at Rajghat.

Regarding the place being disabled-friendly, he said 90 per cent of the area was in good shape and it was one of the best places to visit in Delhi but the bus stand outside it needed to be fixed. He also gave several recommendations which would be examined by the CPWD engineer.

Advocate Satyakam, who was appointed local commissioner and asked by the court to inspect the site, said that drinking water was now available at Rajghat and toilets were also clean.

The high court had earlier said that the memorial was visited by people from across the world and deserved to be respected and maintained properly.

It had even pulled up the Rajghat Samadhi Committee, entrusted with maintaining the memorial, and the CPWD, saying they failed to perform their statutory duties.

It had ordered setting up of a committee including one members from the authorities concerned, Agha Khan Foundation and Nipun Malhotra, and directed them to flag deficiencies.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) which alleged that Mahatma Gandhi's memorial was not being properly maintained.

Petitioner Shyam Narayan Chouksey claimed that the memorial "was not at all being properly and cleanly maintained", and despite being brought to the notice of the committee and the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), there had been no change in the situation.

In the PIL, Chouksey has submitted photos of alleged deficiencies that he had come across during his visit to the monument in 2014 and then again in 2015 and 2016, when he claimed the situation had worsened.

He has alleged there were betel stains at the entrance, broken floor tiles, rubbish lying all around the monument, the white marble has turned black due to lack of cleaning while the green carpet laid for visitors to walk was damaged.

Two toilets were in very poor condition and unclean, and at many places sewage lines are exposed and filled with garbage, becoming "breeding place for mosquitoes and other insects".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Centre today appointed Dr Hardeo Singh Yadav as the director of the North East Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST) near here, ending an eight-day long stalemate at the central institute.

The Students' Union of NERIST (SUN) had been agitating since February 27 demanding appointment of a regular director, but they were not happy with the appointment as it wanted a director from outside. Dr Yadav is a teacher at the NERIST.

"The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal based on recommendation of the Search-cum- Selection Committee, for appointment of Dr H S Yadav to the post of Director, NERIST on contract basis for a period of five years from the date of assumption of charge," a notification of the Union HRD ministry said today.

Dr Yadav is currently serving as the senior most professor of the chemistry department in the institute, had served as in-charge director of the deemed university from April 19, 2016 to March 26 last year.

The students union and the employees association of the institute, however, were not happy as they wanted a director from outside.

"No one is happy with the decision of the ministry as we want a regular director from outside the institute," SUN president Banta Natung said.

"We will soon call a meeting of all the stakeholders of the institute and discuss our future course of action," Natung added.

During the agitation, the students had locked the institution.

Some students also resorted to hunger strike since March 1 and two of them had to be taken to hospital on Monday.

The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union yesterday called for a shut-down of colleges and universities in the state.

NERIST Employees Association general secretary Tana Suren said the employees would go with the decision of the students.

The 34-year old institute has been without a regular director since 7 October, 2014 and it is affecting over 1800 students.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A dreaded criminal, Saraj Singh Sandhu, wanted in the gruesome murder of a Hindu outfit leader in Amritsar last year and other cases, was arrested today in Jalandhar district, the Punjab Police claimed.

A joint team of the Organised Crime Control Unit (OCCU) of Punjab Police and Jalandhar (Rural) Police arrested Sandhu near Bidhipur Railway Phatak, close to Jalandhar-Amritsar road (NH-1), around 6.15 am today, police said.

Sandhu alias Mintoo was wanted in the high-profile daylight murder of Hindu Sangharsh Sena leader Vipan Sharma in Amritsar. Sharma was shot dead from point blank range in full public view at Bharat Nagar locality on Batala-Amritsar road on October 30 last year.

Sandhu, who carried a reward of Rs five lakh on his head, was also facing multiple heinous crime cases of murder, extortion, drug trade, robbery and bank dacoity in Amritsar, Hoshiarpur and Batala, police officials said.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh congratulated the police teams for the success of the operation carried out under the guidance of DGP Suresh Arora and DGP (Intelligence) Dinkar Gupta.

Giving details of the arrest, Assistant Inspector General, OCCU, Jalandhar, H P S Khakh said two sophisticated pistols, along with a huge catch of ammunition, was seized from the 'A' category hardcore gangster, who carried a reward of Rs five lakh on his head.

This was the first time that Sandhu was arrested despite his long and active involvement in crime, he added.

During preliminary investigation, Sandhu allegedly confessed to his involvement in various crimes, the most prominent being the daylight murder of Sharma on October 30 last year, said the AIG, adding that more cases were expected to be solved with further investigation.

Sandhu, on his Facebook page last year, had claimed that he had killed Sharma.

In the post, he held Sharma responsible for the murder of a policeman, who was the father of his friend-Shubham Singh.

Sandhu along with Shubham Singh and one Dharminder Singh, were booked for their alleged involvement in the case.

The AIG said on September 1 last year, Sandhu and his associates, attacked a police party and freed notorious criminal Shubham Singh when the latter was about to be produced in Amritsar court.

Police said Sandhu also confessed to having been involved in drug trade with his two of his close associates -Jaggu Bhagwan Purian and Bobby Malhotra, at present lodged in Hoshiarpur and Amritsar jails respectively.

The AIG said police was planning to seek production warrants of both these inmates for further investigation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In one of the biggest drug seizures, DRI officials confiscated over 2,000 kg of cannabis near here, according to an official statement issued today.

Acting on input, officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted a truck at Diengpasoh and recovered 2,058 kg of ganja (cannabis) concealed in corrugated paper cartons and covered with tarpaulin.

The DRI officials were assisted by officers of 123rd Battalion of the Border Security Force and Shillong Customs.

The driver of the vehicle, who hails from Patna in Bihar, has been arrested, the statement from the DRI read.

"Primarily, it has been found that the contraband was sourced from Tripura and was destined for Kolkata," it read.

The value of the contraband, which was seized on Saturday, is over Rs 1 crore, according to a DRI official.

This is one of the biggest cases in the recent past and is a major breakthrough in efforts of the DRI to combat smuggling and trafficking of narcotics and psychoactive substances, the statement read.

The traffickers appear to be part of an organised cartel and it is expected that the case would have a deterrent effect, it said.

Also, over 1.81 lakh bottles of codeine-based cough syrups have been seized in five separate cases.

As many as 7,500 kg of ganja has been seized by the DRI. Of this, about 6,450 kg of dry cannabis was recovered in Assam in six separate cases.

In West Bengal, around 1,050 kg of dry cannabis has been seized from Kolkata and Berhampore in two separate cases.

Most of the Cannabis emanates from the Manipur-Tripura region and is destined for other regions of the country, it said.

As many as 26 alleged smugglers or carriers have been arrested by the DRI from the region, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Bihar government has set up the Education Finance Corporation to disburse loans for Students Credit Card (SCC) scheme and it would start providing loans from the next financial year, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said in the Assembly today.

Kumar also announced that a research centre on Ganga Dolphin, which have been declared the national aquatic animal, would be set up in the state.

The Education Finance Corporation would provide funds up to Rs 4 lakh to a student to pursue higher studies without worrying about expenses, Kumar said while intervening in reply to a question.

"The gross enrolment ratio for higher studies in Bihar is 13.9 per cent. The students' credit card scheme was launched to raise this to at least 20 per cent so that more youths have access to quality higher education," he said.

The SCC



scheme was launched in October 2016 despite financial strains caused by devastating floods, he said adding that an agreement was signed with banks that for every Rs 100 borrowed by a student, the state government will provide a guarantee of Rs 160.

"However, we noted that the banks were delaying the disbursement of funds to the beneficiaries", Kumar said.

The delay could have been partly caused by very high number of claimants, but even then, their response was not along expected line, the chief minister said.

"So, we decided to set up the Education Finance Corporation which will help in implementing the scheme without involving banks from the next financial year," he said.

He also expressed concern over the dwindling number of Ganga Dolphins, and announced that a research centre devoted to the species would soon be set up at Patna or Bhagalpur.

The first preference of setting up of the research centre is the premises of the Patna University, Kumar said adding that if that was not possible because of shortage of land, it would be established at Bhagalpur.

"The Ganga Dolphin was declared the national aquatic animal after I moved a proposal to this effect at a meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority chaired by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," the chief minister said.

Kumar also said the state government was releasing money from its own contingency fund to make up for the shortfall in the centrally-sponsored old age pension scheme.

The shortfall was not caused by any irregularity but the number of beneficiaries in the state is more than 50 lakh whereas the Centre had fixed a limit of 29 lakh for the state, the chief minister said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who has been trying for a solution to the Ayodhya dispute through mediation, met Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Maulana Tauqir Raza Khan here today and said the issue should be resolved by finding a 'win-win' situation for both the sides.

Ravi Shankar, who reached the Trishul airbase here in a private jet, offered a 'chaadar' at the Dargah Ala Hazrat and also visited the Alakhnath temple and offered prayers to Lord Shiva.

"Ram Temple should be constructed, a mosque should be constructed. Both, the parties should be happy, and ground work in this direction is going on. We can create win-win situation," Ravi Shankar told reporters here.

Referring to a remark made by him earlier, Ravi Shankar said he had cited Syria just as an example.

"It was a point of view, and not threat. There is no point in giving a threat. I cannot imagine it even in my dreams. We want peace, and an atmosphere of harmony...I feel that the situation which is prevailing in other countries, should never arise in our country. We are working in those countries," he said.

The spiritual leader said that in Iraq, there were nearly 15 lakh refugees living in tents and his organisation's people were providing them food and medicines. All I want to say that there should be no communal violence in the country, he said adding that both the communities should move forward.

"There is a temple...Both the sides will sit and hold talks. There should be temple as well as a mosque, and both sides should win, and this is our intention," he added.

Talking to reporters, Khan said that Ravi Shankar said he was trying to create such an atmosphere that different parties of the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute may sit, hold talks and find a solution.

According to Khan, Ravi Shankar told him that ordinary Hindus and Muslims wanted a peaceful solution to the dispute and if the parties involved got ready for talks, it will be beneficial for the country.

"Ravishankar is being seen with suspicion, and some are even calling him a puppet of the BJP. However, the truth is that the BJP does not want to resolve the issue...The intentions of Ravi Shankar are good," Khan said.

Khan said he endorsed Ravi Shankar's views and will help the spiritual leader in his campaign.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Elephants searching for food have trampled 10 Rohingya refugees to death in multiple incidents, the UN said today, announcing a new plan to foster "safe coexistence" between animals and sprawling refugee settlements.

Some 700,000 people from Myanmar's Rohingya community have fled over the border to Bangladesh since August, following an army crackdown that the UN has said amounts to an ongoing campaign of "ethnic cleansing".

Refugee camps have shot up in Bangladesh's border area of Cox's Bazar, including Kutupalong which is now the largest refugee camp in the world.

Living conditions for refugees remain extremely difficult despite a growing international response, but the United Nations refugee agency said the threat from elephants had emerged as a new concern.

"The area now occupied by the Kutupalong refugee settlement has long been an important habitat for Asian Elephants. There are about 40 elephants in the area and they move between Bangladesh and Myanmar in search of food," the Geneva-based agency said in a statement.

"When wild elephants attempt to pass through the camp they inevitably come into contact with people, which is where the danger arises.

"Tragically 10 refugees have been killed by frightened elephants inside the settlements. Other people have been injured and lost the little property they had," the statement further said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hollywood actor Emma Watson lent her support to the Time's Up movement at the Oscars afterparty as she sported a tattoo promoting the cause.

The actor, however, has not commented if the tattoo is permanent or temporary.

The ink read "Times Up" on her arm, missing the apostrophe for the organisation.

Watson, 27, has been an outspoken proponent of the Time's Up movement, which began after bombshell exposes revealed decades of alleged sexual misconduct by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

The movement calls on people who have experienced sexual misconduct in the workplace to speak up. A number of Hollywood stars, including Watson, have voiced their support and donated to the movement.

"There is no question that #TIMESUP should be and will be a global movement. A movement that is defined and led by those affected by the problem, not by those in power," , Watson wrote in a recent Instagram post.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India is all set to become the 69th member of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) after shareholders of the international financial institution gave their nod to the country's candidature.

The EBRD today announced that its shareholders have agreed to India becoming its member.

The move follows the Indian government's application to seek the EBRD membership back in December 2017 and sets the stage for an increase in joint investment with Indian companies in the Bank's regions of operation.

The formal membership process will now get underway, which includes the purchase of shares by India at an estimated cost of around 1 million euros.

"This is an important step in the relationship between the EBRD and India, allowing us to build further on already very close ties, said Suma Chakrabarti, the Indian-origin President of the bank.

The EBRD's Board of Governors, which represents all the existing shareholders of the UK-based bank, voted in favour of India's membership application last week. If all the paperwork is processed in time, India could be ready to take its seat at the table in time for the bank's annual meeting in Jordan in May.

The London-headquartered EBRD is a multilateral development bank set up in 1991 after the fall of the Berlin wall to promote private and entrepreneurial initiative in emerging Europe.

It invests in 38 emerging economies across three continents, according to a set of criteria that aim to make its countries more competitive, better governed, greener, more inclusive, more resilient and more integrated.

The bank has worked with leading Indian companies, such as Tata, Mahindra, SREI and Jindal, on investments in its regions, with the value of such joint projects worth an estimated 1 billion euros.

With India now taking a shareholding in the EBRD, it is expected that the scope of these joint initiatives will be further enhanced. While India will not be a recipient of EBRD financing, it will benefit from the banks expertise and support in the region.

Indian companies are going global and a lot of the push for this membership came from them. India could see the benefit from it and the additional comfort level of working in regions where we have local knowledge, said Nandita Parshad, EBRD managing director, energy and natural resources, who will be heading to India later this week for meetings with the Department of Economic Affairs on the issue.

"India is taking on a major role in shaping the strategy at a global level, including with the International Solar Alliance. It is important to have a seat at the table," added Parshad, who will participate in the founding ceremony of the International Solar Alliance in New Delhi on Sunday.

Last year, the EBRD had signed an accord to strengthen ties with the alliance, which was launched during the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris at the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former French President Franois Hollande as a platform for cooperation among solar resource-rich economies.

According to official estimates, the total value of joint India-EBRD investments in EBRD economies currently stands at 982 million euros, with the majority of the transactions in the private sector.

A recent example of this cooperation is in Turkey where the EBRD and Mahindra & Mahindra are both shareholders in Turkish agricultural machinery manufacturer Hisarlar, after Mahindra bought a 75.1 per cent stake last year. The EBRD has an 18.7 per cent stake in the Turkish company.

The bank also works closely with leading Indian chambers such as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India and recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).Ex-KGB spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were in a critical condition after being exposed to an "unknown substance", British police said today, years after the Russian double agent was granted refuge in the UK after a high-profile spy swap between the US and Russia in 2010.

Skripal, 66, was found slumped on a shopping center bench in Salisbury, southern England, with his daughter Yulia Skripal, 33.

Skripal is a former Russian double agent, who was convicted in Russia after spying for the UK.

Once a colonel in Russia's GRU military intelligence service, he was given refuge in Britain after he was exchanged in 2010 for Russian spies caught in the West as part of a Cold War-style swap in Vienna.

Relatives told the BBC that Yulia was in Britain to visit her father. His son is said to have died in non-suspicious circumstances while on holiday in Russia last year.

Police said both were unconscious when they were discovered on Sunday afternoon.

Both are critically ill in hospital and UK police are trying to find out what "unknown substance" harmed the pair, report said.

It has also emerged that two police officers dealing with the incident were treated for "minor symptoms", the report said.

Skripal's wife, son and older brother have all died in the past two years.

The case has drawn inevitable comparisons to the poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, who died a slow death after meeting a contact at a London sushi restaurant in 2006.

Litvinenko died after being poisoned with radioactive polonium-210, which was believed to have been put in his tea.

Police are looking for similarities between the cases and the modus operandi used, the Independent reported.

Meanwhile, Russia today insisted it had "no information" on what could have led to the incident, but said it was open to co-operate in the police investigation if requested.

Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, told journalists that Moscow was prepared to help with the investigation.

"We see this tragic situation but we don't have information on what could have led to this, what he was engaged in," he said.

Police are currently examining CCTV footage, filmed by a Salisbury gym, showing an unidentified man and woman walking near to the location where Skripal and his daughter were found.

A woman who saw Skripal and his daughter described the couple as appearing "out of it." Freya Church, a local resident, said she saw the pair on a bench. "She sort of leant in on him, it looked like she'd passed out maybe. He was doing some strange hand movements, looking up to the sky," Church said.

"I felt like I should step in but to be honest they looked so out of it that I thought that even if I did step in I wasn't sure how I would help. So yeah, I just left them, but it looked like they'd been taking something quite strong."



Wiltshire Police said the pair, found at The Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, had no visible injuries - but that officers were investigating whether a crime had been committed.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden said: "They are currently being treated for suspected exposure to an unknown substance."



He said the police's "major incident" response was not a counter-terrorism investigation - but that multiple agencies were involved and they were keeping an "open mind".

Meanwhile, police have closed the nearby Zizzi restaurant "as a precaution".

Holden said police were keeping an open mind on the cause of injuries. He said the incident was not being treated as terrorism and cautioned against speculation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The government should exclude brokers and adopt liberal financing pattern for the implementation of its proposed schemes to ensure that farmers get minimum support price (MSP) for their crops, a parliamentary panel has recommended.

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, headed by Hukm Deo Narayan Yadav, today presented reports on 'Demand for Grants' of three departments under the agriculture ministry --- agriculture & cooperation; agriculture research and education; animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries.

It also presented a report on demand of grants of food processing ministry.

In his Budget speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced that the Niti Aayog in consultation with central and state governments will put in place a fool-proof mechanism to ensure farmers get benefit of MSP.

"The Committee note that Market Assurance Scheme (MAS) is being proposed as a decentralised scheme for procurement of pulses, oilseeds and coarse grains produced in respective states whose MSP are declared by the central government," the report said.

The Centre will reimburse states for up to 40 per cent of losses incurred by the state agencies, it added.

Similarly, the report said that the Price Deficiency Procurement Scheme (PDPS) envisages direct payment of the difference between the MSP and the selling price to farmers selling his produce in the APMC yard through a transparent auction process.

The panel said that these schemes are under consideration and hoped that the Niti Aayog would complete the process of consultation with all stakeholders for launch of this scheme in next fiscal.

"However, the committee desire the government to incorporate suitable measures in schemes to exclude brokers during the implementation of the scheme," the report said.

It also asked the government to adopt liberal financing pattern for implementation of the scheme in early years.

In a separate report on animal husbandry department, the panel recommended functional autonomy to Delhi Milk Scheme (DMS) on the lines of other commercial dairies, enabling it to take strategic decisions.

"The Committee have also recommended that upgradation and renovation of the DMS plant and its machinery be taken up at the earliest in order to help the plant function to its optimal capacity," the report added.

On the need to address the issue of farmers loans and avert farmers suicides, the panel recommended that the government should formulate a policy for grant of special package for rehabilitation of the bereaved families of the farmers who commit suicide under distress.

A mechanism should be set up to monitor the relief to bereaved families without any inordinate delay, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A farmer of a village near the forest area in this district was attacked by a bear and seriously injured, police said today.

Thangam (60) of Nakalpatti village was working in his field late last evening when the bear suddenly appeared in front of him and attacked him, they said.

He sustained serious injuries and fell unconsious after which the animal left the area, they said.

The farmer was rushed to the government Rajaji hospital here late last night.

The doctors at the hospital said he had suffered serious injuries in his head and had lost a lot of blood, but would recover.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A gang of armed robbers allegedly looted around 5 kg of gold today from an ornament manufacturing unit in Moosabowli area after tying the workers, police said.

The incident occurred around 12.30 PM when a group of 10-12 masked men entered the unit and threatened the workers with knives, said DCP (South Zone)VSatyanarayana.

He said the men tied up 21 workers before fleeing with the gold.

"Around 5 kg of gold was robbed. They also took away the CCTV cameras installed in the unit," the officer said.

He said the police are suspecting involvement of some former and current employees. "We have got some clues," he added.

"Police are probing why there was no resistance from the workers," the DCP said, adding that the case will be cracked soon.

Police have formed special teams to trace the accused.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)After failing to get any concrete assurance from the Union government for the iron ore mining industry in Goa, which is staring at a crisis in the wake of an SC ruling, an all-party delegation in the state plans to intensify its efforts to help out the industry.

Among other things, the delegation plans to meet Goa Governor Mridula Sinha and Union ministers over the issue. The delegation also plans to approach the state cabinet for a resolution seeking Centre's intervention.

It also eyes to get the Goa Daman and Diu Mining Concession (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987, amended to ensure that iron ore mining activities continue even afterMarch 15.

The Supreme Court had last month quashed the second renewal of iron ore mining leases given to 88 companies in Goa in 2015. The apex court said it was giving time till March 15 to mining lease holders, who have been granted a second renewal in violation of its previous directions, to manage their affairs.

"We will now meet Goa Governor Mridula Sinha and urge her to take up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi," BJP legislator Nilesh Cabral, who was part of the all-party delegation that visited Delhi yesterday, said.

The delegation will also visit Delhi on March 9 and meet Union Minister for Mines Narendra Singh Tomar, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, to press for the demand, he said.

"We will also approach the state cabinet for a resolution seeking Centre's intervention in ensuring that iron ore mining activities continue in the state postMarch 15," Cabral said.

"The cabinet will also have to grant its nod toamend the Goa Daman and Diu Mining Concession (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987, which will give extension to the mining leases," he said.

"If not amendment to the Abolition Act, the Union government can at least issue an ordinance keeping in abeyance the Supreme Court's judgment delivered on February 7, 2018 for the next four-five years, while initiating the process for auction of leases," he said.

The delegation, which went to Delhi yesterday had met Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal, but failed to get any concrete assurance from them.

Cabral said that both the union ministers asked the delegation to get the resolution from the state cabinet so that the demand gets "more weightage".

The BJP legislator said that even in the absence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, the three-member cabinet advisory committee formed by him (Parrikar) can approve the resolution.

Parrikar has formed the cabinet advisory committee comprising ministers Sudin Dhavalikar (MGP), Vijai Sardesai (Goa Forward Party) and Francis D'Souza (BJP). The committee would guide the state administration on various matters, including financial issues.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Loans worth Rs 816.83 billion were written-off by public sector banks (PSBs) in 2016-17, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today in the Rajya Sabha.

In a written reply, Jaitley said that writing-off of loans is done for tax benefit as well as capital optimisation and borrowers of such loans continue to be liable for repayment.

The amount written off (including through compromise) by PSBs was Rs 816.83 billion in the financial year 2016-17, including Rs 203.39 billion by the State Bank of India (as per RBI data on global operations), he said.

The amount written off by nationalised banks was Rs 287.81 billion during 2017-18 (up to September, 2017).

As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines and policy approved by Bank Boards, non-performing loans, including those in respect of which full provisioning has been made on completion of four years, are removed from the balance-sheet of the bank concerned by way of write-off.

Jaitley further said that recovery of dues takes place on ongoing basis under legal mechanisms, which include, the Secularisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, Debts Recovery Tribunals and Lok Adalats.

"Therefore, write-off does not benefit borrowers," the minister added.

In another reply, Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla said in the five-financial years since April 1, 2013, as many as 13,643 cases of frauds in banks involving an aggregate amount of Rs 527.17 billion was reported.

On a query regarding benami deals, Shukla said more than 1,000 properties have been attached provisionally under the Prohibition of Benami Properties Transactions Act till January 31, 2018.

"These include plots of land, flats, shops, jewellery, vehicles, deposits in bank account, fixed deposits. The value of properties under provisional attachment is over Rs 38 billion," he added.The government is likely to receive an interim dividend of Rs 10,000 crore from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) this month, sources said.

According to them, the government expects the RBI to pay a total dividend of about Rs 45,000 crore for financial year 2017-18.

Talks between the RBI and the government over the payment of dividend are still on, sources said, adding that the final call is yet to be taken.

An email sent to RBI in this regard did not elicit any response.

Under the RBI Act, 1934, the central bank is required to pay the government its surplus after making provisions for bad and doubtful debts, depreciation in assets and, contribution to staff and superannuation fund among others.

In August 2017, RBI had paid a dividend of Rs 30,659 crore for its fiscal year ended June 2017. It was less than half the Rs 65,876 crore it had paid for 2015-16.

The government has budgeted for a Rs 58,000 crore dividend from RBI for the current fiscal year.

RBI's profit was about Rs 44,000 crore, of which Rs 30,000 crore has been distributed and Rs 13,000 crore it has retained towards risks and reserves. So the government has made a suggestion that the Rs 13,000 crore may also be transferred, the sources said.

RBI Governor Urjit Patel last month said the central bank will continue to transfer surpluses to the government in 'mechanical way' as it has been doing in the past.

There were media reports that the RBI may give additional dividend to the government in the current fiscal.

The reports stated that the government may ask the RBI to transfer close to Rs 13,000 crore from its surpluses with the apex bank to help in recapitalisation of state-run banks.

"We always share the dividend with the government and we have already done that this year.

That is something which is done in a mechanical way and we will continue doing so, going forward," Patel had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said today the government would soon file an affidavit in the Supreme Court related to amendment in the Delhi Master Plan 2021.

His remarks came after the apex court today took strong exception to the non-filing of affidavits by the Delhi government, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and municipal corporation of Delhi (MCDs) on whether an environment impact assessment was conducted before proposing amendment to the city's Master Plan.

Puri, the housing urban affairs minister, said the government would soon file the affidavit in the Supreme Court.

The DDA, an autonomous body, is attached to the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.

"There are difficulties with the master plan. You know a city is a growing entity, a city is subjected to demographic pressures. People are moving to cities from villages for economic opportunities. So a master plan of any city must be flexible and should able to absorb the upcoming changes," he told reporters at the BJP headquarters while responding to a question on the order.

Puri said he along with the Lt Governor, the DDA vice chairman sat together for a week or ten days to find the solution to the issues such as Floor Area Ratio (FAR), conversion charges and others.

"So we developed a plan that was placed before DDA and it was passed by the authority last week. Now our law officer, the additional solicitor general, will place this solution in the form of affidavit before the court. Then court will take the view," he said.

The minister expressed hope that the Supreme Court, looking at the realities of the national capital, "will give the order which will be good for the citizens of the Delhi".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Six days after the fair price shop owners in Gujarat launched an indefinite strike over their various demands, they called off the stir today following the state government's assurance to meet their demands at the earliest.

The Gujarat Fair Price Shop Owners' Association ended the strike after state Food and Civil Supplies minister Jayesh Radadiya met the protesters and assured to fulfil their demands, including a hike in commission from food grain sales and a solution to technical glitches in the software controlling the state's Annapurna Yojana.

The association, however, said it has given the state government time till April 1 to accept its list of demands, failing which they will surrender their licence en mass as protest.

Around 25,000 ration shops in the state, including kerosene dealers, had gone on a strike from March 1 to press for their demands. The strike hit the poor people, as they could not get foor grain and other essential items.

"The minister said that he supports our demands, but needs time to resolve the issues. He will meet the chief minister and state finance minister over our demands. He sought time and urged us to end our strike," Prahlad Modi, president of the association, said.

"We have decided to end the strike for now, but given an ultimatum to them that we will surrender our licence en masse on April 1 if the government fails to find a solution to our demands before the deadline," Modi, the younger brother of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said.

Fair price shops had launched the strike from March 1 after the talks held with Radadiya on February 27 remained inconclusive.

Shop owners claimed that commission paid to them in Gujarat is much lower in comparison to that given in some other BJP-ruled states, and want that the commission be brought at par with that offered in states like Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra and Kerala.

Around 3.82 crore people in the state are dependent on the fair price shops for their daily needs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US envoy Nikki Haley has accused the UN of "bullying" Israel, saying she will not tolerate a situation where the world body of 198 countries spend half their time attacking the Jewish nation.

Referring to her Indian-American heritage and some of the bitter experiences she endured while growing in her home town in South Carolina, Haley said she has zero patience for bullying.

When I grew up, we were the only Indian family in a small southern town in South Carolina. On the whole it was a great friendly community. But that didn't mean every day was great. My parents were immigrants. My father wore a turban, my mother wore sari. There were times that we got bullied, the US ambassador to the UN said.

I stood up to bullying then, and I will stand up to bullying Israel at the UN, said 46-year-old Haley, the first Indian-American to serve on a Cabinet rank position in any presidential administration in the US.

We will not tolerate a situation that a world body of 198 countries can spend half their time attacking one country: Israel. What used to be a monthly Israel bashing session now at least has more balance. But we're never going to put up with bullying," she said amidst a standing ovation from the audience.

She alleged that in the UN and throughout the UN agencies, Israel does get bullied.

"It gets bullied because the countries that don't like Israel are used to being able to get away with it. That just doesn't sit well with me, Haley said in her address to the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

The UN spends more than half of its time singling out one country. We will not stand for it any longer," Haley said as she reiterated the pledge of the Trump administration for its commitment to the Israeli.

If we want to talk about security in the Middle East we should talk about Iran or Syria or Hezbollah, Hamas, ISIS, the famine in Yemen. There are probably 10 major problems facing the middle east and Israel doesnt have anything to do with any of them," she said.

Defending the decision of President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, she said America did not make Jerusalem as Israeli Capital, it was, is and always will be Israel's capital.

"What President Trump did, to his great credit, was recognise a reality that American presidents had denied for too long, she said.

Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israels capital in December and announced that the US embassy would move to the city in May, shortly after Israels 70th anniversary.

The decision caused uproar in the Arab world and led Palestinian leaders to reject a US role in mediating a resolution to the decades old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Trump yesterday said he might even the visit Jerusalem in May this year to open the new American Embassy there.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)With about half-a-dozen contenders for the lone Rajya Sabha seat going to polls in Uttarakhand on March 23, the ruling BJP may find it difficult to pick its nominee.

Though victory of the BJP nominee looks certain with the party enjoying a huge majority in the state assembly, choosing one candidate over another will not be easy, political observers here feel. The BJP has 57 MLAs in the 70-member Assembly.

Nearly half-a-dozen names are doing the rounds as probables for the seat including former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, state BJP president Ajay Bhatt, in-charge of the party affairs in the state Shyam Jaju and party national spokesman Anil Baluni.

Bahuguna is credited with engineering a split in the Congress which saw many party stalwarts joining the BJP at the time of the assembly election last year, whereas Bhatt is the man under whose leadership the party swept to power in the state.

Shyam Jaju, who is in charge of the partys affairs in the state, is also credited with piloting it to its emphatic victory in the last polls having overseen the rebellion against Harish Rawat by his own MLAs and all of them later joining the BJP and emerging victorious on the partys ticket, a factor widely viewed as the one which led to the Congresss total electoral rout.

Anil Balunis contention is also considered strong because of his son of the soil image and his proximity to central leaders as the partys national spokesman.

Other names doing the rounds as contenders for the seat are national secretary and former state unit chief Tirath Singh Rawat , Uttarakhand statehood agitationist Sushila Baluni and industrialist Anil Goel.

However, the party holds its cards close to its chest when asked about ongoing speculation in the media on the issue, saying the choice of a candidate is the sole prerogative of the partys central leadership.

The partys central leadership alone can decide who the partys candidate will be. I can only say whoever is chosen as the partys candidate, our victory is certain, state BJP president Ajay Bhatt said when asked at a press conference here recently to comment on it.

Jaju was here on March 3 to hold a closed-door meeting with party leaders to take their feedback on the forthcoming civic polls and the Rajya Sabha election.

The Rajya Sabha seat where election is being held on March 23 falls vacant on April 2 when Congress MP Mahendra Singh Mahras tenure ends. There are three Rajya Sabha seats in Uttarakhand, all of which belong to the Congress at present.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Kerala High Court today ordered the police here to register an FIR against the head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Cardinal George Alencherry, and three others on a complaint alleging irregularities in land deals involving them in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese.

Passing the order, Justice B Kemal Pasha rejected the Cardinal's contention that the land belonged to the diocese and that a third party could not complain about the alleged loss in the sale of such a private property.

He held that the Cardinal was only a caretaker of the assets owned by the church and that any ordinary member of the society could seek action if any irregularities took place in the dealings of the Church properties.

The judge passed the order on a petition filed by one Shine Varghese from Cherthala,who had moved the court saying the Ernakulam Central Police had not lodged a First Information Report (FIR) on his complaint against the Cardinal and others over the land deals.

Besides Alencherry, priests Joshy Puthuva and Sebastian Vadakkumpadan and middleman Saju Varghese were the others against whom the complaint was lodged.

The judge observed that the non-registration of the FIR, despite receiving a complaint, was in violation of the Supreme Court's 2013 ruling in the Lalita Kumari case, laying down the guidelines on FIRs.

Directing the police to conduct a free-and-fair probe after filing the FIR, Justice Pasha said the alleged conspiracy and breach of trust issues could be investigated.

Alencherry's counsel had contended that the Cardinal could not be charged with breach of trust in the sale of land belonging to the church and the alleged financial loss.

In his complaint, the petitioner had sought the registration of an FIR for criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and cheating against the Cardinal and the three others.

The complaint was filed last month after a church committee, which probed the alleged irregularities in financial and land transactions of the archdiocese, said it found numerous instances of violation of canon and civil laws and recommended necessary action against those responsible.

The six-member enquiry committee had also said that Cardinal Alencherry "seems to have fully known and involved" in the alienation and purchase of lands by the archdiocese between April 1, 2015 and November 30, 2017.

The panel, comprising priests, was appointed by Alencherry, who is also the Major Archbishop of the archdiocese, after some priests and faithful accused him of selling prime land of the archdiocese for "a very low price".

The Syro-Malabar Church has over 30 dioceses in the country and four outside -- in the US, Canada, Australia and Britain -- serving over five million faithful.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Heated exchanges were witnessed in the Haryana Assembly today as the INLD and Congress legislators sparred with the ruling BJP benches over the issues of Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal construction and stir launched by Anganwadi workers.

The members of the two opposition parties also staged a symbolic walkout from the House on two occasions over these issues.

During the Zero Hour, Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala sought a discussion on the SYL issue. However, the speaker told the senior INLD leader that he could raise the matter when the debate on the governor's address took place.

Most other INLD legislators present in the House got up and raised slogans against the BJP government, dubbing it as "anti-farmer". Later, Chautala told the speaker that his party had given an adjournment motion on the SYL issue.

Chautala alleged that the government was trying to mislead the people by saying that the issue was pending before the court whereas there was no bar on taking up the matter of canal's construction.

"The chief minister must reply as to what efforts have been taken by the state government to plead its case with the Centre to ensure that the water of SYL, which is a lifeline for the people of Haryana, gets built at the earliest," he said.

The Congress MLAs, meanwhile, who were led by their state legislature party leader Kiran Choudhary pressed for bringing an adjournment motion on Anganwadi workers and other issues.

Sharp exchanges were witnessed between the INLD and ruling BJP benches as the former indulged in sloganeering on the SYL issue, blaming the BJP government for the delay in its construction.

The INLD members also staged a walkout on the issue and as Chautala was walking out of the House, he took objection to some remark made by Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala.

When the INLD members resumed their seats, they launched an attack on Barala, who got up saying that he had not used any unparliamentary word and blamed opposition members for creating an unnecessary ruckus.

As heated exchanges continued between the two sides, Speaker Kanwar Pal warned the members, asking them to refrain from passing any personal remarks against other members.

While the speaker did not allow the adjournment motions, he allowed brief time to Choudhary and Chautala to speak on the matters raised by them. They asked the government to meet the genuine demands of the Anganwadi workers and helpers.

Choudhary said Anganwadi workers had been on a stir for 23 days in support of their demands, including regularisation of services and better honorariums.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Women and Child Development Minister Kavita Jain gave a detailed reply in the House on the Anganwadi workers' issue.

Later, taking part in the debate on the Governor's Address, Chautala again touched upon the SYL issue and said the state government must vigorously take up the issue with the Centre to ensure the canal's early construction.

The INLD is holding an 'Adhikaar rally' in Delhi on March 7 to pressure the Centre to complete the canal.

Earlier, Khattar had asked the opposition parties not to politicise the SYL issue and refrain from "inciting" public sentiments. He also said they must move forward on the construction rather than politicising the issue.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Actor Henry Cavill has revealed he was shocked to find that he was mistakenly listed as dead on the Internet



The 34-year-old actor, who is best known for playing Superman in the DC Extended Universe movies, took to his Instagram account to express his bemusement at being listed as dead on Google.

"When you learn that you died 2 days ago..." the actor posted along side a screen-shot of the Google page showing that he died on March 3.

Cavill will be seen next as Reville Smites in "Mission: Impossible - Fallout".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A delegation of the Manipur-based Hmar People's Convention (Democratic) arrived here today for peace parleys with the Mizoram government tomorrow, a senior police officer said.

The 11-member delegation was headed by the HPC(D) working chairman Lalthangliana Hmar, he said.

Tomorrow's talks would be the first political level talks of the peace parley which began on August 10, 2016, additional secretary to the department of home Lalbiakzama said.

Lalbiakzama said that the state government delegation would be headed by Lalrinmawia Ralte, the political advisor to the Mizoram chief minister. He would be accompanied by ruling Congress legislator John Siamkunga and assisted by a team of home department officials.

The HPC(D) was formed by Lalhmingthanga Sinate after the HPC cadres laid down arms after the accord inked with the Mizoram government. It continued to demand a separate autonomous district council under the sixth schedule of the Constitution for the Hmar community in the north eastern part of the state adjoining Manipur.

The outfit had split into two factions - the bigger one headed by H Zosangbera and the other by Sanate.

Sanate was recently arrested by the Assam Police for alleged murder of Norbar Sanate, the finance secretary of the Zosangbera faction and had been in judicial custody till date.

The efforts made by the state government to rein in the Sanate faction failed as the Assam-based group demanded separate autonomous district council and tripartite talks involving the centre which was rejected outright by the Mizoram government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport has been rated as the world number one among airports handling more than 40 million passengers per annum in a survey by the Airports Council International (ACI).

Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport has been ranked as the Worlds Best Airport for customer experience.

ACI is a trade association of 1,953 member airports across 176 countries. As part of its survey on Airport Service Quality, views of passengers on 34 key performance indicators are measured.

Nearly 74 per cent of the worlds top 100 busiest airports are part of the ASQ network.

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), a GMR-led consortium, has been adjudged as the best among those airports that fall in the highest category -- over 40 million passengers per annum.

The airport also recently joined the 60-million club and recorded 63.5 million passengers in 2017.

It has surpassed Changi, Incheon and Bangkok airports in terms of passenger growth and is now the 7th busiest airport in Asia and among the top 20 busiest airport across the world, according to a press statement issued by GMR.

"The award demonstrates DIAL's strong focus on operations efficiencies and resilient approach towards service delivery," said DIAL CEO I Prabhakara Rao.

Mumbai airport operator, GVK-run Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), also welcomed the honour.

"In 2007, when we had taken over the complete operations of the airport, the ASQ score was 3.53 and in 10 years we have got it to hover around 4.99 out of a maximum 5. It is a testimony to the quality service provided during 2017 to over forty six million travellers by the thirty thousand odd airport community members," said GVK Reddy, Founder and Chairman, GVK.

The ASQ Awards ceremony will be held during the inaugural ACI Customer Excellence Global Summit, to be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada from 10-13 September 2018, hosted by Halifax International Airport Authority.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India seeks status as a global power, the Pentagon's top intelligence chief told US lawmakers today, adding that as such New Delhi perceives its strategic forces as necessary elements to achieve that goal.

India has put its first domestically built nuclear submarine, the INS Arihant, into service, and is set to take delivery of its second nuclear sub, the INS Arighat, in 2018, Lt Gen Robert Ashley, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"New Delhi seeks status as a global power and perceives its strategic forces as necessary elements to achieve that goal," Ashley said.

He said India continues to modernise its military to better posture itself to defend its interests at home and in the broader Indian Ocean region while reinforcing its diplomatic and economic outreach across Asia.

"Continued exchange of heavy fire between Indian and Pakistani forces along the Line of Control poses a risk of inadvertent or gradual escalation of hostilities," he said.

In 2017, the lengthy Dokalam standoff between Indian and Chinese forces along the Bhutan-China border heightened tension between India and China and prompted both sides to increase their forces near the Line of Actual Control, he added.

We expect that both sides will maintain this elevated force posture along disputed border areas through the remainder of 2018, Ashley said.

On Pakistan, he said Islamabad is likely to proceed with its counterinsurgency operations and border management efforts along its western border while sustaining counterterrorism and paramilitary operations throughout the country.

These efforts have had some success in reducing violence from militant, sectarian, terrorist, and separatist groups, but Pakistan will look to the US and the Afghan government for support against anti-Pakistan fighters in Afghanistan, he added.

"Pakistan is increasing its nuclear stockpile and developing tactical nuclear weapons and new ballistic missile systems. In January 2017, Pakistan conducted the first test launch of its nuclear-capable Ababeel ballistic missile, demonstrating South Asias first MIRV payload, and in early July, Pakistan demonstrated an expanded-range Nasr CRBM," Ashley said.

He said Chinese military forces continue to develop capabilities to dissuade, deter, or defeat potential third party intervention during a large-scale theatre campaign, such as a Taiwan contingency.

Chinas military modernisation plan includes the development of capabilities to conduct long-range attacks against adversary forces that might deploy or operate in the western Pacific Ocean.

These capabilities, spanning the air, maritime, space, electromagnetic, and information domains, are most robust within the first island chain, but China is rapidly extending capabilities farther into the Pacific Ocean.

According to Ashley, China's expanding global footprint and international interests are reflected in its Belt and Road Initiative of economic, commercial, and infrastructure projects in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

"Beijing's military modernisation programme is expanding in concert with this initiative to include investments and infrastructure to support a range of missions beyond China's periphery, including power projection, sea lane security, counterpiracy, peacekeeping, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief," he said.

China's most recent white papers and doctrinal writings emphasise the requirement for an army to be able to secure expanding Chinese national interests overseas, including a growing emphasis on the importance of the maritime domain, offensive air operations, long-distance mobility operations, space operations, and cyber-operations.

"In August, following more than a year of construction, China officially opened a military base in Djibouti and deployed a company of marines and equipment to the facility. China probably will seek to establish additional military logistics facilities in countries with which it has longstanding, friendly relationships and similar strategic interests," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A UK court has banned an Indian-origin family from flying their baby daughter to India because she is at risk of being subjected to an "utterly unacceptable" genital mutilation procedure.

A judge at Manchester County and Family Court ruled yesterday that the child, who will turn two this year, is at risk because religious and cultural pressure had overridden her mother's "maternal instinct".

Social workers in the UK believe three other girls from the family, which cannot be named for legal reasons, had been subjected to a similar procedure.

Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female circumcision, involves ritual intimate cutting, sometimes without anaesthetic, and has been banned in the UK.

Judge Robert Jordan made an "FGM protection order" in Manchester after a private family court hearing, 'Manchester Evening News' reported.

The judge was told that the baby's three older sisters had previously been taken to India so that FGM could be carried out on them. He made the protection order after concluding that the little girl was also at risk and needed protecting.

"The effect of the cultural pressure overrode the mother's maternal instinct. As a consequence of religious and cultural pressure the mother facilitated the mutilation of her children," he noted.

"That cultural pressure still exists in their country of origin and undoubtedly in this country," he added.

FGM protection orders came into force in Britain three years ago and give police and local authorities power to intervene to prevent such procedures. Parents can be barred from taking children abroad and passports can be seized and face prosecution if they breach it.

According to UK research, FGM is less common in India and is more prevalent in around 28 African countries and in parts of the Middle and Far East.

In Britain, communities that have been identified as at risk of FGM include Somali, Kenyan, Ethiopian, Sierra Leonean, Sudanese, Egyptian, Nigerian, Eritrean, Yemeni, Kurdish and Indonesian women and girls.

It is believed to be a way of ensuring virginity and chastity and is used to safeguard girls from sex outside marriage and from having sexual feelings.

Although FGM is practised by secular communities, it is most often claimed to be carried out in accordance with religious beliefs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The top US defense intelligence official said Tuesday that it's not just Russia but China too that is seeking faster, futuristic weapons to challenge America's know-how of state-of-the-art military technology.

Army Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley told the Senate Armed Services Committee that China is developing long-range cruise missiles some capable of reaching supersonic speeds. He says China also is working on a bomber with a nuclear mission, which would give Beijing a nuclear triad of land, air and sea-based nuclear weapon systems.

China and Russia present the greatest threat of developing state-of-the-art military capabilities.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled new strategic weapons that he claims can't be intercepted. One is a hypersonic glide vehicle, which could fly 20 times faster than the speed of sound and make sharp maneuvers to avoid being detected by missile defense systems.

"Developments in hypersonic propulsion will revolutionize warfare by providing the ability to strike targets more quickly, at greater distances, and with greater firepower," Ashley said.

"China is also developing increasingly sophisticated ballistic missile warheads and hypersonic glide vehicles in an attempt to counter ballistic missile defense systems.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The CPI(M) today charged the BJP with "unleashing a reign of terror" on Left workers in Tripura and sought the immediate intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in bringing the violence to an end before the situation "worsened".

In a memorandum to the prime minister, the party claimed the BJP had begun attacking Left supporters in the northeastern state immediately after the results of the Assembly polls were declared.

"We request your immediate intervention to stop these attacks and violence and to maintain peace and normalcy in the state" before the situation "worsened", it said in the memorandum addressed to the prime minister.

The party also gave a list of the alleged violent incidents and said 514 people were injured and 196 houses set on fire.

"After the election results were out, goons of the BJP have unleashed a reign of terror and all-round attacks on members and supporters of the CPI(M), their houses, party offices and mass organisation offices throughout the state," said the memorandum which was submitted to Modi in Parliament.

Later talking to reporters, CPI(M) leader Mohammed Salim also accused the state Governor of "working like a Sangh Parivar supporter".

"He holds a constitutional post and is offering a stamp of approval to the unconstitutional, undemocratic, illegal vandalism. We hope the Centre would take note of this," Salim said.

Describing the post-poll situation in Tripura as "highly condemnable", CPI leader D Raja said the bulldozing of a Lenin statue and attacking Left cadres and their offices were "nothing but fascist activities of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar".

Not only the Left, but all secular and democratic parties should condemn "this absolute vandalism", he said.

Raja said the BJP leadership should take the "responsibility for the collapse of law and order and such undemocratic and unconstitutional activities of its cadres in Tripura".

The Left, which ruled Tripura for 25 years, was ousted by the BJP in state Assembly elections, the results of which were declared on Saturday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India builds cheapest satellites but has the most expensive bandwidth, a government official said today, blaming turf wars between Isro and Department of Telecom (DoT) for delays in taking connectivity to far-flung areas.

DoT's special secretary N Sivasailam also flagged issues of costs and said Isro should do more in order to take the charges at par with global experience.

"Here is the paradox, we produce the cheapest satellite but the costliest bandwidth," Sivasailam said, adding that we require more transponders on satellites.

Sivasailam said there is a "problem of domains" between the DoT and the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) that has impacted the roll-out of connectivity in the far flung areas for 20 years.

"The problem is of domains. We (DoT) dont want to leave our domain. Isro doesnt want to leave its domain. It is a domain related problem...I do not see people coming together and negotiating this aspect out," he said.

Admitting that there is "politics" which "makes things difficult", Sivasailam pitched for both the agencies getting over the problems for the benefit of all.

"It is time it stopped because it is hurting business development and ultimately people are not getting (benefited)," he said, speaking at the annual Ficci Frames.

On the critical issue of costs, he said it will cost around Rs 150 to serve one user with the current cost structure in the country whereas in the US, it costs USD 1 or Rs 65.

"If US is getting it for USD 1 for the same bandwidth for the life of the satellite, I should be getting it at the same rate. There is no reason why it should not happen in India. That is my refrain," he said.

Conceding that Isro helps take satellite connectivity to 5,240 far flung locations in the country, including 4,300 in the North East, Sivasailam elaborated that the cost of satellite, bandwidth and spectrum makes "operations unviable".

"If you have the volume of business, we should be able to provide at the rates internationally available and that is a matter of some concern for us. We have been working on it but not necessarily successful on this," he said, stressing that the industry will have to find solutions on this.

He said the DoT and Isro also need to work together on this issue.

Speaking of self-regulation in OTT services (over the top), he said it cannot substitute regulation. "When you talk of regulators way of looking at regulation, it lies on consumer side and thats where self-regulation in itself will fail when it comes to the consumer," he said.

Further, he stated that while it is particularly important in the telecom sector with issues of call drop and portability, it may not be applicable too much to the broadcasting sector.

Sivasailam also spoke of the Trai recommendation on in-flight connectivity, which will be taken to the Telecom Commission "sooner than later" and in-flight connectivity "could be a reality sooner".

It can be noted that on January 20, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) allowed airlines to offer in flight connectivity.

He said there are discussions within the department on whether to allow both voice and data on flights or restrict to voice connectivity alone. The new telecom policy will also be out "very soon", he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The surge of populist parties in Italy's election shows the extent to which the country on the frontline of the migrant crisis "feels abandoned by Europe", France's European affairs minister said today.

The anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the far-right euro-sceptic League party were the big winners of the election, which laid bare widespread anger over immigration and frustration with mainstream



Italy "is a country that has faced the biggest influx of migrants in its history and has felt alone, abandoned by the European Union," minister Nathalie Loiseau told France Info radio.

"It is striking how this country, a founding member of the European Union, is gripped by disappointment with Europe," she added.

As in France and Germany, which held elections last year, the chief losers of Italy's vote were the traditional, parties of the mainstream left and right.

"It shows that, across Europe, traditional parties are tired," said Loiseau, one of the many first-time ministers in the cabinet of France's Emmanuel Macron, who is himself a relative newcomer to



But she also warned against giving into "doom-mongering", pointing to "good news" in Germany, where the centre-left ratified a coalition deal with German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, ending a long stalemate.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)FMCG major ITC today said its Aashirvaad atta has become a Rs 4,000-crore brand in the wheat flour market, with around 28 per cent share in the branded segment.

The company as part of its expansion plans is also expanding brand Aashirvaad into new segments as milk and ghee in the dairy category, besides spices, instant mixes, ready meals etc.

"Aashirvaad is India's number one branded packaged atta with a consumer spend of over Rs 4,200 crore," ITC Divisional Chief Executive Foods Division Hemant Malik told PTI.

He further said: "The brand has been growing at the rate of 16-17 per cent CAGR over the last many years and we hope to continue this growth momentum."



In India, branded wheat flour market is growing rapidly; and presently, around 60 per cent of households purchase wheat, 25 per cent buy loose wheat flour and balance 15 per cent buys packaged wheat flour, Malik said.

"We are having 28 per cent share of that (packaged wheat flour)," he claimed.

The company, he said, is now offering customised atta blends in wheat flour category in accordance with regional preferences; and in health segment, it has sugar release control atta, and multi grains etc.

"We have customised blends for different regions. We have also crafted variants in the health and wellness space which includes Aashirvaad Multigrain atta and Aashirvaad Sugar Release control atta," he said.

The company has extended Aashirwad brand into cow ghee and also launched Aashirwad milk last month in Munger at Bihar.

"Now the brand Aashirvaad has spices and salt. All the basic staple food, we believe that Aashirvaad brand has a great efficiency," Malik said adding that the company is leveraging its network of e-Chaupal and chaupal sagar to source quality products from the farmers.

The company is also evaluating some other segments like maida, suji, besan for expansion of Aashirwad brand.

"In the coming years, we could look at products as maida, suji, besan etc," said Malik.

Besides, ITC also exports Aashirwad atta to 32 countries, including US, Canada and Middle East, targeting the Indian diaspora. The export is presently about 7 per cent of total sales.

Over the recent videos being circulated in social media platforms such as Whatsapp and Facebook alleging the company mixes plastic in Aashirvaad atta, ITC said those are "malicious" and are "wrongly" claimed.

"What is being shown as plastic in these mischievous videos is actually wheat protein which is a mandated component of atta by the FSSAI. Protein is an integral part of any atta/wheat. This protein is what binds the atta. Without this protein, it is not possible to roll chapatis," Malik said.

The company had filed police complaints in Kolkata and Hyderabad.

"There is a court order issued in ITC's favour which restrains the circulation of such fake videos on social media," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Over 2,000 anganwadi workers held protests against the Jammu and Kashmir government over its "failure" in fulfilling their demands, including enhancement of honorarium and seniority list.

Accusing the government of failing to fulfill their demands, the anganwadi workers sat on a dharna at the Exhibition Ground here.

They demanded enhancement of honorarium, fixation of final seniority list, holding departmental promotion committee meeting, implementing new pension scheme, keeping the provision of gratuity, implementing group insurance scheme and issuing two pairs of uniform to anganwadi workers and helpers.

Meanwhile, Safai Karamchari Workers of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and contractual lecturers association held demonstration over their demand of regularisation of their services.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra today advised heightened surveillance on all fronts in the state.

Vohra made the advise during his interaction with Additional Director General of CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir zone, V S K Kaumudi who called on him here, an official spokesperson said.

Kaumudi, the 1986-batch officer who replaced S N Shrivastava for the post on February 21, met the governor at Raj Bhavan, the spokesperson said.

He said the governor lauded the important role being played by the Central Reserve Police Force in maintaining security in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The JPPF today demanded a CBI probe into the rape-and-murder case of a minor girl in Kathua district and asked the state government to refrain from politicising the issue.

Jammu Province Peoples Forum (JPPF) is an amalgam of more than 50 social, commercial and other organisations of Jammu.

"We want a CBI probe into the killing of a minor girl of Hiranagar. We ask the government to immediately hand over the case to the CBI for fair and transparent enquiry to bring justice," the president of the forum, Paviter Singh told reporters here today.

The body of the eight-year-old girl was recovered from Rassana forest on January 17, a week after she had gone missing while grazing horses.

On January 23, the government handed over the case to the state police's crime branch which arrested a Special Police Officer (SPO) in February for his alleged involvement in the abduction and killing of the girl.

Earlier, a special investigation team (SIT) had arrested a 15-year-old boy and claimed the accused had strangulated the victim after she resisted his rape attempt.

Singh said the culprit should be "dealt with harshly" and expressed disappointment at the politicisation of the issue.

"This kind of act is intolerable and we all extend our support to the government. On the other hand, we are also astonished to see how this is being politicised by different entities for benefits best known to them," he said.

He said the agencies' failure to nab the culprit even a month after the incident has created an environment of fear among the residents of Hiranagar.

"Just imagine the innocent people of that village who left their houses in search of more secure place," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Karnataka government today turned down a request from Kerala to allow night traffic in a road passing through Bandipur Tiger Reserve citing potential danger to wild animals.

At a meeting of forest officials of three states, Kerala raised the plea for lifting the ban on night traffic saying it was hampering state's economy.

But officials of Karnataka rejected it and said the status quo (ban on night traffic) would continue, Karnataka Principal chief conservator of forest Punati Sridhar told PTI.

He said officials of Tamil Nadu endorsed the stand of Karnataka.

"Kerala has been insisting that their economy is getting affected. But we said for the sake of conservation, some sacrifice will have to be made," he said.

Night traffic through Bandipur Tiger Reserve, located in Mysore and Chamrajnagar districts in Karnataka, has been a contentious issue between Kerala and Karnataka.

The Bandipur road connecting Sulthan Batheri in Kerala with Mysuru and Bengaluru is the shortest route. The alternative route in the night takes a long detour, which the traders from Kerala want to avoid.

Besides Sridhar, Kerala Principal Conservator of Forest P K Kesavan, Inspector General of Forest P S Somashekara, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve Field Officer R Srinivas Reddy were among those who attended the meeting today. Kerala Transport Secretary K R Jyothilal was also present.

Bandipura is a tiger reserve under Project Tiger located at the tri-junction area of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the Western Ghat.

Karnataka government is not allowing night traffic through the forested region, inhabiting wild animals including tiger, leopards and elephants to prevent their deaths in possible road accidents.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Karti Chidambaram, the son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, will undergo three more days of custodial interrogation in the INX Media corruption case with a Delhi court today extending his CBI custody.

The agency, which produced Karti Chidambaram before special judge Sunil Rana after his five-day police custody expired, said an extension was needed as there were "new revelations". Further custodial interrogation was necessary to confront him with "new facts", it added.

Though there was "substantial progress" in the last four days of investigation into the case, he "had not been cooperating" and not disclosing passwords to his phones, it said.

His answer to every question was, "I am politically victimised", the agency added.

The agency also alleged that witnesses in the case were being approached and evidences destroyed.

The CBI, which had sought nine days of police custody of Karti Chidambaram, said he was taken to Mumbai and confronted with Indrani Mukerjea, one of the then promoters of INX Media, at the Byculla prison and her statement was just one of the evidences.

"New revelations in the matter have come up day before yesterday. Cannot divulge much about investigation but we need his further custody to confront him with the new facts," Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, told the court.

He also opposed Karti Chidambaram's bail plea, saying the investigation was at a "crucial stage" and the CBI needs two weeks to file a detailed reply to his bail application.

However, the court posted the hearing on the bail plea on March 9 when Karti Chidambaram will be produced before it after his three-day police custody.

During the period of remand, all the conditions laid down in the March 1 order will prevail -- that Karti Chidambaram will be medically examined every 24 hours and will be at liberty to seek the assistance of his counsel , one hour each in the morning and evening.

Though he will be permitted to carry medicines on prescription with him, he will be denied home food.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Karti Chidambaram, said the CBI just wanted to keep him in custody by hook or by crook.

"I have cooperated. I am not obliged to answer what you (CBI) want to hear. My duty is only to make myself available for questioning," Singhvi submitted.

"The shifting of stands/reasons by the CBI to keep me in custody is a mala fide attempt on their part to get my custody," the senior advocate said.

"Is Indrani's statement even an admissible evidence? She is in jail in murder case of her daughter," he asked, adding that Karti Chidambaram was not a terrorist with a bomb that he could not be interrogated without being kept in custody.

His father and former Union finance minister P Chidambaram and mother, Nalini Chidambaram, also a senior advocate, were present in the courtroom during the hearing.

The court had allowed him to meet them for 10 minutes.

At the outset, the probe agency submitted before the court documents in a sealed cover related to the probe in the case over the last six days.

On March 1, the court had allowed Karti Chidambaram's custodial interrogation by the CBI for five days, saying there was need to unearth the larger conspiracy in the INX Media case and his presence would serve an important purpose.

In the remand application, CBI counsel V K Sharma today said the agency was able to gather some information even though Karti Chidambaram was "evasive" while answering routine questions.

While granting police custody, the court on March 1 had come to the conclusion that Karti Chidambaram's presence was needed for important and specific purposes connected with the completion of the investigation in the present case, the CBI said.

The agency also reminded the court about its previous order in which it was stated that Karti Chidambaram's custody remand was necessary to confront him with documents, co-accused and to unearth the larger conspiracy and the role of other accused person involved in the case.

The CBI, during the last hearing, had claimed that Karti Chidambaram has to be confronted with the statement of various witnesses, including former RBI governor D Subba Rao.

Rao had headed a committee which dealt with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) issue of INX Media before the approval was granted when Chidambaram was Union finance minister.

Karti Chidambaram was arrested on February 28 at Chennai Airport on his return from the United Kingdom, in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year alleging irregularities in FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds worth about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was finance minister.

The fresh evidence in the case, triggering the arrest, was based on a statement from Indrani Mukerjea, also an accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, who recorded it under section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The world-famous Khajuraho Temple's city airport has witnessed a 9.5 per cent decline in the number of travellers in the first 10 months of the current fiscal due to poor air connectivity, according to an Airport Authority of India (AAI) report.

Khajuraho airport, located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, witnessed a total of 40,400 passengers travelling between April 2017 and January 2018, compared with 44,664 in the same year-ago period, the report said.

"Air India and Jet Airways run flights from Delhi and other few cities to Khajuraho and vice versa. The air fare to Khajuraho was too costly," MP State Tourism Development Corporation regional manager Moncy Joseph told PTI.

He said that visitors flock to Khajuraho between September and April, following which the flight service temporarily halted. As a result, tourists including foreigners face a lot of hardship.

Joseph said that maximum tourists visiting Khajuraho were from Ahmedabad and Kolkata - the cities which are not directly connected to the temple city.

"The tourists flow has lessened in Khajuraho following poor air connectivity," Travel Agents Association of India's Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MP-CG) unit's secretary, Hemendra Singh Jadoun told PTI today.

In order to increase the tourist inflow, Khajuraho should have air connectivity with all the main cities of the country, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Union Minister and BJP's in-charge for Karnataka Assembly polls Prakash Javadekar today said induction of businessman Ashok Kheny -- the lone MLA of Karnataka Makkala Paksh -- in the Congress proves the "corrupt character" of the grand old party.

Kheny is the Managing Director of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Limited (NICE), the implementing agency of the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project that is facing allegations of irregularities.

The Bidar South MLA has been inducted even though Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said Kheny must be jailed, Javadekar told reporters outside Parliament.

This action of the Congress shows that it is nothing but a "Siddaruppaiya government" as described by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent tour in the poll-bound state, he said.

"Yesterday, Kheny was inducted into the Congress. Till now, he was criticised left and right by the Congress. Siddaramaiah on record many times said Kheny must be jailed.

"Instead of jailing him, they have welcomed him in the Congress. This shows the Congress' corrupt character and proves once again it it is nothing but a 'Siddaruppaiya government'," Javadekar said.

He alleged that "goondaraj" was prevailing in the state with Congress MLAs and their kin displaying "arrogance of power".

"Therefore, people of Karnataka are eager to throw the anti-people, anti-poor, anti-farmers and corrupt government out of power with lock, stock and barrel," he said.

Asserting that the political atmosphere has changed after BJP's recent victory in northeastern states, Javadekar said, "BJP will win in Karnataka...We will achieve our target of 150 (seats).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Forty Indian-origin students from nine countries met Railways Minister Piyush Goyal today as part of Know India Programme (KIP), an initiative of the central government to engage with the Indian diaspora in the age group of 18 to 30 years, according to a statement from the ministry.

The KIP -- a 25-day orientation programme -- is organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with one or two states.

The participants are selected on the basis of nominations received and recommendations of Heads of Indian Missions/Posts.

As part of the 46th KIP, the participants visited Madhya Pradesh as the partner state. The participants also visited Parliament House, Presidents House in addition to an orientation programme at the Foreign Service Institute.

Goyal congratulated the MEA for conceptualising the programme and said that it would help as a great learning tool for the visiting students to know their origins.

The participants acknowledged that KIP has given them a useful opportunity to know the emerging opportunities in India and helped them understand Indian traditions, heritage and their family history.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Senior leaders of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee and Left parties today expressed dismay over separate protests for "Special Category Status" to the state, saying the Centre will note such "hostilities" and reject the demand.

Members of the ruling Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh and the opposition YSR Congress Party are protesting in the national capital in support of the demand.

The Andhra Pradesh unit of the Congress, the CPI and the CPI(M) today held separate protests on Parliament Street underlining their demand for Special Category Status (SCS).

Despite a plan to hold a joint protest in the national capital by the Congress and the Left parties, as announced two days ago, their venues were separated by 200 meters.

Former AP minister and Congress loyalist Kasu Krishna Reddy, who took part in both the protests, said, "Such hostilities will send a wrong message and there is a danger of the Centre ignoring the issue."



"We should unite for this demand. I will take up the issue with the APCC president and other senior leaders," he added.

CPI (Andhra Pradesh) Secretary K Rama Krishna said, "They have announced their own protest. We will speak to them for a joint protest in the coming days."



Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh told the Left party cadres he would support the cause in Parliament.

"Our party, farmers, students, businessmen, Andhra Pradesh, all have been cheated by the BJP government. There is a need for the people to unite. We will support AP leaders in Parliament tomorrow," Singh said.

Taking part in the APCC protest, Congress president Rahul Gandhi today said the party will grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh if voted to power in 2019.

"I am confident that if we stand together we will convince the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi that what is due to the people of Andhra Pradesh should be given to them," he said.

The demand was raised after erstwhile Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated.

The protesters claim that the bifurcation caused a huge revenue deficit for the successor Andhra Pradesh.

The Centre announced a "special package" in 2016 for Andhra, but the TDP government claimed no funds have been released under the package.

This has turned the focus back on special category status for AP.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sri Lanka today declared a state of emergency for 10 days after violent clashes broke out between Buddhists and minority Muslims in the country's central Kandy district that left two persons dead.

Violence erupted yesterday following which police imposed curfew in the Theldeniya area.

President Maithripala Sirisena and the Cabinet today decided to declare a state of emergency for 10 days following the violence prevailed in some parts of the country, Minister of Social Empowerment S B Dissanayake said.

A Gazette notification would be issued right away, he told reporters outside the Presidents Secretariat, where the Cabinet meeting was held.

There are allegations that the law was not implemented to minimise the impact of these tense situations. Now, the Police and Army personnel had been deployed to respective areas to beef up security, he was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror.

Dissanayake said the President could decide at the end of the 10 days, whether to extend the state of emergency.

Fresh curfew was imposed today and heavily-armed police commandos of special task force were deployed in Theldeniya and Pallekele areas of Kandy district where riots have left two dead and homes and businesses of the minority community in ruins.

According to police, the elite special task force was deployed in the area after riots broke out following the death of an assault victim, a Sinhalese, who was attacked by the members of the minority community.

They said on February 22, the man was admitted to a hospital following an attack. He succumbed to his injuries on March 3, after which the attackers arrested and were remanded to police custody till tomorrow.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sri Lanka today declared a state of emergency for 10 days to rein in the spread of communal violence between majority Sinhala and minority Muslims in the country's scenic Kandy district that left two persons dead and damaged several mosques and homes.

Violence, triggered by the death of a Sinhalese man at the hands of a mob last week, erupted yesterday in the Theldeniya area of the central hill district popular with tourists. The government sent troops and elite police commandoes to Kandy to restore order and enforce the curfew.

President Maithripala Sirisena and the Cabinet decided to declare a state of emergency for 10 days following the violence prevailed in some parts of the country, Minister of Social Empowerment S B Dissanayake told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

A Gazette notification would be issued right away after the President signs the proclamation, giving effect to the state of emergency, he said.

Muslims claimed that around 10 mosques, 75 shops and 32 houses belonging to the minority community were badly damaged in the attacks by the Sinhalese Buddhists, forcing police to fire tear gas shells and impose an overnight curfew to prevent clashes between the two communities.

The situation, however, remained tense in part of Kandy, home to famous tea plantations and Buddhist relics, after burnt body a Muslim man was recovered today from the remains of a burnt building.

Fresh curfew was imposed today and heavily-armed police commandos of special task force were deployed in Theldeniya and Pallekele areas of Kandy after rioters disobeyed an overnight curfew and went on a rampage.

This will be the first time since August 2011, that a state of emergency will be in force in the Indian Ocean's island nation.

The state of emergency allows the deployment troops on the street, search and arrest people without a warrant.

Sri Lanka has a long history of state of emergency during the LTTE rebellion both in the south and the Tamil minority dominated north and east of the island.

"We decided to take strong action to control the situation and to deal strongly with all wrong doers," senior minister Rauff Hakeem, who is also the leader of the main Muslim party Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), told reporters.

The violence was sparked off by the death of a Sinhalese man who was assaulted by the three Muslims over a private dispute.

According to police, on February 22, the man was admitted to a hospital following an attack, where he succumbed to his injuries on March 3, after which the attackers arrested and were remanded to police custody till tomorrow.

In November last, riots in the south of the island left one man dead and homes and vehicles damaged.

In June 2014, riots between Buddhists and Muslims left four dead and many injured. The violence was instigated by a Buddhist extremist group whose leaders are on trial accused of instigating religious conflict.

The Sinhalese are a mainly Buddhist ethnic group making up nearly three-quarters of Sri Lanka's 21 million people, while Muslims are just 10 per cent of the country's population.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Commander of Sri Lankan Army Lt Gen N U M M W Senanayake today held wide-ranging talks with Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat on ways to deepen cooperation between armed forces of the two countries.

The Sri Lankan Army Chief also met Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and discussed issues relating to defence and security cooperation between the two countries.

His meetings here came on a day the Sri Lankan government declared a state of emergency for 10 days to rein in the spread of communal violence between majority Sinhala and minority Muslims in the country's Kandy district.

A range of issues relating to defence cooperation between the two countries were discussed during the talks between Lt Gen Senanayake and Gen Rawat, a senior Army official said.

Lt Gen Senanayake also met Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal SB Deo.

The visit by the Sri Lankan commander comes amidst reports that China was trying to expand its influence over Colombo. It is not immediately known whether the issue figured during the talks today.

In December last, Sri Lanka had handed over the control of the southern sea port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease, triggering concern here over Beijing's efforts to expand influence in the region.

Last month, Sri Lanka's Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne had said that Hambantota port will not be used as a military base and Sri Lanka will not engage in any activities in its harbours and waters which may harm India's security interests.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Lassa fever has claimed 110 lives in Nigeria since the beginning of the year, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said today, in one of the worst outbreaks since 2016.

The World Heath Organisation last week said the epidemic had reached record highs with 317 laboratory confirmed cases and 72 people dead.

"Since the onset of the 2018 outbreak, there have been 110 deaths: 78 in positive-confirmed cases, 8 in probable cases and 24 in negative cases," the NCDC said in its latest report.

A total of 1,121 suspected cases were reported, "353 are confirmed positive, 8 are probable, 723 are negative (not a case) and 37 are awaiting laboratory results."



The NCDC said cases have been reported in 18 of Nigeria's 36 states while 16 health workers had been affected in six states.

Health Minister Isaac Adewole told local media on Tuesday that the government would soon take delivery of vaccines to tame the virus.

"We are doing everything possible to fight and address the outbreak of lassa fever on all fronts," he said.

Lassa fever belongs to the same family as Marburg and Ebola, two deadly viruses that lead to infections with fever, vomiting and in worst-case scenarios, haemorrhagic bleeding.

The name comes from the town of Lassa in northern Nigeria where it was first identified in 1969.

More than 100 people were killed in 2016 in one of the nation's worst outbreaks of the disease, affecting 14 of the 36 states, including Lagos and the capital Abuja.

The virus is spread through contact with food or household items contaminated with rats' urine or faeces or after coming into direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Veteran Leftist leader Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy today termed the pulling down of statue of communist icon Vladimir Lenin in Tripura as a "third-rate type of violence and vandalism".

The CPI general secretary also described as "nonsense and meaningless" Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir's statement that statues of foreign leaders have no place in India.

"It's all a third-rate type of violence and vandalism by the BJP. It's all a planned affair," Reddy said on the pulling down of the Russian revolutionary leader's statue in South Tripura's Belonia town.

"The BJP lost badly in Delhi (last Assembly elections), nobody attacked their offices; they lost in Bihar, nobody attacked their offices, but in Tripura even before assuming the power, not only Lenin's statue, many offices of the CPI(M) were attacked in different parts of the state," he said.

Reddy said, "It was very shameful that they don't even appeal to their people to stop this violence and condemn it. It shows the real fascist character of the BJP".

Terming Ahir's statement "meaningless", the Communist leader said one can find statues of several foreigners who played key part in big projects in pre-independence era.

"Mahatma Gandhi's statue is there in many other countries of the world. So, these type of things (the statement) is nonsense," he said.

The violence followed the BJP's victory in the recently-concluded Assembly elections in the northeast state, where a 25-year Communist government was ousted.

Responding to a question on the pulling down of Lenin's statue, Ahir told PTI: "We condemn all kinds of violence and the state government is handling the situation. But I want to make it clear that the statues of foreign leaders are not required in India. I don't want to take anyone's name but I want to say that we have no place for them".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Maharashtra government today informed the state Legislative Council that the Seventh Pay Commission arrears will be paid to its employees this year.

State Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the move will put a burden of Rs 21,500 crore on the state exchequer.

Replying to a debate on a starred question raised by Kapil Patil of Janata Dal (United) during the question hour, Mungantiwar also said that an allocation will be made in the 2018-19 state budget for the payment of salary difference with retrospective effect from January 1, 2016.

He assured the House that the government is also considering the demand for granting Child Care Leave (CCL) for two years (730 days) to women government employees and 15 days of paternal leave for male workers.

"Earlier, the state government did not accept the Sixth Pay Commission's recommendation of CCL for two years, but the state government is now positive about accepting the recommendation," he said.

Replying to supplementary queries, Mungantiwar said the demand for raising the retirement age for government employees from 58 years to 60 years was being considered by the B C Khatua committee.

"The government will have to consider the additional financial burden of Rs 500 to Rs 700 crore the decision will put on the state exchequer while increasing the retirement age of the government employees," he said.

The General Administration Department (GAD) will take a decision on the demand.

Mungantiwar added that the GAD is also studying the proposal of a five days week for government employees.

"The GAD will also study the proposal for increasing the working hours of the government employees by 15 minutes against a weekly off on every Saturday. Although the GAD is seized of the matter, no committee has been set up so far to deliberate on the proposal," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)NCP leader Ajit Pawar today told the Assembly that a minister in the BJP-led Maharashtra government had asked Dharma Patil, the farmer who attempted suicide in Mantralaya here in January, to contact "middlemen" if he wanted higher compensation for his land.

"As per my information, a state minister from Nagpur had asked Dharma Patil to meet some middlemen to get higher compensation for his land (which was acquired by the state government for a solar project). This is shocking.

"Had Patil's problems been addressed in time, he would not have ended his life abruptly," said the former deputy chief minister.

Patil (84), who hailed from Dhule in north Maharashtra, had consumed a poisonous substance at the Maharashtra secretariat in south Mumbai on January 22 seeking adequate compensation for his land. He died at the J. J. Hospital on January 28.

Pawar read out a detailed list of people who have either ended their life or tried to commit suicide on the premises of Mantralaya for various demands in recent past.

He said Mantralay has become a "suicide centre" because of the style of working of the BJP-led government.

"This is utter failure of the state government in addressing the issues of farmers and rural population. The government could not implement the loan waiver scheme successfully, it created several complications in crop-insurance schemes. It also put up a poor show in addressing woes of farmers whose crop was damaged in hailstorms," he said.

Referring to a safety net put up by the government inside the Mantralaya, Pawar said had the government resolved the issues related to farmers, they would not have gone there to end their life in frustration.

"In the winter session last December, the state government assured us of sharing a detailed list of farmers who benefitted from the loan waiver scheme. Till date, no names were announced or communicated to us," said the NCP leader.

During a drive to assess the damage caused by hailstorms, the officers treated farmers like criminals as they made them hold slates in their hands and photographed them, he said.

"Why such a humiliating treatment was meted out to the farmers who were already distressed? I have noticed that many ministers do not sit in their offices in the state secretariat. People from all corners of the state visit the administrative headquarter anticipating some help, but the ministers seems to have no interest in serving the people," said Pawar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Maharashtra government will provide financial assistance to municipal corporationsfor scientific segregation and disposal of garbagewaste, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the Legislative Assembly today.

He said the government would not provide any dumping ground facility for the purpose.

Replying to the issue of garbage piling in Aurangabad, raised by Ajit Pawar (NCP),Fadnavis said a solution would be found soon.

"Scientific segregationand disposal of garbage waste has already started in Mumbai and Pune," he said.

The chief minister said the government would provide funds to the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).

"Temporary places have been earmarked for dumping of garbage. But in future, dumping grounds will be used for segregation and disposal of garbage in a scientific manner," said the chief minister.

Garbage has been piling up in various parts of Aurangabad since last 18 days as the residents of Naregaon village, located near that city, have opposed the dumping of the garbage, which has been the practice for the last two decades.

Fadnavis said the AMC has shortlisted few places for dumping of garbage.

"A case is being heard in the high court and the state chief secretary has filed an affidavit. The government's proposedmeasures (to tackle the issue) are capping of dumping ground, disposal of garbage through bio-mining, and processing of garbage wastescientifically in a time-bound manner," he said.

In the places earmarked for temporary disposal of garbage, scientific segregation and disposal of waste would be done in six to nine months' time, he said.

"Dumping of garbage would be stopped andgarbage on the dumping ground would be disposed of through bio-mining," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Describing the Congress government in Karnataka as "anti-Hindu" and "anti-farmer", Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today urged voters in the state to follow the path of people in the North East and free the state from Congress rule.

"BJP has organised the 'Suraksha Yatra' here to offer a corruption-free and crime-free government. We will free Karnataka from Jihadi elements supported by the Congress and take the state to a path of development," he said.

Adityanath was addressing a huge 'Mangaluru Chalo' rally at the culmination of the saffron party's 'Jana Suraksha Yatra at Nehru Maidan here tonight.

He said the BJP was following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan of 'Sabka saath Sabka vikas' in all states.

The party was committed to rooting out "Jihadi elements" hindering development in Karnataka and responsible for the deaths of many BJP workers in the state.

Adityanath, who had come to the city only to address the rally, said people should take notice of the results of elections in the North East where the Congress got zero seats in two states.

"Karnataka also should be made Congress-mukt as the party had brought chaos to the people of the country. That is why people are choosing BJP in every state," the UP chief minister said.

The fact that 22 states in the country were now being ruled by BJP and its allies was proof enough for its acceptance by the people for following the development agenda, he said.

BJP governments were providing security to the people and carrying out development works which assured them a bright future, Adityanath said.

In Karnataka, however, security and development were under threat and 'Jihadi' elements were on a murder spree with the covert support of the state government, he alleged.

"There is something fishy about the Congress government which withdrew cases against Jihadi elements," Adityanath added.

He said in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP government had waived farmer loans worth Rs 8,000 crore without asking the centre for any funds.

"We did it with our own funds by adopting austerity measures. Karnataka government did not do anything for farmers which resulted in suicides," he said.

The Uttar Pradesh government had freed the state from crime and corruption within 11 months of coming to power, he claimed.

This is Adityanath's third visit to Karnataka ever since he became the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, the first being on November 21 when he took part in BJP's parivartan yatra by addressing a rally in Hubli.

This was followed by a rally in Bangalore on January 7.

Karnataka assembly polls are due in a couple of months.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Male volunteers of the DCW's 'Rape Roko' campaign will tomorrow take out a march here wearing only their boxer shorts to give the message that 'clothes do not cause rape, sick mentality does'.

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) had launched the 'Rape Roko' campaign after the brutal rape of an eight-month-old baby in January.

The volunteers will march from Mandi House to Central Park carrying boards and placards with slogans like "Her clothes are not short, your mentality is" and "What clothes was the eight-month-old baby wearing?" -- in a bid to challenge the mentality which tends to shame the survivors.

The Indian Medical Association and the district court bar associations in Delhi have extended their support to the campaign.

In a letter to DCW chief Swati Maliwal, the IMA said: "We strongly support the people's movement 'Rape Roko' launched by DCW chief to demand a robust criminal justice system which ensures cases of sexual crimes against women and children are tried by fast-track courts within six months and rapists of children are essentially accorded death penalty as a strong deterrent for others against such crimes".

The IMA has requested their state and local branches in Delhi to join the movement.

The co-ordination committee of all district court bar associations in Delhi have also supported the movement, a senior DCW official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Special operations group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police today arrested a man with Rs 3.30 lakh high quality counterfeit Indian currency here, an official said.

Acting on a tip-off, the man, identified as Virendra Yadav, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, was operational in districts of Rajasthan, additional director general (SOG) Umesh Mishra said.

He was arrested with Rs 3.30 lakh high quality counterfeit currency from the Khasa Kothi area of Jaipur, he said.

Mishra said that the accused, in preliminary investigation, has revealed that he had taken the consignment from Jalaun of Uttar Pradesh and was about to deliver the currency notes in Jaipur.

Further investigation in the matter was underway, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An Indian man has been arrested by the customs officials for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country gold valuing about Rs 45 lakh at the Delhi airport, according to an official statement issued today.

The accused was intercepted after his arrival from Auckland in New Zealand via Bangkok yesterday.

A detailed personal baggage and search resulted in the seizure of six gold bangles, weighing 1.5 kg, from him, it said.

The bangles, valued at Rs 45.59 lakh, were worn by the passenger on both his arms, the statement said.

The bangles were seized and the passenger was arrested, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hours after winning her second Best Actress Oscar, Frances McDormand almost lost her gold statue, when the trophy went missing at the annual Governors Ball party.

The actor went to attend the party after the award ceremony with her filmmaker husband, Joel Coen.

The security was soon able to recover the trophy and returned it to her.

"I can confirm that after a brief time apart, Frances and her Oscar were happily reunited last night. They celebrated their reunion with a double cheeseburger from In-N-Out," McDormand's representative told People magazine.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, a man was later arrested for allegedly stealing the Oscar.

"Best Actress winner Frances McDormand and her Oscar were happily reunited after a brief separation at last nights Governors Ball. The alleged thief was quickly apprehended by a photographer and members of our fast-acting Academy and security teams. The 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' star resumed her celebrations," a spokesperson for the Academy said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)How manufacturing of low-cost sanitary napkins at village level could generate employment opportunities for women would be the focus of a meet of woman village heads, being organised by the drinking water and sanitation ministry.

Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma Bharti said today that the meet would be held in Lucknow on International Women's Day on March 8.

Addressing a press conference here, she said the meet, which is likely to be attended by 10,000 to 15,000 village heads, would focus on how to use the power of women to make various initiatives of the ministry successful.

"In the meet we will discuss on the issues of menstrual hygiene and how self-help groups can be formed in villages so that village women can manufacture low-cost sanitary napkins which they can sell as well as use. The solid and liquid waste management, which is a part of open defecation-free scheme, would also generate employment in villages," Bharti said.

Bharti, who earlier held discussion with Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on training village women to make low-cost sanitary napkins, said that linking menstrual hygiene to the skill development scheme would enable women to earn livelihood in villages.

"It would also stop villagers from migrating to cities for jobs," she said.

Bharti said that for the success of these schemes, her ministry needed the support of state governments.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Newly sworn-in Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today expressed confidence that his Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government would be able to face all the challenges before it.

I am confident that whatever challenges we have before us, this coalition government will be able to face them...Our government is and will be committed to the people of Meghalaya and will work sincerely to resolve all the problems we are facing,'' he told reporters soon after his swearing-in.

Within hours of assuming office, Sangma was briefed by Chief Secretary Y Tsering and other senior government officials on the fiscal health of Meghalaya and the issues before his government.

Seeking a ''constructive contribution'' from the Opposition as well as the ruling coalition, Sangma said, ''I can assure you that our government is a government that will work for the overall development of the state. We are not here to focus on region or area-wise development, but we would like to focus on the entire state.''



Prior to starting his work in the chief minister's cabin, Sangma arranged for a small prayer meeting with all his cabinet colleagues, where he was accompanied by his mother Soradini K Sangma and a church elder, an official told PTI.

Asked whether the new regime in Meghalaya could be called a BJP government, the chief minister made it clear that it was a coalition government that included regional parties -- the NPP, the UDP, the PDF, the HSPDP -- besides the BJP and an Independent legislator.

''All members are equal in governance,'' he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Mexico would retaliate against President Donald Trump's planned steel and aluminum tariffs by imposing tariffs of its own on the most "politically sensitive" US goods, Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said today.

If Mexico is not granted its requested exemption from the US tariffs, "we would have to target our response at the things they export that are most politically sensitive and hit exactly those goods. We have the ability to respond," Guajardo told Mexican broadcaster Televisa, without going into detail on the goods in question.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Opposition NCP today said the absence of Shiv Sena group leader Anil Parab in the Legislative Council to second the Motion of Thanks on Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao's speech was akin to "insulting" the constitutional post.

The Motion of Thanks on the address delivered by the governor to the joint sitting of the legislature at the start of the Budget session last month was moved by BJP MLC Pravin Darekar.

Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde said the absence of the Sena, which is part of the incumbent government, for seconding the motion was an insult of the governor.

"The Shiv Sena's absence only proves that the party does not support the speech of the governor," he said.

NCP member Sunil Takate said there is a discord in the functioning of the government and that the Sena leaves no stone unturned to criticise the BJP-led government.

"He (Sena group leader Anil Parab) is not present here because probably he did not want to come here to support the motion," Takate said.

He referred to the resolution adopted by the Sena in its national executive held in January to contest the upcoming elections solo.

"This government is not serious either in running the affairs of the state but also in thanking the governor," Tatkare said.

At this time, Parab entered the House.

He said he had an important meeting to attend, which delayed his arrival.

Munde said, "the government which fooled the people for the last 41 months while in power is now trying to fool the governor and also itself.

"The countdown of the government has begun because they have earned a stamp of fooling the people by making tall promises".

"When the new BJP government was formed, (Sena leader) Eknath Shinde was the Opposition Leader and the party organised a tour of Marathwada against the government. However, now only for the sake of five Cabinet ministries (which the Sena is holding in the coalition government), the Sena has become helpless," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Arunachal Pradesh MP Ninong Ering has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a separate cadre of All India Services of IAS and IPS officers for the state.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu had also urged the prime minister for a separate cadre for the state during his visit to the state on February 15 last.

In a letter to the prime minister yesterday, Ering stated that a separate cadre in respect of Arunachal Pradesh was necessary for efficient governance.

The Congress MP from Arunachal East Parliamentary constituency in his letter said, the joint cadre serving Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) was creating impediments towards more efficient governance which must be rectified by the government.

Ering pointed out that officers who spend a good amount of time in the state and understand it better in terms of administration are transferred to other locations of AGMUT cadre, creating gaps in administrative understanding.

"These officers having substantial experience are sometimes involved in very critical projects and they have to just leave the state in case of transfers without adding anything concrete which they could have done, had they been in same state," he said.

Even smaller states like Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim have their own separate cadre and have benefitted greatly by the dedicated service of All India Service officers in their own cadres, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Indian Navy today began an eight-day-long mega naval exercise along with leading maritime powers of the region at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, amid heightened regional tension in the region.

The biennial exercise -- Milan -- is taking place in the backdrop of imposition of state of emergency in Maldives and Sri Lanka, two of India's maritime neighbours, and China's growing assertiveness in the region.

Indian Navy officials said 28 warships including 17 from India and 11 from Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand are participating in the exercise.

The aim of the 10th edition of the exercise is to expand regional cooperation and combat unlawful activities in critical sea lanes.

Maldives, which is reeling under political crisis, has declined India's offer to participate at the exercise citing the current situation in the island nation.

"Besides the warships, the prestigious international event will also see the participation of 39 delegates from 16 countries, making it the largest gathering since its inception in 1995," said a senior Navy official.

Navy sources said delegates from the countries would deliberate on the regional security situation and subject of discussion may include China's rising assertiveness in critical sea lanes.

On their arrival at Haddo Jetty, all foreign warships were received ceremonially in the true naval tradition by the Army and Navy bands, the officials said.

The Indian warships participating in the exercise include 11 ships of Andaman and Nicobar Command and six ships of the Eastern Fleet.

In November, India, the US, Australia and Japan gave shape to the long-pending quadrilateral coalition to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of Chinese influence.

'Milan' was first held in 1995 with the participation of just five navies. The aim of the initiative was to have an effective forum to discuss common concerns in the Indian Ocean Region and forge deeper cooperation among friendly navies.

The exercise is being hosted by the Indian Navy under the aegis of the Andaman and Nicobar Command.

Junior Minister of Defence Subhash Bhamre, while replying to a question in Rajya Sabha yesterday had said, "Government is aware of China's stated objective of becoming a 'maritime power'."



"As part of this strategy, China is developing ports and other infrastructure facilities in the littoral countries in the Indian Ocean Region, including in the vicinity of India's maritime boundary," he said.

While state of emergency was declared in Maldives early last month, Sri Lankan government imposed a nationwide emergency today to contain communal violence in Kandy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Arch-rivals AIADMK and DMK today came on the same page, pooh-poohing superstar Rajinikanth's claim of a political vacuum in Tamil Nadu that he would fill.

While the AIADMK compared itself with a high-flying kite that need not fear a 'sparrow', DMK exuded confidence it would form the next government in the state as they sought to dismiss any threat to them from the actor.

By their assertions, the two parties sought to indicate Rajinikanth had no role to play in the political spectrum.

The social and electronic media in the state was abuzz with analysis of the superstar's first major political speech, with several hailing it as a promising one.

Rajinikanth had yesterday said there was a "vacuum for a good leader" in the state currently and he would provide a good administration.

The actor made the remarks in his address at a college function here after unveiling a statue of late chief minister and AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran.

It was his first political speech since December 31 last when he had announced he will enter and contest all 234 assembly seats whenever elections are held.

Senior AIADMK leader and Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar said many who actors who wanted to make a mark in had remained non-starters.

"A sparrow is a sparrow. A kite is a kite. AIADMK is a high-flying kite, and there is no need for it to fear sparrows," he said responding to Rajinikanth's remarks.

Opposition DMK asserted there was no political vacuum in Tamil Nadu as remarked by the actor and claimed it will form the next government in the state.

"I don't agree with his remarks that a political vacuum exists in Tamil Nadu. The people of the state will not accept it too," DMK Working President MK Stalin told reporters here.

"The next government will be that of the DMK. People are ready for that," he added.

Rajinikanth had cited the demise of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa in 2016 and the ill-health of 93-year old DMK President M Karunanidhi who has become inactive politically of late to drive home his point that there was vacuum for a good leader and a leadership.

Meanwhile, the BJP too pitched itself as a viable alternative and described the actor's comments as his 'hope.'



"We are delivering good governance in many states. We are confident of being the alternative force in Tamil Nadu," BJP state unit President Tamilisai Soundararajan said.

On Rajinikanth's remarks of a political vacuum existing in the state and that he can fill that space, she said "hope is life.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Ahead of the Assembly polls, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today ruled out the possibility of inducting mining baron and former minister from the BJP, G Janardhan Reddy, into the Congress.

However, he defended the induction of three leaders B S Anand Singh (BJP MLA representing Vijayanagar), B Nagendra (independent MLA representing Kudligi) and Ashok Kheny (Karnataka Makkala Paksha MLA from Bidar).

Asked if the party planned to admit Janardhan Reddy, Siddaramaiah said, "There is no question of inducting Janardhan Reddy, who has looted."



The chief minister said he had led the "padayatra" (in 2010) from Bengaluru to Ballari against the scam-tainted Reddy.

"So, there is no question of taking him into the party," he added.

Asked if there was pressure to induct businessman Kheny, Siddarmaiah said there was no pressure from the party leadership.

"He has been inducted without any conditions."



Kheny is the managing director of the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), the implementing agency of the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project that is facing allegations of irregularities.

Siddaramaiah also mentioned that the house committee that is probing the allegations of irregularities has submitted the report.

"The report is under examination. We will take action after obtaining the opinion of the law department," he said, adding that Kheny joining into the Congress will not have an impact on the government's probe.

Siddaramaiah was here in the national capital to discuss with Congress President Rahul Gandhi about three vacant Rajya Sabha seats in the state.

He said that candidates for the Rajya Sabha will be mostly from the state and ruled out giving seats to any outsider.

The polls to the Rajya Sabha seats is due on March 23, while for the state Assembly election in April-May.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Madras High Court has directed the Chennai Corporation commissioner to take action against officials who issued notices to over 100 people, including actors Kamal Haasan and Ramya Krishnan, without referring to a court order.

The matter relates to construction of buildings in an area falling in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ).

A division bench of justices M Venugopal and S Vaidyanathan was hearing a batch of pleas, seeking a direction to the authorities, including the National Coastal Zone Management Authority, to consider re-classification of Akkarai village in Sholinganallur panchayat as CRZ-II as per a central notification.

The court had earlier directed the corporation to inform the residents of the area as regards the pendency of the writ petitions.

When the matter came up yesterday, the court was informed that notices were issued with regard to construction of buildings in violation of the sanctioned plan in the area.

The court said the authority that issued the notices had completely ignored the court order in this regard.

"Whether the order flouted was wilful or unintentional has to be decided at the appropriate stage," it observed.

The bench said when there was a specific court direction, it was the duty of the authorities to mention about the pendency of the petitions in the "notice or by separate notice, in order to enable the parties to appear before this court, as the place is a Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)".

It made it clear that if the corporation commissioner did not act against the officials, who issued the notices without referring to the court order, and place them in "non-sensitive posts", appropriate action would be taken against him, besides asking him to appear before the court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), has signed a pact with Iran's IDRO Oil to jointly bid for a USD 1 billion contract for development of Susangerd oilfield in southern Iran.

The onland Susangerd field in the Khuzestan province is one of the newest finds, which Iran hopes will produce around 30,000 barrels per day of oil in two development phases.

OVL signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate with IDRO Oil, which is a subsidiary of state-run Iranian Development and Renovation Organisation, in developing Susangerd field, official sources said.

IDRO Oil had last month signed a similar pact with Russia's Zarubezhneft to jointly bid for a contract to develop the Susangerd field.

The Iranian firm is looking at forming a consortium to make a case with the state-owned National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC) for a contract for Susangerd, according to an Islamic Republic Agency (IRNA) report citing IDRO CEO Nasrollah Zarei.

IDRO Oil is one of 17 eligible contractors that have received the Iranian oil ministry's nod to be a lead partner in joint ventures with international to work in the country's energy sector.

In May last year, it signed an agreement with NIOC, which is the owner of all oil and gas in Iran, to study three fields including Susangerd. In December, IDRO Oil signed up Austrian consulting company HOT Engineering to prepare a master development plan for Susangerd. HOT Engineering Company will provide consultancy services, technical support and a master development plan.

Another Iranian contractor, Pasargad Energy, has also studied Susangerd.

Zarei expected USD 900 million would be required for the development of the oilfield.

Susangerd, located 45-kilometres west of the city of Ahvaz i Khuzestan, is estimated to hold more than 5 billion barrels of in-place oil reserves discovered in 2009. Of these, 500 million barrels are recoverable.

Separately, OVL is also bidding for development rights of Iran's giant South Azadegan Oilfield in direct competition with the likes of global giants like Shell, France's Total, Petronas of Malaysia and Russia's Gazprom.

It is also reworking a USD 6.2 billion cost it had estimated for developing the Farzad-B gas field in the Persian Gulf. OVL is doing recalculations to win rights to development the field it had discovered a decade back.

OVL is one of the 34 companies Iran pre-qualified last year for development of South Azadegan field, which contains an estimated 33 billion barrels of oil in place, of which 6 billion barrels are deemed recoverable. The field currently produces about 80,000 barrels of oil per day (4 million tonnes per annum) and output is envisaged to touch 320,000 barrels a day (16 million tonnes).

Farzad B was discovered by OVL in the Farsi block about 10 years ago. The field in the Farsi block has an in-place gas reserve of 21.7 trillion cubic feet, of which 12.5 tcf are recoverable.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi today met Nepal's Maoist chief Prachanda and discussed with him measures to improve bilateral ties as well as ways to revitalise the eight-member SAARC grouping.

Abbasi met CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairperson 'Prachanda' in the capital and the two leaders discussed relations between Nepal and Pakistan, Nepalese media reported.

After the meeting, Prachanda said that matters related to bilateral relations and mutual interests were discussed in the meeting.

During the 45-minute meeting, they also discussed measures to improve bilateral trade and economic relations, Republica newspaper reported.

Prachanda said the meeting also stressed the need of initiative from all member-states to revitalise the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

The 19th SAARC Summit, which was scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November 2016, was cancelled after India announced to boycott the meeting citing Pakistan's involvement in the Uri terror attack. Three other SAARC members joined India, resulting in the cancellation of the summit.

Abbasi also paid a courtesy call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari and addressed a programme organised by the SAARC Secretariat.

During a meeting with SAARC Secretary General Amjad B. Sial, Abbasi said SAARC was an important forum which required serious and sincere efforts by member countries to explore its true potential.

Pakistan was committed to playing a constructive role in SAARC, the prime minister said.

Sial, who belongs to Pakistan's Foreign Service and was appointed secretary general of SAARC in 2017, briefed the Abbasi on the activities of the organisation.

SAARC member states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Abbasi yesterday met his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli here and discussed bilateral ties besides ways to revive the SAARC process.

They agreed to enhance cooperation in areas of economy, defence and culture, Pakistan's official APP agency reported.

Abbasi said Pakistan supported Nepal's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity as a matter of prime importance.

He said it was heartening that the democratic process in Nepal was flourishing and emphasised that political stability was a key to economic development.

He also extended invitation to Oli to visit Pakistan.

Abbasi is the first high level foreign leader to visit Nepal after Premier Oli assumed office last month.

This was the first official bilateral visit by any Pakistan Prime Minister to Nepal after a gap of 24 years.

In 1994, the then prime minister Benazir Bhutto travelled to Nepal on a bilateral visit.

Former premier Nawaz Sharif had visited Nepal to attend the 18th SAARC Summit in 2014.

Abbasi left for Pakistan this afternoon after wrapping up his two-day Nepal visit.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi today met Nepal's Maoist chief Prachanda and discussed with him measures to improve bilateral trade ties as well as ways to revitalise the SAARC process.

Abbasi met CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairperson 'Prachanda' in the capital this morning.

The two leaders discussed relations between Nepal and Pakistan, Republica reported.

After the meeting, Prachanda said that matters related to bilateral relations and mutual interests were discussed in the meeting.

During the 45-minute meeting, they also discussed measures to improve bilateral trade and economic relations.

Prachanda said the meeting also stressed the need of initiative from all member-states to revitalise the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

The 19th SAARC Summit, which was scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November 2016, was cancelled after India announced to boycott the meeting citing Pakistan's involvement in the Uri terror attack. Three other SAARC members joined India, resulting in the cancellation of the summit.

Abbasi also paid a courtesy call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari and addressed a programme organised by the SAARC Secretariat.

Abbasi yesterday met his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli here and discussed bilateral ties besides ways to revive the SAARC process.

He also extended invitation to Oli to visit Pakistan.

Abbasi is the first high level foreign leader to visit Nepal after Premier Oli assumed office last month.

This was the first official bilateral visit by any Pakistan Prime Minister to Nepal after a gap of 24 years.

In 1994, the then prime minister Benazir Bhutto travelled to Nepal on a bilateral visit.

Former premier Nawaz Sharif had visited Nepal to attend the 18th SAARC Summit in 2014.

Abbasi left for Pakistan this afternoon after wrapping up his two-day Nepal visit.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A parliamentary panel in Pakistan today recommended that anyone falsely accusing someone of blasphemy should be subjected to the same level of punishment as a person who has been convicted of blasphemy.

The Senate Special Committee on Human Rights drafted proposals after several reports about the alleged misuse of blasphemy laws in the country.

"Anyone falsely accusing someone of blasphemy should be subjected to the same punishment as a person convicted of blasphemy," the committee said in draft recommendations.

Blasphemy laws were introduced by former military dictator Zia-ul Haq in 1980s and the maximum punishment under the laws is death sentence.

The laws do not provide punishment for false accusation but the same is given in Pakistan Penal Code, which is maximum six months sentence or a fine of Rs 1,000.

The committee also suggested that a person interested to register a blasphemy case at a police station should have to bring two witnesses in support of his charges.

Earlier, the Islamabad High Court in October had suggested parliament to enhance punishment for those who misuse the blasphemy laws.

The Interior Ministry last month submitted a draft of proposed amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016, that recommended that punishments for a false accusation of blasphemy should be same as the punishment for actually committing blasphemy.

Blasphemy is considered as highly sensitive issue in Pakistan and those accused of it become easy victims of extremists groups.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan will continue to threaten US interests by deploying new nuclear weapons capabilities, maintaining ties to militants, restricting counter-terrorism cooperation and drawing closer to China, America's top spymaster said today.

Testifying before the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee on worldwide threats, Director of National Intelligence Daniel R Coats also said the ties between India and China are expected to be tense and possibly deteriorate.

"Militant groups supported by Islamabad will continue to take advantage of their safe haven in Pakistan to plan and conduct attacks in India and Afghanistan, including against US interests," Coats said.

He had made a similar statement recently before another Congressional committee.

"Pakistan's perception of its eroding position relative to India, reinforced by endemic economic weakness and domestic security issues, almost certainly will exacerbate long-held fears of isolation and drive Islamabad's pursuit of actions that run counter to US goals for the region," Coats said.

He warned that the relations between India and Pakistan are likely to remain tense, with continued violence on the Line of Control and the risk of escalation if there is another high-profile terrorist attack in India or an uptick in violence on the LoC.

"We expect relations between India and China to remain tense and possibly to deteriorate further, despite the negotiated settlement to their three-month border standoff in August, elevating the risk of unintentional escalation," he said.

India and China were engaged in a 73-day standoff at Dokalam last year after Indian troops objected to Chinese army building a road close to India's Chicken-Neck Corridor, a narrow corridor connecting north-eastern states.

The standoff ended on August 28 after Chinese troops agreed to stop building the road.

Coats said China and Russia will seek spheres of influence and to check US appeal and influence in their regions.

Meanwhile, US allies' and partners' uncertainty about the willingness and capability of the United States to maintain its international commitments may drive them to consider reorienting their policies, particularly regarding trade, away from Washington, he noted.

China, Coats said, will continue to pursue an active foreign policy especially in the Asia Pacific region highlighted by a firm stance on its sovereignty claims in the East China Sea (ECS) and South China Sea (SCS), its relations with Taiwan, and its pursuit of economic engagement across the region.

"Regional tension will persist due to North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and simmering tension over territorial and maritime disputes in the ECS and SCS. China will also pursue efforts aimed at fulfilling its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative to expand China's economic reach and political influence across Eurasia, Africa, and the Pacific through infrastructure projects," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two Pakistani businessmen have pleaded guilty before a US court to money laundering in connection with funds they received for the unlawful export of goods to a company that procured materials and equipment for the Pakistani military.

Muhammad Ismail, 67, and Kamran Khan 38, now face a maximum jail term of 20 years.

Since the time of their arrests in December 2016, Ismail has been released on a USD 50,000 bond, and Kamran Khan has been released on a USD 100,000 bond.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2012 to December 2016, Ismail, and his two sons, Kamran and Imran Khan, were engaged in a scheme to purchase goods that were controlled under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and to export those goods without a license to Pakistan, in violation of the EAR.

Imran, 43, has already pleaded guilty to violating US export laws.

Through companies conducting business as Brush Locker Tools, Kauser Enterprises-USA and Kauser Enterprises-Pakistan, the three defendants received orders from a Pakistani company that procured materials and equipment for the Pakistani military, requesting them to procure specific products that were subject to the EAR.

When US manufacturers asked about the end-user for a product, they either informed the manufacturer that the product would remain in the US or completed an end-user certification indicating that the product would not be exported, federal prosecutors said.

After the products were purchased, they were shipped by the manufacturer to them in Connecticut.

The products were then shipped to Pakistan on behalf of either the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, the Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission or the National Institute of Lasers & Optronics, all of which were listed on the US Department of Commerce Entity List.

The Entity List identifies foreign parties that are prohibited from receiving some or all items subject to the EAR unless the exporter secures a license.

They never obtained a license to export any item to the designated entities even though they knew that a license was required prior to export.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will travel to the US for treatment in the early hours tomorrow, a top BJP leader said.

Parrikar, 62, was flown to Mumbai and admitted at Lilavati Hospital last evening for a check-up.

"The chief minister will fly to the USA tomorrow by an early morning flight at 1.30 AM for further treatment," state BJP general secretary Sadanand Tanawade said.

A state government official too confirmed the development.

Parrikar was admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on February 15 and discharged on February 22. On the same day he returned to Goa and presented the Budget in the assembly, but the session was truncated to only four days owing to his illness.

He was later admitted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital after he suffered from dehydration.

Before leaving for Mumbai yesterday, Parrikar held a series of meetings, including one with senior state ministers.

A three-member Cabinet Advisory Committee of Sudin Dhavalikar (MGP), Francis D'Souza (BJP) and Vijai Sardesai (Goa Forward Party) was also formed to advise the administration in his absence.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Union minister Giriraj Singh today said people who were "oppressed" during the 25-year Left rule in Tripura might have brought down a statue of communist icon Lenin in the state.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party or its ideology does not propagate violence but the Left does," the BJP leader asserted, a day after a five-feet fibreglass statue of the former Soviet leader was pulled down by suspected BJP workers in South Tripura's Belonia town, about 110 kilometres from Agartala.

"So many people were oppressed by the Left. Some of them must have this feeling of revenge," Singh said.

Only time will tell who were responsible for razing the statue in the north-eastern state, where the BJP is set to form the government along with the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), he said.

The minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises added that many people had been killed under Left rule in places like Kerala.

Mocking the BJP's rivals over their angry reaction to the statue's demolition, Singh said, "I never heard them say anything over the demolition of thousands of temples in the past, including those in Kashi (Varanasi), Mathura and Ayodhya."



Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today spoke to Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy and Director-General of Police A K Shukla, amid reports of sporadic violence in the state, asking them to ensure peace till a new government is installed.

The Left has accused the BJP of unleashing violence in the state, after the latter ousted the 25-year rule of the communist party in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi would honour the district administrations of Rajasthan's Sikar and Jhunjhunu for improving sex-ratio.

Modi will facilitate the districts during his visit on March 8 for their efforts towards 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign, an official said.

Sex-ratio was alarming in Sikar before the campaign. In 2011, there were 848 females over 1,000 males.

"After innovative steps taken under the campaign, sex ratio was registered at 930 females over 1,000 males," Sikar District Collector Naresh Thakral said.

"Improvement in sex-ratio in the districts is a collective effort of people involved in the campaign, which improved sex-ratio in the districts," said Thakral.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Police say a Cincinnati man raped his daughter over a period of 15 years, fathering two of her children.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that police say the man assaulted his daughter several times a month from when she was 10 until she left home at 25.

Hamilton County court records show he was indicted on 23 counts of rape and 18 counts of sexual battery. The man's wife is charged with two counts of felony complicity.

Court documents show the victim has two children, ages 2 and 7. Prosecutors say genetic testing indicates the victim's father is a close relative.

His arraignment is scheduled Friday. A message was left today for his attorney.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Poland's deputy foreign minister denied reports Tuesday that the US is punishing Poland over a controversial new Holocaust law.

Bartosz Cichocki said that Washington has been expressing "concerns and questions" about the law, but that reports of sanctions are untrue.

Polish portal Onet.pl reported late Monday that the Polish government was told that the Polish president and prime minister cannot count on any meetings with either President Donald Trump or Vice President Mike Pence until Poland changes the law.

Onet said it has seen documents confirming the ultimatum, and reported that the Americans also threatened to block the financing of joint military projects.

The United States has previously warned Poland not to pass the law, which imposes prison sentences of up to three years for falsely and intentionally attributing the crimes of Nazi Germany to Poland.

Poland's nationalist government says the law is meant to protect Poland, a victim of Hitler's Germany, from being accused of crimes that it did not commit as a nation.

Israeli and US officials, however, fear that it could undermine free speech and academic research into the cases of Polish violence against Jews during World War II.

In late January the U.S. State Department said the law could have "repercussions ... on Poland's strategic interests and relationships." "If it's true that Americans have introduced sanctions against Poland, then the matter is serious. It could hurt Poland's security," Stanislaw Tyszka, a deputy speaker of the parliament from a small right-wing party, Kuziz '15, said Tuesday.

Government spokeswoman Joanna Kopcinska stressed that diplomatic channels remain open, noting that other government officials have visited Washington recently and will do so in the near future.

"Bilateral strategic cooperation with the United States is not threatened, diplomatic contacts remain at the current level," Kopcinska said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump today said possible progress is being made in talks with North Korea even as South Korea said the North is willing to stop testing nuclear missiles.

"The world is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the US is ready to go hard in either direction!" said the president in his first reaction to the report that North Korea has told South Korean officials that it is ready to have heart-to-heart discussions with the US and stop nuclear missile tests in lieu of that.

"Possible progress being made in talks with North Korea. For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned," Trump said in a tweet.

According to media reports, South Korean officials claimed that North Korea is prepared to give up its nuclear weapons if threats of military action stop, and if its security is guaranteed.

"We will see what happens!" Trump tweeted.

In a statement later, Vice President Mike Pence said that whichever direction talks with North Korea go, the Trump administration will be firm in its resolve.

"The United States and our allies remain committed to applying maximum pressure on the Kim regime to end their nuclear programme," he said.

"All options are on the table and our posture toward the regime will not change until we see credible, verifiable, and concrete steps toward denuclearisation," Pence said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Maharashtra government today assured the Legislative Council that all necessary medical treatment will be provided to jailed NCP leader and former state minister Chhagan Bhujbal.

Bhujbal, lodged in Arthur Road Jail here since 2016 after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, was admitted to state-run J J Hospital on March 3 for pancreatitis and acute bronchial asthma.

Today's assurance by parliamentary affairs minister Girish Bapat was preceded by a heated debate about the condition of hospitals in the state, against the backdrop of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar coming to Mumbai for treatment.

The NCP had demanded yesterday that Bhujbal be shifted to a private hospital.

Shiv Sena leader and Public Transport Minister Diwakar Raote today said that the tone of yesterday's debate over the issue suggested that some people were trying to disparage government hospitals.

Council Chairman Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar said the issue had been debated yesterday, and the government should be allowed to decide on Bhujbal's treatment.

NCP's Sunil Tatkare jumped into debate and asked under which rule Raote raised the issue today. He also wanted to know why Parrikar came to Mumbai for treatment and if there were no good government hospitals in his own state.

As ruling party MLAs objected to this remark vociferously, the chairman adjourned the proceedings for 15 minutes.

After the House reassembled, Tatkare withdrew his remarks about Parrikar.

Bapat then said that Pankaj Bhujbal -- Chhagan Bhujbal's son -- had spoken to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

"The government has also spoken to Director General of Police (Prisons) over providing medical treatment to Bhujbal. The government will provide proper medical treatment to Bhujbal," he said.

Raote said he merely wanted the government to clarify, as a wrong message could go that treatment at the government-run J J Hospital was substandard.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Rejecting the Opposition's charge that he appeared to be the leader of only one community, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on Tuesday said while he was a Hindu, and proud of his religion's traditions, his government would provide a conducive atmosphere to those wanting to observe festivals like 'Eid'.

Earlier, opposition leaders raised questions referring to the chief minister's reported response to journalists in Mathura some days back that he did not celebrate 'Eid'.

During his reply to the motion of thanks to the Governor's address in the state Assembly, Adityanath also took pot-shots at rival parties, claiming it was the "frustration and helplessness" of the Samajwadi Party that led it to reach an understanding with bitter opponent Bahujan Samaj Party ahead of the Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypolls.

He also brushed aside opposition charges of fake encounters being staged, of BJP encouraging divisive tendencies, while also asserting that no person would be allowed to stop the march of the tricolour.

Seeking to highlight the bitter differences between the Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati led parties, Adityanath said it was the SP's "frustration and helplessness" that it went and "sat in the lap of the BSP".

He said that BSP leader Lalji Verma had met him in connection with the memorials set up by the Mayawati government. I told him that it was the duty of the government to maintain them as the money spent on them was that of the state, Adityanath said.

"But (SP) has said that they will demolish them...We will however not allow it to happen till we are in power...Ask them if the state guest house incident will not be repeated. Some things do not change, as it is not in their psyche. Why do you try to change those who do not want to change? If the scorpion has to bite it will do so," the chief minister as he sought to press the bitter differences between the UP's long time political opponents.

He said the real answer will be given by the people in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur in the upcoming Lok Sabha bye-election (in which BSP is backing SP candidates).

"The red flag has been drowned in Tripura and now it is the turn of the red cap which will be drowned in UP as today its the time of saffron which is indicative of development," Adityanath said attacking the SP.

Only two kind of people are feeling the heat - those indulging in loot and the others who used to create anarchy, he said.

Replying to a charge levelled by leader of Opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary that Adityanath appeared to be the chief minister of only some so called Hindus through his language, work and thinking and that he had ducked a journalist's query on Eid, the chief minister said that he was a Hindu and did not celebrate Eid.

"I am a Hindu and proud of my traditions and there is nothing wrong in it, but the government will extend the help for peaceful Eid celebrations in the state," he said adding that he did not indulge in drama like some others.

I have visited various religious centres, as we want to give momentum to spiritual tourism along with pilgrimage which has vast scope in the state, Adityanath said adding that he had even visited the Taj Mahal.

"You think you have a patent on it," the chief minister said.

He rejected allegations that fake encounters were being staged and said the perception of UP before the country and the world had changed with a successful Investors' Summit.

He attacked SP citing some recent incidents of crime, in which, he claimed men linked with the opposition party were involved and also alleged that a majority of land mafia were also connected with it.

Taking exception to Chaudhary's statement that BJP's wrong policies will be responsible in case of any further partition, the chief minister said that a statement like this from a person who has taken the oath in the name of Constitution cannot be accepted.

"The country is emerging stronger..India will not be divided. However those who talk about it will be smashed...If the SP has such divisive tendencies, it is my appeal to them to keep it limited to themselves and their party," he said.

On the Kasganj violence in which one youth was killed on the Republic Day, Adityanath said his government will deal with such elements sternly.

"The countrymen are committed to upholding the honour of the 'tiranga' and will not let go of any person who forcefully tries to stop tiranga yatra," he said.

Terming his one year in office which he will be completing later this month, as the most successful one, he attacked the previous govermments of the past 15 years for not paying attention to the development of the state.

Earlier in his speech, Chaudhary alleged that the government had failed on all fronts.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and other leaders of the JuD and the FIF are still freely using the banned groups' offices despite Pakistan's claims that all the assets of the two outfits have been seized and their bank accounts frozen, an official said today.

The government last month had taken over the Jamaat-ud-Dawa's famous Muridke Markaz and Lahore's headquarters of Masjid Al Qadsia in Chauburji. But on ground neither Saeed and his supporters left the JuD's Chauburji headquarters nor that of Muridke and other offices of JuD and the Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) in the country.

"Since the government has taken over the control of JuD headquarters in Lahore in mid last month, Saeed delivered three Friday sermons in three successive weeks there in the presence of a large number of his supporters. The government could only deploy its administrator at Al Qadsia while the JuD men are operating from there the way they used to," an official of the Punjab government told PTI today.

A similar arrangement was made at JuD's Muridke headquarters, he added.

"The government has not barred Saeed and activists of his charities from using the JuD headquarters in Lahore and Muridke, and other offices of the two organisations," he said.

The government had initiated action against Saeed's organisations in pursuance of an ordinance issued by President Mamnoon Hussain in February amending the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, and allowing the state to proscribe UNSC-listed organisations, some of which had been exempt from prosecution.

The move had also come in the backdrop of a meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental money-laundering watchdog, that put Pakistan on a grey list.

At the FATF meeting in Paris last month, Saeed and his "charities" were top on the list of the groups that the FATF wanted Pakistan to act against.

Pakistan last week vowed to take further actions to address certain "deficiencies" highlighted by the FATF in its anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing framework.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. It has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan told PTI the officials from various government departments had been appointed as administrators of JuD's offices to oversee the working of welfare-oriented facilities like dispensaries and schools.

To a question about as why the JuD leadership including Saeed had not been stopped using the JuD headquarters in Lahore and Muridke, the minister said: "We have taken over all JuD and FIF facilities including schools, dispensaries, offices and seminaries. These are now in the government's control."



Another official told PTI that the government at this stage does not want to stop Saeed and other JuD leaders from using its main headquarters as it may lead to a clash between them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress president Rahul Gandhi will visit Singapore and Malaysia later this week in a bid to reach out to the Indian diaspora in the two southeast Asian countries, party sources here said.

Gandhi will visit the two countries from March 8 to 10 as part of his political outreach programme, they said.

He will address the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, on March 8, and meet other representatives of the Indian community there.

He will address the Indian diaspora in Malaysia on March 10 before returning to India.

The programme is being organised by the AICC Overseas cell headed by technocrat Sam Pitroda, who helped former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi lead the IT revolution in India.

Pitroda had earlier successfully organised Rahul Gandhi's visits to the US and west Asia.

The Congress president is later also expected to travel to Dubai and Canada.

The visit to Malaysia and Singapore comes ahead of the AICC plenary session scheduled to be held in the national capital from March 16 to 18.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Proceedings in the Rajya Sabha were virtually washed out today due to continued opposition uproar over issues like the banking fraud, special package for Andhra Pradesh and demands for constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Board.

The House witnessed three adjournments during the day, with both Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Deputy Chairman P J Kurien telling the opposition members that they were ready to hold discussions on the issues being raised by them. However, their appeals went unheeded throughout and the House was finally adjourned for the day at 3.35 PM.

As soon as the House assembled for the fourth time during the day at 3:30 PM, the opposition members again trooped into the Well raising slogans.

Amid the din, Kurien adjourned the House for the day as the members remained unrelenting and continued to raise slogans and displaying placards on their demands over issues like PNB scam, Andhra Pradesh special package and setting up of the Cauvery Water Management Board.

Earlier in the day, the House witnessed unruly scenes with members from the TDP, AIADMK and TMC trooping into the Well and raising slogans.

The Upper House was first adjourned soon after it assembled at 11 AM, then again at 11:30 AM and thereafter at 2 PM till 3.30 PM, when the chair finally called it a day.

Reacting to the disruptions, Chairman Naidu said, "I am not happy. I do not approve this sort of tactics. .... This is proving the public impression...Parliament is not conducting itself in a dignified manner."



Chastising the members for shouting slogans and display banners, he said "this is not the way. This is Parliament. This is not a bazaar."



"You are insulting yourself. You are making Parliament a laughing stock in front of the people of the country," Naidu said before he adjourned the House twice during the day, finally till 2 PM.

In the afternoon, Kurien assured the agitating members that they would be heard one-by-one. But members continued with their protests. "The chair is ready to allow discussions on any subject," said Kurien, adding, "by doing this you are stooping down to the level of hooligans".

Display of placards is against the rules, he said and told members, "Do not do this... you members have dignity ... This was not expected from members."



He said "discussion and debate are the ways of parliamentary democracy and I would ask the government to respond you".

However, the protesting members could not be pacified, following which Kurien adjourned the House till 3:30 pm.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel also told the opposition that the government was ready for a discussion on the banking scam.

"We are ready for a discussion. Irregularities in the banking sector are not from today but from years. We are ready to discuss banking irregularities and other issues. The government is not running away from this," he said.

Earlier, while TMC members raised slogans demanding that the alleged mastermind of the banking fraud Nirav Modi be brought back to the country, the AIADMK and DMK carried placards demanding constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Board for division of Cauvery water between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The TDP and a Congress member demanded implementation of a special package for Andhra Pradesh to make up for the loss after a separate Telangana was carved out.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Music mogul Rick Ross is reportedly recovering at his Miami home after a health scare landed him in a Florida hospital.

According to TMZ, the 42-year-old hip hop mogul was discharged early Monday morning following a four-day hospitalisation.

Ross was found "unresponsive" in his Miami mansion. According to a Davie Police Department report obtained by the People magazine and first published by The Blast, someone at the Miami mansion belonging to Ross, called 911 at 3:34 a.m. for emergency medical support saying a person matching Ross' description was "breathing heavy" and "slobbing out the mouth."



Ross has had a history of seizures, suffering two within six hours of each other in 2011.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Senior NDPP leader Neiphiu Rio was today appointed the new chief minister of Nagaland by Governor P B Acharya and would be sworn in here on March 8, a Raj Bhavan source said.

Acharya, in a letter to Rio, asked him to prove his majority on the floor of the House on or before March 16, the source said.

The governor said he had received letters of support in Rio's favour from 12 legislators of the BJP, one letter from the JD(U) and another from an Independent MLA, besides the 18 legislatures of the NDPP.

The new ministry will be sworn in on March 8, the source said.

Union minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, along with BJP general secretary Arun Singh and state BJP president BJP Visasolie Lhoungu, met the governor earlier today and submitted a letter of support to Rio with the signatures of all 12 BJP MLAs.

The BJP leaders informed the governor that Y Patton had been elected the BJP Legislature Party leader in the Assembly.

National People's Party's (NPP) state president Ato Yepthomi said he had also submitted a letter supporting Rio to the governor.

The governor has asked him to give a letter of support signed by the party's national president Conrad Sangma along with a letter with the signatures of both the NPP MLAs at the earliest.

In the recently concluded Assembly elections, the ruling NPF won 26 seats. The NDPP-BJP alliance cornered 30 seats and has the support of two NPP MLAs, one JD(U) MLA and an Independent.

Outgoing Chief Minister T R Zeliang today submitted his resignation which the governor accepted and asked him to continue in office till an alternative arrangement was made.

Earlier in the day, officials from the Election Commission along with state Chief Electoral Officer Abhijit Sinha submitted a notification constituting the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly to the governor.

The governor dissolved the 12th Nagaland Legislative Assembly, the source said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Roorkee Mayor Yashpal Rana was arrested here for allegedly assaulting BJP councillor Chandra Prakash Bata on Sunday night after a tiff over car parking.

The assault followed a tiff between them on Sunday night when Rana and Bata had gone to attend two separate private functions held by their acquaintances in the same colony, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Manikant Mishra said.

The trouble started when Bata, along with his nephew Nikhil Verma, asked the Mayor to remove his parked vehicle from a lane where the function he had come to attend was in progress, he said.

Bata's nephew Nikhil had an argument over the matter with Rana's son Lovey following which the Mayor, along with his supporters, allegedly assaulted Bata and Nikhil, causing serious injuries to the councillor, the SP said citing the complaint lodged at Gangnahar police station.

The councillor's brother Devendra Verma had lodged the complaint on Sunday night following which Rana was arrested.

He was produced in a local court on Monday which remanded him in 14 days' judicial custody.

Meanwhile, supporters of Rana who is a Congress leader gathered at Kotwali and created a ruckus yesterday alleging that Rana had been arrested at the behest of the ruling BJP.

His supporters included Congress legislator from Kaliyar, Furkan Ahmad, Bhagwanpur MLA Mamta Rakesh, former minister Ram Singh Saini and former state minister Sanjay Paliwal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Russia's defence ministry today said its officials were discussing with international humanitarian organisations a plan to send a fresh aid convoy today to Syria's rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

The United Nations said a convoy delivering desperately needed aid to the town of Douma in the besieged enclave on Monday was forced to cut its mission short amid shelling.

"Following the humanitarian convoy to Douma, we discussed measures to coordinate new humanitarian convoys to Eastern Ghouta, including one planned for Thursday," Russian agencies reported General Vladimir Zolotukhin as saying.

Zolotukhin, a spokesman for Russia's Syria reconciliation centre, said agreement was reached on "a meeting at which the wishes already expressed by (humanitarian aid) organisers will be discussed in detail," RIA Novosti agency reported.

Russia has said the first international convoy to the area delivered 247 tonnes of medical aid and food to Douma.

Yesterday evening, the Russian army called for "all the heads of armed groups in Eastern Ghouta to allow the safe passage of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid."



Moscow had earlier offered safe passage to non-combatants wishing to leave Eastern Ghouta during daily "humanitarian pauses."



But the UN says no Syrian civilians have left the enclave since the first break in fighting took effect last week.

Damascus and Moscow have accused rebels of preventing civilians from leaving in order to use them as human shields.

The Syrian regime, supported by Russia, began an unprecedented aerial offensive in Eastern Ghouta on February 18.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the number of civilians killed since the assault began at more than 780, including 170 children.

The bombing campaign has been accompanied by a ground operation that has allowed loyalist forces to take control of 40 per cent of the rebel enclave.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Russian forces were behind a deadly strike on a crowded market in Syria late last year, UN investigators said today, warning that the attack could amount to a "war crime".

The air strikes on a market in rebel-held Atareb in northern Syria last November 13 killed at least 84 people, including five children, and injured around 150 others, the UN Commission of Inquiry on human rights in Syria said in its latest report.

"The commission confirmed the use of unguided blast weapons by Russian aircraft in a civilian populated area," commission chief Paulo Pinheiro told reporters in Geneva.

He pointed to a "large body of evidence", including interviews with witnesses and forensic analysis of photos, videos and images of weapons remnants, satellite images and impact analysis, to support the commission's findings.

The war crimes investigators acknowledged there was "no evidence to indicate that the ... attack deliberately targeted civilians or the Atareb market."



But they stressed that "the use of unguided bombs, including blast weapons, in a densely civilian populated area may amount to the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks."



And Pinheiro pointed out that the use of certain weapons in civilian areas "automatically amounts to (a) war crime ... because of the nature of the weapons used."The UN's Syria commission, set up in 2011 shortly after the civil war began, has repeatedly accused the various sides of war crimes and in some cases crimes against humanity.

More than 340,000 people have been killed and millions driven from their homes in Syria's seven-year war, with no diplomatic solution in sight.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Korean electronics major Samsung is betting big on its latest flagship devices Galaxy S9 and S9+ to further consolidate its position in the premium smartphone category in India.

Samsung will retail the devices in the country from March 16 through online and offline channels, priced at Rs 57,900 onwards. The handsets were introduced a couple of days back in Barcelona, Spain.

The phones, which will compete with high-end devices like Apple's iPhone X and Googles Pixel 2 series, is packed with features like dual aperture, slow motion video options, Dolby Atmos surround sound capabilities and AR emojis.

Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will be offered at a price of Rs 57,900 and Rs 64,900 respectively for 64GB variants and Rs 65,900 and Rs 72,900 respectively for 256GB variants.

"The S8 (previous generation) was our most successful flagship, we saw record sales in India. The S9 and S9+ have cutting-edge features... In 2017, we had 55 per cent value share and 58 per cent volume share (as per GfK data) of the premium segment and this launch will help us further strengthen our position in the category," Samsung India Senior VP, Mobile Business Asim Warsi told PTI.

He added that the handsets sold locally will be 'Made in India'.

"We have partnered Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio to bring LTE carrier aggregation where spectrum across different bands merge into one single pipe, allowing faster streaming... The phones can stream data at about 250Mbps, which is about 2.5 times faster than the average smartphone connected to the same network," he said.

The company is also introducing a new loyalty programme, Samsung Rewards, to offer reward points to users when they transact using Samsung Pay. These points can be redeemed for movie tickets, shopping and F&B outlets.

"India is central to our vision and priorities. That is why we are bringing these flagship devices to India in the first phase itself with other markets like the US and Korea... Since the unveiling in February-end, we have already received interest from 3 lakh people for the device," Warsi said.

Galaxy S9 will come with 5.8-inch display, 4GB RAM, 12MP rear and 8MP front cameras and 3,000 mAh battery.

The S9+, on the other hand, features 6.2-inch display, 6GB RAM, 12MP rear and front cameras, and 3,500 mAh battery. Both devices support expandable memory of up to 400GB.

According to research firm Counterpoint, the premium smartphone segment (priced Rs 30,000 onwards) in India witnessed over 20 per cent growth in 2017 over 2016. The Rs 10,000-15,000 category grew at the fastest pace.

The premium category was the second fastest growing segment (20 per cent year-on-year) by volume, while it expanded by 28 per cent in value terms in 2017, Counterpoint said.

The report added that three brands - Apple, OnePlus and Samsung - still contribute to 94 per cent of the overall premium market segment.

Overall, Chinese rival Xiaomi had toppled Samsung to take the numero uno spot in India in terms of shipment in the December 2017 quarter with analyst firms like Counterpoint attributing Xiaomi's success to aggressive pricing and effective channel expansion strategy.

However, Samsung had maintained that it is Indias Number 1 smartphone company by a distance.

"The only C we are focused on is consumer, and not competition... our biggest competitor is us. Twice a year we break the orbit with Galaxy S and Note series and it is not an easy pursuit," Warsi said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Electronics major Samsung today unveiled its flagship smartphones Galaxy S9 and S9+ in the Indian market priced at Rs 57,900 onwards.

The Korean giant had introduced the latest generation of its premium Galaxy S range a couple of days back in Barcelona, Spain.

The phones, which include features like dual aperture and slow motion video options, will compete with high-end devices like Apples iPhone X and Googles Pixel 2 series. It also has features like dual-stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos surround sound capabilities.

Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will be offered at a price of Rs 57,900 and Rs 64,900 respectively for 64GB variants and Rs 65,900 and Rs 72,900 respectively for 256GB variants. The handsets will be available from March 16.

"We have partnered Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio to ensure Galaxy S9 and S9+ consumers experience data speeds like never before," Samsung India Senior VP, Mobile Business Asim Warsi told reporters here.

He added that the phones can stream data at about 250Mbps, which is 2.5 times faster than the average smartphone connected to the same network.

Galaxy S9 will come with 5.8-inch display, 4GB RAM, 12MP rear and 8MP front cameras and 3,000 mAh battery.

Galaxy S9+, on the other hand, features 6.2-inch display, 6GB RAM, 12MP rear and front cameras, and 3,500 mAh battery. Both devices support expandable memory of up to 400GB.

According to research firm Counterpoint, the premium smartphone segment (priced Rs 30,000 onwards) in India witnessed over 20 per cent growth in 2017 over 2016. The Rs 10,000-15,000 category grew at the fastest pace.

The premium category was the second fastest growing segment (20 per cent year-on-year) by volume, while it expanded by 28 per cent in value terms in 2017, Counterpoint said.

The report added that three brands Apple, OnePlus and Samsung still contribute to 94 per cent of the overall premium market segment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Pakistani national was today executed in Saudi Arabia's Mecca region for smuggling a quantity of narcotic heroin, the Saudi Interior Ministry said.

The ministry said that a court convicted Fadhal Hadi Qinus and the sentence was endorsed by Appeal and Supreme Courts, state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

A royal order was issued to execute the sentence, it added.

The ministry warned that anyone who tries to commit such actions will be punished according to Sharia.

The Gulf Kingdom is keen on combating narcotics due to their high harm to individuals and the society, the ministry added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Saudi-owned broadcaster MBC has stopped airing Turkish soap operas, a spokesman said today, prompting fans to take to social media to express dismay.

MBC said the move, which comes amid tensions between Ankara and some Gulf Arab states, was aimed at promoting Arab content.

"We will try to replace Turkish soaps with premium quality Arabic dramas that embody the values and traditions of the region," MBC spokesman Mazen Hayek told AFP.

The satellite network pulled the plug on Turkish soaps dubbed in Arabic, long a hit across the Middle East, last Friday.

Saudi Arabia and ally the United Arab Emirates accuse Turkey of supporting Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood that they say fan insecurity.

Turkey has also thrown its weight behind Qatar in the emirate's nine-month-old rift with Saudi Arabia and its allies over allegations that it too backed Islamist groups and was too close to Iran.

But Hayek insisted the network's decision to stop an average of six hours a day of Turkish programming -- mid-season -- was driven by economic and cultural considerations.

The average production cost for one hour of Arabic drama is between $40,000 and $100,000 compared to $250,000 for slick Turkish soaps, he said.

"The challenge now is to fill the vacuum of Turkish soaps with top quality Arabic content," Hayek said.

"We are investing in alternate content."



The dubbed Turkish soaps were a particular hit with house wives, he added.

"For some people life will stop," a woman said on Twitter, using the Arabic hashtag "Turkish dramas have stopped".

Another tweeted with the same hashtag: "If you see me now, I have high blood pressure, high sugar level."



MBC is controlled by Saudi businessman Walid al-Ibrahim, who was held for nearly three months in a sweeping anti-corruption drive targeting Saudi Arabia's elite.

The Financial Times has reported that authorities ordered him to hand over his controlling stake in MBC to secure his release. Saudi authorities have so far not commented on his case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court today refused to grant Karti Chidambaram, the son of former union minister P Chidambaram, interim protection from arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case relating to the INX Media group.

The top court asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file their responses on a fresh plea by Karti against the probe done in the money laundering case.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said its order will not come in the way of the proceedings being conducted before any court.

"Needless to emphasise, our present order shall have no impact on any proceedings pending against the petitioner in any Court. Matter be listed on March 8," it said.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta questioned the maintainability of the writ petition filed by Karti saying it cannot be filed under article 32 of the Constitution.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Karti, said if steps are taken to take away or curtail the liberty of a person without following the due procedure of law, then it can be agitated by way of a writ petition which is a fundamental right.

The bench then clarified that if it held in affirmative the issue of maintainability of the writ petition, then only can it advert to the propositions which relate to constitutional rights.

Sibal said there was serious infringement of his client's fundamental rights due to the "arbitrary and malafide acts" of ED, which is probing the alleged money laundering case.

He said Karti may be arrested by the ED in a "frivolous" case lodged by it after his police custody granted by the trial court to the CBI gets over.

"He should not be taken into ED custody after the CBI custody gets over. The court should grant interim protection from arrest till the time the case is pending. Can't he be protected for few days," Sibal asked.

Mehta then intervened and said that "the plea is being made as if it is an anticipatory bail application".

Sibal retorted saying "No, its not an anticipatory bail application but a substantive writ petition which raises serious question of law."



Referring to a recent media report that ED has found details of Karti transferring Rs 1.8 crore into the bank account of an influential political figure, Sibal said this political figure is none other than his father P Chidambaram.

"Father gave a loan to his son, which was returned by him by way of cheques. Can a father not give loan to his son," Sibal questioned and added that deliberate attempts were made to "humiliate, harass and cause damage to his reputation".

During the nearly half an hour long hearing at around 11 am, Mehta said that Karti will be produced before the trial court on expiry of his police custody and the CBI is likely to seek an extension of his remand.

Sibal argued that investigating agencies have been harassing his client continuously and till date, no copy of Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), which is equivalent to an FIR, registered in INX Media case has been given to him.

Sibal, who appeared along with other senior advocates and Congress leaders Salman Khurshid and Vivek Tankha, argued that the probe done by ED was premised on a FIR registered by CBI in respect of a predicate offence which is a scheduled offence under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Without any predicate offence and proceeds of crime, the ED will have no jurisdiction to register an ECIR and investigate under the PMLA, the senior lawyer said.

Karti had yesterday filed the fresh writ plea seeking direction to declare that ED had no jurisdiction to conduct any investigation unrelated to the allegations in the FIR lodged by CBI on May 15, 2017.

He had also sought the quashing of summons and all proceedings initiated by the ED, terming it "unreasonable, without jurisdiction, without authority of law, in colourable exercise of power and vitiated by malafides".

Karti, who was arrested on February 28, at Chennai immediately after he returned from abroad, had also sought direction to the ED to forbear from investigating under the PMLA, the commission of a predicate offence or the existence of proceeds of crime in the M/s INX Media case and investigate the alleged offence of money laundering only if and after the proceeds of crime arising out of a predicate offence are identified by the CBI.

The apex court had on February 23 refused to stay the summons issued by the ED against Karti Chidambaram -- who is presently in CBI custody in the INX Media case.

The ED had registered a case against him and others in May last year. It had registered an ECIR, against the accused named in a CBI complaint. These included Karti Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea.

An FIR, filed on May 15 last year, had alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving Rs 305 crore in overseas funds in 2007 when P Chidambaram was Union finance minister.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed any further progress by authorities to amend 2021, which is aimed at granting protection from the ongoing sealing drive in the capital.

The apex court took strong exception to the fact that neither the Delhi government nor the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCDs) had filed affidavits on whether an environment impact assessment was conducted before proposing an amendment to the city's Master Plan.

"This is contempt, and nothing short of contempt. This dadagiri has to stop," a bench comprising Justices M B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had suggested changes to protect traders from a sealing drive in the Capital and to give relief to commercial establishments by increasing floor area ratio (FAR).

Master Plan 2021 is a blueprint for urban planning and expansion in the metropolis to ensure overall development. The proposed amendments were for bringing a uniform floor area ratio (FAR) for shop-cum-residential plots and complexes at par with residential plots.

FAR is the ratio of a building's total floor area (gross floor area) to the size of the piece of land on which it is built.

The top court had asked authorities to file the affidavit after noting the submissions of senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the sealing matter.

The bench had earlier taken a strong note of a report filed by a court-mandated monitoring committee, which said officials were obstructed from performing their duties by a gathering at the instance of Sharma and councillor Gupta during the process of sealing premises.

The apex court had earlier observed that the rule of law over sanction to construct buildings had "completely broken down" and expressed concern over illegal construction.

It had also ordered restoration of its monitoring panel to identify and seal offending structures.

The top court also discharged BJP MLA Om Prakash Sharma and municipal councillor Gunjan Gupta, against whom it had earlier issued show cause notices for contempt for allegedly obstructing authorities from carrying out the sealing drive.

The bench said it has gone through the CD containing video footage of protest and it appeared that Sharma and Gupta were not obstructing the authorities.

However, the bench took umbrage to the derogatory language being used in the video footage and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal being insulted by the protestors.

"You cannot insult the prime minister and any chief minister just because they are not from your political party. You must show respect to them," the bench said.

"You are destroying the institution. This is absolutely unacceptable. Today you are insulting the chief minister of the Union Territory of Delhi. Tomorrow, you will insult the chief minister of a state and then the prime minister of our country," the bench observed.

The committee, comprising K J Rao, former advisor to the Election Commission, Bhure Lal, chairman, Environment Pollution Control Authority, and Major General (Retd) Som Jhingan, was set up on March 24, 2006, by the apex court.The Supreme Court today took strong exception of the use of derogatory language against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in placards during BJP protests against the ongoing sealing drive in the national capital, saying such insulting acts should be "strongly discouraged".

A bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta referred to a CD filed by the court-mandated monitoring committee and said it had found two objectionable things in video footage of the anti-sealing protest -- waiving of flags of a particular political party and carrying banners which were derogatory to the Chief Minister of Delhi.

It said the Delhi chief minister had nothing to do with the sealing drive since it was the monitoring committee which was carrying out the work.

"Apart from the fact that the chief minister of Delhi has nothing to do with the matter, it is extremely unfortunate that the head of government of the union territory of Delhi (or any head of government for that matter) should be referred to in a derogatory manner through placards being carried by the supporters of elected representatives of the people. This belittles the office of the head of government and must be strongly discouraged," the bench said.

During the hearing today, the top court also discharged BJP MLA Om Prakash Sharma and municipal councillor Gunjan Gupta, against whom it had earlier issued show cause notices to explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them for obstructing the authorities from carrying out the sealing drive.

The bench said it has gone through the CD containing video footage of the protest and it appeared that Sharma and Gupta were not obstructing the authorities and police but were only discussing the matter to convince them that the sealing operation should not continue.

"In our opinion, this does not amount to contempt of the orders of this court or obstructing the monitoring committee and the Delhi Police from carrying out its functions," it said.

Regarding the derogatory manner in which Delhi chief minister was referred to during the protest, the bench said, "You cannot insult the prime minister and any chief minister just because they are not from your political party. You must show respect to them."



"The alleged contemnors (Sharma and Gupta) should ensure that steps are taken by them to convince their supporters not to insult public functionaries through banners or placards," the court noted in its order.

The apex court had earlier ordered restoration of its monitoring panel to identify and seal offending structures.

The committee, comprising K J Rao, former advisor to the Election Commission, Bhure Lal, chairman of the Environment Pollution Control Authority, and Major General (Retd) Som Jhingan, was set up on March 24, 2006, by the apex court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Melissa McCarthy says she wants to see ''repercussions'' for those who have been accused of sexual harassment.

The 47-year-old actor says the #MeToo and Time's Up movements are definitely ''changing the conversation'' surrounding sexual harassment in Hollywood, but she feels it is not enough and action must be taken against those who have been accused of misconduct.

''We can't confuse discussing things with actual, concrete change. Changing the conversation is a good way to start to change the actual climate. Now, what are the repercussions? If people do the wrong thing, we have to make sure there's real repercussions for it," McCarthy told the InStyle magazine.

The #MeToo and Times' Up movements began after series of exposes revealed decades of alleged sexual misconduct by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

The movement calls on people who have experienced sexual misconduct in the workplace to speak up.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former JD(U) president Sharad Yadav today condemned Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's statement that there could be "a Syria in India" if the Ayodhya dispute was not resolved.

Yadav alleged that the remarks were like a "veiled threat" to the minorities and charged Sri Sri with making a political statement while claiming to be a spiritual guru.

The AOL founder has claimed that his comments during an interview to a channel had been "twisted" and that he could not "even dream" of issuing a threat to any community.

"The Ayodhya dispute will be resolved by the court of law where the matter is under consideration. The remarks of Sri Sri sound like a veiled threat to the minority community", Yadav told reporters here.

The former JD(U) leader, who was disqualified from the Rajya Sabha for his refusal to toe the party line in the aftermath of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's exit from the Grand Alliance, claimed that the upcoming by-polls in one Lok Sabha and two assembly seats in the state will be a contest between those representing the people and those who have betrayed the mandate.

Yadav, who was the NDA convener before Kumar snapped ties with the BJP in 2013, has been critical of the JD(U) chief's decision to rejoin the coalition.

The veteran socialist leader also termed as a "sham" the prohibition policy of Kumar alleging that only the poor are being punished for selling or consuming alcohol while the rich and the powerful were getting liquor delivered at their homes.

Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi took potshots at Yadav saying he has accepted the leadership of (RJD vice-president) Rabri Devi. "Now he is making allegations that reduce him to her standards".

"Yadav today stands with the Congress, which was in power in Bihar when the state witnessed the Bhagalpur riots. His socialism has sacrificed itself at the altar of corruption of Lalu, Rabri and Tejashwi", Sushil tweeted.

The senior BJP leader also ridiculed Yadav's attempts to keep the Grand Alliance afloat, saying only recently four MLCs of the Congress quit the party to join the JD(U).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today strongly defended the induction of businessman Ashok Kheny into the Congress, saying he hasn't gone to jail like BJP chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa.

Yesterday, Kheny, the lone MLA of Karnataka Makkala Paksh, joined the Congress. He is the managing director of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Limited (NICE), the implementing agency of the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project that is facing allegations of irregularities.

Asked why the Congress was inducting "tainted leaders", Siddaramaiah said, "Kheny has not gone to jail."



The chief minister was taking a swipe at Yeddyurappa who was arrested and had to spend about three weeks in jail in October 2011 in connection with a corruption case. It had cost Yeddyurappa his chief ministership following indictment by the then Lok Ayukta Santosh Hegde. However, he was acquitted in 2016.

Siddaramaiah said that Anand Singh, a BJP MLA inducted into the Congress last month, has gone to jail, but the Congress has not announced him as its CM face.

Singh is an accused in several cases of illegal mining.

Union Minister and BJP's in-charge for Karnataka Assembly polls Prakash Javadekar today alleged that Kheny's induction into the Congress proves the "corrupt character" of the party.

Siddaramaiah was in the national capital to hold discussions with Congress president Rahul Gandhi regarding three vacant Rajya Sabha seats from the state.

AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge of the party KC Venugopal and KPCC President G Parameshwara were present at the meeting.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sikkim Governor N Shrinivas Patil today urged the Centre for reservation of seats in the assembly for Limboo and Tamang communities, who constitute a sizeable population of the Himalayan state.

"This is one of the long pending and pressing issues of Sikkim needing expeditious resolution by the central government," he said during his customary speech in the legislative assembly on the first day of the week-long budget session.

"This (demand for reservation of assembly seats for the tribal Limboo and Tamang communities) warrants serious attention in a time-bound manner as this problem has potential to adversely affect the prevailing peace and tranquility in the most peaceful state of the nation," Patil cautioned.

Limboo and Tamang communities constitute nearly 33 per cent of Sikkim's population. They were granted scheduled tribes status by the NDA government in 2002.

The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front had included their seat reservation issue in its election manifesto in 2004, 2009 and 2014 and took it up with the central government for resolution without success so far.

The Sikkim Governor also urged the Centre to allow the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Darje, head of the Karma Kagyu school, one of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism to visit Rumtek monastery in the state in deference to the sentiments of local people.

Representations have been made to the central government since 2000 for the 17th Karmapa to be allowed to visit Sikkim.

The central government had banned entry of all the three claimants to the title of Karmapa to the Rumtek monastery in East Sikkim in 1994.

Patil said that the 17th Karmapa's visit will boost peace and tranquility in Sikkim and help in spiritual development of the people who are so simple and religious-minded.

The Sikkimese Buddhists who follow the Khagyu sect recognise the 31-year-old Ogyen Trinley Dorje as the real heir and successor of the 16th Karmapa who passed away in 1981.

The Sikkim Governor also called for income tax exemption to business communities as they had settled in the state prior to the enactment of the Sikkim Subject Regulation, 1961.

Patil, during an hour-long speech, spoke at length about organic farming, ever-improving infrastructure, education and healthcare system among a wide range of issues.

The legislative assembly will take up discussion on the Governor's speech tomorrow, the Speaker KN Rai said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh today hit out at the alliance between the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party for the upcoming two parliamentary bypolls, indicating that both the parties are doing injustice to their workers.

"Those who are weak take support of others. SP was weak, so it compromised, and BSP traded the Dalit votes for a Rajya Sabha seat. Both SP and BSP are not doing justice with their party workers," Singh said here, while addressing a meet of doctors and other eminent people of the city.

On the recent Assembly elections in the north-east, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said, "The electoral results of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland are evidence of BJP's popularity among the people. Due to the clear policies, the acceptability of BJP has not only increased in India, but also in the world."



"The nationalist workers of BJP have ousted the divisive forces and the win in the north-east is the victory of Bhartiyata (Indian-ness)," he said.

'Bhartiyata' comes on the top for BJP and the Modi government at the Centre, the health minister said, claiming that with a "strong feeling" of nationalism, all problems could be "easily resolved".

"Those who see India with an evil eye will keep on getting a befitting reply, and no one should have a doubt about it," the Allahabad West MLA added.

Later, while speaking in Chitragupta temple here, Singh, who is also the grandson of late prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, said: "My grandfather died in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) and the death was natural. Sometime later, I will tell the history of his death."



Speaking about the Kayastha community, he said they have always been "nationalist" and the BJP will give them their "political right".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Taking pot-shots at rival parties, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said today it was the "frustration and helplessness" of the Samajwadi Party that led it to reach an understanding with its bitter opponent Bahujan Samaj Party ahead of the Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypolls.

He also brushed aside opposition charges of fake encounters being staged, of BJP encouraging divisive tendencies, while also asserting that no person would be allowed to stop the march of the tricolour.

Rejecting opposition criticism that he appeared to be the chief minister of only one community as he had told journalists that he did not celebrate Eid, Adityanath said while he was a Hindu, proud of the religion's traditions, his government would provide a conducive atmosphere to those wanting to observe the festival.

In his reply to the motion of thanks to the Governor's address in the state Assembly, Adityanath highlighted the differences between the SP and BSP.

This is your frustration and helplessness that you went and sat in the lap of the BSP, Adityanath said referring to the SP benches.

He said that BSP leader Lalji Verma had met him in connection with the memorials set up by the Mayawati government. I told him that it was the duty of the government to maintain them as the money spent on them was that of the state, Adityanath said.

"But (SP) has said that they will demolish them...We will however not allow it to happen till we are in power...Ask them if the state guest house incident will not be repeated. Some things do not change, as it is not in their psyche. Why do you try to change those who do not want to change? If the scorpion has to bite it will do so," the chief minister as he sought to press the bitter differences between the UP's long time political opponents.

He said the real answer will be given by the people in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur in the upcoming Lok Sabha bye-election (in which BSP is backing SP candidates).

"The red flag has been drowned in Tripura and now it is the turn of the red cap which will be drowned in UP as today its the time of saffron which is indicative of development," Adityanath said attacking the SP.

Only two kind of people are feeling the heat - those indulging in loot and the others who used to create anarchy, he said.

Replying to a charge levelled by leader of Opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary that Adityanath appeared to be the chief minister of only some so called Hindus through his language, work and thinking and that he had ducked a journalist's query on Eid, the chief minister said that he was a Hindu and did not celebrate Eid.

"I am a Hindu and proud of my traditions and there is nothing wrong in it, but the government will extend the help for peaceful Eid celebrations in the state," he said adding that he did not indulge in drama like some others.

I have visited various religious centres, as we want to give momentum to spiritual tourism along with pilgrimage which has vast scope in the state, Adityanath said adding that he had even visited the Taj Mahal.

"You think you have a patent on it," the chief minister said.

He rejected allegations that fake encounters were being staged and said the perception of UP before the country and the world had changed with a successful Investors' Summit.

He attacked SP citing some recent incidents of crime, in which, he claimed men linked with the opposition party were involved and also alleged that a majority of land mafia were also connected with it.

Taking exception to Chaudhary's statement that BJP's wrong policies will be responsible in case of any further partition, the chief minister said that a statement like this from a person who has taken the oath in the name of Constitution cannot be accepted.

"The country is emerging stronger..India will not be divided. However those who talk about it will be smashed...If the SP has such divisive tendencies, it is my appeal to them to keep it limited to themselves and their party," he said.

On the Kasganj violence in which one youth was killed on the Republic Day, Adityanath said his government will deal with such elements sternly.

"The countrymen are committed to upholding the honour of the 'tiranga' and will not let go of any person who forcefully tries to stop tiranga yatra," he said.

Terming his one year in office which he will be completing later this month, as the most successful one, he attacked the previous govermments of the past 15 years for not paying attention to the development of the state.

Earlier in his speech, Chaudhary alleged that the government had failed on all fronts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The government condemns all kinds of violence but statues of foreign leaders have no place in India, Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said today.

Ahir's comment comes after a statue of Communist icon Lenin was demolished in South Tripura's Belonia town by suspected BJP workers.

The violence followed the BJP's victory in the recently concluded Assembly elections in the northeast state, where a 25-year Communist government was ousted.

"We condemn all kinds of violence and the state government is handling the situation. But I want to make it clear that statues of foreign leaders are not required in India. I don't want to take anyone's name but I want to say that we have no place for them," Ahir told PTI in response to a question about Lenin's statue being pulled down.

He added that the country had produced enough icons and ideologues, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, B R Ambedkar, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and Ram Manohar Lohia, for people to eulogise.

Union Home Munister Rajnath Singh has called up Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy and DGP A K Shukla and asked them to ensure peace and check violence till a new government is installed in the state.

There have been reports of violence, which erupted following the BJP-IPFT alliance's victory over the CPI-M, ousting the Manik Sarkar led government in the polls.

The sporadic violence and clashes between rival political groups in different parts of Tripura broke out after the election results were declared on Saturday.

Statues of Communist icons like Lenin, the Russian revolutionary leader, Mao, the Chinese revolutionary, and Marx, the German revolutionary socialist, were installed in states like West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, where the Left was in power.

Only Kerala has a Left government now.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Treat stress, anxiety, nervousness and worry merely as nouns, the head of CBSE has said to students appearing for their board exams in a letter that also carries an encouraging message from a Harry Potter book.

In the note to students to mark the first day of the 10th and 12th Boards, CBSE chairperson Anita Karwal recalled how she studied hard, revised and still found the time to listen to her favourite songs when she appeared for the examinations.

"What I don't remember is what my results were," said Karwal.

Over 28 lakh students have registered for the board examinations, which are conducted by the Central Board of Secondary (CBSE) and began yesterday.

"Marks do not define a person. So, do not permit stress, anxiety, worry, nervousness to stay longer in your being than a few moments. They are just 'nouns'. After all nouns cannot rule lives!," she said in the letter sent to schools across India.

The bureaucrat also recalled a few lines from 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' to stress the importance of confidence and hard work.

In the book, Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore had some advice for Potter.

"...Dumbledore says , 'it is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities'. Choose wisely children. Choose confidence and hard work," she said in the message that has gone viral on social media sites.

Karwal added that she was in the first batch of students under the 10+2 system of the CBSE, which holds exams across the country for students in classes 10 and 12.

The system replaced the Higher Secondary examination, which was held after the 11th standard.

The class 10 board examination was reintroduced from this year after the government decided to do away with the Comprehensive and Continuous Evaluation (CCE) adopted earlier.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Heavy air strikes and clashes shook the Syrian rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta today, as France and Britain called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the escalating violence.

Eight hundred civilians -- including at least 177 children -- have been killed since Russia-backed regime forces launched an assault on the besieged enclave outside Damascus on February 18, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in its latest death toll.

Russia suffered its own heavy losses today as the defence ministry said a Russian transport plane crashlanded at an airbase in western Syria, killing all 32 people on board.

Bombardment and clashes in Eastern Ghouta, the last major rebel stronghold near Damascus have persisted despite a month-long ceasefire demanded by the Security Council more than a week ago.

At least 19 civilians were killed today, according to the Syrian Observatory, a Britain-based monitor.

The relentless attacks prompted France and Britain to request an emergency meeting of the top UN body, expected to gather tomorrow, to discuss the ceasefire's failure to take hold.

Government troops have advanced rapidly across farmland in Eastern Ghouta in the past week and had wrested control of 40 percent of the enclave as of early today.

In the enclave's main town of Douma, air strikes have reduced homes to piles of rubble on both sides of the road, an AFP correspondent reported.

Exhausted civil defence workers today took advantage of a few hours of calm to dislodge the body of a resident, killed in bombardment several days ago, from a collapsed building.

Other civilians used the lull in air strikes to venture out from cellars to gather a few necessities from what was left of their homes.

Some gathered the pieces of furniture smashed in the raids to use as fuel or sell to their neighbours.

An AFP reporter in Hammuriyeh said air strikes were continuing to pummel the town today.

The raids came after around 18 people suffered breathing difficulties in the town following a strike there late Monday, the Observatory reported.

It had no firm word on the cause.

Eastern Ghouta's around 400,000 residents have lived under government siege since 2013, facing severe shortages of food and medicines even before the latest offensive began.

Forty-six aid trucks entered Eastern Ghouta yesterday for the first time since the offensive started, but had to cut short their deliveries and leave due to heavy bombardment.

"The people we've met here have been through unimaginable things. They looked exhausted," Pawel Krzysiek of the International Committee of the Red Cross said afterwards.

"And the aid we've delivered today is by no means enough," he said on Twitter, ahead of another aid delivery planned for Thursday.

The UN Human Rights Council on Monday ordered investigators to examine the latest violence in the enclave.

It condemned "the indiscriminate use of heavy weapons and aerial bombardments against civilians, and the alleged use of chemical weapons in Eastern Ghouta".

Eastern Ghouta is the last opposition bastion on the Syrian capital's doorsteps, and the regime is keen to retake it to secure Damascus.

Rebels there have fired waves of rockets and mortars onto eastern Damascus neighbourhoods.

Today, three civilians were killed and eight wounded in mortar fire on the neighbourhood of Jarmana, according to state agency SANA.

Regime ally Russia last week announced a five-hour daily "humanitarian pause" in the region, during which it said it would guarantee safe passage to civilians wishing to flee the enclave.

No Syrian civilians are known to have used the "humanitarian corridor".

Russia today announced that the exit route had been expanded to allow rebels, not just civilians, to leave the enclave.

Russia's air force intervened in Syria in 2015 on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad, helping his troops retake key cities across the country.

Moscow's defence ministry said today that a Russian transport plane crashed on landing at the Hmeimim airbase, killing its 26 passengers and six crew members.

"The reason for the crash according to preliminary information could have been a technical fault," the ministry said, adding that the plane had not come under fire according to a report from the ground.

More than 340,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BJP leader Subramanian Swamy today defended pulling down of a statue of communist icon Lenin in Tripura, saying the late Russian leader was "a terrorist" and questioned if the statue of such a person could be installed in India.

Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament, Swamy also suggested communist leaders to install Lenin's statue inside their party headquarters and "worship" him, if they want.

"Lenin was a foreigner. He was, in a way, a terrorist because the number of people he killed there (in Russia) after imposing dictatorship there. And (you) want statue of such a person erected in our country?," Swamy asked.

The Rajya Sabha member also said that the statue was "not broken" and the BJP will send it to the office of the communist party (CPI-M).

Speaking on the same issue, Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir told a channel that he considered Indian leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jan Sangh founder Deen Dayal Upadhyaya as his idols, and not some "foreign leadership".

"However, there is no place for violence in democracy," said Ahir.

A statue of Lenin was pulled down by some people with an excavator machine at Belonia in South Tripura district, yesterday, with the CPI-M holding BJP workers responsible for it.

The BJP last week dethroned the CPI-M in the assembly elections held in the state, ruled by a front led by the Left party for over two decades.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Telangana government plans to promote agro-processing industries in a big way for increasing the income of farmers, state Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy said here today.

The cabinet sub-committee on the issue, headed by Reddy, held a meeting here.

The meeting discussed the area under cultivation of different crops and the status of agro industries, Reddy told reporters.

State Agriculture Secretary C Parthasaradhi would hold meetings with entrepreneurs and officials on promotion of agro industries.

The cabinet sub-committee aims at formulating policies for promotion of agro-processing units, through which exports can also be made, Reddy said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Taiwan's trade promotion body Taitra today said that the country's local firms are looking forward to strong collaboration with Indian software companies to provide next generation technology solutions to the world.

"India's software power and Taiwan's hardware expertise can together make a good successful story for the world. Taiwan is moving from pure manufacturing economy to digital solution provider where Indian companies can play an important role," Taitra Deputy Executive Director James Kuo said.

Taiwan External Trade Development Council (Taitra) announced date for industry exhibitions Computex, which will be held from June 5-9 at Taipei, and Smart Asia 2018 to be held in Bangalore from October 4-6, 2018.

The main theme of Computex 2018 will be artificial intelligence (AI), IoT (internet-of-things) applications, 5G, blockchain, innovations, start-ups, and gaming virtual reality.

"We have seen participation from India in last year Computex increased by 10 per cent. This year we are looking for more Indian companies to collaborate with Taiwan companies at the event," Abby Chen Project Manager for Computex said.

Kuo said that most of the Taiwanese companies have setup their base in Chennai and Bangalore.

"They want to collaborate with India software companies that is the reason why they have set up firms in Chennai and Bangalore. Taiwanese firms have interest in Indian government smart city project where they want to provide smart metering, smart transportation system etc," he said.

Taitra project manager Claire Liu said that around 100 Taiwanese firms plans to participate in Smart Asia event to explore partnership opportunity with Indian firms.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tata Motors today announced the launch of Zest Premio, a premium edition of the sedan priced Rs 7.46 lakh ex-showroom Chennai.

A senior company official said Tata Motors has sold over 85,000 Zest cars and expected a "good response" for the Premio, packed with 13 new features.

S N Barman, Vice-President Sales, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit, told reporters that Zest Premio was equipped with 13 new features, including dual tone roof in glossy black, smoked multi-reflector headlamps, dual tone bumpers and an optional piano black spoiler.

The car has a 1.3 litre diesel engine and comes with a five speed manual transmission.

Other features include premium seat fabric with contrast stitching and ConnectNext touchscreen infotainment, he said.

Asked how many units the company aimed to sell, Barman said: "we expect a good response for Zest Premio" but did not elaborate.

In the last two years, Tata Motors was the "fastest growing automobile company," he said, adding it had even bettered industry growth rates.

In FY 16-17, while the auto industry grew around 9.5 per cent, Tata Motors clocked 22.5 per cent, he said, adding new launches like Hexa, Tigor and Nexon added to the company's performance.

Barman said that two years back 85 per cent of sales was for fleets and the rest in the personal segment. But the trend has reversed now, with the company selling more vehicles to individuals, he added.

More youngsters were now interested in buying Tata cars, Barman said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tata International today said it has signed two agreements for Vietnam operations with the Vissai Cement Group and Agribank.

The Singapore subsidiary of the company, Tata International Singapore PTE, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Vissai Cement Group to form a joint venture company in Vietnam for utilising the Vinh Port, a release issued here said.

The port is expected to be one of the primary gateways for trade flow in and out of Laos, it added.

The expertise of both companies will help create a strong distribution network and manage the complete coal supply chain to meet the demand of Vietnamese customers.

This JV company will also be responsible for all coal imports of Vissai Group on an exclusive basis, it said.

The second MoU was inked with Agribank, the largest commercial bank in Vietnam, for financing farm equipment.

The Vietnamese arm of the company, Tata International Vietnam Company, signed an MoU with Agribank, the only wholly state-owned bank in Vietnam.

The MoU signifies the shared aspiration of Tata International Vietnam and Agribank to ensure credit support to farmers, co-operative farms, and plantations to avail leading mechanisation solutions.

"Through this association, farmers, cooperatives and plantations in Vietnam can avail finance through government supported programs," Tata International head, finance and accounts, legal and secretarial, Ajay Ponkshe said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Top BJP leaders, including B S Yeddyurappa and Union Minister Ananth Kumar, have held a meeting with RSS leaders to chalk out the Sangh Parivaar's plan for the upcoming assembly polls in Karnataka.

"On March 3, the Sangh Parivaar held its annual coordination meeting at our state headquarters. Core BJP leaders, including Yeddyurappa, Ananth Kumar, Sadananada Gowda and others participated and sought the Sangh's help for the state elections," a senior RSS leader told PTI here.

The Sangh, however, said it would not directly involve itself in giving electoral help to BJP, but have given freedom for its Swayamsevaks (volunteers) to do so, he said.

"The Sangh will not directly involve in helping BJP during elections, but Swayamsevaks are free to render services to any party that seeks help and it is but quite natural that the Swayamsevaks will work for BJP," he added.

Asked whether the RSS has asked BJP to break votes of OBC and Dalits who may opt for Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he said, "We neither suggested anything like that nor has the BJP asked anything on these lines."



On what sort of electoral help Swayamsevaks would give to BJP, the RSS leader said they would try to inspire a large number of people to exercise their voting rights to elect the right candidates.

"If democracy has to be strengthened, a large number of people should come in the open to exercise their votes to elect right candidates. This type of campaign our Swayamsevaks will carry out," he said.

Apart from this, the Swayamsevaks are free to assist BJP in office matters too, he said.

Replying to a query, he said it was difficult to give the numbers of participating Swayamsevaks, "but thousands of them will be helping BJP."



To another query, the RSS leader said the BJP workers,who also are Swayamsevaks, have already started their work in this regard.

In a recently-held meeting, BJP President Amit Shah had reportedly assured top RSS leaders at its headquarters in Nagpur that the party would certainly win Karnataka elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi today dubbed the BJP's win over the Left in Tripura as an "ideological victory" that changed the mood in the party, and asked its leaders to make the most of it in the coming months.

Modi's remarks came at the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting and were an apparent reference to a number of state elections, including the upcoming Karnataka polls, followed by the Lok Sabha elections next year.

The prime minister was greeted with the slogan, 'Jeet hamari jari hai, ab Karnataka ki bari hai' (Our winning run continues, now it's Karnataka's turn), leaders present in the meeting said.

Modi said that some critics described Tripura as "a small state with only two Lok Sabha seats" to downplay the BJP's win.

"..But each state and election is important," Modi said, while terming the BJP's performance in Tripura as "historic".

"Tripura was considered a bastion of Marxism for the last 25 years. This is an ideological victory. It has changed the mood in the party and the nation," Modi said.

To underline the significance of the win in Tripura, Modi said the party's win in one assembly seat in Kerala polls had energised the cadres.

"There is hope and expectation in the country and the party needs to work hard to maintain its winning streak," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar quoted Modi as saying.

Karnataka assembly poll is the next state election and has assumed particular significance as it is the only big state left under the Congress rule and BJP president Amit Shah has been making all-out efforts to oust the Siddaramaiah government.

Targeting the Left, Modi said its was underpinned by violence and hate and that people have rejected it everywhere.

"It is finished across the world and is on the verge of oblivion in India as it is now in power only in Kerala," Modi said.

The prime minister said that all the three states -- Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland -- are important and that the central government will give priority to their development.

In a lighter vein, Modi said that whenever the BJP wins an election, small issues are "magnified" to divert attention from its victory.

"..but this time the focus has been at its performance in the three states," he said.

All BJP MPs were distributed 'angavastram' brought by the party from these states and offered 'prasad' from Assam's famous 'Kamakhya' temple, which is believed by the faithful to be protector of the North-East region.

A presentation on Union Budget was also made in the meeting during which several infographics were presented to highlight the state of economy in 2014 and its progress since then under the Modi government.

Modi asked party MPs to take to the masses the budget highlights, which are aimed at making of a "New India".

An alliance of several parties, including the BJP, was sworn-in in Meghalaya today. Modi extended his greetings to new Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.

The party is set to be part of a new government in Nagaland as a junior partner. It has won a majority on its own in Tripura.

Modi also paid tribute to the nine BJP workers who were killed in alleged political violence - blamed on the Left by the party - in Tripura during the run-up to the state polls.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today alleged that the violence unleashed against LDF workers in Tripura was part of a "conspiracy" at the national level to target communists.

The violence followed the BJP's victory in the recently concluded Assembly elections in the northeast state, where a 25-year Communist government was ousted.

Strongly condemning the attacks against LDF workers, Vijayan said the BJP-RSS should not think that communists would cease to exist "just by pulling down four statues."



"It is wishful thinking that they could wipe out communists from the country.. the violence is part of a conspiracy at the national level to target communists," he added.

Communists were committed to safeguarding democracy and secularism even by sacrificing their lives, Vijayan said in a Facebook post.

A statue of Lenin was pulled down by some people with an excavator machine at Belonia in South Tripura district, yesterday, with the CPI-M holding BJP workers responsible for it.

Condemning the violence, CPI-M Kerala State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan urged all democratic minded people to take part in demonstrations to be organised by the Left parties at various centres in the state tomorrow, protesting the violence.

Balakrishnan alleged that CPI(M) and Left party offices and cadres were targeted by RSS-BJP workers.

A total of 200 houses of party workers were attacked within one hour of the election results, he said.

Balakrishnan also alleged that the saffron party's victory was due to money power and tampering with electronic voting machines.

Condemning the attacks, CPI Kerala secretary Kannam Rajendran charged that the BJP won the polls by aligning with separatist forces in that state.

Rajendran alleged that the violence came against the backdrop of a BJP leader reportedly stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken a mission to wipeout the communists in the country.

Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said in New Delhi that the government condemns all kinds of violence but "statues of foreign leaders are not required in India."



Union Home Munister Rajnath Singh has called up Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy and DGP A K Shukla and asked them to ensure peace and check violence till a new government is installed in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump hailed "possible progress" on the North Korea nuclear impasse today after Seoul announced Pyongyang was willing to discuss giving up its nuclear weapons for American security guarantees.

"Possible progress being made in talks with North Korea," Trump tweeted in his first response to the overture. "For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned."



"The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the US is ready to go hard in either direction!"



South Korea's national security advisor Chung Eui-yong announced the potential breakthrough in Seoul after returning from a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in which the two sides agreed to hold a summit next month in the Demilitarized Zone.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump has indicated that he might attend the inauguration of the new as he reaffirmed his country's support to Israel's security during his talks with embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December and announced that the US embassy would move to the city in May, shortly after Israels 70th anniversary.

The decision caused uproar in the Arab world and led Palestinian leaders to reject a US role in mediating a resolution to the decades old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Trump said he might visit Jerusalem in May this year to open the new American Embassy there.

We're looking at it. We'll have it built very quickly. A lot of people wouldn't be doing it quickly like that. But we're going to have it built very quickly and very inexpensively, he said.

Trump reaffirmed the great friendship between the US and Israel, and the commitment of the US to Israels security.

Trump underscored his goal of countering Irans "malign influence", the White House said after Trump met Netanyahu.

Welcoming Netanyahu to his Oval Office, Trump said the relationship between the two countries is at its best.

We have, I would say, probably the best relationships right now with Israel that we ever had. I think we're as close now as, maybe, ever before, he said.

Netanyahu also praised Trump, saying that his move to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital would be remembered throughout the ages.

Others talked about it. You did it. So I want to thank you on behalf of the people of Israel, he said.

If I had to say what is our greatest challenge in the Middle East to both our countries, to our Arab neighbours, it's encapsulated in one word: Iran.

Iran has not given up its nuclear ambitions. It came out of this nuclear deal emboldened, enriched. It is practising aggression everywhere, including on our own borders. Iran must be stopped. That is our common challenge, Netanyahu said.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu remained embroiled in controversy back home where he is facing corruption charges.

Hours before his meeting with Trump, it was confirmed that an ex-aide of the Israeli prime minister agreed to become a state witness in a corruption probe that has imperiled his premiership.Turkey today announced it would establish camps in neighbouring Syria, including near the border in Idlib, to settle 170,000 people fleeing from the civil war.

With aid agencies such as the Turkish Red Crescent and the AFAD emergency authority, Turkey, home to over three million refugees from the seven-year Syria conflict, has increasingly helped the displaced in camps on the Syrian side of the border.

"Red Crescent and Afad have started the work to set up 170,000-people capacity camp in the Idlib and Euphrates Shield region," Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy told reporters in Ankara.

He was referring to Turkey's first offensive in Syria dubbed Euphrates Shield in August 2016 to March 2017, which targeted the ouster of the Islamic State extremist group and the Syrian Kurdish militia in an area east of Afrin.

In that operation, pro-Ankara Syrian rebels, backed by the Turkish army, liberated several areas from Jarabulus to Al-Bab from IS jihadists.

In January, the Turkish army launched another campaign against the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which it designs as a terrorist outfit, in its border stronghold of Afrin in Syria.

Turkish humanitarian agencies have long been looking for camp areas around Azaz as well as Idlib if large numbers of civilians head for the border seeking safety from the bombardment in Afrin.

In the meantime, Aksoy has repeated Turkey's call to the United States to stop working with the YPG in Syria.

"We have clear expectations from the United States. We expect them to take back the arms delivered to PYD-YPG," he said.

The frictions over YPG and other issues have poisoned relations between Ankara and Washington which decided to set up working committees to address problems.

The first of such meetings will be held in Washington on March 8-9, Aksoy added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)North and South Korea will hold a summit at their heavily armed border next month, Seoul's envoy said today after meeting with Kim Jong Un on a trip to Pyongyang.

"The South and the North agreed to hold the third summit at... Panmunjom in late April," said Chung Eui-yong, the national security adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-In, referring to the truce village at the heavily-fortified border.

If realised, the summit will be the third meeting between the leaders of the two Koreas, which technically remain at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice instead of a peace treaty.

The previous two summits were held in 2000 and 2007, respectively, under South Korean presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun who both advocated dialogue with Pyongyang.

They both met with Kim's father, Kim Jong Il.

The two Koreas also agreed to open communication hotline between Moon and Kim to "defuse military tension and to have close coordination," Chung said today.

The two leaders will have their first phone conversation before the planned summit, he added.

North Korea also pledged that it would freeze its nuclear and missile testing programme during the period of dialogue.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Ex-KGB spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were in a critical condition after being exposed to an "unknown substance" in the English town of Salisbury, prompting British counter-terrorism officers to launch a probe into the circumstances of the mysterious incident.

Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia, were found unconscious on a shopping centre bench in Salisbury in south-west England and are feared to have been poisoned with an "unknown substance", police said today.

They remain critically ill in hospital since they were discovered in the Wiltshire town on Sunday afternoon.

Russia has denied any information about what has been classified as a "major incident" by Wiltshire Police.

Skripal's mysterious illness has invited comparisons with the poisoning in London in 2006 of another Russian spy, Alexander Litvinenko. The former KGB agent had been poisoned with the radioactive substance polonium-210 at a central London hotel.

Police are looking for similarities between the cases and the modus operandi used, the Independent reported.

The UK will respond "robustly" to any evidence of Russian involvement in the collapse of former spy Skripal, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson warned today.

While it would be wrong to prejudge the investigation, I can reassure the House that should evidence emerge that implies state responsibility, then Her Majesty's Government will respond appropriately and robustly," Johnson said in the House of Commons in response to an urgent parliamentary question over the incident.

Wiltshire Police said the pair did not have any visible injuries and were taken to Salisbury District Hospital. "They are currently being treated for suspected exposure to an unknown substance. Both remain in a critical condition in intensive care," the police said in a statement.

A "small number" of emergency services workers were also assessed immediately after the incident and one remains in hospital.

"The advice from Public Health England remains that, based on the evidence to date, currently there doesn't appear to be any immediate risk to public health," Wiltshire Police said, adding that it has increased police patrols in the city to reassure the public.

Former agent Skripal, whose wife, son and older brother have all died in the past two years, was granted refuge in the UK following a "spy swap" in 2010.

The latest incident sparked instant speculation of Russian-linked poisoning, given Sergei's past as a former double agent who passed Russian secrets to Britain's MI6 security services.

"We have to be alive to the fact of state threats," said Scotland Yard counter-terror chief Mark Rowley.

The former Russian colonel in military intelligence had been jailed in Russia for "high treason" in 2006 but was later given refuge in the UK as part of a spy swap deal in 2010 in exchange for UK-based Russian spy Anna Chapman and around 10 other so-called undercover "sleeper" agents.

Sergei's daughter, who had been visiting her father from Russia, had been reportedly out of contact with her relatives in her native country for a few days.

British police efforts are now focussed on trying to find out what "unknown substance" harmed the pair, who were found slumped on a bench at The Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury by concerned passers-by.

A woman who saw Skripal and his daughter described the couple as appearing "out of it." Freya Church, a local resident, said she saw the pair on a bench.

"She sort of leant in on him, it looked like she'd passed out maybe," Church said.

As part of inquiries, police have cordoned off a number of premises in the area over contamination fears, including Zizzi restaurant where the pair are believed to have dined.

"We don't possess any information about what could have been the cause [of Skripal's illness], and what this could be connected to," said Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson.

He said Russia had not been contacted by Britain but it was ready to assist in any investigation.

"Moscow is always open to cooperation," Peskov said, calling the incident "tragic".

Litvinenko's death had strained Britain's ties with Kremlin and his widow has described the latest incident as "deja vu" and called for those receiving political asylum to be "completely safe".

"In Russia it is still an old-fashioned and old-style KGB system... It's still all the same. If there is an order to kill somebody it will happen," Marina Litvinenko claims.

A public inquiry had found that her 43-year-old husband's killing had "probably" been carried out with the approval of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had denied any Russian involvement and refused to extradite the two Russians accused by the British authorities of killing Litvinenko.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Senior civil servants from the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) today gave evidence in a closed tribunal session to explainthe reasons over some Cabinet Office files related to 1984's Operation Blue Star not being made public over 30 years later.

A three-day hearing of the First Tier Tribunal(Information Rights)opened here, with a bulk of the session being held in secret as FCO officials explained their stand that the declassification of the files posed a threat to national security and international relations with India.

"It is quite unusual that we are not allowed to be part of our own appeal," said a spokesperson for KRW Law, the human rights law firm that has undertaken the Freedom of Information (FOI) appeal on behalf of UK-based freelance journalist Phil Miller on a pro bono basis.

"Our understanding is that the BJP government of India has no objection to these files being made public. Yet, the British government continues to argue in favour of them remaining classified despite an overwhelming public interest in them," the spokesperson said.

Miller's initial FOI request was turned down by the UK Cabinet Office, a decision upheld by the UK Information Commissioner in 2015.

The appeal this week is aimed at declassifying the secret files, which Miller believes could lead to further evidence of British involvement in advising the Indian government and its forces in the military operation at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, in order to secure trade and arms deals worth billions of pounds.

"Disclosing documents from three decades ago will not harm diplomatic relations," said Miller, the author of the report titled 'Sacrificing Sikhs: The Need for an Investigation' released last year.

In 2014, some UK government documents declassified under the 30-year rule to make such material public had revealed that British military advice was given to Indian forces prior toOperationBlueStar to flush out militants holed up in the Sikh holy shrine.

The then British prime minister David Cameron had ordered a review into this discovery, which led to a statement in Parliament declaring that Britain's role had been purely "advisory" andthe Special Air Service (SAS) advice had "limited impact".

The Opposition Labour party has backed some British Sikh groups, including Sikh Federation (UK), in their call for an independent public inquiry into the exact nature of Britain's links with then prime minister Indira Gandhi's government in the lead up to the Indian paramilitaryoperationon the shrine in June, 1984.

Last year, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wrote to Prime Minister Theresa May, calling for an independent inquiry and his party has since included the issue as an election pledge in its manifesto for the June 2017 general election.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hyderabad Police yesterday seized unaccounted gold ornaments worth Rs 5 crore and nabbed three persons, a senior officer said today.

According to police, the trio couldn't produce any tax receipt or valid records about the source of the ornaments, weighing 15.23 kg.

"Jewellery shop owner Yashaswi Agarwal (30) handed over the gold ornaments to his employees--Vaishnav M K and Pradeep Agarwal--last night and asked them to sell them in Mysuru and Bengaluru," said Hyderabad Police Commissioner V V Srinivas Rao.

He said Vaishnav and Pradeep Agarwal were travelling in a vehicle with the jewellery when a police team conducting vehicle checking asked them to stop, but they fled.

"Another police team intercepted their vehicle under Chandrayangutta police station limits. The duo revealed their identity on questionning and confessed that they were on their way to sell the gold ornaments," said the commissioner.

Police picked up Yashaswi Agarwal, who owns a shop in Charminar area, after questionning the duo.

The trio and the seized ornaments were handed over to Income Tax department for further investigation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The issue of the revocation MLC Prashant Paricharak's suspension again led to an uproar in the Maharashtra Assembly today, forcing the speaker to adjourn the House for 15 minutes.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in the House that Paricharak's comments were condemnable and that action should be taken against him.

The Shiv Sena demanded Paricharak's expulsion from the state Legislative Council.

The Assembly had yesterday also witnessed noisy scenes over the revocation of the legislator's suspension.

The BJP-backed Independent MLC was suspended from the Legislative Council in March last year, after he joked during an election campaign about the wives of soldiers.

He had later apologised for his statement.

The state government last week revoked his suspension.

As soon as the House today assembled for the day, Speaker Haribhau Bagde called for the Question Hour.

Pratap Sarnaik (of the Shiv Sena) then raised a Point of Information saying his party's resolution seeking Paricharak's expulsion from the membership of the Council was being taken up today in the Upper House.

He sought to know the government's stand on the issue andstatus of the resolution.

To this, Bagde said Paricharak was not a member of the Lower House and there was no need to discuss proceedings of the Upper House in the Assembly.

Prithviraj Chavan (of the Congress) supported the Sena's stand and said what Paricharak had remarked about the wives of soldiers was not on the floor of the Legislature.

"Even we are not commenting onthe proceedings of the Upper House. There is severe resentment among people about what Paricharak had said. Why is the government keen to save him?" he asked.

"We want to know the government's stand on the demand to expel him from the membership of the Legislative council," Chavan said.

Jayant Patil (of the NCP) said the Assembly members felt strongly against Paricharak's remarks and they wanted to know what the government feels about it.

Sunil Prabhu (of the Shiv Sena) said his party was firm on its demand that Paricharak be expelled as member of the Council and a case of treason be filed against him.

Paricharak has no right to stay as a member of the Legislature, he said.

"He has attempted to lower the morale of soldiers by speaking illof their wives," Prabhu alleged.

The speaker then asked parliamentary affairs minister Girish Bapatto make a statement on the issue.

Bapat said he would do so before the day's proceedings end.

Subsequently, the members of the ruling ally Shiv Sena, and the opposition Congress and NCP came into the well shouting slogans against Paricharak, and demanded action against him.

The speaker then adjourned the House for 15 minutes.

After the House reassembled, Prabhu reiterated his party's stand.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was present in the House when it reassembled, said a decision on the matter would be taken at an appropriate time.

He was of the view that action should be taken against such wrongand condemnable comments.

"The Upper House had unanimously suspended Paricharak and (later) also revoked the suspension. The issue is in the domain of the Legislative Council. The government will make a statement on the issue after the Upper House takes a decision on the resolution to expel Paricharak as its member," he said.

Prabhu then again demanded Paricharak's expulsion and in protest, he along with the other Sena members walked out of the House.

Outside the Assembly, Prabhu told reporters that Paricharak's comments were "unpardonable".

When pointed out that Sena leader Neelam Gorhe was a member of the committee that recommended the revocation of Paricharak's suspension, he said, "She did not sign the committee report which was tabled last week.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A US Navy veteran charged with killing of Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla and injuring two at a suburban Kansas City bar in 2017, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to premeditated first-degree murder.

Adam Purinton, 52, pleaded guilty before a Kansas court.

He was charged with first-degree murder of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the shootings of his friend, Alok Madasani, and a bystander, who chased Purinton after he fled the Austin's Bar and Grill in Olathe city on February 22, 2017.

Puriton had pleaded not guilty on all these charges and waived his preliminary hearing in late November 2017.

Kuchibhotla's widow welcomed the guilty plea.

"Today's guilty verdict will not bring back my Srinu, but it will send a strong message that hate is never acceptable," she said in a statement.

According to court documents, Purinton's plea hearing was originally scheduled for May 8 but later it was moved to March 6.

Witnesses said Purinton yelled at the two Indian men to "get out of my country" before pulling the trigger.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Purinton committed offences after substantial planning and premeditation, attempted to kill more than one person in a single criminal episode, and knowingly created a grave risk of death to on the scene.

Purinton faces a maximum penalty of death or life in prison.The first aid delivery in weeks to reach the besieged eastern suburbs of Damascus was cut short after Syrian government forces began shelling the area while aid workers were still inside, a local council said today, amid a renewed escalation in the government's deadly aerial and ground campaign.

Aid trucks had to leave before they could finish unloading supplies yesterday, as the eastern Ghouta suburbs suffered their worst day of violence since the UN Security Council demanded a 30-day cease-fire for Syria.

The Syrian American Medical Society charity, which supports hospitals in eastern Ghouta, said 79 people were killed in shelling and airstrikes, as the government, supported by Russia's military, pushed its assault on the rebel-held suburbs, where the UN estimates close to 400,000 people are trapped under unmanageable levels of violence.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said 80 civilians were killed yesterday.

The Security Council resolution, which passed unanimously on February 25, has gone unheeded. Yesterday's aid shipment was the first to enter eastern Ghouta amid weeks of a crippling siege and a government assault that has killed close to 800 civilians since February 18.

Aid agencies, however, said Syrian authorities removed basic health supplies, including trauma, surgical kits and insulin, from the convoys before they set off.

The International Committee for the Red Cross also confirmed that its joint convoy with the United Nations had to leave before offloading all its supplies on account of the deteriorating security situation yesterday.

Ingy Sedky, the ICRC spokeswoman in Syria, said most of the aid from a 46-truck convoy was delivered to the town of Douma in eastern Ghouta but the mission was cut short before the rest of the supplies could be unloaded.

Iyad Abdelaziz, a member of the Douma Local Council, said nine aid trucks had to leave the area after government shelling and airstrikes intensified in the evening.

Airstrikes continued today. The opposition's Syrian Civil Defense search-and-rescue group reported at least nine people were killed in airstrikes on the town of Jisreen, in eastern Ghouta.

The group, also known as the White Helmets, added that two of its volunteers, and 28 others, suffered difficulties breathing following shelling on the town of Hammouriyeh yesterday evening. It accused the government of using "poison gas." The Observatory reported 18 people suffered breathing difficulties, without attributing a cause.

It was the eighth allegation of chlorine gas use reported by the Syrian American Medical Society this year. The reports could not be independently confirmed, and Russia used its Security Council veto to freeze the work of a UN body investigating such reports earlier this year.

Still, the allegations could provoke a response from Washington, which says it could take military action against the Syrian government for continued chemical weapons use against its own people.

The Syrian government, through the SANA state agency, denied using chemical weapons in its eastern Ghouta offensive.

The convoy that reached Douma on Monday carried only a fraction of the relief needed for the estimated 400,000 people trapped under the government's siege. The U.N.'s humanitarian office said the convoy carried food for 27,500 people.

But it said the Syrian government offloaded 70 per cent of the health supplies, including trauma and surgical kits and insulin, before allowing the convoy to enter eastern Ghouta.

The government routinely removes lifesaving medical supplies from aid convoys, in a pattern of denying such aid to civilians living in opposition areas. UN officials have complained for years about such actions by the Syrian government.

Russia's Defense Ministry said it was extending an offer to allow armed rebels to leave eastern Ghouta with their families and weapons. Russia has been a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, helping him turn the tide of the bloody civil war in his favour.

Meanwhile, Turkey's Foreign Ministry said the country plans to establish camps in nine locations in northern Syria to house people displaced by fighting amid Ankara's offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters.

Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said today that the camps would be built in a zone controlled by Turkish-backed forces, as well as in Idlib province where Turkish forces are trying to establish a "de-escalation zone" under an agreement reached between Turkey, Russia and Iran.

Aksoy said the camps would host a total of 170,000 people.

Turkey controls a swath of territory revolving around the town of al-Rai, al-Bab and Jarablus -- a border zone that Turkey and Turkey-backed rebels took from the Islamic State group in 2016.

Turkey has also launched a campaign to oust a Syrian Kurdish militia from the enclave of Afrin that Ankara considers to be "terrorist" and linked to an insurgency within Turkey's own borders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Commemorating 70 years of the Indo-Russia ties, an event was today held here, seeking to expose the youth with the dynamic opportunities of cooperation between the two countries.

The programme, inaugurated at the Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra, was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (Eurasia Division) and the International Federation of Indo-Russian Youth Clubs.

"India-Russia diplomatic relations have completed 70 years of successful partnership. As part of the celebrations, International Federation of Indo-Russian Youth Clubs jointly with BRICS International Forum presented a programme -- 'Vision for Future'," according to a statement from the Information Department of the Russian Embassy here.

A Russian delegation is also visiting India as part of the 70th year celebrations, and some of them interacted with media this evening.

Chairperson of the National Youth Council in Moscow, Grigory Petushkov said, "India and Russia have long-standing ties. And, art and culture and films have connected the countries for decades."



"People in Russia, think of India as a land of huge culture and history, and that is a strategic partner of our country," he said.

Olympic gold medallist Tatyana Romanovna Lebedeva said she was happy to experience the culture of India, and that her spiritual guru had even given her a Sanskrit nickname.

Purnima Anand, president of the BRICS International Forum and International Federation of Indo-Russian Youth Clubs, who moderated the interaction at the Information Department of the Russian Embassy, pitched for further deepening ties of the two countries.

BRICS is an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal today said the kind of censorship and mood the country has with regards to cinema is reminiscent of the Emergency era.

The veteran director was speaking at a panel discussion here at FICCI Frames, which was moderated by senior journalist Bhupendra Chaubey.

Citing examples of controversies over films such as "Udta Punjab" and "Padmaavat", Chaubey asked Benegal whether the situation today is similar to the dark period of 1975-77.

To this he replied, "We probably are going back to it in some ways. I think so. In 1975-77, my own films, one after the other, faced problems. One film was even banned. We are going in that kind of a thing. That's why I say we need a debate on a larger scale."



Benegal had earlier headed a committee constituted by the Information and Broadcasting ministry to holistically look into the functioning of the censor board. The report had been submitted to the ministry. There has been no update on it yet.

The National Award winning-filmmaker said the problem lies in the "public" consumption of art and that is the cause of concern for the government.

"When you see something privately and when you see something publicly, the impact is different. Not enough work has been done to analyse and study this. This is something what I'm concerned about.

"Public viewing is what the government actually worries about. It is the reason for having the CBFC. You can see anything privately, which is why when television came, nobody worried about certification there," he said.

The panel discussion, titled 'Controlling Creativity: Is Censorship Relevant?', was also attended by filmmaker Shonali Bose, Gaurav Banerjee, president and head of content studios, Star India, Rajiv Aggarwal, joint secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion among others.

Bose, who last directed critically-acclaimed "Margarita with a Straw", said the government should refrain from moral policing.

"The solution is, there can't be a censor board, there only needs to be a certification board. The government takes action on the wrong things and its inaction is loud and clear on poverty, trafficking...

"We are not in a good place and we can't really trust the government to be the ones standing in and guarding our morality. We are mature enough as a country. No institution, whether government or non-government, can be given this power on creativity," she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Markets regulator Sebi today directed Tata Motors to conduct an internal inquiry into leakage of unpublished price sensitive information related to its quarterly financial results through WhatsApp.

Tata Motors is the third Sensex company related to whom the regulator has passed an order in the high-profile case of leakage of sensitive financial details prior to formal announcement of quarterly results.

In a detailed order, the watchdog said that prima facie appears that the financial results of Tata Motors for quarter ended December 2015 were finalised on or before February 9, 2016, which was before circulation of WhatsApp message on February 11, 2016.

It is observed that the financial figures pertaining to the quarterly results of Tata Motors were matching with the figures that were in circulation prior to its official announcement by the company, the order noted.

"Such resemblance of the information circulated on WhatsApp with the actual financial results prima facie indicates that the financial figures of Tata Motors, were in circulation prior to official announcement/ publication by Tata Motors," it added.

The watchdog has asked Tata Motors to conduct an internal inquiry into the leakage within three months to ascertain the possible role of any officials.

Besides, the auto maker has been asked to strengthen its processes to ensure that such instances of leakage of unpublished price sensitive information do not recur in future.

Earlier, Sebi had passed orders in the leakage case with respect to Axis Bank and HDFC Bank.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to explain the provisions under which the civic body had decided to convert 'private toilets' into public ones under the

A division bench of Justices A S Oka and Riyaz Iqbal Chagla was hearing a writ petition filed by owners of various petrol pumps from across Mumbai, along with the petrol pump association.

The petitioners were seeking a stay on a notice issued by the civic body on December 22, 2017, under which the BMC had put up signboards across all such stations informing the public to utilise the toilets at petrol pumps.

"It is your obligation to build toilets (under Swachh Bharat Mission). While you do not do that, instead you make private toilets into public toilets," the bench said.

The petitioners had told the high court that they had been directed by the BMC to make toilets at their stations or premises available for the use of general public free of cost under the

The civic body has also put up signboards to the effect at various petrol pumps, the petitioners said.

"What is the source of power that allows BMC to claim that toilets inside private petrol pumps are public toilets?" questioned the court.

The counsel for the BMC said that the corporation had done so to further the cause of the Centre's

"A meeting was held and the petitioners had allowed us to use these toilets for public purpose during emergency," said the counsel.

Justice A S Oka said that action under the Swachh Bharat Mission or any other scheme of the Union government also had to be in accordance to law.

"Which law can allow you to convert private toilets into public toilets," Justice Oka asked.

He also pointed out that as per the minutes of the meeting submitted by the petitioners, they had never allowed the civic body access to toilets in petrol pumps for general public.

"You cannot put up boards outside their properties saying that the toilets in their premises are public toilets.

How can you do that following the Swachh Bharat Mission. Show us where it says so," said the court.

The court has now asked the civic body to take instruction in the matter by Wednesday.

"You cannot do this. Take instructions that you will not do this in a private property. The Swachh Bharat Mission cannot affect the rights of others like this. You cannot put up boards without consent of the petrol pump owners. You will have to remove the boards wherever it is required. Otherwise we will have to pass relevant orders," the high court said.Congress President Rahul Gandhi today said the party will grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh if voted to power in 2019, even as the AAP too extended its support to the demand.

"We will give special category status to Andhra Pradesh. It's the first thing we will do after coming to power in 2019," he told a group of party workers who protested at Jantar Mantar demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.

"I am confident that if we stand together we will convince the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi that what is due to the people of Andhra Pradesh should be given to them," he added.

He later tweeted: "It is my belief that if the opposition stands united on this issue, we can force the BJP Govt to do justice to the people of Andhra."



Aam Aadmi Party MLA Somnath Bharti, who also joined the protest, said he had come to extend support on "behalf" of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

"I have come with the Delhi chief minister's message of support. The AAP will support the Congress wherever they raise this demand, be it inside or outside Parliament," he said.

Though the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is part of the NDA government at the Centre, its leaders are protesting against the central government for "neglecting Andhra Pradesh".

The opposition YSR Congress Party has announced that all its five MPs would resign on April 6 if the demand was not met.

The demand was raised after erstwhile Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated.

The protesters claim that the bifurcation caused a huge revenue deficit for the successor Andhra Pradesh.

The Centre announced a "special package" in 2016 for Andhra, but the TDP government claimed no funds have been released under the package.

This has turned the focus back on special category status for AP.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury today criticised the BJP-RSS for the pulling down of a statue of communist icon Vladimir Lenin in Tripura and urged the democratic and secular forces of the country to come together against the ''fascist onslaught'' of the saffron regime.

He said the CPI(M) would discuss all the options in the upcoming party Congress, while deciding on its political-tactical line for taking on the BJP.

Without mentioning the Congress party, Yechury underlined the need for the broadest possible platform of the Left and democratic forces in the country to counter the BJP-RSS.

Yesterday, the statue of Lenin was pulled down by some people with an excavator machine at Belonia in South Tripura district, about 110 km from state capital Agartala, in the wake of the announcement of the state Assembly poll results, in which the Left Front was drubbed by the BJP-IPFT combine.

The CPI(M) held BJP workers responsible for the pulling down of the fibre-glass statue that was installed a few months ago.

Criticising the incident, Yechury alleged that the BJP-RSS was unleashing ''unprecedented violence'' and arson across Tripura in the aftermath of their victory in the Assembly election.

''Such attacks clearly demonstrate that the RSS and the BJP rely mainly on unleashing political violence as means to advance their inherent anti-democratic and fascist agenda,'' he said.

Yechury also described Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy's tweet on the matter as ''unfortunate''.

''This shows how constitutional posts are being undermined,'' he said.

Reacting to the pulling down of the Lenin statue, Roy had tweeted, ''What one democratically elected government can do another democratically elected government can undo. And vice versa.''



Yechury alleged that 514 CPI(M) activists were assaulted, 1,539 houses of party activists were attacked and 196 houses set afire since the announcement of the poll results in Tripura.

He also claimed that 134 CPI(M) offices were attacked and looted, 64 party offices set ablaze and at least 90 offices of different mass organisations were occupied allegedly by the supporters of the BJP and its ally, the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT).

The Left, Yechury said, would launch massive agitations across Tripura and the country to protest against the onslaught of the communal forces.

''We will ensure that they (BJP) get a befitting reply from the masses,'' he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Hainan provincial government does not intend to offer support to cash-strapped, aviation-to-financial services conglomerate HNA Group, Vice Governor Mao Chaofeng said on Tuesday. Mao, asked on the sidelines of China's annual meeting of parliament whether the provincial government will offer support to HNA, said the government will not interfere in a company's operations and cannot contravene the rules of the market economy. Mao said, however, there should not be any problems for HNA Group given the quality of its assets and the current situation.HNA, which is based ...By Abhirup Roy and Devidutta TripathyMUMBAI (Reuters) - The extent of the unravelling fraud at India's state-run Punjab National Bank could rise beyond the nearly $2 billion mark so far outlined by the lender, according to a source involved in the probe and court documents reviewed by Reuters.The source, who asked not to be named, said investigators had not yet recovered all the papers and loan guarantees allegedly issued by rogue employees of the bank, and consequently believed the bank's exposure could be greater than revealed so far.In what has been dubbed the biggest fraud in India's ...By Sankalp Phartiyal and Krishna V KurupMUMBAI (Reuters) - India's Reliance Communications Ltd (RCom) said on Tuesday it had appealed at the Bombay High Court against a ruling by an arbitration tribunal that barred the indebted firm from selling assets without the tribunal's permission.The tribunal's ruling threatens RCom's plans to reduce its $7 billion debt to Indian and foreign banks by selling assets such as airwaves, mobile masts and fibre optic investments. RCom said it aimed to safeguard the interests of secured creditors by appealing against the tribunal's interim order, which was ...The top US trade envoy said on Monday that bilateral deals could replace NAFTA if the pact is not renegotiated soon, ramping up pressure on Canada and Mexico, already smarting from President Donald Trump's plan to impose steel and aluminium tariffs. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said political headwinds would increase the longer the negotiations dragged on, warning that time to rework the 1994 trade deal was running "very short." "We would prefer a three-way tripartite agreement. If that proves impossible, we are prepared to move on a bilateral ...CARACAS, Venezuela (AP)  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro welcomed a visit by a top-ranking Republican congressional staffer last month to discuss the possible release of a Utah man jailed for more than 20 months in this volatile South American nation, six U.S. congressional and administration aides told The Associated Press.

Its not known if there has been any progress in the backchannel talks to secure Joshua Holts freedom, but the mere fact that Maduro met with the staffer, and in turn sent an envoy of his own this week to Washington, may be a sign of movement in a case that has become a major irritant as tensions between the two countries rise.

The unannounced discussions began when Caleb McCarry, a Republican aide on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, traveled to Caracas in February and met with Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores to discuss Holts imprisonment, said the aides, who agreed to discuss the matter only if not quoted by name because the talks are sensitive.

They said McCarry, who has known Maduro for more than 15 years, made the unusual visit at the request of Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Republican from Utah. While in Caracas, McCarry visited Holt in jail, delivering him a letter from Hatch.

The Trump administration is said to be aware of McCarrys lobbying, though there is no indication it has lent support to the effort. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert declined to comment Monday when asked about the informal talks, saying only: We are disappointed Mr. Holt has still not been released on humanitarian grounds.

The behind-the-scenes dialogue prompted a surprise visit this week to Washington by a trusted ally of Maduro, Gov. Rafael Lacava of Carabobo state, to discuss Holt, three congressional aides familiar with the visit said.

Holt, 25, traveled to Caracas in June 2016 to marry a fellow Mormon he met online practicing his Spanish. The couple was waiting for her U.S. visa when they were arrested during a police raid on the government-built housing complex where they were living in her apartment. Venezuelan authorities alleged Holt was stockpiling weapons of war.

U.S. officials have repeatedly demanded Holts release on humanitarian grounds, considering the charges against him and his wife, Thamara Candelo, to be trumped up and politically motivated.

His imprisonment while awaiting trial in a Caracas jail where some of Maduros chief opponents are being held has further strained relations already marred by U.S. sanctions and almost-daily accusations by Maduro that the U.S. is working with his opponents to topple his socialist administration. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on a recent trip to South America warned that the U.S. may slap crippling oil sanctions on Venezuela and cheered on the prospect of the Venezuelan military overthrowing Maduro.

The visit by Lacava, who traveled to Washington on Sunday after being granted a U.S. visa, has been met with hostility by Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who is a harsh critic of Maduro and has President Donald Trumps ear on policy toward Venezuela.

Rubio, in an email sent by his office to fellow Republicans on the Foreign Relations Committee, decried Lacavas visit as an attempt to negotiate Holts freedom in exchange for sanctions relief or the release of the first ladys two nephews who were convicted last year in a New York federal court for drug trafficking.

The message cites press reports about Lacavas alleged involvement in money laundering and other criminal activity. It also says Rubio has received assurances from the White House and State Department that no one in the Trump administration will meet with Lacava.

The fact that Rafael Lacava is even coming to the U.S. to negotiate a sanctions-for-hostage deal proves that Holt is being held as leverage, says the email, a copy of which was obtained by AP and whose authenticity was confirmed by Rubios office. The very news of high-level meetings would be used by Maduro to sow confusion and doubt in the minds of our regional allies about the commitment of the United States to sanctions.

Lacava could not be reached and has not commented publicly since Rubio criticized him in a tweet Sunday. Venezuelas Communications Ministry declined to comment.

One congressional aide said that Lacava had only requested meetings on Capitol Hill and that the sole purpose of those meetings is to urge the release of Holt and not negotiate anything in exchange. Any discussion of sanctions relief that may be on Lacavas agenda is unlikely to come up, since that is a matter for the administration to decide, the aide added.

McCarry knows Maduro from their time together on the Boston Group, an informal gathering from across the political spectrum  Democrats, Republicans, socialists and capitalists  from both countries that worked discreetly to repair relations between the two countries following a brief coup in 2002 against then-President Hugo Chavez. The U.S. recognized the government that arose briefly from the failed coup.

Maduro and Flores were members of the Venezuelan delegation of lawmakers that traveled to Massachusetts, along with U.S. representatives like then-Sen. John Kerry. McCarry at the time worked for one of the Republican founders of the now-defunct group and over the years has maintained ties to many Venezuelan officials. He also accompanied Sen. Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican who is chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, on a trip to Caracas in 2015.



Joshua Goodman on Twitter: <a target=blank href=https://twitter.com/APjoshgoodman>https://twitter.com/APjoshgoodman</a>LOGAN  The 2018 session of the Utah Legislature will all be over Thursday afternoon. Republican State Senator Lyle Hillyard said it looks good right now for all of his bills, although there was one he decided to withdraw for now.

That bill has to do with surrogacy, an issue he has studied for some time.

Its trying to protect women who go into surrogacy and become surrogate mothers, he said. Many of them have had it work out really, really well, but there have been some people taken advantage of and I think they need to be protected. Secondly is the cost. I dont like the analogy but it has been described as selling babies. I think there ought to be fair fees paid for people who do that but some of the figures Im hearing are startling.

Hillyard said there are issues on the bill he wants to work on. Because of that he plans to adjust it this summer and bring it back later. Hillyard it has been a better session than last year for education, where he serves on the appropriations committee.A U.S. congresswoman whose Nevada district includes the Las Vegas Strip asked the federal government Tuesday to keep internet gambling legal.

Democratic Rep. Dina Titus wrote to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, urging the Justice Department not to reverse a ruling it made in 2011 that allowed internet gambling in individual states.

While there has been no public indication that the Justice Department is considering such a move, lawmakers from both parties have asked it to either outlaw internet bets or keep them legal. An aide to Titus said numerous gambling companies have expressed concern to her office about a possible reversal of the Justice Department ruling.

President Donald Trump, a former Atlantic City casino owner, told The Associated Press during the 2016 presidential campaign he had not taken a position on internet gambling, saying he has friends on both sides of the issue. One of the Republican presidents major donors, casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, is a staunch opponent of online gambling.

In 2011, President Barack Obamas Justice Department issued a legal ruling that said online gambling within states that does not involve sporting events would not violate the Wire Act, a law concerning illegal gambling.

In Las Vegas, we have seen that a regulated market is always better than an illegal one, Titus wrote. Internet gambling will not go away with a reversal of Wire Act guidance; it will merely push more consumers into black markets.

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment on Tituss letter, and would not say whether the department is considering changes to its stance regarding internet gambling.

In January, New Jersey members of Congress from both parties urged Rosenstein in a letter to keep internet gambling legal.

That letter followed one in November from Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, and Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, of California, asking the Justice Department to change course and have Congress determine whether to permit online gambling.

Internet gambling is a thriving industry in New Jersey, helping Atlantic Citys seven casinos recover from a three-year period in which five of the citys 12 casinos closed. The additional money brought in online often makes the difference between an up month and a down month for Atlantic City casinos.

Atlantic Citys casinos won $245 million online in 2017, an increase of nearly 25 percent from a year earlier. New Jersey is the largest online market of the four states that currently permit internet gambling. The others are Nevada, Delaware and Pennsylvania, which approved it but has not yet started taking bets through its casinos.



Follow Wayne Parry at <a target=blank href=http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC>http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC</a>NEW YORK (AP)  A Canadian man pleaded guilty Tuesday to U.S. charges that he sent money and provided long-distance support to Tunisian jihadists believed responsible for a 2009 suicide attack in Iraq that killed five American soldiers. The deal could spare him a term of life behind bars.

Faruq Khalil Muhammad Isa entered the plea in federal court in Brooklyn for a murder conspiracy charge that carried a maximum life sentence. He instead faces a 26-year prison term followed by deportation as part of the deal that a judge still must sign off on.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Baldwin told the judge that prosecutors met in person with the families of each of the victims before agreeing to a sentence the government believes will serve to punish (the defendant) and deter others, while also requiring the defendant to admit his participation in these heinous acts.

Defense attorney Mildred Whalen said in a statement: We are mindful of how difficult this case is for so many, but think that the proposed plea agreement would be an appropriate resolution of the case.

Muhammad Isa, 50, is a Canadian citizen and Iraqi national who was arrested in 2011 on a U.S. warrant after an investigation by authorities in New York, Canada and Tunisia. He was held in Edmonton, Alberta, until he lost an extradition fight in 2015.

An extradition request cited wiretap evidence and an interview of Muhammad Isa that U.S. authorities claim linked him to the terror network that used a suicide bomber to detonate an explosives-laden truck outside the gate of the U.S. base in Mosul, Iraq, on April 10, 2009, killing the soldiers.

During the interview, Muhammad Isa admitted he corresponded by email with two of the jihadists while they were in Syria, and that they were on a mission to kill Americans, the paperwork said. The documents allege he corresponded with facilitators who were trying to get the attackers into Iraq, and wired one of them $700.

U.S. authorities alleged that the day after the attack on the U.S. base, Muhammad Isa asked in an electronic communication, Did you hear about the huge incident yesterday? Is it known? He also identified the bomber as one of the Tunisian brothers, to which a facilitator responded, Praise God.

Muhammad Isa told investigators in the interview that by huge incident he meant an explosion, the papers said.

No sentencing date was set.CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  West Virginias striking teachers cheered, sang and wept joyfully Tuesday as lawmakers voted to give them a 5 percent raise, ending a nine-day walkout that closed schools across the state.

A huge crowd of teachers packing the Capitol jumped up and down, chanted We love our kids! and sang John Denvers Take Me Home, Country Roads. The settlement came after a crippling strike had idled hundreds of thousands of students, forced parents to scramble for child care and cast a spotlight on government dysfunction in one of the poorest states in the nation.

State schools Superintendent Steve Paine said in a statement he was pleased that our students, teachers and service personnel will return to school Wednesday.

Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, formally declared Tuesday evening that the work action was over after a consultation among local organizers. That group is the largest teacher organization in West Virginia and Lee said all 55 West Virginia counties had stood together, adding, without them, todays agreement would not have happened.

Earlier, Lee had said of the teachers: We know that theyre going to be relieved to do what they love best, and thats taking care of the kids and educating the kids of West Virginia.

The West Virginia teachers, some of the lowest-paid in the country, had gone without a salary increase for four years. They appeared to have strong public backing throughout their walkout.

We overcame. We overcame! teacher Danielle Harris exclaimed, calling it a victory for students as well. It shows them how democracy is supposed to work, that you dont just bow down and lay down for anybody. They got the best lesson that they could ever have even though they were out of school.

Tuesday marked the ninth day of canceled classes for the school systems 277,000 students and 35,000 employees.

Teachers walked off the job Feb. 22, balking at an initial bill signed by Gov. Jim Justice to bump up their pay 2 percent in the first year as they also complained about rising health insurance costs.

Justice responded last week with an offer to raise teacher pay 5 percent  a proposal the state House approved swiftly but that senators werent so eager to sign off on. Instead the Senate countered with an offer of 4 percent on Saturday, prompting leaders of all three unions representing the states teachers to announce the walkout was being extended.

After a six-member conference committee agreed Tuesday to the new proposal, the House of Delegates subsequently passed 5 percent raises for teachers, school service personnel and state troopers on a 99-0 vote. The Senate followed, voting 34-0.

At a bill signing ceremony after Tuesdays vote, Justice declared victory.

Today is a new day for education in West Virginia. No more looking back! he proclaimed, surrounded by jubilant education leaders. We really have to move away from the idea that education is some necessary evil thats just got to be funded  toward  looking at our children and our teachers and education process as an investment  Thats all there is to it.

Missed school days will be made up, either at the end of the school year or by shortening spring break, depending on decisions by individual counties. Justice said that would not mean families would go without their summer vacations, however.

Senate Finance Chairman Craig Blair said lawmakers will seek to cut state spending by $20 million to pay for the raises, taking funds from general government services and Medicaid. Other state workers who also would get 5 percent raises under the deal will have to wait for a budget bill to pass.

Senate Majority Leader Ryan Ferns, a Republican, said talks with the governors office lasted into early Tuesday identifying cuts everyone could agree to.

Justice said additional budget cuts by his staff will fund the raises, but he insisted in response to a question at the news conference that there would be no damaging cuts to Medicaid or programs that help the poor.

Erick Burgess, a teacher from Mercer County, said he was pleased with the salary increase and hoped the teachers actions in West Virginia would inspire educators elsewhere.

Teachers seem to be mistreated throughout the country, so we are hoping other teachers and other public employees step up and tell their government they have had enough, he said.



Associated Press writers Robert Ray in Charleston and Michael Virtanen in Morgantown, West Virginia, contributed to this report.SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  The Latest on talks between North and South Korea (all times local):

8 a.m.

The U.N. says Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is encouraged by the advances in the latest inter-Korean talks and stresses the need to protect the momentum and seize the opportunities available to find a peaceful path forward.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the latest developments are further steps forward in laying the foundation for the resumption of sincere dialogue, leading to sustainable peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

He said Guterres was particularly encouraged by the agreement to hold a summit meeting soon, to further reduce military tensions, and to discuss denuclearization in future talks with all relevant parties.

Dujarric said the secretary-general reiterated the U.N.s commitment to further assist in this process with the governments concerned.



11 p.m.

U.S. President Donald Trump is citing possible progress in talks with North Korea, but says it may also be false hope.

Nonetheless, Trump adds that a serious effort is being made by all sides.

Trump commented Tuesday on Twitter after the South Korean government announced that North Korea has agreed to halt tests of nuclear weapons and missiles if it holds talks with the United States on denuclearization and establishment of diplomatic relations. South Korea and North Korea have also agreed to hold summit talks in late April.

Trump tweeted: Possible progress being made in talks with North Korea. For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned. The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!



10 p.m.

U.S. President Donald Trump says we will see what happens in talks between North and South Korea.

Trump commented Tuesday as he retweeted a link from The Drudge Report about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hosting South Korean envoys in a rare visit to the North. The South Korean government announced Tuesday that it has agreed with North Korea to hold summit talks in late April.

South Korea also said North Korea has agreed to halt tests of nuclear weapons and missiles if it holds talks with the United States on denuclearization.

The White House has not formally commented on Tuesdays announcements.

Last week, Trump responded to an overture from North Korea for talks with the U.S. by saying that will happen only under the right conditions.



8:30 p.m.

South Korea says North Korea has agreed to impose a moratorium on tests of nuclear weapons and missiles if it holds talks with the United States.

South Koreas presidential national security director said Tuesday that North Korea said its ready to have heart-to-heart talks with the United States on issues regarding the Norths potential denuclearization and the normalization of relations between Pyongyang and Washington.

He said the North also made it clear that it wouldnt need to keep its nuclear weapons if military threats against the country are resolved and it receives a security guarantee.

He said the North also promised not to use conventional or nuclear weapons against South Korea.

The comments were made after South Korean officials returned from a visit to the North, where they met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.



8:15 p.m.

South Korea says it has agreed with North Korea to hold summit talks in late April.

South Koreas presidential office also said Tuesday that the countries have agreed to set up a telephone hotline between their leaders.

South Koreas presidential national security director, Chung Eui-yong, said North Korea has also made it clear that it wouldnt need to keep its nuclear weapons if military threats against the country are resolved and it receives a credible security guarantee.

The comments were made hours after a South Korean delegation led by Chung returned from a visit to the North, where they met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.



6:10 p.m.

South Korean presidential envoys have returned home a day after they met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a rare visit to the North.

The South Korean delegation led by national security director Chung Eui-yong was expected to head straight to Seouls presidential palace to report to President Moon Jae-in.

Moons office is expected to hold a media briefing on the outcome of the visit later Tuesday.

North Korean state media said the North and South Korean officials discussed a possible summit between Kim and Moon during a meeting and dinner hosted by Kim on Monday in Pyongyang.

The rival Koreas have been taking steps to repair ties strained by North Korean nuclear weapons and missile tests after the North reached out to the South over the recently concluded Pyeongchang Olympics.BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)  Former President Cristina Fernandez will face trial on charges she covered up the role of Iranians in a 1994 terrorist bombing at a Jewish center in Argentinas capital, judicial authorities announced Monday.

Eleven other former officials and people close to Fernandezs government will also be tried on charges of cover-up and abuse of power, Federal Judge Claudio Bonadio said in a ruling released by Argentinas official CIJ Judicial Information Center.

The trial date has not been set.

So far, four of the accused have been detained. In December, Bonadio asked lawmakers to remove Fernandezs immunity from prosecution, which she gained last year when she was sworn in as a senator. Legislators have not acted on the request. The immunity protects her from being arrested, but she can still be tried.

Fernandez, who was president in 2007-2015, denies any wrongdoing or involvement in any cover-up involving Argentinas worst terror attack. The 1994 bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association center in Buenos Aires in Buenos Aires killed 85 people and wounded hundreds. Iran denies any involvement.

The judge backed an assertion against Fernandez made on Jan. 14, 2015, by Alberto Nisman, a prosecutor who was investigating the case. Nisman said the 2013 agreement that Fernandezs government made with Iran in exchange for favorable deals on oil and other goods ensured that Iranian officials involved in the attack would escape prosecution.

Nisman was found dead in his apartment with a bullet wound in his right temple four days later. His case remains unsolved. But last year, an investigation by Argentinas border police agency concluded that Nisman was murdered, contradicting earlier official findings that Nisman likely killed himself.

Fernandez, a left-of-center politician, blames the accusations against her on what she says is the bias of judges following the orders of her conservative successor, President Mauricio Macri. She recently said she wanted to go on trial as soon as possible to prove the arbitrariness of the accusation.

Fernandez has defended the 2013 deal with Iran as a way to solve the bombing case. But Jewish groups and other criticized it at the time, saying Tehran had failed to turn over suspects. A joint truth commission called for by the deal was approved by Argentinas Congress but it was never formed because it was later ruled by local courts to be unconstitutional.Honourable Joshua Osih Nambangi has been elected as the candidate of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) for the upcoming Presidential Election report The Sun.

ADS



He was elected Saturday, February 24, 2018 at an extraordinary convention to designate the partys candidate for the upcoming Presidential polls.



He won 88.39 percent of the votes as against 11.61 percent for his lone challenger, Hon. Fobi Nchinda Simon  1,021 votes in favour of Osih and 134 votes for Forbi.



Hon. Joseph Mbah Ndam threw in the towel at the last minute but did not pledge his support openly for any of the two remaining candidates.



In his acceptance speech, Hon. Osih promised to start visiting all the 360 sub-divisions of the country to canvas for support immidiately after his election.



Saturdays Extra Ordinary Convention was preceded by the presentation of the new members of the SDF National Executive Committee who were elected Friday night on day two of the 9th Ordinary Elective Convention of the Party at the Bamenda Congress Hall.



Ni John Fru Ndi who pulled out of the presidential race was maintained as Chairman of the party while Hon. Joshua Osih succeeded himself as the partys 1st Vice National Chairman, beating Prof. Ndiva Kofele Kale.



Osihs victory was greeted with deafening plaudits and his humility was portrayed.

Turning to Ni John Fru Ndi, Osih said: Mr Chairman, I wish that you continue holding my hand even when we will be in Etoudi in October 2018.



On his plans to resolve the current socio-political crisis in the North West and South West regions, Osih did not mince words. Hear him: The first step to resolve the Anglophone problem is to change the person who sits in the Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon.

To him, dialogue remains the best strategy to employ in solving the Anglophone crisis.

If you dont put the problem on a table, you cannot get a solution because you first of all have to understand what the problem is and you can only understand what the problem is if you discuss. There has never been a time in the history of humanity where issues were solved by violence, said Osih.



The 9th ordinary and extraordinary convention of the SDF is history telling drawing from the words of Henry Kejang, the 3rd Vice National Secretary for Communication.



This convention has permitted us to look back at the past, take stock of the present and the future is just right in front of us to appraise, Kejang said.



Barely 24 hours after his election, numerous endorsements have poured in from Cameroonians within and out of the country.



Amongst them, Dr. Dieudonne Esomba who said he was struck by Osihs mastery of issues and simplicity when he first met him.



Osih also got the support of prominent professor of private law at the University of Douala, Prof. Gatsi Jean who said Osih incarnates a new Cameroon, one of peace and national integration.

The frenzy that followed Osihs nomination indicates a new era for the SDF party and politics in Cameroon as a whole and many people who had hitherto been caught up in the web of voter apathy are now nursing a new motivation to go register with ELECAM.



A-Z of the convention

Holding after a number of postponements, and amidst numerous threats from the Ambazonian secessionists that led to the changing of venue twice, the 9th Social Democratic Front, SDF convention and extra ordinary convention had a lot of interesting events mixed with high emotions and drama.

Beginning with the arrival of delegates from all ten regions of Cameroon, on the 21st of February, with most coming in on the 22nd morning, the registration and accreditation of members, the convention that was scheduled to begin at 8am finally started at about 1pm. The opening day of the convention saw in attendance of about 1,100 delegates out of the 1500 that were expected.

During the opening ceremony, Ni John Fru Ndi congratulated the delegates for braving the odds and turning up for the convention. He reminded them of the principles of the SDF party which is democracy, justice, equal opportunities for all among others. He reiterated that the SDF has always advocated for and still stands for a federal form of government.

He also made mention of the Anglophone crisis which he said genuine dialogue remains the only way to solve the problem and also, called on the unconditional release of all those arrested as a result of the crisis.

The opening ceremony closed at 4:30 pm after various committees were unable to present their reports. Reports were then pushed to the next day and all delegates were advised to move to the safety of their rooms and homes so as to avoid being caught in the insecurity in Bamenda, especially as there is curfew instituted by the governor of the region.



Convention ground flooded with campaign papers.

On Friday morning, the convention ground was flooded with campaign material bearing pictures and names of some candidates as well as the positions they seek to occupy. The most popular were the campaign posters of Hon. Joshua Osih who was seeking to win the partys nomination as presidential candidate and succeed himself as 1st Vice National Chairman of the party.



Some friends of SDF joined them to observe convention.

The CPDM was represented at the convention by Minister Gregroire Owona who in his solidarity address congratulated the SDF delegates who came from all over the country for their convention. He also extended a message of congratulation to the SDF for their enormous contributions to democracy in the country.

Not one to disappoint with his usual sense of humour, Minister Gregoire Owona told the SDF delegates that; You are welcome at home and took up his head to look round the ceiling of the hall then at the people as if to remind them that they were actually sitting in the CPDM congress hall, then smiled as others laughed.

He stressed that political adversity does not match with animosity and rejection of the values of friendship reason why the CPDM central committee honored the SDF invitation to their convention.

Another friend of the SDF at the convention was the eminent Prof. Titus Edzoa who sat very close to Fru Ndi at the high table. He took the podium and delivered a very empassioned speech during which he recounted how he spent 17 years in prision and how Ni John Fru Ndi had stood up with the SDF militants to cry foul until he was released.



Full house at the SDF extraordinary convention in Bamenda



 I am here today to express my gratefulness for this rare support and my heart twinkles with lakes of joy., Prof Titus Edzoa told the delegates who rained plaudits on him.

Also present at the convention was a delegate of the Frederick Hebert Foundation of Germany who happens to be a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. The delegate indicated that his foundation has been working with the SDF since 1990 and that they are very interested in the SDF affairs reason why he is very curious to know who will be SDFs presidential candidate. It is worth noting that the translation equipment of the SDF was donated by this foundation on the appeal of Fru Ndi.



Irregularities

During the presentation of committee reports, the report of the legal affairs committee was highly contested as there had been a petition against it from Kumasi John in Douala and a disagreement between the committee head Prof. Kale and Lawyer Benjamin Suh Nfor on certain articles of the constitution that led to some serious threats of physical harm on Prof. Kale. However, Kumasi John withdrew his petition publicly and called for reconciliation.

The committee made a proposal for the institution of a national secretary for Bilingualism who may be appointed by the chairman and voted in the next convention.

Another irregularity was noted at the level of the centre delegation where two lists of delegates had emerged. This was said to have been as a result of some infighting from that region brought about by the former regional Chairman for the Centre Region, Ibrahim Aladji , in alleged complicity with some party big wigs.

Talking to the Vice chair for the Centre Region, Parfait Nbvoum, he told The Sun that it is only when they arrived Bamenda that they realised that a certain list of delegates had been presented at the convention without the regional chair endorsing and even the hotel rooms meant for the centre delegation already occupied by the parallel delegation.

He added that they also learned that the SDF senatorial list for the centre region had already been prepared by the persons suspected of trying to undermine the centre delegation for some selfish reasons and handed to ELECAM without the knowledge of the regional chair.

He went on to say that they had written a petition against it and were waiting for the hierarchy of the party to take action and that if nothing was done they would start a riot at the convention ground.

Another irregularity was noted at the level of the election of the First National Vice Chair where the first candidate Prof. Kales picture was not on the single ballot paper whereas his rival, Joshua Osih his picture boldly printed on the paper.

Prof Kale contested this and said it gave a prejudiced decision to the voter as most voters always want to distinguish their candidate during voting. However, the voting continued as Prof. Kales points were duly noted.

The elections went on for the whole night uninterrupted with candidates taking their turns on the podium to campaign and be voted into their respective offices.



Sah Terence and Moma Sandrine in Bamenda| BY Ricki Green |

ATMs do lots of useful things, but rarely do they sing at you, or make you dance. So this year, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the fabulous Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, the ANZ bank has created a bunch of GayTMs covered in light-reflecting rainbow prisms, and installed them in Oxford Street, Pitt Street, Bondi & Newtown in Sydney, and Bourke Street in Melbourne.

Best of all  and this is where the singing and dancing comes into it  the Oxford Street and Bourke Street GayTMs erupt into dance music and disco lights every four minutes or so. And the music is by Bang Bangs very own 70s disco icon, the one and only Tristan Dewey.

Take a stroll down Bourke Street or Oxford Street, and marvel at the ANZ GayTMs dispensing money and music. Never has discovering youre broke been so much fun.

Agency: TBWA\Melbourne

Music: Tristan Dewey at Bang Bang

Vocals: Bec Ivanov and Kylie Auldist

Producer: Nik Round| BY Ricki Green |

Kelloggs, in collaboration with J. Walter Thompson Sydney, is launching a series of new executions for the highly successful Amazing Creations Masterbrand campaign. Originally featuring YouTube legend Zach King, the campaign has seen a significant sales uplift for brands featured in above-the-line media since first launching in 2016.

Live this week, the new executions comprise 2x TVcs and one longform video, drawing on the talents of Simone Giertz, a YouTube content creator known for building useless machines, who has 900k+ subscribers. Her robots are put to work demonstrating how Kelloggs Crunchy Nut and Froot Loops can be mixed with other ingredients to create surprisingly delicious snacks.

Giertz flew in from her native San Francisco, to work alongside the J. Walter Thompson team and PR agency Liquid Ideas to develop a myriad of content for social, digital and broadcast media.

Tamara Howe, Kelloggs ANZ marketing director, said the campaign is a huge opportunity to showcase how Kelloggs cereals can be enjoyed outside the traditional breakfast occasion.

By sharing fun and delicious snacking ideas with our foods were engaging with people who might not have considered using cereal in this way.

Says Simon Langley, executive creative director, J. Walter Thompson ANZ: Simones charming personality, and quirky sense of humour, combined with her highly entertaining snack machines are the perfect vehicle to help reframe cereal within the snacking space.

The 2x TVCs will be seen on FTA and pay from this week, supported by 1x longform plus social video content and recipes, plus other supporting content.

Agency: J. Walter Thompson, Sydney

Executive Creative Director: Simon Langley

Creative Directors: Will Edwards, Chris Badger

Creatives: Will Edwards, Chris Badger, Anthony Campagna and Jari Kennedy

Senior Planner: Heather Morrison

Account Handling: CSD  Ana Lynch, SAD  Chris Wilson, AD  Jennie Esposito, AM  Ellie Sutton

Creative Production Director: Paul Friedman

Media Agency: Mindshare| BY Ricki Green |

Paul Coghlan (pictured), currently executive creative director at J. Walter Thompson Perth, will move to Marketforce as ECD following the departure of Pat Lennox and Ben Green, who are leaving in June to start their own consultancy.

The pair shared their intentions with Marketforce management in early January, to provide advance notice for the agency to find a new creative leader.

Creative chairman of Clemenger BBDO, James McGrath reflected on their eight years by saying: In both we have been the beneficiary of wonderful creative integrity through deep intelligence.

Coghlan has had a long association with Clemenger, having started in the despatch department as the top graduate for Copy School in Sydney. Prior to joining JWT Perth, Coghlan was Creative Director at Meerkats, where he spent more than eight years, winning a raft of local and international awards for his work across a range of major brands.

Robert Morgan, Clemenger Group Executive Chairman described Coghlan as a new age creative leader totally comfortable with the opportunities and challenges presented to creativity and the digital/data age. He is also a highly engaging educator, investing time lecturing and tutoring. Last year was appointed Head of Award School in Perth, the pre-eminent training program for aspiring Creatives.

Paul joins our wonderful generation of brilliant leaders, uniquely having worked with four of them at different times, Evan Roberts and Stephen de Wolf at Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, Ant White at CHEP and Levi Slavin at Colenso BBDO said McGrath.

During Coghlans career he has worked on brands such as RAC, iiNet, Mercedes Benz, Telecom NZ, Lotterywest, HBF, Murdoch University, Brownes Dairy, and launched P&N Bank in WA.

Newly appointed Marketforce Chairman and acting CEO Jim Gall said Coghlan would be a key architect of the Agencys new era in Perth.

Paul will bring great creative leadership to the Clemenger BBDO Network, as well as further enhancing our reputation as the most powerful creative network in Australasia.| BY Ricki Green |

Suzuki Australia has launched its new television commercial with the help of Melbourne animation and motion graphics studio Jumbla and creative agency The Sanford Partnership.

Jumbla brought the brief to life with a 3D animation depicting the Suzuki Swift Sport Hatch emerging from piping hot metal.

Suzuki Australia general manager  automobiles Michael Pachota said the car giant was delighted with the result.

Says Pachota: The first reaction  everyone was blown away. Weve never done something like this before.

The feedback from our dealer network and audiences alike has been that its probably the best television commercial that weve ever produced for Suzuki Australia.

The challenge, according to Jumbla creative director Oz Smith, was getting the TVCs lava to flow in a visually-appealing way.

Says Smith: Real molten metal is quite watery and runny, but we wanted something with sentience. We settled on a thicker, honey-like consistency, which is more believable and controlled.

We tried to create something that not only looked interesting, but also formed the car quickly in a lifelike, visually-satisfying way.

The team used Real Flow to create the bulk of the molten metal shots, which involved a lot of experimentation with different viscosity of the liquid.

Pachota said that animation was the only way a TVC like this could be developed.

Says Pachota: We were fortunate enough to have technology like this at our fingertips. Jumbla and the The Sanford Partnership helped us create exactly what we wanted to see by using CGI. I think it was amazing.Monday, March 5, 2018 at 8:44PM

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

On the surface, the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and its larger brother, the S9+, seem to look identical to their predecessors from last year. The near edge-to-edge display is still there, as is the tapered metal frame sandwiched in luxurious glass.

Samsung's gone for two extremes in colour this year. Canadians will have to choose between the austere yet elegant Titanium Silver or the striking Lilac Purple. Samsung Canada says there's a 60/40 split on pre-orders between the two colour choices. Do you like Audi grey or are you going for a Lamborghini purple? Depends on your style.

Despite the similarity in appearance, the new Galaxy S9 features reinforcements all around. 20 per cent thicker front glass strengthens this phone's weakest point. The rim around the edge of the Galaxy S9 reportedly has a stronger grade of aluminium which is less prone to deformation when dropped.

The sides are similarly thicker and can absorb 20 per cent more shock if it is dropped, sparing the glass from impact. All-in-all the new Galaxy S9 is slightly thicker than its predecessor but it is also more resilient.

In the hand, the Galaxy S9 feels like a delightful premium device. It feels completely seamless and the melding of glass and aluminium is the best we've seen on a smartphone in this category. I would still wrap these rascals with a good case,

The display is beautiful and immersive. Samsung says it has the highest colour accuracy and has set records for colour gamut contrast ratio and viewing angle tolerance. Watching YouTube videos of various trailers proved that this display is superb and will show detail and depth you simply miss on inferior OLED displays.

Samsung has also augmented the stereo speakers thanks to AKG Harman's collaboration. I played some Dolby Atmos video demos and was blown away by the separation and clarity. Of course, you can't expect much bass on a device this thin, I'm still impressed Samsung matched that amazing display with stunning sound. There's also a headphone jack, a welcome rarity in 2018 flagship smartphones.

The star of the Galaxy S9's feature set is the camera which now features a variable aperture. Designed just like the human eye, the Galaxy S9 can switch between a wide F1.5 mode and a F2.4 mode. This means better low-light photos, with more detail as well as bright and clear photos in daylight.

Throw in all the computational features as well as Samsung's prodigous array of post-processing and filter options and you have yourself a serious camera option in a tiny package.

A shot from the galaxy S9 shows an ability to capture detail in complex shadows and lighting conditions This is the same photo above at 100 per cent

The Galaxy S9+, being larger, also gets an 2X zoom by way of a second camera. That sleek beast also has an additional 2 GB of RAM under the hood, for a total of 6 GB.

Samsung has built some fun into the camera as well. There are now AR Emoji which do feature cute characters just like Apple's saccharine Animoji. The piece de resistance here is that you can create your own emoji based on your face. Now, your mileage will vary, but I was able to get a reasonable emoji version of myself in a few easy steps.

This feature and the ability to create gifs and stickers with your face might have a longer expiration date than just animated bears or talking poop. Good move Samsung.

The killer feature for me is the super slo-mo recording with up to 960 frames per second on 1080p HD resolution. The current super slo-mo on other devices taps out at 240 frames per second, and is already quite impressive but Samsung's implementation blows that out of the water.

I'm still testing the camera functions as I've only had the phone for a couple of days, but I can already see it has superlative photographic abilities. That F1.5 aperture is like having an expensive prime lens on tap and I can't wait to see what it can do.news, latest-news

Labor senator Katy Gallagher says she took all reasonable steps to renounce her British citizenship before the 2016 election, even though the UK Home Office demanded extra documents after the election before confirming her renunciation. In a submission to the High Court, Senator Gallagher's lawyers lay out a timeline arguing that because the British Home Office had debited a fee for renunciation on May 6 in 2016, before Senator Gallagher had nominated for election on May 30, she had taken the reasonable steps needed under section 44 of the constitution. "By no later than 6 May 2016 (when her fee was debited), Senator Gallagher had taken every step which, as a matter of British law, was sufficient for her renunciation to be effective," the submission argued. "As this date was prior to writs being issued or nominations closing, the constitutional imperative is engaged." According to the submission, Senator Gallagher sent her renunciation declaration, with a certified copy of her birth certificate, to the British Home Affairs department on April 20, 2016, and it was received on April 26. The Home Office deducted a fee on May 6 of that year, before the election was announced on May 8, and the writs were issued on May 16. Senator Gallagher nominated for election on May 31, ahead of the July 2 election. It wasn't until July 20 that the British Home Affairs department requested extra documentation, with the senator then sending originals of her father's birth certificate, her own birth certificate and her parents' marriage certificate. It wasn't until August 16, after she was declared duly elected on August 2, that Senator Gallagher's British citizenship actually ended. Senator Gallagher is represented in the case by Justin Gleeson SC, former solicitor-general who also represented Tony Windsor in the dual-citizenship case against former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce. Last week the Attorney-General argued in a submission to the High Court that Senator Gallagher had failed to take reasonable steps to renounce her citizenship, and that the reasonable steps test shouldn't apply in cases where renunciation is achievable. The submission from Mr Gleeson rebuts the Attorney-General's submission, saying that distinctions shouldn't be made relying on the laws of other countries. According to Mr Gleeson, Senator Gallagher's case is different to that of senators Malcolm Roberts or Fiona Nash who had not taken any steps to renounce their British citizenship before being elected. "These parties invoked 'reasonable steps' to seek to excuse taking any steps, on the basis that they did not have sufficient knowledge that they needed to act. In contrast, Senator Gallagher is the first person this Court has had to rule upon who has in fact taken steps required under the foreign law to renounce her citizenship at the date of nomination." Whether someone is eligible to nominate for parliament shouldn't depend on "the actions of foreign officials," the submission argued. "Particularly those that rest on discretions, degrees of diligence or bureaucratic practices." "It is important that the focus of the constitutional imperative is on a citizen being 'prevented by foreign law from participation' as distinct from a citizen being 'prevented by the actions, or inactions, of a foreign person from participation'." The High Court will hold its next hearing on the case on March 14 in Canberra.

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Joshua was 18-months-old when he started attending school. During his weekly visits to Kings Park Primary School he built skyscrapers with wooden blocks, whizzed toy cars along the floor and learnt how to play with other children. While some of these activities may sound straight-forward, the St Albans state school said its teacher-led playgroup was one of the keys to boosting its NAPLAN performance. Our preps are really settled, they start learning from day one, principal Jodi Park said. They aren't anxious about coming to school. The school, in Melbourne's north-west, is among around 330 Australian schools that have been identified as making significant improvements in last years national test. About 60 of these high gains schools were in Victoria. New data published on the My School website on Wednesday reveal that Kings Park Primary made above-average improvements in numeracy, and achieved year 3 and year 5 writing results that eclipsed the scores of the average Australian school. It's an impressive feat for a school where more than half the children fall within the most disadvantaged socio-economic bracket. We don't see that as a barrier ... we hope to bridge those gaps, Ms Park said. The multicultural school publishes an English and Vietnamese newsletter, and 84 per cent of its students are from a language background other than English. As well as the playgroup, which is offered to prospective students from birth, the school runs a transition program that starts in the August before prep. Some families at the school cant afford kindergarten, and these programs teach children the basic literacy, numeracy and social skills required for school. This includes how to share, take turns, listen and stay focused. It's likely that Joshua, now three, will continue attending the playgroup, as well as kindergarten, until its time to join his older brothers Jasper, 5, and Jett, 7, at school. The program has made us feel a part of the school, we feel very welcome, his mother, Candice Pantalleresco, said. The school also attributes its NAPLAN success to using data to closely monitor students performance. It has also implemented a numeracy intervention program for struggling students and adopted a Japanese lesson study model where teachers observe and then critique their colleagues lessons. This has helped the school tailor its teaching so that the brightest and weakest students are engaged and challenged. The number of Australian schools being named as big improvers by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority dropped from 400 in 2016 to 330 last year. The independent Ballarat Clarendon College was identified as a high gains school for the fourth year in a row. Other Victorian schools that made the list include Marian College in Sunshine West, Holy Eucharist School in St Albans South, St Albans Secondary, Islamic College of Melbourne, Coolaroo South Primary School, Ruskin Park Primary and Lilydale Primary School. Australian students have been sitting NAPLAN since 2008. The push to move away from pen and paper tests hit a glitch last year when all Australian states and territories abandoned an online trial of NAPLAN tests which were due to start in 2018. Education ministers were concerned that technical glitches could disadvantage students. And earlier this year, state and territory education ministers quietly shelved a controversial move towards "robot marking" of the student essays in NAPLAN tests. The My School website has been revamped this year to make it more mobile-friendly and easier to digest. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority's chief executive, Robert Randall, said it was now easier to track a schools gains in performance. What we want to see, if we are going to shift improvements overall, is gain down at the school level, he said.

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After a month of high idiocy, Canberra has a bonking ban, albeit an extremely limited one. It affects only those few federal ministerial staff who actually want to bonk their boss. The silliest aspect of the ban is Malcolm Turnbull's rationale for it: he put it in place because "the public have high expectations" of ministers' "decorum", and because ministers' "families deserve honour and respect". Not a word was mentioned about the only good reasons for even considering such a ban, which would be to avoid conflicts of interest, nepotism or being exposed to potential blackmail. And while there was a whiff of nepotism  at least according to the opposition  in the appointment of Barnaby Joyce's former adviser Vikki Campion to the staff of other Nationals frontbenchers, there was no unlawful conduct; parliamentarians can largely hire whomever they want. Yet that's not so in the Australian Public Service. Even in these times  when contractors and labour-hire grunts are often used in lieu of public servants, despite questions about the legality of doing so  there is the tricky matter of all government employment decisions needing to be merit-based, and all purchase decisions needing to represent best value for money. Which is why sex is a big deal in Canberra. Not in Parliament  they can screw all they like up there, as far as the public should care  but in the bureaucracy. In fact, not just sexual relationships but other ties, too. For all the attention paid to parliamentarians' financial interests, the gifts they receive and the company they keep, they are not the Commonwealth's corruption problem. The federal government enters into about 70,000 contracts a year, worth about $50 billion. Ministers see almost none of these, nor are they aware of most of them. This spending on our behalf is managed and approved by senior and mid-level public servants, about whom we know almost nothing. This is the heart of Australia's real corruption risk, though few backers of a federal anti-corruption watchdog have articulated it. It's not in high-profile bribery cases (think AWB and Securency) or in foreign nationals seeking to influence parliamentarians (hi, Sam Dastyari). The risk lies in the regular work of public servants, when they choose whom to hire or contract. Small, "harmless" decisions; creeping, subliminal cronyism. Indeed, I suspect that in many cases the people making unethical spending or recruitment decisions may be unaware of the biases that are influencing them. Almost all of this comes down to failures to manage conflicts of interest effectively, whether those conflicts are real or perceived. It hasn't helped that, until recently, there was a lack of clarity about how to approach the most common of potential conflicts: friendships (whether sexual or not). In 2014, the Auditor-General's office reported on how government agencies were managing staff conflicts of interests. In many workplaces, it was unclear whether mid-level and junior officers needed to declare them. The audit also found that agency heads' instructions to staff "usually contained very little information". Yet since then, the Public Service Commission and the Finance Department have made their guidelines clearer. And it may be surprise some public servants, but their advice is unequivocal: if you're on a selection panel and you've slept with someone who applies for a job, promotion or contract, you need to tell your departmental secretary, or at least one of your managers. It doesn't matter whether the sex was a week ago or a decade ago. Imagine just how messy this could become, especially in hopelessly conflicted workplaces like the Defence Department. There, it's extremely common for public servants and ADF personnel to move from working for government to working for the businesses that supply the military. Not only do public servants find themselves negotiating across the table with former colleagues, who are often good friends, but in many parts of Russell they then share the same offices; contract managers and contractors working side by side on the same project. Consider the hypothetical case of Wendy, an EL2 officer whose section works on naval missile-guidance software with an industry partner, Very Big Guns Pty Ltd. She had a big night with a Big Gun, Warren, a few years ago at a trade expo. It was a one-off, but Warren still comes into the office regularly and they have working lunches occasionally. The Big Guns are seeking a contract extension, and Wendy is a subject-matter expert in a very specialised field. It's not feasible for her to withdraw from the panel that will discuss the Big Guns contract; she's needed. The Public Service Commission (indeed, the law) offers no wriggle room: "where a material personal interest cannot be avoided, the employee must disclose that interest so that it can be managed". This isn't a fanciful example. Russell is its own community, where everyone kind of knows everyone else. In fact, most government workplaces in Canberra operate in similarly small circles. We befriend (sometimes intimately) those we work with, buy from and sell to. And then, occasionally, we decide whether to award them a job or a contract. Depending on the nature of that relationship, we might improperly favour them or even be biased against them (maybe Warren's presence makes Wendy feel uncomfortable these days). But does anyone really believe Wendy is willing to pick over the details of that night at the expo with her branch or division head? More likely, she'll keep it to herself and believe herself entirely capable of dealing with the conflict sensibly. Yet that shouldn't be her decision. Disclosure is the new legal norm (even if no one does it). Home Affairs Department chief Mike Pezzullo told a recent Senate estimates hearing that he expects to be told (or his delegates to be told) of all office relationships that could affect his portfolio's work. "As to relationships within the workplace, we have a general policy that is applicable to everyone, from myself down  the [Border Force] commissioner down  that all such relationships are to be declared to ensure that there is no conflict of interest." So more of a bonking broadcast than a bonking ban. The commission is still loathe to map out exactly what public servants like Wendy should do; a spokeswoman said it depended on the case. "In general terms, the employee should disclose the relationship to a senior decision-maker and discuss what steps are required to manage the conflict. This may involve them excusing themselves from the process altogether," she said. And who should decide whether Wendy (or whoever) should leave the panel? Again, "it depends", though the spokeswoman told the Informant that the legal onus was on the employee to stand aside "if that is the reasonable approach". "In practice, this is likely to be discussed with a senior decision-maker and an agreed approach reached between them." In other words, an awful lot of faith is placed in public servants, who are expected to talk about something they'd almost certainly rather no one knew. In Wendy's case, she'd especially rather her Defence colleagues not be told, as most of them know Warren. The integrity of the system relies on extraordinary individual integrity. Hmm. There's a solution to this mess. It would help to expose a wide range of nepotism, cronyism and "green-lighting". It would cost nothing, and would be an enormous deterrent to anyone considering hiding a conflict of interest. Simply publish the names of public servants who sit on assessment panels, whether for jobs or contracts. In a small city like Canberra, it would greatly increase the risks associated with improperly hiding a friendship. Someone might eventually spot that a public servant had "forgotten" to disclose that the person they'd recruited, or awarded that $300,000 marketing deal, was a neighbour, a mate or an in-law. It would hardly be an invasion of privacy; we already publish the names of contact officers, as well as the name of every person who joins the APS or wins a promotion. The question is: why aren't we doing this already? Markus Mannheim edits The Public Sector Informant. Twitter: @MarkusMannheim

/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/55bf0d7e-e693-4958-9b42-5a8ff38a96d2/r0_124_2000_1254_w1200_h678_fmax.jpgThe Lee County Sheriffs Office is asking for the publics help in locating a 49-year-old North Fort Myers resident.

Scott Jacobs is a white male standing 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighing 180 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He left his home at 20100 Williams Drive, North Fort Myers, at approximately 1 a.m, Monday, March 5. He was last seen driving his 2006 white Ford F350 with Florida plate 944QTF.

Jacobs was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and shorts.

There is reason to believe Jacobs may harm himself and his family is very concerned for his well-being. He was recently spotted in the area of Bayshore Road at about 3 p.m. today, so if youre in the area please keep an eye out for this person.

If you have seen or know the whereabouts of Scott Jacobs please call the Lee County Sheriffs Office at (239) 477-1000. To remain anonymous, please call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477). All callers will remain anonymous and will be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000. Tips may also be made online at www.southwestfloridacrimestoppers.com or by submitting a tip on the P3Tips app.

 Source: Lee County Sheriffs OfficeFor the last three weeks, Stoneman Douglas High School students have been at the forefront of the debate on gun control.

Five of them brought their message to Cape Coral today, making their case for changes being placed on the ballot in November in the wake the school shooting that left 17 people dead and another 14 wounded in Parkland.

David Hogg, Charlie Mirsky, Ryan Deitsch, Chris Grady and Alfonso Calderon were among the hundreds attending the Constitution Revision Commission public hearing that began at 1 and will continue until 7 p.m. at The Westin.

It is the fifth of six such hearings to be held on the CRCs 2018 Road to the Ballot public hearing tour to determine which among 37 constitutional amendment proposals will be placed on the General Election ballot for voter consideration.

Only Hogg and Deitsch actually spoke during the hearing, while others from local schools expressed their views by putting up red and green cards to express their pleasure or displeasure on the measures speakers brought up.

The meeting is open to  and intended for  the public and no tickets or RSVPs are required although speaker cards are needed to address the CRC.

The appointed commission convenes every 20 years to examine and bring forward constitutional amendments for voter consideration.

There are 37 active proposals being considered this go-around from among the 103 that made it out of the committee process in the fall, with a prohibition on wagering on greyhound racing also drawing comment thus far today.

Also expected to draw much comment is the so-called primary loophole.

Currently, primaries are open in Florida if the candidate slate is limited to one party. A write-in candidate on the ballot, however, closes the primary. Critics say this violates the spirit of the open-primary provision as write-in candidates often do not campaign.

Other proposals include a ban on offshore drilling, a residents bill of rights proposal, and dog races and death benefits for survivors of first responders and military members.

The CRC has until May 10 to complete its work with its final report then due to the Secretary of State.

Any amendments then will be placed on the 2018 General Election ballot in November. The threshold for an amendment to pass is 60 percent.

The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village is at 5951 Silver King Blvd.

f you cant attend, you can still provide input at flcrc.gov , via email to admin@flcrc.gov , by calling (850) 717-9550 or by mailing your comments to the Constitution Revision Commission, The Capitol, 400 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399It is so sad to see the local news of the rescued dogs from Williams Lake (and other places in the past).

It is great that the SPCA is reaching out to the public for assistance for bedding, food,etc. What I would like to see is the big box stores and large companies step forward with assistance in this regard. There is no reason why they cannot do it, and they should.

I am sure if one company came forward and did a challenge to others, there would be a great outcome.



I am an animal lover at heart, and admire the SPCA for what they are doing. I wish I had the funds to assist them, but I do not.

Debbie SmartMadison Erhardt

Environment Canada has some good news to start off the week.

The Okanagan should reach temperatures in the mid-single digits as early as Wednesday.

"We are expecting a sunny day Wednesday and temperatures getting up to what we expect seasonally for this time of year," said Environment Canada meteorologist Lisa West.

Today will see a high of 1 C with a chance of flurries later on in the afternoon.

Tuesday will be sunny with a high of 4 C.

Wednesday will feel like summer is around the corner with a high of 7 C and sunshine all day.

Thursday will see a high 4 C with a chance of showers or possibly snow in the evening.

Friday, the Okanagan will reach a high of 7 C.

The weekend is looking mild.

Saturday will be cloudy with a high of 10 C and Sunday will be the warmest day of the week with a high of 11 C and a mix of sun and cloud.According to Canadian sources Canada has 990 million acres of forests, 370 million acres of wetlands and 167 million acres of crop-yielding farmland. These are known as "carbon sinks". (they absorb carbon), somehow they forgot to mention all the lakes.

Biologists tell us that trees absorb about 2.6 tonnes of carbon per acre, so if you do the math 990 million acres x 2.6 tones/acre = 2.574 billion tonnes of carbon being absorbed every year here in Canada. Now if you do more math, 36 trillion tones (amount of world emission x 0.0167 (1.67%) = 601.2 million tonnes this is the amount of carbon that Canada contributes to world emissions. In the forests alone, Canada absorbs almost 4 times the amount of carbon it emits. Again, in the forests alone, Canada absorbs 4 times the carbon it emits.

This means that the other three quarters of our forests are being sustained by carbon being emitted by the rest of the world. This calculation does not take into account the wetland or farmland that also absorbs carbon.

Canada really couldn't get any greener, so why are our politicians hell bent on punishing us with these ridiculous carbon taxes? If the media were honest, this information would be made public and should be made public!

Considering the fact that Canada is given no credit for absorbing much more carbon than it emits I think there is a good case for some lawyer to charge governments with a class action suit , the government money grab has to stop.

Roger von DachAlanna Kelly

UPDATE 2:05 p.m.

A group of passengers are thanking their lucky stars this afternoon after their quick thinking pilot alerted firefighters about his brakes overheating.

The privately owned Cessna was preparing for take-off when the pilot noticed his brakes were overheating.

A quick check with the tower and the flight was cancelled. Seven passengers had to be escorted off the plane.

Crews could be seen working on the plane as of 2 o'clock this afternoon.

ORIGINAL 12:43 p.m.

Passengers were taken off a private plane at Kelowna International Airport this morning after the pilot reported brake issues.

An airport issued statement reported that the incident happened around 10:40 a.m. and involved a privately owned Cessna Citation.

The pilot advised the air traffic control tower of an issue with overheating brakes, while taxiing to the runway.

"Kelowna International Airports Aircraft Rescue Firefighting team was dispatched to assist the aircraft and cool the brakes."

Passengers were deplaned and the aircraft will be towed to the hangar for inspection.

There was no disruption to scheduled flight service at YLW.

with files from Josh WinquistPhoto: Contributed GoFundMe - Waylon Percy Junior Jackson

Jury selection process is underway for the trial of a man charged with second-degree murder in connection with a fatal stabbing in Rutland.

Waylon Percy Junior Jackson was found stabbed inside a home in the 100-block of Gerstmar Road on March 11, 2016.

Officers quickly arrived at the scene to discover an unresponsive man appearing to have lost a significant amount of blood, said Const. Jesse ODonaghey back in 2016.

Chad Colton Alphonse, 28, was arrested nearby on Leathead Road and charged with second-degree murder.

Police said the two knew each other.

ODonaghey said four people were at the home at the time of the incident including the victim, accused and two other people related to them.

Neighbours reported the people in the home had been drinking.

"They had a social gathering and they were drinking, and so we're just assuming, I don't know anything, that it was a drunken altercation between people who knew each other, told a neighbour to Castanet back on the day of the incident.

Jackson was unresponsive and had lost a significant amount of blood when police found him in the home. He was rushed to hospital in critical condition, but succumbed to his injuries.

Police would not comment on the extent of wounds to Jackson or if they retrieved a weapon from the scene.

Naomi Foureyes, the victims spouse was active on social media asking for help from the public to support her two children.

At the time of the murder, the children were six weeks old and five years old.

I'm so heartbroken and it hurts me to have to ask for help, wrote Naomi on Facebook.

Alphonse is known to police and was previously convicted of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose and three counts of mischief under $5,000.

The details of the preliminary inquiry are protected under a publication ban.Photo: PENSAR

A backcountry skier is recovering in hospital after being caught in an avalanche east of Apex Mountain on Sunday.

Penticton and District Search and Rescue received a report around 2:30 p.m. of a 35-year-old male that had been buried by a 2.5 ranked avalanche.

A group of four skiers managed to rescue their partner and were able to call for help with a SPOT emergency beacon and cell phone.

PENSAR manager Dale Jorgensen said 14 PENSAR members were activated, along with members of Osoyoos and Oliver Search and Rescue and Princeton Search and Rescue Team that were placed on standby.

In such high-risk scenarios where avalanche risk is extremely high, SAR teams need to have trained avalanche response personnel to assess and enter the area, Jorgensen said.

While the avalanche occurred outside of the Apex Ski Resort, resort staff and a trained avalanche technician from the Ministry of Transportation assisted with the evacuation.

As daylight faded, a rescue team from Apex ski patrol was airlifted into the area, where they skied in and located the group. The injured skier was extracted via helicopter and transferred to an ambulance waiting at the resort

The injuries to the skier were not life threatening.

PENSAR is reminding the public that avalanche risk in the backcountry is high, and travellers need to be prepared.Photo: Colin Dacre

A Similkameen man has been fined $2,500 for illegally selling about $150 worth of deer, moose and elk meat.

Clint Holmes, 29, is a natural resource and cultural technician with the Upper Similkameen Indian Band. He pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in wildlife Monday in Penticton court.

Following up on a tip in October 2015, undercover officers with the BC COS purchased $150 in deer, elk and moose meat from Holmes on two occasions.

The $2,500 penalty is the minimum allowed by law and was agreed upon by the Crown and defence  $2,000 of the fine will be diverted to the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund.

The court heard that Holmes has been on leave from his employment since the charges were brought against him in May 2017. He told the judge hes struggled with his own identity as an outdoorsman since being charged.

Its made me very upset and Im very remorseful. You will not see me in here again, he told the judge.

Holmes will have one year to pay the fine.

A charge against Holmes wife for trafficking in wildlife related to the same investigation was stayed as a result of his guilty plea.Photo: Colin Dacre

A Penticton man who cant seem to stay out of the drivers seat was sentenced to 90 days in prison Monday for his ninth driving while suspended conviction.

Devon Forsyth, 29, pleaded guilty to the charge stemming from a November 2016 incident. He also received a one year suspended sentence for being caught with a stolen dirt bike in August 2016.

Judge Robin Smith ridiculed Forsyth after accepting the Crowns request for a 90-day jail term on the driving violation.

I just imagine, when you are there incarcerated, and they say oh what are you in for, I did this, I did that and they ask you  Oh I was driving while prohibited, he told Forsyth, who was appearing via video.

Then you have to mention under your breath, well yeah that was the ninth one. You are your own worst enemy on that. You can do better than this, he said, explaining sentences would only be getting more severe.

Defence lawyer Michael Patterson said his client is skilled as a mechanic and has had trouble resisting the temptation of driving. He added that a heroin habit has fueled the property crime.

While Judge Smith ordered a one year driving ban, he and prosecutors agreed the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles would likely instate a much longer, if not indefinite, ban.

Forsyth remains behind bars awaiting a bail hearing on more serious charges from a separate incident, including assaulting a police officer and possession of a controlled substance.Photo: Contributed

As spring inches closer, so too does road construction season.

Work will soon begin on a narrow section of Westside Road in West Kelowna, from La Casa Resort to Muir Road.

The improvements to the area are expected to help safety and traffic flow, by widening the road and adding roadside barriers.

"People have been waiting a long time for improvements to Westside Road along Okanagan Lake. Widening the road and adding guardrails will make travel safer, more efficient, and more enjoyable for everyone," said Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. "This narrow stretch sees more than 1,000 vehicles every day, as well as numerous cyclists and pedestrians, who will benefit from a safer roadway once construction has been completed."

The project will take place about 30 kilometres north of the Highway 97 intersection, on a part of Westside Road that features steep rock bluffs on one side, and 20-50 metre embankments down to Okanagan Lake on the other.

Work will include 1.3 kilometres of lane widening and straightening to improve sight lines and visibility. Guardrails will also be added to reduce the potential for vehicles leaving the highway, and a paved shoulder will be added to create more room for cyclists and pedestrians.

The project will also include slope-stabilization works, and crossing improvements at the intersection of Westside Road and Barcelona Drive, that should be completed by mid-May 2018.

The improvements will likely require minor delays or short scheduled closures of Westside Road and motorists are asked to respect roadside workers you can get more information on

Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure online.Photo: Healthline

Illicit drug overdose deaths in British Columbia rose in January compared with December, with 125 people believed to have died from street narcotics or unprescribed medications.

The provincial coroner's service says the number of deaths in January increased 25 per cent from December, but decreased 12 per cent from January 2017.

The province has been gripped by an overdose crisis fuelled by the powerful opioid fentanyl, claiming a record 1,436 lives last year.

New statistics released by the coroner's service on Tuesday say the communities with the highest number of illicit drug overdoses in January were Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria.

It says half of those who died were between 19 and 39, and 82 per cent were men.

Ninety-four per cent of deaths occurred indoors, while only five per cent occurred outside, and there were no deaths at supervised consumption or overdose prevention sites.

The coroner's service also says fatal overdoses were higher during the five days after income assistance payments were issued compared with other days of the month.

The statistics include confirmed and suspected illicit overdose deaths. The data is subject to change as investigations are concluded.Photo: Colton Davies

The Penticton Chamber of Commerce's annual general meeting takes place on Thursday night, where an election will take place to fill several openings at the board of directors table.

Those nominated for the board of directors include:

Lucas Achtem  Affordable Storage Centre Inc

Nicole Clark  KISStrategies for Business Inc.

Daryl Clarke - Independent Member

Lyndie Hill  Hoodoo Adventure Co

Jonathan McGraw  BDO Canada LLP

Paul McPhail  McPhail Kilt Makers

Natalie Preston  Okanagan Hockey Group

Cary Schneiderat  Pearce Schneiderat

Joseph Seiler  Your Natural Edge Success Coaching Inc.

Diana Stirling  Loco Landing Adventure Park

The AGM and election takes place from 5:15 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Shatford Centre, located at 760 Main Street. The event is free and anyone can attend.

Advanced voting for board positions can be done on Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m., and on Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Penticton Chamber at 102 Ellis Street.

Following the AGM, the Chamber will move into a presentation called 'Consider This: Business in 2018,' which will run from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Dinner will also be served, and the event costs $40 per person.

Info on registration can be found here.Photo: Google Street View

A Vancouver Island couple has been awarded nearly $1.7 million in damages after a judge criticized the Canada Revenue Agency for the "ruination" of their business and personal lives by "high-handed, reprehensible and malicious" actions.

Justice Robert Punnett of the Supreme Court of British Columbia says Tony and Helen Samaroo of Nanaimo were the victims of an "egregious" prosecution based on unfounded theory and suspicion about alleged tax evasion at the couple's restaurant and other businesses.

The Samaroos were operating a restaurant, night club and motel in Nanaimo in 2008 when they were charged with 21 counts of tax evasion for allegedly skimming $1.7 million from the business. They were acquitted of all charges in a provincial court trial in 2010 in what the judge hearing the case agreed amounted to the Crown using "voodoo accounting" to support its case.

The couple sued for malicious prosecution, alleging prosecutor Brian Jones, the Canada Revenue Agency and its senior investigator, Keith Kendal, targeted them, despite lacking any direct evidence of wrongdoing.

Punnett's ruling says Jones failed to exercise "prosecutorial discretion" but clears him of malicious intent. It criticizes the agency and Kendal in assessing punitive and aggravated damages on behalf of the Samaroos.

"The CRA used the powers of the state in the form of a criminal prosecution to wrongfully and maliciously prosecute," writes Punnett.

The judge also criticizes Kendal for misleading the prosecution, almost from the beginning, finding he knew evidence that was required to support any allegation of skimming could not be gathered.

"The behaviour of Mr. Kendal respecting the suppressing and misstating of evidence deserves rebuke. It offends this courts sense of decency and was a marked departure from conduct expected of an individual in Mr. Kendal's position and an agency such as the CRA," Punnett writes in his judgment dated Friday.

The ruling discusses what the judge calls "the unfortunate culture" within the Canada Revenue Agency.

It describes an email to Jones and Kendal from another investigator during discussions about 88 proposed charges against the Samaroos, quipping that "after 85 charges, doesn't a guilty verdict call for a guillotine?"

Later, after 21 charges had been approved, the same author wrote to Jones, pointing to a front page newspaper story about the case, with the comment, "I can't wait to read the edition after the guilty verdict."

Punnett writes that agency employees "looked forward with unprofessional glee to the plaintiffs' anticipated conviction and sentencing and their resulting ruination," an approach he calls "deeply troubling."This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questionsScientists have been exploring a promising way of producing layers of graphene with particularly few defects. This coveted carbon allotrope spontaneously forms on nickel surfaces on which carbon has previously been deposited. The extremely high quality of the graphene produced and the relatively low temperature of around 400 degrees Celsius used in the process make this method interesting for practical applications, according to the researchers headed by Bernhard Klotzer from the University of Innsbruck. The team, which also includes scientists from the DESY NanoLab, is presenting its findings in the journal Scientific Reports.

Graphene consists of a single layer of carbon atoms which are arranged in an atomic array resembling chicken wire. The material exhibits an astonishing chemical and structural stability and a high electrical conductivity, making it particularly interesting for electronic applications, such as transistors, transparent electrodes, photovoltaic cells and batteries. On top of this, its special mechanical properties mean that it can be used to build filters and seals on a subnanometre scale. Being impermeable even to gases such as helium and water, graphene can for example serve as a transparent electrode or membrane. Used in the form of graphene oxide, on the other hand, the level of water diffusion can be precisely adjusted, a property than can be used for example in desalination applications. Numerous other unusual properties allow scientific experiments to be conducted that would not be possible using conventional materials. In 2010, the Dutch-British physicist Andre Geim and the Russian-British physicist Konstantin Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for their ground-breaking work on graphene.

In view of the many potential uses of graphene, there is a strong demand for optimised and cost-efficient ways of producing large sheets of it with few defects, explains the head of research, Bernhard Klotzer. Today, the ultrathin carbon film is often made with the help of metals, to which the gas ethene is applied by vapour deposition. Ethene consists of two carbon and four hydrogen atoms (C2H4), which break apart when the temperature of the metal is high enough. The carbon is then deposited on the surface of the metal in the form of islands of graphene. However, the existing high-temperature methods often produce defects. These can take the form of individual carbon meshes being twisted with respect to the others, or holes within the atomic chicken wire, which mean that it is no longer gas-tight.

Nickel lends itself to making graphene because its crystal lattice corresponds perfectly to the hexagonal graphene meshes, explains co-author Vedran Vonk from the DESY NanoLab. However, until now only tiny graphene regions with a diameter of a few micrometres had been observed on nickel. This was in line with theoretical predictions, because in view of nickels crystal structure it was hitherto thought that the metal would not be able to adsorb enough carbon to produce an extensive layer of graphene. Although ethene also decomposes on a nickel surface, the metal bonds with the carbon as it is released, forming a so-called carbide on its surface. The carbon stored in this form can be released again by heating it gently. However, about four times as much carbon is required for a continuous layer of graphene, explains Vonk.

The researchers used high-intensity X-rays at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility ESRF to examine the carbon-binding capacity of nickel more closely. They found that nickel not only stores carbon in gaps within its metal lattice and forms a carbide layer on its surface; in addition, a new carbide phase is formed beneath the surface of the metal. The nickel soaks up the carbon like a sponge, Vonk reports. The resulting carbon-supersaturated metal only needs to be heated slightly for a complete layer of graphene to spontaneously form on its surface.

We were not expecting the amount of carbon in the pre-treated nickel to be sufficient to produce an uninterrupted layer of graphene, says Klotzer. In fact, all three carbon reservoirs in the nickel are used up completely when the graphene forms. The scientists studied a nickel sample with a diameter of one centimetre, which was completely covered with a perfect layer of graphene within about 15 minutes. Since graphene formation normally starts independently at a number of different sites, the duration of this process does not depend much on the size of the surface.

The relatively low temperature of around 400 degrees Celsius at which the process occurs could be an advantage, both for the quality of the graphene and for its industrial-scale production, Klotzer emphasises. Nevertheless, some technical hurdles still need to be overcome before the technique can be applied. For example, a method needs to be found by which the graphene can be removed from the nickel without damaging it and without having to dissolve away too much of the metal  using an acid, for example. The substrate of choice for the potential industrial production of graphene therefore consists of ultrathin sheets of nickel with a perfect crystalline structure.

The University of Innsbruck, ESRF, the Fritz Haber Institute in Berlin, the University of Hamburg, the Technical University of Vienna and DESY were also involved in the research that has been conducted in the framework of the Austrian Collaborative Research Initiative Functional Oxide Surfaces and Interfaces that is funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF.Guest Commentary Fair maps for our children, for our Hispanic communities, for our futures My son will vote for the first time next year. And for his first time, the state of Indiana will have brand new legislative and congressional districts. It should feel like a clean...

Voice of the People During the 13 years I have called Chesterton my home, there are few small-town activities I have come to enjoy quite like the high schools homecoming parade. It is always a beautiful moment of celebrating our students, gathering for an afternoon of fun and seeing...

Voice of the People I find it hard to believe that the majority of Town employees will put their self-interest over the GREATER GOOD which is, the viability of the Town of Chesterton by not getting vaccinated. Our town tried to save money by self-insuring itself. We could be...

Guest Commentary Local coalition aspires to achieve smokefree air for all More than 1 in 5 Indiana adults smoke cigarettes (21.5%), one of the highest rates in the nation, while the number of youths using vaping products remains a concern for anti-smoking advocates. Secondhand smoke is estimated...Thorne said in a news release that he is excited to work with Gogo on driving quality for airlines and passengers, sharpening our operational focus, achieving profitability with the money we have in the bank and driving shareholder value.At Loretto Hospital in Chicagos Austin neighborhood, there has been a steady increase in opioid-related admissions over the past year, said Dr. Sandeep Mellacheruvu, director of behavioral health. It is typical to see overdose increases at the start of the month, when many people get their paychecks, but the spikes could also be due to growing fentanyl use, he said.Smucker owns Crisco. By acquiring Wesson, the FTC said the company would control at least 70 percent of the market for branded canola and vegetable oils sold in grocery stores and other retailers. The FTC said in a statement that it has filed an official administrative complaint over the proposed deal between Smucker, which is based in Orrville, Ohio, and Chicago-based Conagra.The Justice Department said West Liberty Foods violated the Immigration and Nationality Act when it asked non-U.S. citizens to provide green cards or other documents showing they were legally authorized to work in the United States, but did not ask the same of those workers it believed to be U.S. citizens.Were really excited about being able to get into the Chicagoland area, Mike Novak, president and CEO of Educational Media Foundation, said Tuesday. Were hopeful that we have some sort of impact on the people of Chicago and that we can provide a positive and encouraging atmosphere in these days of uncertainty.The true culinary treasure of my trip to Sao Paulo, however, was from our very own Italian marketplace opening right in the heart of the city. Fulvio Marino, who helps develop and refine baked-good recipes for Eataly locations around the globe, captured my dreams in a single piece of focaccia. Fulvio is part of the Marino baking family, who runs a mill in the northwestern village of Cossano Belbo, Italy, about halfway between Genoa and Turin. His version of my favorite flat Italian bread was masterfully sprinkled with olive oil, salt and herbs on this particular menu tasting. The simplicity of his perfectly baked, fragrant pillow of deliciousness is sure to be a hit in Sao Paulo.While the three-time Grammy winner seemed to want to keep it on the lighter side  he appeared much more animated when discussing his friends and collaborators Kanye West and Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino), his appearances on Saturday Night Live, and his growing interest in acting and production  he couldnt escape questions about his involvement with Chicago Public Schools and the recent vote to close and consolidate four high schools on the South Side; from both Gibbs and audience members.Hey guys if you put your script up on the @theblcklst site  pay to get an evaluation  and get an 8 or above  my team will read your script. (Dont ask me how much an evaluation costs thats on the site. Lets just say this - Its less than your phone bill :)The Chicago Jazz Festival Citywide Program will invite music venues and non-profit organizations in Chicago that have presented jazz for at least two years to apply for grants of up to $3,000. The funds must be used to present free-admission jazz programs Aug. 24-29; these events will serve as curtain-raisers for the 40th annual Chicago Jazz Festival, which will take place in Millennium Park from Aug. 30-Sept. 2.Somewhere deep in Unmasked" Lloyd Webber purloins the phrase to apply it to anyone who dares to suggest London was lacking in gourmet dining prior to the invasion of the current crop of chefs and their sycophantic foodies. It is a cause that does not live up to the expression, but then Lloyd Webbers life has been one of privilege. You find your outrage where you can. And your language. When Lloyd Webber is writing in his own voice, youre more likely to get a phrase like Back in Blighty we megabumped back to reality, which sums up its man quite nicely.But to gain a following, storytelling is important, Foster said. The brands she works with sell products to a like-minded community. For example, if one of their brands is selling a purse, the seller will show you a million different ways to accessorize it, how to use it, so you ... can visualize how it will fit in your life, so you, too, feel like you need that product, she said.There's a shortcut. You could have forwarded all of that information, along with a polite email, to the executive contacts for Qantas and JustFly.com. Their contact information is available on my consumer-advocacy site (elliott.org/company-contacts/qantas-airways-limited/ and elliott.org/company-contacts/justfly-com/). They need to know about your problems, preferably in writing. An email can help you create a paper trail, which saves you time and can come in handy if you ever need to go to court.Before the scheduled appearance, Biss told Chicago Inc. that, like most of us, he learned about Pussy Riot during their court battle with the Putin regime, and that he believed their fight for feminist and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights was worth paying attention to. His message that he is a middle-class candidate who will bring power back to the people more than his wealthier opponents, multi-millionaire Chris Kennedy and billionaire J.B. Pritzker, resonates with Pussy Riots agenda.The couple plan to have a larger ceremony in Italy, once the Mueller investigation wraps up and Papadopoulos is free to travel. For now, the terms of Papadopoulos bail and plea deal prevent him from leaving the country. While he could face up to five years in federal prison when he is sentenced, prosecutors agreed to ask that he serve from zero to six months in return for his cooperation."The university has a demonstrated history of responsibly stewarding and administering gifts and grants of all sizes and for many purposes," U. of C.'s leaders said in their statement. "The university honors its grant agreements with its donors, and it did so with the Pearsons. Further, all academic and hiring decisions are the sole purview of the university and its faculty, guided by the principle of academic freedom."Police responded to a hold-up alarm at a bank in the 4600 block of West Irving Park Road about 10:45 a.m. and saw someone they believed to be a suspect fleeing the scene. He ran into a house in the 4900 block of West Addison Street, according to police.Authorities have said that Davis was seen acting erratically the day before the shooting and was hospitalized that day, possibly related to drug use. His parents came to campus to pick him up from the hospital and were packing up some of his things in his dorm room when, authorities said, Davis Jr. fatally shot his parents with a gun belonging to his father. A large manhunt ensued and campus activities were halted.The North Side home invasion happened about 4:15 p.m. Feb. 25 in the 900 block of West George Street, police said. The man forced his way inside the home and bound the woman, 24, then stole her keys, cellphone and laptop, police said.In one document found on his laptop, Patel wrote that if he left by private plane, authorities would have no way to know he was gone until it was too late. He planned to tell his attorney and federal prosecutors that he was going to rehab or a meditation camp for a week, this way they do not suspect anything by my phone being shut off, according to a copy of the document filed in court records.One of the Cermak robberies was described in a police alert sent soon after the incident that also included surveillance photographs of the suspect and the minivan he allegedly escaped in. In the Feb. 25 robbery, a man walked into a store, approached the cashier with a handgun and demanded money, police said."Madigan has gerrymandered the districts in Illinois. He's been in power for so long, after every census, he gets to draw the districts so they look like spaghetti noodles to protect his incumbents. And as a result, we don't have competitive general elections," Rauner said.Just like a budget is a reflection of an organization's values, so too is an investment portfolio a reflection of an organization's morality, Kennedy said. Our government should not be using one hand to stem the flow of illegal guns into our communities and at the same time using the other hand to subsidize the gun businesses by investing in them.Asked why he took the Fifth, Rutili told the Tribune he doesnt know what his attorney told Blanchard but that he wanted to know what the inspector general wanted to discuss beforehand. Rutili said he also thought the inspector general wanted him to sign something and Rutili wanted to know what it was in advance.While seeking new conditions for some Arkansans to qualify for Medicaid, the state made a novel request last year: One of the few Southern states to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, it told federal officials that it wanted to partly retreat. Instead of including people with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line, as designed in the ACA, Arkansas wanted to set its expansion limit at 100 percent of poverty - a change that would jettison an estimated 60,000 people from the program.Dick's Sporting Goods, one of the nation's largest sports retailers, announced last week it was immediately ending sales of all assault-style rifles in its stores. The retailer also said that it would no longer sell high-capacity magazines and that it would not sell any gun to anyone under 21 years of age, regardless of local laws. (ROBYN BECK / AFP/Getty Images)Illicit demand for elephant ivory has led to devastating losses from illegal poaching as the natural habitat available for the animals to roam has also dwindled by more than half. As a result, the number of African elephants has shrunk from about 5 million a century ago to about 400,000 remaining. And that number continues to decline each year.Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant delivers remarks during Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol commencement exercises March 6, 2018, in Pearl, Miss. Bryant says he will not appoint himself to the U.S. Senate seat soon to be vacated by the retiring Thad Cochran. (Rogelio V. Solis / AP)Nunberg said he was ignoring the subpoena in part because there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and that it would consume too much of his time. But weirdly, he also seemed to say he thinks Mueller has something else on President Trump.Democrats fielded 111 congressional candidates Tuesday, including at least one for each of the 36 House districts in the state. That's more than two and a half times the 41 candidates in the last midterm elections in 2014. Republicans also had more candidates than in 2014 - 102 vs. 72 - but failed to run anyone in four Democratic-leaning districts.President Donald Trump speaks as Stefan Lofven, Sweden's prime minister, left, listens during a joint news conference March 6, 2018, at the White House. Trump on Tuesday also made his most forceful comments to date about Russia's campaign to disrupt U.S. elections. (Pool / Getty Images)It is, to be sure, a convoluted arrangement. But some judges  in federal appellate court and in Florida and Michigan  consider it legal, and more and more attorneys are trying it all over the country. Typically, the first agreement is for $0, and the client pays the full fee through the second agreement in installments. (Unlike in a Chapter 13 case, where debt relief is conditioned on completing a payment plan, this would give clients relief and then allow payments to lawyers over time.) This can be a salvation for people who wouldn't be able to file for bankruptcy otherwise, but there are pitfalls: Attorneys are often tempted to raise their fees. Sometimes that's because of uncertainty that they'll be paid in full. Other times, it's to cover the cost of hiring outside companies that facilitate these arrangements.Nor is it likely to be good for the country. For what happens to an increasingly demographically sorted America when we no longer share even our basic commercial culture? If we can't even fly on the same airlines or drive the same rental cars, why should New York bankers and Silicon Valley engineers pay taxes that disproportionately flow to rural red states? Why should the sons and daughters of those rural areas disproportionately staff the military that defends them? And how are these two completely separate peoples to jointly decide on the running of one vast country?Your memory is correct. An F2 tornado struck Chicago's South Side 57 years ago around 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 4, 1961. It developed near 91st Street and Hoyne Avenue, cutting a long path of destruction as it moved northeast across the city, finally moving out into Lake Michigan near 68th Street. The tornado killed one, injured 115, damaged or destroyed about 3,000 homes and caused total damages of about $7 million. Two schools, Hookway and Cornell, sustained damage. Several injuries occurred when a cafe near 87th Street and Loomis Boulevard was unroofed, trapping a group of diners. A man thrown against a building by the storm was the lone fatality.Hits were hard to come by for the Chicago White Sox, who lost 2-1 to the Texas Rangers on Saturday at Globe Life Field. Five Rangers pitchers limited the Sox to just three hits  a Luis Robert single in the first, a Yasmani Grandal home run in the sixth and a Romy Gonzalez single in the seventh.Amazing because the peculiarities of this project are such that there are not many other developments quite like it, anywhere, city officials said. Funding for the about $35 million project was cobbled together from a mixture of grants, loans, several different kinds of tax credits and private investment.Based on what was missing from the 100-gallon tank, Rhodes said an estimated 50 to 60 gallons of diesel leaked from the truck, with about 40 gallons entering the sewer system through a storm drain before workers had it contained. Fire officials said the fuel that made it into the sewer system kept going to a discharge point in the Fox River."One of the reasons we moved here and raised our children in Aurora was because of its diversity," added Denise Elsbree. "These are values that are important to our country and nothing changes if we don't do something about it. This is a great group of people we are working with and people that live here have come from a lot of places. We want to support that.""We have an impressively comprehensive educational community in Aurora," said Mayor Richard Irvin in the release. "From early childhood through college and into the workforce, the Aurora Education Commission will bring key stakeholders to the table as we continue to build Aurora together."He stole the woman's debit card and other items, and drove the woman's car to an ATM then returned the vehicle to her home, according to the release. The victim's 5-year-old child was in the home during the attack but not harmed, according to the release.Smith would then mail or cause to be mailed parcels of controlled substances to those addresses and provide Jones with the tracking information so that he or Wansley, who worked as a sales associate at both the Tinley Park and Country Club Hills post offices, could intercept them, prosecutors said.He and another man, Davonyay Pratt, of Calumet City, wore masks and Murphy brandished what was later determined to be a bb gun during the robbery of the bank, 233 W. 87th St., according to court documents. Pratt had previously pleaded guilty and in January 2017 was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of probation.A bobcat named "Lynxie" was found Feb. 28 living in an office within an industrial park in Orland Park. Police believe animal was allowed to roam around the shop as a large litter box was found outside of the office as well as a climbing tree commonly used by house cats. (Handout)In deciding whether to retain judges, Petersen said another resource for voters is the county court website, where anyone can look up how a judge ruled in individual cases. They said to keep an eye out for judges who are consistent in their rulings as well as those who offer contradictory rulings in similar cases."There's a lot of street traffic, but not too much," she said. "This is a residential and business neighborhood and there's a lot of walkers. When it gets warmer we expect a lot of foot traffic."I moved my family out of Highland Park because they gave in to fear, Easterday said. Highland Park outlawed the things that I own. I would hate to move my family again. To the people who say the community is with you, I am part of this community. Im not with you on this. Please dont give in to fear.The FBI is working with the police department on the investigation. Anyone with additional information can contact the FBI at 312-421-6700, the police department at 847-289-2600 or anonymously by calling the crime line at 847-695-4195 or texting 847411 and including ELGINPD in the beginning of the text along with the message and/or tip information."We are glad that the community provided the information to authorities and ask parents to remind their children the seriousness of these types of threats," Police Chief Jeff Swodoba said in the release."Being a police officer is difficult enough," he said. "We are trying to make sure people realize we are the good guys. Allegations counter to that makes our job that much more difficult."Tired of same old Speak Outs: Reading Speak Out, there is nothing there but comments about the former hospitals, the Copley newspaper and the Masonic building. Don't you get tired of printing the same thing from the same people? Let's be concerned that Trump is our president. He is doing a good job. Bernie didn't make it. Hillary didn't make it. They are not going to run again. Trump is the man. He will square away the problems. Give the man a chance. Obama wasn't that great. There hasn't been a president who is great since Abraham Lincoln, so let's support our president now.Police Officer Damian Villagomez said he attended the Polar Plunge for the past four years, but he's never jumped in in the icy waters of Lake Michigan. He said that he did have someone with special needs in his family, which is why the Special Olympics means so much to him."Incumbents, the longer they're in, the less incentive they have to learn anything new, listen to anything new or anyone new," Thomas said. "We need a new voice in there that says all American voices are of value irrespective of their party."De La Cruz used much of the proceeds to gamble at a Chicago-area casino, where she incurred gambling losses of $245,000, according to the sentencing memorandum. She had an additional $76,000 in gambling losses in the period from her initial court appearance in June 2016 until her guilty plea in October 2017, according to the release.However, the space was used as a bank when the city enacted the retail restrictions, so the PNC branch and other banks were allowed as a non-conforming use. City code allows the landlord to replace one non-conforming tenant with another provided the change occurs within two years. The city also must find that the real estate offices constitute an equal or less intense use of the property than the bank."We are talking about going up to Wisconsin and all the way down," Rotering said. "It is a long time before this is all going to get resolved," said Rotering, adding that she shares the frustration of homeowners affected by the flooding last July.The victim was subsequently taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The investigation revealed that the victim was shot in North Chicago in the area of the initial call, he said."Today, let's face it," Kehrli said. "If we were to have our power grid go down because of a solar flare or who knows what  without electronics or without power  so many of us would be in dire straits. That's what this show is all about  trying to teach people that in case something would happen, that they would be able to survive and be fine. It wasn't that long ago that we didn't have any of the modern conveniences we have. People figured it out. We're tougher than we know."Casey said he invites people who love to sing to join the choir. "People who come to rehearsals leave feeling better than they did when they arrived," he said. "The reason is not because of my charming personality. The reason is because they have the right music that they're singing in their hands. There are people in Waukegan, Gurnee and other suburbs who would enjoy singing with this group."Although the local changes don't prohibit a person under 21 from possessing tobacco products, an increase to the purchasing age makes it more difficult for teenagers to access tobacco since they are far less likely to know and interact regularly with someone who is 21 years or older, advocates for the Tobacco 21 ordinance, including Lake County public health officials, have said."If we are to move forward on this, there is going to have to be some continued give on Life Time's part and some consideration on the residents who are impacted directly on their part to see how this would move forward," he said. "Without considering several of these items here, if not all in a substantial form, I'm going to have some concerns, when it does come forward before the board, giving my vote of approval.""We have 102 entries with a few more coming in, which isn't far from the 115 we had in 2012, when we had record temperatures in the 80s," parade co-chairman Paul Santucci said. "We usually get anywhere from 10,000 to 12,000 people to come out, depending on the weather.""It's very gratifying to be back here and meet fellow alumni," King said, adding, "Triton College and its district have and continue to be an important part of my life, both personally and [in] business."She told police that a driver began following her car after she went around him because he kept hitting his brakes. She told police when she was at the stoplight at Harlem Avenue, across from the Harlem Irving Plaza and Old Navy, she saw the other driver get out of his car and approach her vehicle, Loughran said. She then drove off, she told police, traveling north on Harlem Avenue. Police said the man returned to his car and again was tailgating her, and she then pulled into the BP lot.Scolaro, who served on the board for 12 years, said one of his regrets as trustee is not acting on an assault weapon ban when municipalities had the opportunity to vote on one. At that time, Scolarosaid he believed that a piece of paper would not stop a bullet or make someone return a gun they already own."I think it's just a really good time for the community," said Alex Schleicher, 18, of Northbrook and a senior at Glenbrook North."We all get together, we all have fun."Why are you running? I run because of my outrage and my opposition to the threats posed by the Trump administration to peace, to democracy, to our living standards, to equality for women, African Americans and other minorities, to the LGBTQ community, to the environment and to the most vulnerable in our society. I run based on my record of representing the interests of the people of the 7th Congressional District and confirmed by the overwhelming support I have received at the polls. I have consistently stood for peace, social and economic justice, fair taxes, universal access to quality health care and education, democracy and civil rights, the rights of women and LGBTQ persons, the environment, children and seniors. I have worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in Congress in a productive manner, and have earned their respect as well. I approach this election with the same enthusiasm and optimism I brought to my first term."I really encourage staff to ascertain the need for any bike-sharing program and viability for usage for an potential opportunity that we look into," Trustee Dan Moroney said. "From me, there's no directive on what is decided as we move forward."Organizers said the show featured contributions from 338 students participating in singing, acting and the tech crew. Among those involved were 83 fifth-graders, which organizers said was a new record showing for students in that grade. Also, there were more than 200 parent volunteers.Rather than going to trial last month, McGee opted for a plea agreement in which he would plead guilty to an added charge, battery resulting in bodily injury to a person less than 14 years of age.The woman "ducked because the shots were going through the bedroom window that she had been looking out of" and crawled to her children to cover them until the gunfire stopped, court records show. She estimated about 10 shots were fired, according to the affidavit.Police describe the suspect as 18 to 20 years old, 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, "with a slender build." He was wearing a black hoodie, dark colored jeans, "some type of red clothing" under his sweatshirt or pants and white gym shoes, according to police."This is a huge issue, not just in Portage, but across the region," Williams said of the robbery and other, related incidents. "We really want to get information out to residents, especially the elderly, so they're not duped into someone fast-talking them so someone else can get into their homes."In February, former Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, now Trump's chief of staff, scrapped the Obama administration's policy of limiting deportations to people who pose a public safety threat, convicted criminals and those who have crossed the border recently, effectively making anyone who is in the country illegally vulnerable. Deportation arrests have surged more than 40 percent under Trump.The birds fly over in large numbers, in flocks of hundreds or thousands of birds, but typically in remote areas, Brock said, adding the birds could have been shot in Illinois, where there are larger numbers of snow geese, and been transported to Porter County to be dumped.Wells sent out an automated call to parents on Monday evening. In the call, he said extra officers would be at the school as a precaution.More than a decade ago, when I first heard plans for an extension route, dubbed the West Lake Corridor project, I had mixed feelings about it. The kid in me said yippee, more South Shore trains going to more stops in our corner of the state. The adult in me asked how much it would cost taxpayers. And how long it would take to become a reality."It's about 50 percent bigger than last year, which reflects the fact that there are going to be about 50 percent more bands," Myers said. "We're also going to have an increased number of food trucks and more restaurants are involved. So we'll have more music, more stages, and more food, but it will still be the kind of intimate neighborhood event that made last year's festival so welcoming.""The courts thankfully kept [DACA] alive for us and I definitely don't think the fight ends, I think we need to put up a fight more than ever right now," said Damariz Posadas, 20, a DACA recipient and student at Carthage College. "Although [this signifies] a beacon of hope, it is also a double-edged sword, because we remain in uncertainty and we have no idea what is going to happen to us. Many of us are worried, but there is hope," she added.CSU Pueblo football gets first win of season to open RMAC play

The CSU Pueblo football team found a way to get into win column by edging Black Hills State 19-16 in the RMAC opener for both teams at the ThunderBowl in PuebloBy Paul Dwyer, Director, Head of International Tax and Transfer Pricing

On December 29, 2017, Hong Kong gazetted the Inland Revenue (Amendment) (No. 6) Bill 2017 (the Amendment Bill). The Amendment Bill, which was formally introduced into the Legislative Council on January 10, represents a crucial step in the development of Hong Kongs transfer pricing regulatory and enforcement regime.

The objectives of the Amendment Bill are to codify transfer pricing rules into Hong Kongs Inland Revenue Ordinance (IRO), introduce transfer pricing documentation requirements, and implement other measures set out in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developments (OECDs) Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) program.

RELATED: Chinas Public Notice 9 on Beneficial Ownership: Favorable Changes for Treaty Benefits

Hong Kongs Transfer Pricing rules

Hong Kongs new transfer pricing regime introduces a Fundamental Transfer Pricing Rule (FTPR) that requires intercompany transactions between associated enterprises to be conducted on an arms-length basis. In other words, the transactions entered into must be consistent with those that would have been entered into between non-related parties operating at arms length from one another. The FTPR applies from April 1, 2018.

Applying the FTPR

In applying the FTPR, the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department (HKIRD) has the power to adjust a taxpayers profits upwards or losses downwards on non-arms length transactions with associated enterprises where a Hong Kong tax benefit has been obtained.

The Amendment Bill does not contain any safe harbor rules in respect to the FTPR. What this means is that taxpayers of all sizes, engaged in either domestic and/or cross border intercompany transactions of any size, will be required to ensure that the prices are at arms length.

Penalties

Where taxpayers are assessed to have filed returns with transfer prices not consistent with the arms length principle, administrative penalties ranging from HK$10,000 to HK$100,000 (US$1,277 to US$12,767) plus an adjustment amount up to the amount of tax adjusted may be imposed.

Transfer pricing documentation

A key component of the amendment bill is the adoption of the OECDs three-tier documentation structure consisting of the following:

Country-by-Country Reporting (CbCR);

Master File; and

Local File.

Ultimate parents of multinational groups that are resident in Hong Kong with a consolidated turnover of HK$6.8 billion (US$868 million) will be required to prepare and submit CbCR for accounting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018, with the documents needing to be filed 12 months after the end of the accounting period.

All companies carrying on a trade or business in Hong Kong are required to prepare master and local file reports for accounting periods beginning on or after April 1, 2018 unless they meet one of the documentation preparation thresholds available.

Transfer Pricing Solutions from Dezan Shira & Associates

Key takeaway

The Amendment Bill establishes a more comprehensive transfer pricing regime than Hong Kong previously had, and brings the Special Administrative Region closer in line with OECD standards.

Taxpayers of all sizes, engaged in either domestic and/or cross-border intercompany transactions of any size, will be required to ensure that their intercompany transaction prices are at arms length and compliant with the new regulations.China's unmanned submersible Qianlong No. 2 has applied its new capabilities in the latest exploration in the southwest Indian Ocean, scientists said Monday.

The Qianlong No. 2, China's self-developed 4,500-meter-level autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), has conducted five dives during its journey on the second section of the country's 49th ocean expedition, said Tao Chunhui, chief scientist on the project.

The AUV used two of its new capabilities on the mission: operating without monitoring from its mother vessel, and taking multiple acquisition sensor modules onboard during the dives, according to Tao.

It thus acquired a mass of data on distribution characteristics such as three-dimensional terrain, regional water abnormity and geomagnetism near the seabed.

With a length of 3.5 meters, height of 1.3 meters and width of 0.7 meters, the Qianlong No. 2 was independently designed by Chinese scientists and can dive to a depth of 4,500 meters.

It has cruised 325 kilometers in a total of 141 working hours during its journey on the second section of the expedition, which concluded Monday.

Its mission was to detect polymetallic sulfide deposits in the exploration area in the southwest Indian Ocean.

On March 2, the Qianlong No. 2 attempted the new capability of working without the monitoring of its mother vessel for the first time.

Chinese scientists released an unmanned monitoring platform, which can navigate autonomously and monitor the AUV's actions.

"Therefore, the underwater operations of the Qianlong No. 2 could be well monitored and its mother vessel free to conduct other missions," Tao said.

"When the work of Qianlong No. 2 was done, its mother vessel would come back and collect it from the water," he added.

In addition, it carried multiple acquisition sensor modules onboard during its missions under the sea, enabling scientists to collect richer data by adding various sensors to the vehicle.

"Its newly-conducted capabilities have reached our forecast after the preliminary applications. New capabilities will be improved and upgraded in the following applications," said Li Bo, head of the research group of the Qianlong No. 2.

The Qianlong No. 2 has been under development since 2011, and was unveiled in October 2014.

It was mainly developed for the exploration of deep-sea mineral resources, as a comprehensive system with integrated technologies in minor landform changes detection, a seabed camera and magnetic survey capabilities.

The AUV can detect waters rich in sulfide deposits that contain various metals, and deep-sea terrain, as well as photograph sulfide, basalt and marine organisms.

The trial exploration in the Indian Ocean in 2016 proved that the AUV can practice deep-sea mineral resource investigation. And it can adapt to the complex terrain in the ocean and finish underwater tasks.

It will conduct underwater detection missions on minor landforms, water abnormity and magnetic surveys in a working area total of about 300 square kilometers in the second and third sections of the expedition, according to Li.

The first sea trial of the Qianlong No. 3, an upgraded version of the Qianlong No. 2, is expected to be conducted this April.Author Lyu Tu has been studying and training migrant workers for more than 15 years. "Chinese Migrant Workers: Biographies of Female Workers," published in November 2017, is her third and latest book on the subject. The book documents the lives of 34 female migrant workers she interviewed from 2010 to 2016. China.org.cn spoke with Lyu about her new book, the women she talked to  who are between 24 and 67 years old  the changes the group went through over the years, as well as their work, love and longing. The interview has been translated from the original Chinese and edited for brevity and clarity.



China.org.cn: When did you first begin studying Chinese migrant workers, and what brought them to your attention?

Lyu Tu: It was back in 2003 when I was in Indonesia. Fresh from my Ph.D. study, I was part of an international study program on social changes in four Asian countries, including China. As the leader of the China group, I was free to choose whom to study. I thought at that time, migrant workers were vitally important in China because of the huge size of the group and the urban-rural mobility that is not only bound to change their lives but also the entire society.

China.org.cn: Your previous two books are about the Chinese migrant workers as a whole. Why did you choose to focus your latest work on female workers?

Lyu: As a woman myself, I have many experiences that keep changing over time, and my role changes too. I believe the more sufferings and setbacks a person experiences, the better she understands herself and the world. For female migrant workers, they encounter more difficulties in their work and life, which I believe lead them to more experiences and thoughts about life and the world.

My master's study is on women and development. As a student at the time, I had almost no clue about the real problems facing women. However, over time, I began applying theories on practical problems, and my academic background helped.

Most importantly, they are doubly disadvantaged being women compared to the men, and being migrant workers compared to other social classes. It is not because they are the least privileged that they warrant our attention, but because they have much potential, vigor and vitality, which is prevented from development.

We have been searching for solutions to the migrant workers' problems for years, but unfortunately to no avail. Some workers say the only way out for them is to become bosses themselves, but in fact and paradoxically, the bosses and the exploitative employment system are largely the reasons why they are in such plight. I believe the poor people need to team up and help each other. Though this book is about female workers, it is intended to find possible solutions for all the migrant workers.

China.org.cn: You said in the book you interviewed about 100 female migrant workers, but eventually the book includes stories of 34 women. How did you choose the 34 stories? Whose stories were you most impressed with?

Lyu: I chose to talk to ordinary people, not heroic role models so to speak. But of course, the women I write about have accomplished something that make them special in one way or another.

For instance, two groups of female workers I talked to in Guangdong province were originally commonplace cleaners laboring away, but they had to fight for their rights after their younger and more articulate co-workers were fired. They grew into extraordinary figures along the way.

I tried to interview women workers from different age groups, ranging from those born in the 1960s to those born in the 1990s. I also tried to talk to female workers who have changed themselves through actions. It is not necessarily that they became famous or gained material success, but they have had some extraordinary experiences unique to themselves, and they are conscious of the changes.

I am most impressed with one of the female workers whose name is Hui. The 50-year-old woman stood up to her employer who had failed to pay for her social insurance and vigorously debated with the factory union. But she brought me more emotional impact than that. She was madly in love with her elementary school classmate ever since they were young, but she did not end up with him. She was saddened by this. Many people find it hard to imagine romantic stories like this with migrant workers, but they are actually capable of such love and romance as others, and I believe that people are after all the same in terms of love, emotions and sentiments. This is also one of the reasons why I write the biographies of female migrant workers: I think any sensible person who read stories like this will come to realize that migrant workers are also capable of deep feelings, and hopefully they will be moved by their stories and respect the lives of migrant workers.

There is another facet to Hui's story. When she found out her husband cheated on her, she decided to cheat on him in revenge. But when she actually did that, she realized this did nothing but hurt herself more. When other men approached her later, she rejected them, saying she would not be "used as a public toilet." Her determination was not driven by the traditional notion of "being loyal to your husband," but because of her self-respect and self-esteem.

China.org.cn: The female workers you interviewed are born between 1951 and 1994, spanning more than four decades. Are there any major differences between the age groups and any changes of the entire female workers group over the 40-odd years? Are there any changes in these workers' employment, right to residence and their children's access to education  ways from which you examined them in your previous two books?

Lyu: They do exemplify differences among different age groups. Older female workers were born in more difficult times and are hence happy to have found a stable income. They compare their lives with those of their parents' generations and find themselves content.

The younger workers are different. They were born when China was much better off, and they are not short on food or clothing. They often compare their lives not with their parents', but their peers' in the city. If they are not happy with their work, it is perhaps because they find it boring.

Also, times change. In the 1990s, China was the "world's factory" and saw its economy boom. Now, the country is in the process of industrial transformation, bringing with it various work options. Thus young people, including migrant workers, want more things from their work. I know some migrant workers from the organization I am in (a Beijing-based NGO on migrant workers) who refuse to work in factories due to the long hours, because they say they would read and write at night.

As to residence status, it is different too. Few of the older generations of migrant workers would choose to buy property in the cities. Instead, they are able to buy or build houses in their rural hometowns. As for the younger generation, though their wages are higher than the older generations, they actually are not better off because of the faster increases in the consumer price. The conditions in their rented homes may be better, but they might not be able to buy or build houses in their hometowns as their parents' generation do.

When it comes to their children's education, I find that younger female workers tend to care more about their children. But the access to education is different in different cities. For instance, in Beijing where the number of schools for the children of migrant workers is shrinking, it is becoming more and more difficult for the children to attend schools around where their parents are.

In other cities, for instance Changsha, I heard that many students in a public school I visited were children of migrant workers. And in Shanghai, about 60 percent to 80 percent of migrant workers' children can attend public schools, but I'm not 100 percent sure about that as there is no official data.

China.org.cn: Do you think the women workers in your book love their job? What do you think they want from their work?

Lyu: I don't think they are passionate about their job, but they can perform well on what they are told to do. Female workers that I talked to have different attitudes towards their work. As I mentioned before, those who are born in the 1970s are not quite into their work, but they can be very patient, as they have to help support their family.

It is different when it comes to those who are born in the 1980s. Their careers began in the first decade of this century, when many things are drastically different from the past. They tend to compare their work and life with their peers from the cities, and realize the wide gap between the rich and the poor.

They can also be susceptible to various ideas in society. Of course it is not like that the younger generation don't care about wages, but they will actively choose whom to work for. If they do not like their jobs, they would not take them.

I talked to a worker named Wang Qi, who used to work in a factory that produced mobile phones. She told me she did not like her job, and she liked photography. So she saved up money to buy photography books and even a camera. She did not just want a paycheck, but aspired for more. She now works for an NGO in Tianjin.

China.org.cn: Some of the female workers you interviewed are now engaged in not-for-profit organizations or work for the public good. What do you think motivates them? What changes can they bring?

Lyu: As I said before, many migrant workers do not like their work, but they have no other options. So the first time they get to know public benefit work, they often become very impressed. But their commitment to such work does not come easy, because most of the organizations are cash-strapped and don't offer desirable wages, and the prospect of positive changes can be dim. Still, migrant workers highly acknowledge NGO work, as it can broaden their horizons, raise their abilities as well as offer them recreational activities in their humdrum lives.

China.org.cn: You worked with migrant workers for 15 years. How have you interacted with them as a scholar? Do you think the contemporary Chinese society has paid adequate attention to migrant workers?

Lyu: My work with migrant workers comprises of three parts: research, training and action. When I first began the work, I found there were not many books that can offer practical guidance and advice on helping migrant workers. I am convinced that the society is an integral whole, and if intellectuals are too removed from reality, their knowledge may be of no use. Personally, I want to do something that can bring about change.

I don't think the academic community has done enough in regards to migrant workers considering the severity of the problems. However, it is a positive trend that increasingly more people are paying attention to the problems. Still, migrant workers -- and other groups too -- should also be more introspective; they should not fall into the popular value system that prioritize money, cars, houses and so on.

China.org.cn: What do you think is the ideal scenario for migrant workers in future?

Lyu: Migration or mobility is not necessarily bad, if you choose to migrate at your own free will. In my first book, I describe the current situation for migrant workers as without an anchor: "The cities where they can't settle down in, and the villages where they can't go back to." A promising scenario will therefore be for them to be able to find a home in both cities and villages.You are here: China

Chen Zhongping, a traffic warden in southwest China's Guizhou Province, has been hailed a hero after she saved a girl who fell from a fifth-floor window.

On Monday, five days after the incident, Chen was transferred from the intensive care unit to a general ward after she regained consciousness.

The child has been discharged from hospital.

The incident happened last Wednesday afternoon when a three-year-old girl climbed out of the window of a residential building in Kaili City. Before neighbors could react, the girl fell.

At the critical moment, Chen and another bystander Liang Bojun tried to catch her.

"An awning on the fourth floor slowed the girl's descent. She crashed into Chen's outstretched arms and then fell to the ground," recalled by Liang.

Both of Chen and the child were taken to the People's Hospital of Miao-Dong Autonomous Prefecture of Qiandongnan.

The girl suffered injury to her head and a broken leg, but the brunt of the impact caused the 49-year-old Chen to suffer a traumatic brain injury and fall into a coma.

"She didn't think about herself when she saved my granddaughter. Our whole family thanks her very much," said Zhu Xiuhua, the girl's grandmother.

The local government awarded Chen 90,000 yuan (around 14,100 U.S. dollars) for her courageous act.More than 20,000 people in central China's Hubei province, one of the water sources of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, have been lifted out of poverty due to the close cooperation between governments and companies in Beijing and Hubei province, authorities announced on Feb. 28.

Since coming into operation in late 2014, the project has transferred over 3 billion cubic meters of water from Hubei to Beijing. During peak seasons, as much as 73 percent of Beijing's urban water supply comes from the project, with the water quality meeting with the national Grade II standards, according to the officials.

Water quality is Beijing's top priority in carrying out water diversion project. The government has allocated over 30 percent of the fund in addressing water pollution, constructing ecological barriers around the reservoirs, implementing major ecological conservation and restoration projects along the rivers, and steadily improving the environment and people's livelihoods.

Over the past four years, Beijing has invested 1.07 billion yuan (US$170 million) and launched 360 projects in maintaining the water quality as well as developing featured industry bases in Hubei province. In Danjiangkou reservoir alone, the water source of the project, more than 100 million yuan has been invested to support poverty reduction work in over 20 poverty-stricken villages, lifting more than 20,000 people out of poverty.

In addition, companies in Beijing have invested over 60 billion yuan to boost industry development in the water source area, involving environmental protection, culture and tourism, solar photovoltaic, wind power, poverty reduction and other 20 areas.

Chen Gang, deputy director of the Office of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project Construction Commission of the State Council, said Beijing and Hubei province have achieved huge progress in carrying out the water diversion project.

"We have realized win-win outcomes in various fields, such as developing the regional economy, improving regional environment, developing featured industries, tapping local human resources, enhancing social services at the community level, and deepening technology exchange," Chen said.

In the future, Beijing and Hubei province will step up efforts in ensuring water quality and the development of the water source area, Chen added.The first session of the 13th National People's Congress opens at the Great Hall of the People on Monday. [Photo/Xinhua]





China has achieved considerable progress over the last four decades since it embarked on a journey of economic transformation and opening up through a series of reforms, radically transforming the landscape of the country in the process.

Now, the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) and the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) are convening separate sessions to provide guidance and a framework for economic development in the years ahead.

Known together as the "two sessions," the pair of annual meetings are different in their composition and roles. The NPC is the highest legislative arm of the state like the parliaments elsewhere, while the CPPCC is essentially a political advisory body. Their mission is one and same: to promote national interest and expedite development to make the country more strong and prosperous.

The sessions are taking place just two years ahead of the government's 2020 deadline to achieve a "moderately prosperous country." The goal is ostensibly intended to banish chronic poverty and create a society where no one is without food, shelter or other basic necessities.

President Xi Jinping has been personally monitoring the implementation of policies to speed up social and economic uplift of the masses. As part of his keen interest in the projects of public welfare, Xi for the last many years has been undertaking extensive tours of backward regions just ahead of the start of New Year, so that he could see the progress on ground.

It is essential that the two sessions help to translate Xi's social and economic idea into reality.

The 13th CPPCC National Committee started its session on Saturday, with the president and top leaders joining more than 2,100 CPPCC members in attendance.

Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the 13th CPPCC National Committee, delivered a work report, saying, "We will focus our advice and efforts on the main issues in securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and embarking on a journey to fully build a modern socialist China."

The key part of the report is about efforts to eliminate poverty. Yu said that multiple institutions are working in unison to address the issue. There was acknowledgment of the problems linked with penury and more of a focus on policies to deal with it.

The meeting is set to continue for two weeks. CPPCC members are expected to discuss major political, economic and social issues faced by China and come up with policy prescriptions to address them.

With about 3,000 members participating, the NPC on Monday also started its own session, which will conclude on the morning of March 20.

Zhang Yesui, spokesperson for the first session of the 13th National People's Congress, told media ahead of the meeting that the assembly would deliberate on a draft revision to China's Constitution, as well as a draft supervision law and a reform plan for State Council institutions.

Officials claim that these decisions will play a role in keeping the country united and stable while furthering economic development.

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.



The first session of the 13th National People's Congress opens at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]





In March of each year, China holds its important political discussions that set the course for what lies ahead. These include the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) and the first session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and together are known as the "two sessions."





The first of these, the meeting of China's top advisory body, the CPPCC, comprises almost 3,000 members from all across China, including Hong Kong and Macao. It also includes experts from a range of fields who meet to discuss solutions and offer advice concerning state and government affairs. The CPPCC has no formal legislative power, but its soft power has grown in recent years thanks to greater attention over social media by government officials. As such, the CPPCC provides an important dialogue bringing the people's concerns to the attention of government.





The second of the two sessions is the assembly of the NPC, the body akin to the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.K./Australian Parliament. The NPC has the ultimate legal authority in China, possessing the sole power to enact legislation, amend the constitution, amend laws and oversee law enforcement. Moreover, the NPC appoints key state officials and administrative heads, including the officials in charge of China's judicial system.





The two sessions are important on three major levels.





First, they provide a window into China's internal situation. The two gatherings this year are the first annual sessions charged with implementing President Xi Jinping's ideas on "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era," the principles of which were presented at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) last October.





This NPC session will also confirm those who will lead the coming changes. The NPC deputies will discuss and develop plans to meet the goals set in October. Among the topics likely to be discussed are:





Plans to reduce poverty and deal with growing inequality

Plans to tackle serious pollution

Continued crack-down on corruption

Continued economic development, especially of e-commerce and leveraging (for example, the "internet of things")

The goal of becoming a future leader in industries such as artificial intelligence, robotics, biotech, nanotechnology and commercialization of outer-space

Dealing with China's large private debt

Improving efficiency and competition of state owned enterprises

Meeting the needs of China's aging population and the need for a stronger social security system

Plans to tackle problems with affordability and availability of housing

Development of a more efficient transportation system

Improvement of education at all levels, from pre-school to higher education

Constitutional reform and the inclusion in the constitution of President Xi's thoughts





Secondly, looking externally, the two sessions will look at how China should meet the challenges inherent in its growing role as a world and regional leader. Continued emphasis will be placed on the progress of the Belt and Road initiative. China will also consider its defensive needs in a changing global context that includes renewed military build-ups in the U.S. and Russia.





Finally, internationally, given China's increasing importance in the world, many foreign governments alert to new policies or changes in direction will take a keen interest in the two sessions. African nations, for example, are watching carefully to see what lies ahead for Chinese engagement with the African continent. Many around the world will also be focused on what the sessions foreshadow in terms of China-U.S., China-EU and China-Russian relations. Furthermore, many developing countries will look to China for new models and lessons in economic development.





Eugene Clark is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/eugeneclark.htm





Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. Flash

Italy's former prime minister Matteo Renzi resigned as leader of the center-left Democratic Party on Monday after admitting to a "clear and marked defeat" in Sunday's national election.





"We were unable to stop the winds of extremism," Renzi told a televised press conference, adding that the Democratic Party will not negotiate with the winners and will therefore become an opposition party.





Meanwhile, Italy's far-right and populist forces vied for power after surging in the national vote, which delivered no clear winner but marked the defeat of the center-left Democratic Party of outgoing Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.





At least 73 percent of Italy's 46.6 million voters turned out, according to the Interior Ministry.





The latest projections showed a center-right coalition led by media mogul Silvio Berlusconi hovered at 37 percent in both houses of parliament. While the populist Five Star Movement stood at just over 32 percent and a center-left coalition led by the Democratic Party trailed at 23 percent.





Luigi di Maio, chief of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, said in televised comments that the Five Stars are open to talks "with all other parties" after admitting that while they have "tripled their seats" in parliament, they still don't have the numbers to form a government on their own.





Meanwhile anti-immigrant and euroskeptic League leader Matteo Salvini said in televised comments that "we will not participate in a mishmash government" and that his center-right coalition with Berlusconi's Forza Italia party has "the right" to form a government on its own.





Both forces have promised to reverse the current open-door immigration policy, roll back unpopular pension reforms, and introduce drastic tax cuts and generous welfare policies.





On the economic front, the spread between Italian and German 10-year bonds, a gauge of market confidence in the Italian economy and of Italy's borrowing costs, jumped 12 points to 143 before closing just over 136 points, up 5.83 percent, according to Il Sole 24 Ore business paper. The higher the spread, the lower the confidence of international markets and investors.





Standard & Poor's rating agency said in a statement the elections results "won't immediately impact" its Italy sovereign rating, Italian news agency ANSA reported.





Italians went to the polls Sunday to elect their representatives in the 315-member Senate and the 630-seat Lower House, after a campaign marred by political violence and resentment towards immigrants amid persistent unemployment of 11 percent and a sluggish economic recovery.





Last month, an Italian man linked to Salvini's League party opened fire on Africans in the city of Macerata, wounding six before he was captured, in what police said was a racially-motivated attack.





On Monday in Florence, an Italian man was arrested after he shot to death an African street vendor. In a separate incident, unknowns set fire to the door of a Muslim mosque in the northern city of Padova overnight, ANSA news agency reported Monday.





Over 180,000 migrants, mostly from Africa, entered Italy in 2016, compared to just under 120,000 entries in 2017 and around 5,300 so far in 2018, according to the latest data from Italy's Interior Ministry.



You are here: World

 Flash

Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has made "a satisfactory agreement" with the South Korean envoy over a summit intention, Korean Central News Agency reported Tuesday.





"Hearing the intention of (South Korean) President Moon Jae-in for a summit from the special envoy of the south side, he (Kim) exchanged views and made a satisfactory agreement," said the report.





"He (Kim) gave the important instruction to the relevant field to rapidly take practical steps for it," it said.





Kim received Moon's special envoy, Chung Eui-yong, top national security advisor for Moon and head of the National Security Office of the Blue House, shortly after the South Korean delegation arrived here Monday.





During the meeting, Kim praised the PyeongChang Winter Olympics as a "very important occasion in demonstrating the stamina and prestige of our nation at home and abroad and providing a good atmosphere of reconciliation, unity and dialogue between the north and the south."





Chung handed Kim a personal letter from Moon, said the report.





The 10-member delegation also includes Suh Hoon, director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Vice Unification Minister Chung Hae-sung, Second Deputy NIS Director Kim Sang-gyun, and Yun Kun-young, a senior Blue House official.



SYDNEY - Strong aftershocks rocked Papua New Guinea's remote and rugged highlands on Monday, as the death toll climbed to 55 after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake a week ago, and is expected to rise further.

Three aftershocks of magnitudes greater than 5 shook the mountainous Southern Highlands, about 600 kilometers northwest of the capital Port Moresby, early on Monday, the US Geological Survey said, including a shallow magnitude 6 quake.

"We haven't slept. It's been shaking all through the night," William Bando, provincial administrator of Hela province, said by telephone from Tari, about 40 km from the site of the shocks.

"What we experienced this morning could have caused more damage, but we don't know, ... it almost threw me out of bed."

The region had already been badly damaged on Feb 26, when the largest quake to hit the seismically active highlands in nearly a century flattened buildings, triggered landslides and closed oil and gas operations.

The toll on Monday stood at 55 dead, said James Justin, a research officer at the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy in Port Moresby, as news of more deaths arrived in the capital by shortwave radio.

Some media reports put those killed at 67.

Most of the confirmed fatalities were in and around the provincial capital of Mendi and the township of Tari, Justin said, where landslides buried homes and buildings collapsed on families.

"People are in great fear of their lives as the quakes are continuing ever since it started," he said. "They actually want to know when it will stop."

While the region has no major urban centers, around 670,000 people live within 100 km of the epicenter, according to the Red Cross.

The quake has been felt on global natural gas markets, with ExxonMobil Corp declaring force majeure on exports from Papua New Guinea, according to an industry source, pushing Asian spot liquefied natural gas prices 5 percent higher.

The company declined to comment on the force majeure, but said production would be knocked out for about eight weeks.

Aid agencies have said nearly 150,000 people remain in urgent need of emergency supplies.

Australia, New Zealand and the Red Cross have all pledged aid, though reaching the remote area has proved challenging as forbidding terrain, bad weather, and damaged roads and runways have delayed aid efforts.

"The only way for people to go out is by chopper, and it's slow for information to come through," said Martin Mose, director of Papua New Guinea's National Disaster Centre, which has yet to complete a full assessment of damage.

Reuters - Afp

(China Daily 03/06/2018 page11)2021-09-18

As part of celebrations of 70 years of diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan, the Pakistan Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque and his wife visited Tianjin and participated in a series of celebratory activities on Sept 17.Women fill the pages of the Bible. Some of them enter the narrative as mothers and wives, others as refugees, judges, and queens. Yet one burden many of them share is our interpretive tendency to blame them for sexual offense no matter how honorable their example. No doubt, some of the women in Scripture have rightfully earned such a legacy, but others bear it without warrant. Vindicating the Vixens reexamines the stories of 14 biblical women who are often misinterpreted through a sexualized or marginalized lens.

As stories from the #MeToo and #ChurchToo campaigns have rippled into the church, they have kindled needed conversation not only about the proper methods for handling cases of sexual assault but also about how we discuss sexual assault itself. This collection of essays is an instructive addition to the dialogue. It demonstrates how our mishandling of the stories of biblical women, especially those involving sexual abuse, adversely affects our handling of similar circumstances today.

Edited by Sandra Glahn, associate professor of media arts and worship at Dallas Theological Seminary, the essays focus on revisiting the sexualized, vilified, and marginalized women of the Bible. Some may be tempted to read this as a politically motivated subtitle, but Glahn contests this conclusion in her preface, stating, Our motivation is to handle faithfully the biblical text, which involves bringing to light a number of women labeled as bad girls who deserve a fresh look.

Sensitive Study

Divided into three sections, Vindicating the Vixens explores the subjects of women, victimhood, and abuse through careful exegesis and contemporary contextual evidence. Section one includes the five women listed in the genealogy of Jesus (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary); section two considers women in the Old Testament who are often marginalized or viewed through a sexual lens (Eve, Sarah, Hagar, Deborah, Huldah, and Vashti); and section three concludes by visiting a handful of women found in the New Testament (the Samaritan woman, Mary Magdalene, and Junia).

Its roster of contributors includes a diverse array of biblical scholars, all of whom embrace a high view of Scripture and possess at least one advanced degree in a biblical discipline.

Many of the women in question have been interpreted based on the terminology used to describe them in our English translations. Oftentimes, terms like prostitute or adulteress conjure contemporary images that fail to capture the circumstances of biblical times. For example, in the books opening essay, Carolyn Custis James dissects the story of Tamar, a woman famously remembered for posing as a prostitute and sleeping with her father-in-law, Judah, to secure her progeny (Gen. 38:130). This legacy has led many to frown upon the character of Tamar, but James challenges this notion on numerous contextual grounds.

To begin, she places the story within its context of both levirate marriage and the patriarchal society of Tamars time, as they provide important signposts for understanding the reasons behind her actions. According to Old Testament Law, a widow was to be given as a wife to the brother of her deceased husband for her own welfare and to bear children as a continuation of his line (Deut. 25:510). After Judahs two oldest sons were killed for their wickedness, Tamar was left a widow, which obligated Judah to provide her with a levirate marriage, an obligation he failed to keep (Gen. 38:614).

Even more, within the patriarchal context of Tamars time, it was considered the duty of a wife to provide her husband with a son to continue his lineage. Thus, Judahs refusal to give his youngest son to his daughter-in-law threatened her honor as a woman and responsibility before God. Taken together, these points provide an important contextual framework for understanding Tamars subsequent actions, namely, that of sleeping with Judah in the hopes of bearing a child.

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It also explains Judahs exclamation that She is more righteous than I (Gen. 38:26). Simply put, Tamar made a drastic decision to fulfill her lawful role to carry on Judahs line and that of her deceased husband, Er. The text does not prescribe this kind of decision as necessary for biblical obedience, but understanding the cultural and legal context of the time helps us to see that Tamars actions were within her rights according to the Law. Rather than a seductive temptress, Tamar is an example of courageously embracing her responsibilities, one that became a cause for blessing (Ruth 4:12) and ensured the familial line of Christ himself (Matt. 1:3).

The point of Jamess essay is not to condone prostitution. Rather, she peels back the layers of the story to offer readers insight into the character of Tamar, to vindicate her from unwarranted judgment, and to demonstrate her place in the biblical narrative, specifically in terms of how God used this event to transform Judah moving forward. To dismiss her as a common prostitute would be to miss the point of the text and to vilify a woman who was honored for her example of righteousness.

On every page, Vindicating the Vixens models sensitivity in the way we talk about certain women of the Bible. It also emphasizes the importance of what Glahn describes as having varied eyes on the text. The contributors are a diverse mix of gender, ethnicity, and nationality, which highlights the value of communal biblical study and allows for insights often missed in a strictly North American context.

In the case of Bathsheba, some suggest that she was complicit in sleeping with King David due to the fact that she appears to have bathed in full view on her roof (2 Sam. 11:14). Sarah Bowlers essay argues otherwise, pointing out archaeological data that indicates Bathsheba likely bathed in an enclosed courtyard that would have been privateapart from those with an elevated vantage point, like that of the king (v. 2). Furthermore, the Hebrew term used for bathing was not exclusively used to refer to full-body bathing. In some instances, it described washing ones feet or hands. In other words, the term is ambiguous at best, and together these clues emphasize David as a peeping Tom more than any fault on the part of Bathsheba.

Similarly, Lynn Cohicks essay concerning the Samaritan woman in John 4 challenges the modern picture we have of an adulteress with loose morals. Based on a context comparable to that of Tamar, it is more likely that her situation resulted from the untimely deaths of several former husbands. Knowing she could not have survived apart from male provision, she made an arrangement to live with a man who was not her husband (John 4:1618). Even more, Cohick argues that the text does not portray the woman as an immoral sinner, but as a seeker of truth who is ultimately commended by the Savior for her faith.

Modern-Day Bathshebas

As Christians, the way we interpret biblical stories such as these has a profound influence on the way we interpret similar circumstances today. With sex trafficking and serial abuse occurring worldwide, theres much at stake. When we fail to see someone like Bathsheba as an innocent victim assaulted by her king, we marginalize her suffering and hinder our ability to empathize with the biblical account. In doing so, we are far more likely react to a modern-day Bathsheba in much the same way.

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Vindicating the Vixens is an attentive addition to the conversation happening within the church regarding assault, abuse, and victimhood. Its careful treatment of the biblical text makes for a convicting read worthy of serious engagement. And as a tangible application of its message, all of the books proceeds are being donated to the efforts of International Justice Mission, which labors to protect the poor and marginalized from violence around the world.

As pastors and leaders continue to grapple with how to care for the victims and marginalized in their midst, Vindicating the Vixens reminds us of the importance of cultivating empathy in the process. It also demonstrates how our biblical interpretations have real-life consequences. The #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements have promoted justice for the victims of abuse, but they have also revived conversation about our responsibilities toward these problems as Christians. We would do well to lean in, listen, and pursue change where it is needed as we labor together in pursuit of the kingdom to come.

Collin Huber is a senior editor at Fathom magazine. He has written for The Gospel Coalition, Christ and Pop Culture, and For The Church.The Francis effecta phrase used to describe the presumed positive impact of Pope Francis upon Catholicismhas been used so often that it has inspired a book, a podcast, and a documentary.

But it hasnt been enough to inspire Americans to join the Catholic churchor even to encourage US Catholics to go to Mass more often.

A Pew Research Center survey released today found no evidence of a rise in the share of Americans who identify as Catholics [22% in 2012 vs. 20% in 2017], and no indication of a Francis-inspired resurgence in Mass attendance [41% weekly in 2012 vs. 38% weekly in 2017].

In fact, while American Catholics are still mostly supportive of Francis (84% rate him favorably, compared to 85% in 2014), fewer said he was a major change for the better (58%, vs. 69% in 2015). And fewer said the pope was doing an excellent or good job at addressing sex abuse scandals (45%, vs. 55% in 2015), spreading the Catholic faith (70% vs. 84%), or standing up for traditional morals (70% vs. 80%).

While Catholics still widely believe Francis is humble (91%) and compassionate (94%), more of them now think hes too liberal (34% vs. 19%) or naive (24% vs. 15%).

Other American religious groups show the same small but growing discontent with Pope Francis. White evangelicals rate him lower than they did before (52% favorable, vs. a high of 64% in October 2015), as do black Protestants (53%, vs. 59% in June 2015) and white mainline Protestants (67% vs. 74% in February 2015).

Francis unfavorability ratings among all three are also up: from 9 percent to 28 percent among white evangelicals (since March 2013), from 15 percent to 21 percent among black Protestants (since September 2013), and from 7 percent to 17 percent among white mainline Protestants (since March 2013).

The opposite trend can be seen among the religiously unaffiliated. Since March 2013, the popes favorability rating among the nones rose from 39 percent to 58 percent while his unfavorability rating dropped from 27 percent to 16 percent.

Pew dug into the growing discontent among Catholics, which appears to be coming almost exclusively from political conservatives. Those who identify as or lean Republican were much more likely to have a diminished view of the pope: 79 percent viewed him favorably, down from 90 percent in 2014.

They were also far less likely to think Francis was a major change for the better (79% vs. 90% in 2014) and far more likely to think he was a major change for the worse (15% vs. 3%).

The likely reason for their discontent: More than twice as many Catholic Republicans said he was too liberal (55%, up from 23% in 2015). Twice as many also found him naive (32%, up from 16%).

Meanwhile, Democrats showed no statistically significant change in opinion on Francis liberalism (19% vs. 16%) or naivety (18% vs. 14%). Their favorability ranking of him remained virtually unchanged (89% vs. 87%), though slightly fewer said he was a major change for the better (71% vs. 76%).

The substantial drop in Republican support is significant, given that slightly more white Catholics are Republican now (54%) than they were five years ago (50%). At the same time, the share of Catholics that are Hispanica demographic that usually votes Democrathas grown (from 32% to 36%).

Those changes seem have kept the political split about the sameoverall, 46 percent of US Catholics identify as or lean Republican (44% in 2013), while 47 percent identify as or lean Democrat (vs. 48% in 2013).

Interestingly, even as charges of Francis liberalism are on the rise, so is Catholic popular support for same-sex marriage: 67 percent now approve, up from 54 percent in late 2012 and early 2013). The stance among Catholic laity on abortion, on the other hand, has remained steady: 53 percent say it should be legal in all/most cases, while 44 percent say it should be illegal in all/most cases.

The majority of Catholics said that the pontiff has done a lot or a little to make the church more accepting of homosexuality (74%), as well as divorce and remarriage (69%).

Most Catholics seem to approve of Francis actions in these areas, Pew stated. Three out of five Catholics said the pope has done at least a little to increase the acceptance of homosexuality, and that this was either about the right amount or they wish hed do more. The same number said Francis has done at least a little to further the acceptance of divorce and remarriage, and that this was either the right amount or they wish hed do more.

Those who attend religious services at least weekly are more likely than those who dont to say that Francis is doing a good job. They most appreciate the way he is standing up for traditional moral values (81% vs. 64% of those who attend less often), spreading the Catholic faith (78% vs. 66%), and appointing new bishops and cardinals (70% vs. 50%). They also like the way the pope is addressing environmental issues (67% vs. 50%), though they seem less sure about how hes handling the sex abuse scandal (54% vs. 40%).

While Francis continues to get positive ratings on multiple fronts, several of these positive ratings have declined noticeably in the past three years, and the share giving him negative ratings has increased, Pew reported. Among all US Catholics, those who said he was doing an only fair or poor job of standing up for moral values doubled from 13 percent in 2015 to 26 percent today, while those who said he was doing only fair or poor at spreading the Catholic faith rose from 10 percent to 25 percent.

Overall, American Catholics arent ready to assign Francis a legacyor a Francis effectjust yet. Some said his most significant action was setting a good Christian example (9%), while others said it was his focus on helping the poor (8%) or being more accepting (9%). But a plurality said they didnt know or wouldnt answer the question (29%).Washington State Taxpayers to Fund Abortions?

Contact: Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, 212-371-3191, pr@catholicleague.org

NEW YORK, Mar. 6, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue (photo) comments on a taxpayer-funded abortion bill:

The state senate in Washington has passed a bill forcing health insurance companies that pay for maternity care to pay for abortion as well. There is no "opt-out" clause for religious institutions. The bill would allow the state to tap Medicaid funds to pay for abortions; contraception and sterilization are also covered. Governor Jay Inslee is expected to sign it.

The name of the bill speaks volumes: The "Reproductive Parity Act." Translated, this means that the proponents of the bill believe it is unfair to allow taxpayers to pay for a mother to give birth to her baby while denying funds to a mother who elects to have her baby killed. Live or die--that is their sick idea of parity.

Conscience rights obviously have little standing in Washington, though if the draft were suddenly reintroduced, it is a sure bet that such rights would quickly be discovered. The bill will certainly be challenged in the courts and is not likely to pass muster, not, at least, at the highest level. We stand with the bishops of Washington, ably led by Seattle Archbishop Peter Sartain, in opposing this unconstitutional infringement on religious liberty.

It is a tribute to the nation that Americans are appalled by mass killings in the schools. It does not speak well that so many are not equally appalled by mass killings in the womb, funded, perversely, against the will of millions.Get the best stories from Christies.com in a weekly email



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Go to formWe attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message.AKRON, Ohio - Fifth-grade students at the Case Community Learning Center met with several Akron Public Schools board members today to request input for their student-led action plan ahead of the National School Walkout planned for March 14.

The national walkout was initiated by the student survivors of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which took place last month. Now, students at schools throughout the country are planning walkouts on March 14 to call for stricter gun laws.

Several 5th grade students at Case began gathering signatures for their action plan on Feb. 23. Inspiration for the plan also came from a project students are working on that compares and contrasts the Birmingham Children's Crusade of 1963 with the walkout planned for March 14.

The students' plan calls for age-appropriate activities for students in grades K-2 and 3-5 to recognize the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting victims. Planned walkout activities include signage that displays each victim's name, and a balloon launch featuring 17 balloons -- one in honor of each shooting victim.

"We want to protest against gun shooters and violence in the world, said 5th grader Bella Wesley. "We want to peacefully protest against gun violence because we wanted gun violence never to take place again."

The students, led by Wesley and representatives Anas Farra and Maeva Lyle, presented their plan to Case CLC Principal Danjile Henderson for her review on Friday.

"I am a proud principal," Henderson said. "That my students took the initiative and brought in school board members to have their voice heard is pretty cool."

School board members present at the discussion were Ginger Baylor, Lisa Mansfield and Rev. Curtis T. Walker, Sr. The board members also fielded questions from students about book bag checks, metal detectors, how to help kids who might have anger/sadness issues and arming teachers.

"We on the board are against gun violence and want to make sure students and staff feel safe, loved and appreciated," Walker said. "Don't ever be afraid to stand up for what's right -- your voice rings loud as long as you do it together in a peaceful and nonviolent way. We want to support you and what you do because you are speaking for us."

Board members Baylor and Mansfield agreed that students could participate in the March 14 walkout as long as the protest was peaceful, and the students' safety remained a priority.

"The kids talking about coming together -- it empowers them to be better students and carries on in the future part of their education," Baylor said. "I'm looking forward to seeing how the students carry this out."

Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.AKRON, Ohio - Ohio's proposed $2.62 billion capital budget for 2019-20 includes about $31 million for projects in Summit County, with money earmarked for a variety of educational institutions and cultural organizations.

The University of Akron would receive about $19.6 million, while Stark State College Akron would get about $3.4 million. The bulk of the funding for UA, about $13 million, is for facility renovations and campus improvements. Nearly $3 million of the Stark State allocations would go toward the Akron Center for Education and Workforce.

Several cultural facilities also are included in the bill. The state has earmarked $1.3 million for improvements at Blossom Music Center; $675,000 for the Akron Civic Theater; $250,000 for Hale Farm & Village and $50,000 for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

Funding is also earmarked for:

Akron Zoological Park

The Akron Zoo is set to receive $500,000 for a new two-part exhibit that will replace some that are now 20 years old, said Linda Chriss, vice president of communications.

The funding will help the zoo educate visitors, while fulfilling its mission to promote conservation and sustainable practices.

The zoo's new exhibits, "Pride of Africa" and "Wild Asia," will be designed to provide more complex habitats for the big cats and red pandas, and enable the addition of gazelles, gibbons and birds. Construction begins soon on "Pride of Africa." "Wild Asia" is scheduled for 2020,

"The main focus of the this big project is to help us achieve our mission of providing a place for people to connect to wildlife and learn, and also be encouraged and inspired to take conservation action," Chriss said. "The exhibits will offer some exciting and interesting educational opportunities for our guests, who will be able to get close to the animals, but they'll also be able to learn more about [the animals] environment and the ecosystem they come from."

Both exhibits will be designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. LEED is a rating system by the United States Green Building Council that rates the environmental performance of a structure and encourages sustainable design.

John Brown House

The historical John Brown House will receive about $400,000 for its continuing restoration project. This will be the property's third grant from the state, bringing total state support for the project to $1.3 million, said Historical Society Board Chair Dave Lieberth.

The new funding would enable American's With Disabilities Act improvements, while previous years paid for siding and gutters, perimeter stone wall restoration, and an assessment of the 174-year-old house.

The historical society's ultimate goal is twofold: to prepare the structure for Akron's bicentennial celebration in 2025 and create a center for the community's race relations.

"We're trying to develop the right space and the right interpretation so the community has a place where they can talk about issues of race, as we have been for 170 years," Lieberth said.

Brown came to Akron to tend sheep for Simon Perkins and became a leading Abolitionist. He was executed in 1859 after leading a raid on a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Many historians point to the raid as the event that sparked the Civil War, which began 18 months later, Lieberth said.

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

Stan Hywet's visitor count has increased by more than 50,000 people since 2010, and several buildings used by volunteers, and for horticulture and storage, are outdated and will be replaced, said President and CEO Sean Joyce.

The state allocated $550,000 for those improvements, although more funds need to be raised.

"This will help us catch up to an amazing amount of growth and add additional staff at some point," he said. "We are thankful the legislators included us in this funding. We still have some work to do."

Among the new buildings will be a new facility for Stan Hywet's 600 plus volunteers. The estate will also add 250 parking spaces so fewer visitors will have to park remotely for special events, Joyce said.

Some changes are expected in the proposed budget as it works its way through the legislature, where hearings begin this week. Legislators expected the proposal to clear the House and Senate by the end of the month.

Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.AKRON, Ohio - The vast majority of the roughly $20 million the University of Akron is earmarked to receive through Ohio's proposed capital budget is intended for maintenance and upkeep of existing facilities.

"It's really about maintaining the campus," said Nathan Mortimer, CFO and vice president for finance and administration. "We maintain almost 100 structures on campus. A lot is new but we have some pretty seasoned buildings."

About $18.4 million in funding will go toward upgrading or replacing roofs, HVAC systems, outdated fire systems and elevators. That number also includes $1 million to repair and replace exterior stairs, ramps and walkways.

Buildings that will see major improvements include the Auburn Science & Engineering Center, Whitby Hall and Buckingham Hall.

Plans are in the works to eventually raze Ayer Hall to add a 12,000-square-foot expansion on the neighboring Crouse Hall, which would be renovated. That project will be complete within the next four to five years, Mortimer said.

The state allocation for the university also include "community funds," in which the university serves as fiscal agent for local organizations, Mortimer said. These include:

Battered Women's Shelter of Summit & Medina Counties

Glendora House for Homeless Families with Children - $250,000

AxessPointe Community Health Center - $100,000

One project earmarked for $850,000 from the state is for UA's Airborne Maintenance and Engineering Services (AMES), an ongoing project by the University to gain Federal Aviation Administration approval for "cold spray" repair of corroded and worn parts on commercial aircraft.

The project has been supported by the state for the past couple years, and by UA's National Center for Education and Research on Corrosion and Materials Performance. The university's Corrosion Engineering program is the first of its kind in the United States.

Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.AKRON, Ohio - All the pieces are coming together well for Akron's new I PROMISE School, which is set to open in late July.

Created through a partnership between Akron Public Schools and the LeBron James Family Foundation, the school will serve children in the I PROMISE Network. The school will be housed at 400 W. market St., just around the corner from the site Akron Public Schools administrative offices will soon occupy.

The Akron School Board recently named the new school's principal, Brandi Davis, who is not only a veteran of the Akron school district, she has served on the board of the LeBron James Family Foundation since its onset.

Davis says she is excited and humbled.

"The I PROMISE School is a school that has not been heard of or thought of before, so to be at the front of such a game-changing, out-of-the-box type school is truly an amazing experience," she said. "I cannot wait to continue to build upon what's begun and just see this tremendous effort come to fruition."

Students in the I PROMISE Network have been identified as academically at-risk. The foundation already sponsors mentoring programs, after school help, Hometown Halls for parents and caregivers, and a full week of activities each August that culminates in a We Are Family Reunion at Cedar Point. Students who stick with the foundation's program are promised a full scholarship to the University of Akron on graduation.

In the first year, the student body will be composed of newly identified third- and fourth grade classes. Each year, more grade levels will be added so that by the 2022-23 school year, the school will serve first- through eight-grade students.

The new school will incorporate all the current tenants of the existing I PROMISE Network, which focus on learning, self-respect, good health and perseverance. Through specialized programming the school will continue building on a culture that promotes social-emotional learning. It will work to educate the whole student by focusing on both academics and character building, offering "wrap-around services" for students' families.

"Whatever they need support in, healthcare, counseling, benefits support, " Davis said. "That's what it's all about, educating and providing the best possible environment for our kiddos."

Davis has worked for Akron Public Schools for 18 years, as a teacher and principal at Central Hower, as an assistant principal at East High School and a principal at Schumacher Elementary School. She earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Akron, and lives on the west side.

"I'm Akron through and through," she said. In fact, Davis said she never applied for any position outside Akron.

"I wanted to make an impact within the city of Akron," she said. "I wanted people to know you can go out and gain whatever treasures you can, and then bring those back to your community."

It has also been important to her to set the right example.

"I just make sure I'm living in my truth and my purpose, and being a direct and indirect model not just for my students but their families, who entrust me with their kids," she said.

Davis has been working with others over the past several months to shape the I PROMISE School's approach. The goals is to ensure that all the special programs and support add up to students ready to manage the coursework they'll need to be successful in college.

The I PROMISE School will be STEM-infused, and will include a trauma-informed approach. That means teachers will be trained to understand any challenges students are facing at home or school that might hinder their ability to learn, and use restorative practices to help them through.

"Students can't progress unless they feel safe and comfortable," she said. "That's part of the 'We are family' philosophy."

Davis says she's been extremely intentional in creating the school's agenda, which will include:

Daily breakfast:

Circle sessions:

Learning blocks:

Illumination period:

"I'm simple when it comes to children" Davis said. "All children deserve the opportunity to learn - and as educators we need to meet our kids where they are and bring them up to where they need to be."

Davis said she will also ensure the teaching staff takes part in professional development to keep them up-to-date on alternative teaching practices and to keep them fresh.

Davis credits the foundation's many active partnerships for the success it has already had with the more than 1,000 students in the I PROMISE program.

And she's looking forward to even more success with the I PROMISE School.

"I PROMISE will be a nationally recognized model of urban public schools excellence," she said. "And I am sticking to it."

Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.CLEVELAND, Ohio - Is hyperloop being hyped in Ohio?

Some readers and journalists voiced skepticism about the as-yet unproven high-speed transportation technology after California-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies and the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency launched a $1.2 million study last Monday to examine the feasibility of a line from Cleveland to Chicago.

On Thursday, Slate published an article calling hyperloop a "pipe dream," a play on words given that the technology, first envisioned in 2013 by entrepreneur Elon Musk, would send people and cargo in capsules racing near the speed of sound through steel or concrete tubes maintained at a partial vacuum.

The Chicago Reader followed up by asking whether hyperloop is "the future of travel or a fanciful space-age hamster tube."

The Cleveland-Chicago feasibility study, to be finished late this year or early next, would address cost, ridership, potential economic impact and return on investment, among other topics.

But critics are citing claims made by Hyperloop Transportation Technologies last Monday as reasons for doubt and pushback even before the analysis is done.

A 28-minute trip?

An HTT promotional video said that a Cleveland-to-Chicago link would make the trip in 28 minutes and carry 54,720 passengers a day.

Andrea La Mendola, chief global operating officer for the company said last Monday that "in three to five years, we might have a hyperloop here; that's the goal."

Dirk Ahlborn, the CEO of HTT, clarified in a follow up phone interview that La Mendola's three to five-year estimate would be true for construction, but would not include right-of-way acquisition, regulatory review and other hurdles that could add many years to construction of a hyperloop link in the U.S.

Deals could move quicker abroad

The firm currently has agreements to pursue hyperloop routes between the Czech Republic and Slovakia; Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, United Arab Emirates; plus others in Indonesia, South Korea and India.

"We're working with other countries that are much more pushy and that have easier land acquisition rights," Ahlborn said. "In the U.S. it's fairly complicated."

He said the speed of a trip between Cleveland and Chicago, would be affected by the configuration of the line.

Top speeds could be reached and sustained if the system was built primarily in a straight line, but would be slower if it included stops in Sandusky and Toledo.

Whether "it takes you 36 or 28 minutes, it's still amazing," Ahlborn said. "The main goal is passenger comfort and economic viability."

Local reaction

In Cleveland, readers of The Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com questioned whether public money should be spent on investigating hyperloop when the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is cutting bus and rapid transit rides and jobs in order to cope with lost sales tax revenue.

Grace Gallucci, executive director of NOACA, said she remains convinced that researching hyperloop is the right thing to do, especially because she said the line proposed by HTT would be privately funded, not government-supported.

Gallucci anticipates that a national, fully commercialized hyperloop network won't be realized for 25 years, but that city-to-city links such as Cleveland to Chicago could happen sooner.

Lead or follow?

"Do we want to be at the beginning of that 25 years, the middle of that 25 or end of that 25?" Gallucci said. "We want to be at the beginning."

Gallucci said government should establish appropriate routes, networks, and rights-of-way, especially as they cross state lines.

"Those are the pieces we do want to be involved with rather than having a private company do it on their own," she said.

Gallucci said that NOACA's share of the $600,000 contribution to the feasibility study, which includes $200,000 donated by the Cleveland Foundation, would come from dollars in its budget that can only be spent on planning, not for mass transit operations.

NOACA spends $10 million a year to support transit in its five-county region, most of which goes to Cuyahoga and Lake counties, Gallucci said.

She said the feasibility study would include how revenues from hyperloop could benefit local transit systems in Cleveland and Chicago.

"That's something that's got to be addressed, and it's logical," she said.

The hyperloop race

HTT is one of three companies exploring hyperloop in the U.S.

They include Musk's Boring Company, which is exploring a route from Maryland to Washington, D.C., and Virgin Hyperloop One, which is looking at four U.S. routes, one of which would connect Pittsburgh and Columbus to Chicago.

Two weeks ago, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) launched a $2.5 million Rapid-Speed Transportation Initiative to study routes either for traditional passenger rail and/or a hyperloop to link Chicago and Pittsburgh.

Following the MORPC and Cleveland announcements, the Slate article, authored by Henry Grabar, asked why, as a tagline put it, "cities and states are throwing money at a nonexistent mode of transportation."

But the article trained most of its fire at HTT, questioning what it called the company's financial value and saying that it's staffed mostly by volunteers.

Company spokesman Ben Cooke said in an email the firm had raised more than $100 million in 2016, but "this does not reflect the valuation of the company, which we have not announced publicly."

HTT views itself not as a traditional company but as a digital platform where collaborators on loan from other firms work in exchange for stock options. Harvard Business Review called the business model a "crowd-powered" ecosystem.

"If you use the standard definition of volunteer (a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task) then Slate is wrong as all of our contributors receive value in the company, they do not work for free,'' Cooke said.

Reality testing

Slate said Hyperloop One "fired a pod through a tube at 240 mph in December" at its test track in Nevada, contrasting that accomplishment with what it called HTT's "inability to get stakes in the ground."

Ahlborn and Cooke said that HTT would complete a 1 kilometer test track in Toulouse, France, by the middle or end of this year, with a full-size passenger capsule.

Gallucci, commenting on differences between HTT and Hyperloop One, said that while the former is putting $600,000 in cash into the Cleveland-Chicago study, the latter is contributing in-kind services to the Pittsburgh-Columbus-Chicago study, a fact confirmed by MORPC.

Exploration makes sense

Despite doubts about whether a hyperloop system will ever become a reality in the U.S., experts say it still makes sense to explore the technology now.

"You don't want to be like the guy in the 1920s who said, 'We're never going to have ubiquitous air travel all across the country,'" DePaul University transportation expert Joe Schwieterman said in the Chicago Reader article.

"This is an emerging technology that's being developed and it's a proper role of government to figure out whether it makes any sense," said Cleveland transportation consultant Ken Sislak, a vice president at AECOM.

The firm has acted as a consultant for Hyperloop One, Sislak said, but AECOM is "technology neutral and agnostic about which companies we want to work for."

What's key, he said, is that what MORPC and NOACA are doing in Ohio "is very good in terms of trying to prepare today for what is emerging in the future.

"This is what planning is all about."CLEVELAND, Ohio - City Council voted Monday to target nearly $1.3 million this year on projects to help elderly Clevelanders -- many of whom are impoverished -- keep their homes in good repair and maintain the city's housing stock.

The money, $1.275 million, will be divided between Cleveland's 17 wards. Each member of City Council will have $75,000 to use for helping seniors.

"This is our chance to help," Council President Kevin Kelley said Monday during a meeting of the Finance Committee. "If we do this right, this is seven to 10 roof projects (a year), seven to 10 front step projects."

The program City Council approved Monday will be administered through the city's Department of Aging. The program guidelines still must be drawn up.

Members of City Council and Mayor Frank Jackson have frequently discussed the need for programs to help elderly homeowners who live in Cleveland's impoverished neighborhoods keep up their homes.

Senior home assistance is a component of a $65-million neighborhood revitalization program that Jackson launched last year in the East 105th Street corridor on the East Side and the Clark-Fulton area on the West Side.

Members of council will also be able to direct an additional $75,000 toward small capital improvement projects in their wards. That pot of money was something the council put in last year's budget, too.

Earmarking the two pots of money were the only significant changes City Council made to Jackson's budget plan. Following Monday's vote, the budget now must sit for public review for 15 weeks. City Council is expected to take its final vote March 26. It must be approved before April 1.

The budget calls for nearly $1.8 billion in spending throughout all city accounts, including nearly $623 million in the general fund.

Charter review: Also Monday, council approved legislation to set up a panel to review Cleveland's charter.

The charter review commission is required every 10 years. Among the 15 people named to be on the commission are seven current members of council, a handful of lawyers and business leaders and a minister.

The commission will have one year to report its proposed amendments to the city's charter to council. Before any of the amendments could become effective, they would have to go before voters.CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Out of the recent spate of high-profile crimes in the city -- carjackings, robberies and a shooting -- only one case remains open.

And the FBI is assisting on solving that one, since it involved a car that was believed to have been used in a Feb. 6 bank robbery in Richmond Heights, Police Chief Annette Mecklenburg told nearly 200 people at a community meeting held last week.

The meeting was called to address concerns from residents -- one of those in attendance is still recovering from gunshot wounds suffered when her car got caught between a shooter driving behind her and seeking revenge on a group of men walking in the street at Windsor and Roanoke roads on Feb. 15.

"She was picking up one of her kids at Oxford Elementary when the car behind her opened fire and she was struck in the shoulder area and one of her hands," Mecklenburg said.

Sun Press reporters were unable to attend the town hall meeting at the Cleveland Heights Community Center on Feb. 28, but Mecklenburg provided a brief recap during City Council's meeting Monday night.

"The woman who was shot thanked us for opening up the meeting to everyone in the city, because crimes like these affect the entire community -- not just individual neighborhoods," Mecklenburg said. "She also encouraged us to continue with the NextDoor (online) posts to provide updates."

As it turned out, the main thing the city's 109 police officers had to go on from the Feb. 15 shooting was a description of the suspect car provided by the city's security cameras posted along Noble Road.

And on the afternoon of Feb. 19, a patrol officer attempted to stop a vehicle matching the description, with police quickly catching the suspect, who sped off, pulled behind a building and tried to flee on foot, as did his passenger.

The driver, 22, a former Cleveland Heights resident now living in Cleveland, was jailed on a felonious assault charge that Mecklenburg said stemmed from a "revenge" motive that did not involve the victim.

As for the roughly half-dozen carjackings that began late last year and carried over into January, Mecklenburg said they generally involved people being accosted at gunpoint in their driveways.

Based on prior incidents in and around the city, "we figured out the general area where most of these stolen cars were being recovered (in Cleveland), and we set up a detail of officers to respond."

And when another report came in early in January, "everybody sped down to that area and arrested a group of juveniles in Cleveland who were linked to the earlier car thefts," Mecklenburg said.

There have also been robberies set up through the dating app "Grindr," in which arrangements were made for someone to come over to residents' homes, where more than one suspect would arrive and the accomplices would then stage a holdup.

A police detail was set up for those crimes, as well, "and when we had two in one day, we responded to the second attempt later in the evening and took three people into custody," Mecklenburg said.

Those suspects are also being investigated in connection with similar robberies in University Heights, Lakewood, Parma and Cleveland.

As more of a nuisance incident, Mecklenburg provided council with an update of a Feb. 27 afterschool incident outside Heights High that occurred a day before the community meeting.

Fifteen girls were taken into custody on aggravated rioting charges as police disbanded several hundred students who had gathered in the area of Marlindale Road and Washington Boulevard after an end-of-the-day fire drill coincided with the customary early dismissal on Tuesdays.

Backup was called in from University Heights and South Euclid police and one of the juveniles was charged with assault on a police officer.



One adult, the mother of three of the girls involved, was also arrested and charged with aggravated rioting and inciting violence after evidence implicated her as well.

Four girls were taken to the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Home and two were treated for minor injuries.

In the realm of non-violent crime, residents were also impressed that a Cleveland man had recently been arrested in a string of mail thefts involving packages that were being stolen from doorsteps and porches.

The Feb. 28 community meeting was hosted by Mecklenburg along with Capt. Christopher Britton as head of the detective bureau, as well as Investigator Quintero Mack -- all Cleveland Heights residents when they are off-duty.

"It was one of the best community forums I've seen," Vice Mayor Melissa Yasinow said of the meeting, which lasted close to two hours.

Police also provided a checklist of crime prevention tips, leading to a question from Councilwoman Mary Dunbar about keeping lights on around homes all night.

Mecklenburg recommended motion-sensor lights, since "criminals prefer to sneak around in darkened areas." She also advocates indoor lighting set on timers when residents are away.

"We will continue with targeted and proactive patrols where we are seeing a rise in crime," Mecklenburg told council.

The department will also continue to hold its "Meet Your Police" events every Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m., generally in the lower level of City Hall.CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish has asked Cory Swaisgood, the county's director of internal auditing

, to examine the county's current process of identifying potential conflicts of interest.

This assessment by the independent auditor's office, with assistance from Inspector General Mark Griffin, could result in a thorough review of county contracts in order to look for any indications of fraud, conflicts of interest, self-dealing or other wrongdoing, the county said Tuesday.

"As I have said before, we must do everything we can to protect the integrity of the county government and maintain the public trust," Budish said in a news release on Tuesday. "For that reason, I am asking the internal auditor to review the county procurement processes for any weaknesses that could open the door to wrongdoing and to recommend best practices to strengthen procedures, including the expanded reporting of potential conflicts of interest by county employees, and then consider utilizing the information to review every contract the county has entered into in the last three years to look for any indications of fraud, conflicts of interest, double dealing, or other wrongdoing. I will not tolerate any bad behavior in this administration."

Budish's request comes more than two weeks after public-corruption investigators from the county Prosecutor's Office subpoenaed his administration for records involving top officials in the department of information services and contracts involving Westlake-based Hyland Software.

The subpoena asks for all emails between Scot Rourke, the county's chief transformation officer and information officer, and Hyland Software. The subpoena also asks for emails between the county's IT general counsel and director of special initiatives, Emily McNeeley, and Hyland Software.

The prosecutor's office also asked in the subpoena for "any and all paper or electronic records of access by Scot Rourke and Emily McNeeley to documents related to any contract between Cuyahoga County and the following entities: OneCommunity , OneCleveland, Everstream, DigitalC and Hyland.Software, including, but not limited to Server Access Logs."

Budish placed Rourke and McNeeley on leave on Feb. 21.

"To be clear, both had previously consulted with the Inspector General, and my administration is not aware of any wrongdoing by these two members of our staff," Budish said at the time. "But, we are taking all precautions available to make sure that the integrity of the investigation and the documents sought by the prosecutor are maintained," Budish stated in a news release.

McNeeley asked County Inspector General Mark Griffin on two occasions whether the fact that her spouse works at Hyland Software presented a conflict of interest.

In response to one request, made on March 16, 2016, Griffin stated that there was not a conflict as long as the county "does not contract directly with Hyland Software," or that McNeeley's wife does not work on city or county procurement contracts at Hyland. The memo states that she does not.

McNeeley sought a second opinion on May 17, 2016, because the county's Information Technology Department began receiving direct support form Hyland and Rourke was "considering expanding the County's business relationship with Hyland," according to Griffin's response to McNeeley.

As a result, Griffin determined that McNeeley did have a conflict, but that it would not prevent her from working on projects after contracts were awarded.

In December 2016, a year after he was hired, Rourke wrote a memo to Griffin and County Law Director Robert Triozzi saying he wanted to give them a "quick heads up" about some rumors he had heard "flying around." that he was benefiting financially from thecounty's relationship with his previous employer, OneCommunity.

Griffin issued an opinion to Rourke on March 7, 2017, but it did not mention OneCommunity. It did conclude, however, that his service as an advisory board member to a company called Secure State was not in conflict with his county job if he followed certain guidelines.

According to the county's charter, the Internal Auditing Department reports to the Audit Committee, a separate, independent committee comprised of the council president as well as four other citizen-members with expertise in auditing, accounting, financial reporting and government operations. The county executive and his fiscal officer, Dennis Kennedy, serve as non-voting, ex-officio members.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 4-month-old girl on life support from injuries she suffered in what police said is a series of beatings ended up at the hospital only because a grandparent from New York came to Cleveland to help the family move, according to court records.

The girl's 41-year-old mother is jailed on suspicion of felonious assault and child endangering but has not been formally charged as of 4:15 p.m. The girl's 32-year-old father is also listed as a suspect in the police report, but he has not been charged nor arrested.

The girl remains in critical condition at MetroHealth, according to court fillings. She suffered life-threatening head trauma, she is on life support and her prognosis is "very poor," according to police reports.

The injuries happened while the girl was "in the sole care" of her parents, according to court records.

The girl and her 2-year-old sister are now in the care of Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services. A Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court magistrate signed off on the temporary custody order on Monday, court records say.

County case workers noted in an affidavit filed in the case that girl's mother was unable to give a reason for how the girl suffered the injuries, for why she didn't seek medical treatment for her daughter and for why the baby had marijuana in her system.

"Mother and father lack the parenting skills and judgment necessary to provide appropriate care for the children," according to an affidavit filed by a Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services case worker.

The girl's grandmother came to Cleveland on Saturday to help the family move to New York, according to court records. The grandmother found the child about 6:40 p.m. with severe head injuries and took her to MetroHealth, according to court records.

Police reports say the girl's parents took her to the hospital. Both parents were initially at the hospital, but her father quickly left and her mother left about 3:30 a.m., police reports say.

Doctors told police that the injuries appear to be the result of a pattern of purposeful physical abuse, according to police reports and court records. Some of her injuries were recent and others were older, according to police reports.

Cuyahoga County spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan said children services received one call about the family in January 2017, before the girl was born. The tip, however, was not specific, Madigan said.

Social workers tried to find the mother and father through various means, including searching public records to find an address, but were unable to do so because the family moved often, Madigan said. The case was closed in March 2017, she said.

The mother also had a 2003 case in Stark County Juvenile Court, Madigan said, but information on that case was unavailable late Monday.

To comment on this story, visit Monday's crime and courts comments page.CLEVELAND -- Here are a few choice mutterings from the scrum of lawyers outside Courtroom 18B, about the federal judge who summoned them to a closed-door conference on hundreds of opioid lawsuits:



"Grandstander."



"Pollyanna."



"Over his head."



And the chorus: "This is not how we do things!"



Judge Dan Aaron Polster of the Northern District of Ohio has perhaps the most daunting legal challenge in the country: resolving more than 400 federal lawsuits brought by cities, counties and Native American tribes against central figures in the national opioid tragedy, including makers of the prescription painkillers, companies that distribute them, and pharmacy chains that sell them. And he has made it clear that he will not be doing business as usual.



During the first hearing in the case, in early January, the judge informed lawyers that he intended to dispense with legal norms like discovery and would not preside over years of "unraveling complicated conspiracy theories." Then he ordered them to prepare for settlement discussions immediately.



Not a settlement that would be "just moving money around," he added, but one that would provide meaningful solutions to a national crisis -- by the end of this year.



"I did a little math," he said, alluding to the rising number of overdoses. "About 150 Americans are going to die today, just today, while we're meeting."



The transcript from that hearing has created a ruckus in legal circles. Adam S. Zimmerman, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, has begun teaching it in his classes.



"We say we want judges to be umpires," Zimmerman said. "But when there's a large social problem at stake, judges can be umpires for only so long, before they decide it has to be solved."



Lawyers on both sides would not speak on the record, noting that to criticize the judge presiding over their case would be professional suicide. But in private conversations, many were scathing, questioning his grasp of the issues and predicting that a stepped-up timetable was bound to collapse.



Can Polster pull this off?



"These are bold things for a judge to say and it's exciting and intriguing to follow," said Abbe R. Gluck, a professor at Yale Law School who directs the Solomon Center for Health Policy and Law. "But to say that his goals are ambitious would be an enormous understatement."



Legal Finger-Pointing



In December, a judicial panel gathered all the prescription opioid cases filed in federal court across the country and plopped them into Polster's lap. The consolidation of large numbers of similar cases is called a multi-district litigation, or MDL; it is usually done to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.



The panel cited several reasons for selecting Polster. Ohio has been hard-hit by the crisis and is also centrally located to the defendants. And Polster has MDL experience. He mediated settlements in some 700 cases involving a medical contrast dye.



This type of litigation is inherently unconventional, but the consolidated opioid lawsuits may be even more complex than most.



Rather than just one kind of industry defendant, this litigation has several, each playing a different role -- not only drugmakers but distributors and retailers. That makes the apportionment of liability even more contentious, with defendants blaming one another.



All the defendants say the drugs were approved by the Food and Drug Administration and prescribed by doctors.



Plaintiffs claim that manufacturers, like Purdue Pharma and Johnson & Johnson, aggressively marketed the pills for years, despite knowing about addictive properties; that distributors, like McKesson and Cardinal Health, shipped alarming quantities without reporting to the authorities; that pharmacy chains, like Walgreens and CVS Health, looked away while selling flag-raising amounts to individuals.



Adding weight to the plaintiffs' case, the Justice Department filed a so-called statement of interest in the litigation last week, to emphasize the government's "substantial costs and significant interest in addressing the opioid epidemic."



The theories under which parties are suing make for a legal cacophony: public nuisance laws; fraud, racketeering and corruption; violations of federal and state laws on controlled substances. With the judge pushing for settlement, legal experts worry that these arguments may not get full consideration.



"Courts are hard-wired for litigation," through which facts can come to light, said Elizabeth C. Burch, a law professor at the University of Georgia who writes about multi-district litigation. "Here, there's a short-circuiting of that process. So how do you know if it's the right settlement if you don't have all the information in front of you?"



Polster has reminded both sides that if they resist settling swiftly in favor of litigation, they could be setting themselves on a path toward unpredictable jury trials.



The night before the summit, many lawyers, expert witnesses and clients stayed in the same hotel. They gathered in rooms and the restaurant lounge, strategizing, trying to second-guess the judge. On occasion, their voices could be overheard, rising in exasperation.

Earlier that day, Polster, 66, ate a hasty lunch of a hard-boiled egg and tangerine unpacked from sandwich baggies, having just returned to his chambers from tutoring reading to a third-grader at a school near the courthouse. He glanced at his wristwatch, its fraying band wrapped in duct tape.



Before his day was over, the judge, shadowed by a reporter, would oversee a half-dozen legal matters, co-teach a class on mediation at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, dine with the opioid litigation's special masters -- court-appointed intermediaries who expedite negotiations -- and then lug home a nearly 1-foot-thick binder of materials to study.



Polster, who is married to an arbitration lawyer, grew up in a middle-class Cleveland neighborhood that his parents fought to integrate. Their activism taught him "ordinary people can do extraordinary things if they don't take a pass." His Jewish faith has also shaped his outlook on justice and compassion, he said; he teaches a monthly confirmation class about ethical decision-making.



After graduating from Harvard Law School, he began a lifelong career in public service, working for the Department of Justice's antitrust division in Cleveland and then the U.S. attorney's office there, prosecuting economic crimes. In 1998, President Bill Clinton appointed him to the federal bench.



The Most Human Thing



Like so many Ohioans, Polster has been personally touched by the opioids crisis. A friend's daughter died from an overdose.



"The stakes, in this case, are incredibly high," he said. "Any thinking person should feel terrible about the situation we're in."



He was keenly aware that steering the process away from traditional litigation is unorthodox. "The judicial branch typically doesn't fix social problems, which is why I'm somewhat uncomfortable doing this," he said. "But it seems the most human thing to do."



Upon hearing of the disparaging comments from some lawyers, Polster stared into deep space to retrieve his words before making eye contact, a habit that some find unnerving.



They called him arrogant? Unrealistically ambitious?



"I think that's a fair assessment," he said. "But I won't fault myself for attempting this."



He would not address specific issues in the opioid litigation. But he opened a window into his thinking, generally, about why he prefers rapid settlement rather than trying cases. He believes that when parties have gotten this far down the road in a lawsuit, they already have at least 80 percent of the information they need to negotiate; the longer litigation continues, he said he has found, the more entrenched each side can become.



Later that day, he told law students: "It's almost never productive to get the other side angry. They lash out and hurt you and themselves. I try to get the sides to think it through as a problem to solve, not a fight to be won or lost."



The following morning a mashup of small-town mayors, big-city lawyers, addiction doctors, pharmacy industry executives and a police chief trooped into Polster's mahogany-lined federal courtroom, a crowd of nearly 170. Lawyers hoisted folding chairs for overflow seating.



Confusion was ubiquitous. Even the most optimistic admitted to low expectations, predicting that the day would amount to sword-rattling and throat-clearing.



The judge had ordered a closed-door session that morning with tiers of lead lawyers, their experts and clients, to educate him on the issues. Immediately after, he would begin settlement discussions.



To that end, he had also invited representatives from two groups of state attorneys general, neither in his official purview. One group of about 10, which included Mike DeWine from Ohio, had already filed lawsuits in their home state courts. Another group of 41 AGs, who are cooperating in their own prescription opioid investigation, have not yet filed.



But though the attorneys general are not parties in this litigation, legal experts say their input is essential to its success: The defendants will likely insist on a settlement that would resolve most, if not all, the state lawsuits as well as the federal ones.



After the morning session, Polster summoned the attorneys general into the courthouse auditorium to air grievances. Other lawyers withdrew to the cafeteria, waiting their turn.



Tides of earlier skepticism about Polster began receding. Some noted that he seemed pretty smart and asked some good results-driven questions.



"Classic Polster," said Pete Weinberger, a Cleveland plaintiffs' lawyer who has appeared before the judge in other cases, saying he seemed to listen intently and probe with pragmatism. "His questioning focused on reducing the number of pills in the chain of distribution."



Plaintiffs' lawyers and addiction specialists began floating trial balloon solutions, all the more remarkable given that, as one lawyer said, "we're just at the beginning of the beginning." Take the strongest doses off the market? Fund addiction treatment and public education?



The judge had also insisted that front-line victims, not just the lawyers, bear witness that day: A Camden County, New Jersey police chief whose force was worn down by the opioid-related crimes. Steve Williams, the mayor of Huntington, West Virginia, who was featured in an Oscar-nominated short documentary "Heroin(e)" as the epicenter of the epidemic. One recent week, Huntington, with a population of 48,000, recorded 29 overdoses.



"I'm fighting drug dealers in white coats," Williams said. "We need the resources to clean up this mess and make sure it never happens again."



The day ended with Polster issuing brisk orders for the next steps.



Leaving the courthouse, Mark S. Cheffo, who represents Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin, tersely characterized the mood as "cautiously optimistic."



Just 10 days later, Purdue announced it would no longer market OxyContin to prescribers. "This is a stunning about-face by Purdue, which has long contended that it has not influenced physician education with its drug reps," said Dr. Anna Lembke, a Stanford addiction specialist who spoke at the Cleveland session. "I think the overwhelming pressure from Judge Polster, not to mention the court of public opinion, led to this radical reversal."



Purdue issued a statement last week saying the company was "fully engaged in the process that Judge Polster has set in action to explore meaningful solutions" to the opioid crisis.



On Tuesday, delegations of all-star litigators and representatives of the attorneys general are to return to Courtroom 18B to begin negotiating "economic and noneconomic issues."



With countless lives and billions of dollars at stake and both sides arguing their cases in the media, the obstacles to resolution seem staggering.



Yet on numerous occasions, Allen L. Bohnert, a former law clerk, has watched Polster take on the intractable.



"At the end of a long day where it looked like there wouldn't be a settlement, he'd walk out with one," said Bohnert, now an assistant federal public defender. "And he'd wink and say, 'Sometimes it takes a federal judge.'"CLEVELAND, Ohio - At a time when anger and fear rule the debate about guns and safety, cleveland.com is helping to lead a national effort to bring Americans of differing viewpoints together to discuss gun violence and gun-related issues.

We hope you will consider joining us, and people across the nation, as part of "Guns, an American Conversation."

Here's how it will work:

A coalition of American newsrooms is launching a new kind of public service journalism project, bringing together 150 people in a closed, month-long moderated Facebook group to discuss guns, and other related political and social issues. To do this, we're working with the journalism organization Spaceship Media, using their method of Dialogue Journalism for convening people on opposite sides of difficult social and political issues into sustained, moderated, journalism-supported conversations.

"Guns, an American Conversation" will launch with a small, in-person workshop for 20 participants in Washington D.C. March 24 and 25. The focus of the in-person workshop will be on getting to know one another, listening to one another and learning from one another, and exploring how can we have productive, thoughtful conversations about a topic that matters deeply to all of us. The workshop will take place the same weekend of the planned March 24 marches for and against greater gun control, but will not be connected or involved with them. We also ask those who attend to commit to being part of our month-long, moderated Facebook conversation.

For both our in-person and online conversations we are seeking a wide range of people, and a wide range of viewpoints: teenagers, adults, liberals and conservatives, people affected by gun violence and people who use guns.

Advance Local, a collection of local media organizations that includes cleveland.com, will cover costs for travel and accommodation in D.C. Selected participants will need to commit to full day and evening attendance Saturday March 24 and daytime attendance Sunday March 25. The event will be led by trained facilitators who are experienced listeners and skilled at bringing together people across conflicting points of view.

If you are interested in applying to be a part of this project (either in-person or online-only,) fill out this brief questionnaire by the deadline of Saturday, March 10 at midnight Eastern time.

While we can bring only 20 people to the in-person event, we also know that the 130 who are selected to be part of our online conversation will be part of an important experience and will play a valuable role as participants. We expect the online forum to run for a month after the in-person gathering (roughly through the month of April).

We encourage you to share this form with anyone you think might be interested.CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio - A Chester Township man surrendered peacefully at the end of a 13-and-a-half hour standoff that began Monday night, police said.

The armed man barricaded himself in the house just before 7 p.m. and did not come outside until Tuesday morning, the Chester Township Police Department said in a news release.

No one was hurt, police said.

The Geauga County Prosecutor's Office is reviewing the incident to determine if the 47-year-old man will face charges, police said.

The standoff began when police officers went to the house on Sperry Road near Sherman Road to perform a welfare check. The man showed officers a gun and refused to come out of the house, police said.

Geauga County and Lake County sheriff's deputies assisted at the scene and provided negotiators who spoke to the man during the standoff, police said.

The man surrendered about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, police said.

The State Highway Patrol, Geauga County Park Rangers, the Chester Township Fire Department and police officers from Russell Township, Bainbridge Township, Kirtland and Mentor also assisted, police said.

To comment on this story, visit Tuesday's crime and courts comments page.DUBLIN, Ohio -- A sophomore member of a high school band died while at practice at the school Monday night, reports say.

The unidentified student attended Dublin Coffman High School, WCMH Channel 4 reports.

An email was sent to families of students Monday night by Dublin Coffman Principal Mike Ulring, 10tv.com reports.

"It is with a very heavy heart I share with you that Dublin Coffman has lost a member of its family," Ulring says in the email. "... Many of our band students, our band staff, and school personnel on site are trying to grasp what took place this evening."

Police tell 10tv.com that foul play is not suspected. No other details have been released.

Dublin is a suburb located northwest of Columbus.COLUMBUS, Ohio -- An arbitrator has reinstated a Columbus police officer who was fired last year after a video showed him apparently stomping a handcuffed suspect who was laying on the ground.

Zach Rosen was fired in July 2017 after a cellphone video showed the incident with the suspect, Demarko Anderson, 10tv.com reports.

Mitchell B. Goldberg, the arbitrator in the case, ruled that Rosen's actions in the arrest of Anderson did not merit his dismissal from the police force, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

"I find that the grievant's past good work record, and his performance at the highest rewarded level, combined with his intelligence level, is persuasive evidence that he has the ability to adjust his actions to conform with policies and directives in the future as they relate to his use of force in bringing dangerous suspects under control," Goldberg wrote in his ruling.

Sgt. Dean Worthington, spokesman for the Columbus Division of Police, tells the Dispatch that Rosen must undergo training before he returns to patrol work.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther says he disagrees with the decision to reinstate Rosen, WCMH Channel 4 reports.

"We believe the public safety director's decision for termination was the correct one," Ginther says in a statement. "However, we respect and will abide by the legally-binding arbitrator's decision."CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is the "most improved" airport in North America, according to the 2017 Airport Service Quality Survey.

The city-owned airport "posted its best customer service scores last year since the airport began participation in the global service quality program in 2006," the city reported Tuesday in a news release about the survey.

"Cleveland Hopkins International Airport continues to focus on improving visitor experience in all aspects of customer service," Mayor Frank Jackson said in the release.

Hopkins' survey scores are its highest in more than a decade.

Appearing recently before City Council for a budget hearing, Airport Director Robert Kennedy touted a team-effort that focused on boosting passenger satisfaction.

"I'm extremely confident that looking at the other airports in North America, when the final scores come out that we'll be among the best for score improvement," Kennedy predicted then. "Those are huge impress points for the city of Cleveland."

Kennedy credited a focus on enhancing passenger experience, particularly with the creation of a Landside Operations team. That group specifically works to ease passenger anxieties by assisting them with the logistics of traveling through the airport.

Other changes include:

The addition of a Mother's Room.

New information boards, both in house and online, that keep passengers up to date on

Online postings with parking updates.

New

A revamped

Improved food and beverage options.

"The airport team is working to create a better experience for our airport guests," Kennedy said in a news release. "We are strongly motivated in continuing our focus upon the guest experience and looking for more improvements in 2018."

Traffic through the airport has been growing.

About 9.1 million passed through Hopkins in 2017. Kennedy has said he expects an additional 500,000 passengers will use the airport in 2018, and by 2019 that traffic could eclipse 10 million passengers.

The traffic is not just people passing through. About 2.5 million people who used the airport in 2017 interacted with the community, leaving the airport rather than just changing planes, Kennedy said.

Air carriers are making investments in Cleveland, including the addition of two carriers making regular flights to Europe. And Kennedy told City Council he expected a major carrier to announce a new route from Cleveland.

That came this week with news that Delta Air Lines will add a nonstop flight from Hopkins to Salt Lake City, resuming a route that it had discontinued in 2009.

The survey was conducted by Airports Council International. The ACI describes itself on its website as a nonprofit "whose prime purpose is to advance the interests of airports and to promote professional excellence in airport management and operations."

The survey found Indianapolis and Jacksonville, Fla. to have the best airports in North America.AKRON, Ohio - Blimp-pilot uniforms and rare documents related to lighter-than-air flight have been donated to the University of Akron.

Alan "AirshipAl" Gross, an airship aficionado and collector of all things related to blimps and dirigibles, donated his collection of historic airship materials to the university's Archival Services.

The collection will be open to the public and consists of about 100 boxes of rare materials that document the history of lighter-than-air flight, including the history and development of the Goodyear blimps, the university said.

The collection also contains a wide variety of other materials, including press kits, flight manuals, training notes, magazines and books. It also includes uniforms, inflatable toys and other airship novelty items and collectibles.

Of most significance, the university said, is rare motion picture and video footage that documents blimps.

"My life has been dedicated to collecting and preserving lighter-than-air history," Gross said in a news release. "I amassed a huge amount of unique material which I've enjoyed and learned from. I chose The University of Akron because it's the best place to catalog, preserve, and utilize these items for a long time to come. This is my legacy."

Gross first became involved with blimps in 1964, when he watched two Goodyear blimps at Flushing Airport during the New York World's Fair. He spent a great deal of time observing Goodyear's airship operations, and had a summer job as a "rope grabber" for the Goodyear blimp crew.

Gross studied electronic journalism and public relations at Syracuse University before embarking on a long career in television, at which time he began amassing a videotape collection featuring his interests in lighter-than-air flight, according to his biography on his website, airshipal.com. Gross currently serves as an airship consultant.

UA's Archival Services is known for its collections on the history of the rubber industry and lighter-than-air flight, the university said. The department, located in Room LL10 of the Polsky Building, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Appointments are recommended, but not required. For more information visit uakron.edu/libraries/archives.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland police are investigating after a woman was found dead Tuesday in a suspected homicide on the city's East Side.

The 31-year-old woman was found dead at a home in the 6000 block of Morton Avenue between Broadway Avenue and East 65th Street, Cleveland police Det. Reginald Lanton said.

Police released information about the death at about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday but it is unclear when the woman died.

Detectives remained at the scene investigating and talking with neighbors at about 3:30 p.m. Police tape blocked off the front yard and driveway of the two-story home, which sits on a residential street located about two blocks from the intersection of Broadway and Union avenues.

Investigators haven't said if they made any arrests or identified any suspects in the woman's death, but homicide detectives continue investigating, Lanton said.

To comment on this story, visit Tuesday's crime and courts comments page.CLEVELAND, Ohio - A project bringing together dancers from Cleveland and Cuba is now actively in motion.

On Saturday, members of Cleveland's Verb Ballets departed for Havana, where they will spend time soaking up the culture and performing with Cuba's ProDanza under the name Cleveland Havana Ballet.

"I still can't believe it's really happening," said Verb dancer Kate Webb, at a rehearsal last week. "It means we're a part of history, something bigger than ourselves."

The centerpiece of the collaboration, announced in December, is "Yarini," a new ballet by Ivan Alonso, grandson of Alicia Alonso, founder of the world-renowned Ballet Nacional de Cuba.

The work, to be premiered in Cuba, depicts the life of Alberto Yarini, a pimp during Cuba's war of independence now regarded as a sort of national icon.

"He became a symbol of the Cuban spirit, a hero for the underdog," explained Margaret Carlson, artistic director of Verb Ballets.

For months, in addition to its usual work, Verb has been mastering "Yarini" under the eye of Laura Alonso, the choreographer's mother and a long-term guest of Verb Ballets through an initiative funded in part by the Cleveland Foundation.

The company also has been preparing a separate program of mixed repertoire, for an evening it will share with ProDanza in concerts at Havana's newly restored Teatro Miramar.

"I just can't even believe where we're going to be dancing," Webb said. "It's going to be exciting to be in a place that respects dance so highly."

The objective of the project is two-fold.

Not only will the dancers get to visit and see sights in Cuba, along with a small group of Northeast Ohioans traveling to Cuba to support the company.

They'll also share some of the work they've been presenting in Cleveland and learn at the feet of Cubans the subtleties of Cuban ballet, a unique form of dancing regarded by some as an art form in its own right.

"They took the best of the best practices, and made their own style," Webb said of the Alonsos. "They try stuff that I wouldn't have even thought to try. It's ballet for the 21st century."

"There's a distinct machismo, a bravura element," added Verb dancer Antonio Morillo. "They're incredible technicians, but they make it seem so effortless."

For Morillo, the project has both professional and personal dimensions.

Like everyone else in Verb, he's looking forward to sharing the stage with Cuban dancers and sharing his work with Cubans. He, though, is also eager to meet and perform for distant members of his own family, relatives of his father, who was born in Cuba.

"It really is an amazing opportunity," Morillo said, noting special eagerness to locate his father's childhood home.

Sadly, Cleveland may never get to see "Yarini." Not in the form being presented in Cuba, anyway. Difficulty obtaining travel visas for Cubans has all but ruled out the possibility of a repeat performance in Northeast Ohio.

But the Cuban performances are not taking place in a vacuum. Verb expects there to be reviews in the local press, which it plans to pass on to The Plain Dealer, and Webb is maintaining a weblog of the trip, from the perspective of a dancer. Meanwhile, check back here for updates.NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio - Alex Foldi, a fifth-grader at Ranger High Tech Academy in North Ridgeville, got up early on Feb. 28 with his mother, Heather Foldi, to attend Mayor David Gillock's 8 a.m. Coffee & Conversation meeting at City Hall.

Alex waited patiently through most of the particularly crowded meeting before raising his hand to ask a question. When the mayor called on him, Alex read from a typed paper about an idea for the city to save money that he wanted to bring to the mayor's attention.

It read:

"Hi, I am Alex Foldi, and last year North Ridgeville was the safest in national crime and the safest in Ohio. Well, let's be one of the greenest, too. I have a proposal for a partnership with you, the city and a lightbulb company."

Alex went on to tell the mayor that, although North Ridgeville is one of the safest cities, it is not one of the wealthiest. He said he believes, working together, a sponsor for a "lightbulb switch" could be found to switch out current street lights for money-saving LED bulbs. These are more expensive at first but, in the long run, a money-saving move.

Alex said the "partner" could also benefit "from recycled glass and metal, a possible tax write-off and positive media coverage."

Alex closed with: "I am sure with you and your resources, we can make an impactful difference to better our community. What are your thoughts on this topic? Thank you for your time."

Gillock took all Alex had to say seriously and treated his proposal with the consideration it merited. He called in his finance director, Jeff Armbruster, after the meeting to discuss the matter.

Armbruster reviewed some possible costs of the lightbulbs and said he would review the LED lights that are already on Center Ridge Road to see if those bulbs are saving the city money.

Gilllock said he would take Alex's proposal to the next meeting of the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC), where he would present Alex's idea. He promised he would then follow up with Alex.

It may seem unusual for someone as young as Alex to come to a meeting with the mayor and to present in an articulate, mature manner an idea he conceived on his own. But his mother said later that it wasn't unusual for Alex.

"Alex has a lot of ideas," she said.

Alex said he keeps his ideas -- numbering in the hundreds -- in an online journal. For the most part, his ideas pertain to cars and airplanes -- technology and transportation.

When asked where he got the idea for the LED lightbulbs, Alex said: "I asked my dad, how come non-renewable resources can renew themselves (over time) and (yet) we call them non-renewable? How can we run out of them?

"He said, the earth can make more, but the earth cannot make them fast enough. I started to think, well, what can we do to keep the non-renewable resources there longer? Then I thought, how about something simple like lightbulbs? Maybe if we can switch out normal lightbulbs for LEDs, we can help sustain non-renewable resources."

Heather told Alex: "You need to share this. Let's bring it to the mayor."

"My thinking was," said Heather, "with this specific idea, here is an 11-year-old child trying to help the community and thinking globally. So, we needed to start somewhere. ... I wasn't even sure the mayor would listen. We know now the mayor listened."

Alex said he eventually wants to become an engineer. It appears no one would doubt that he could reach his goal. He also takes guitar lessons and volunteers at North Ridgeville's Community Care, which provides food, clothing and other assistance to families in need.

"He wants to better the world one small step at a time, starting with North Ridgeville," said Heather.The time of practice debates in the Ohio Democratic gubernatorial primary will finally be over come Wednesday night when the Ohio Democratic Party will host the first governor's debate to feature candidates actually on the ballot.

While this is technically the fourth contest, the only candidate featured in previous debates was state Sen. Joe Schiavoni. On Wednesday night in Toledo, Schiavoni will be joined onstage by ex-Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray, former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich and former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Bill O'Neill.

And all signs point to some fireworks as the campaign enters the final two months before the May primary.

In the prior three forums, the candidates rarely ventured outside of their comfort zones, blurring any differences and causing the debates to fall flat.

Now, the stakes have changed. Front-and-center will be the battle between Cordray and Kucinich, considered the top two contenders in the race.

In recent weeks, the two camps have taken to attacking each other, indicating a tighter race.

The Cordray camp sent out a campaign email highlighting Kucinich's deleted tweets praising Republican President Donald Trump's inauguration speech.

After a mass shooting on Valentine's Day at a Florida high school left 17 dead, Kucinich knocked Cordray for being too cozy with the National Rifle Association - going so far as to call Cordray the NRA's "boy" after a speech at the City Club of Cleveland. Cordray's campaign responded by saying Kucinich was grandstanding. The Cordray campaign pointed to previous television spots on the conservative Fox News where Kucinich said gun control wouldn't make much of a difference in violence.

Spokesmen for Cordray and Kucinich were mostly coy on what exactly to expect from Wednesday's event.

Regardless of what the campaigns would say publicly, Cordray and Kucinich are on a collision course for Toledo, with Cordray aiming to hold his grip as the frontrunner and Kucinich looking to capitalize on his insurgent style.

Cordray will have to reassure the base on his past actions on guns, which have become a wedge issue in the primary. Progressives nationwide have demanded action such as bans on the sales of assault weapons, limits to the size of magazines and increased age restrictions on gun purchases.

Meanwhile, Kucinich will have to convince Democratic voters he is a better choice than Cordray while explaining his defense of Trump and appearances on Fox News - both of which are anathema to Democrats.

Cordray campaign manager Michael Halle said Cordray would stick to the "kitchen table issues" like jobs and the economy.

Halle added that Cordray would likely be in the line of attack from other candidates and he wouldn't "take anything lying down."

"I think other campaigns will likely use this as a chance to take some real shots and use this as a chance to try and elevate their campaigns," Halle said. "We're open and welcoming to them, but we'll make sure we're holding other candidates accountable."

Andy Juniewicz, a spokesman for Kucinich's campaign, wouldn't divulge any of Kucinich's strategy, but said everyone watching should expect a "good debate."

"I think you'll just have to watch the debate and see how it unfolds," Juniewicz said.

As important as the debate is for Cordray and Kucinich, who have the luxury of a head start with their name ID and long history in politics, Schiavoni and O'Neill need to use the debate to raise their profiles and give a much-needed boost to their campaigns.

Schiavoni called the debate "extremely important" for his chances, adding he needs to show an attractive alternative for primary voters.

"I'm going to hit people tomorrow on the fact that I think establishment Democrats have lost the pulse of Ohio voters and that we need somebody new and need somebody who knows how to fight, and we need somebody that can give Ohioans a fresh perspective on politics," Schiavoni said.

O'Neill said he also planned to show a clear difference between him and Cordray. He said he was excited to do so on a stage that can't be controlled by the Democratic Party.

Cordray "has apparently been anointed by the Ohio Democratic Party," O'Neill said. "I'm going to have to show that he's wrong on guns, he's wrong on marijuana, he's wrong on prisons and he's wrong on opioids. I'll probably have four issues I need to present in the first 90 seconds."

Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Kirstin Alvanitakis denied any sort of fix in the governor's race.

"The Ohio Democratic Party has been committed throughout to an open and robust primary process," Alvanitakis said. "We have not endorsed in the race for governor."

Contrary to the Democratic Party, the Republicans have yet to hold a single debate between gubernatorial hopefuls Attorney General Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor.

An internal Ohio Republican Party memo from October showed there was a plan for four party-sanctioned debates, but none have coalesced yet. Taylor's campaign has repeatedly said DeWine is being deliberately evasive and noncommittal about sharing a stage, going so far as to send a costumed duck around the state that holds a "Debate Ducking DeWine" sign.

Another attempt by the conservative advocacy organization Americans for Prosperity in August also floundered when DeWine declined to attend.

Alvanitakis said after Wednesday, the party hopes have at least one more debate before the May primary.

The debate will begin at 5 p.m. and run until 6:30 p.m. at Bowsher High School in Toledo. The Ohio Democratic Party will be streaming the debate at http://ohiodems.org/live.

Andrew Tobias contributed to this report.PARMA, Ohio - The Normandy High School Culinary Arts team is headed to nationals next month after winning first place at the Ohio ProStart Invitational held Feb. 24 and 25 in Columbus.

"It was only our second time competing," Senior Chef Instructor Iann Johnson said. "We entered for the first time two years ago, so it was a big win for us.

"The biggest reason why our students won was the team dedication, the teamwork, their effort in the kitchen and the way they kind of worked as a group. I think that really impressed the judges. Our flavors were real tight and the dishes turned out really well," Johnson said.

The five-member team's "Tour of the Asian Continent" theme focused on different countries: China with the pan-seared duck breast appetizer, Thailand with the steamed Chilean sea bass entree and India with the vanilla chai tea panna cotta dessert.

Normandy High School Culinary Arts students Madison Wargo and Jacob Lavdas took first place in the Ohio Beef Council Burger Battle with their bahn mi burger. (Photo Courtesy of Iann Johnson)

The Ohio ProStart Invitational is for high school juniors and seniors enrolled in culinary programs throughout the Buckeye State. Each team has an hour to prepare a meal using two butane burners. Competition judges are industry professionals grading on taste, degree of difficulty, creativity, sanitation, safety, teamwork and culinary knowledge.

Each member of the Normandy team - Kaylee Headrick, Jordyn Piotrowski, Kristine Zajac, Javier Borjas and Veronica Coyne - received a $20,000 scholarship.

By winning the competition, the group was provided $3,500 in travel expenses from the Ohio Restaurant Association for its trip to the nationals, taking place April 27-29 in Rhode Island.

"This competition forced me out of my comfort zone and helped us grow as a team and as individuals," Parma High School senior Piotrowski said. "I can't wait to see where nationals takes us."

Added Parma High School senior Headrick: "It was unreal, winning states. Now I just want us to push as a team to try to win nationals."

Also last weekend, sophomore Madison Wargo and senior Jacob Lavdas won the Ohio Beef Council's Burger Battle. Both culinary program students received $500 for their creative Vietnamese-themed bahn mi burger.

"They did a really good job, as well," Johnson said. "It's kind of a traditional sandwich that has like roast pork or beef, with pickled vegetables and cilantro. We kind of made our own spin on that."

While Johnson was optimistic going into the competition, he had no expectations about winning. As for attending nationals, the chef said the plan is to produce the same dishes with only a few minor tweaks.

"It was a big test to go through the state competition," Johnson said. "I was really impressed by how the team came together and through the process.

"Going to nationals will be a learning opportunity, but if the team goes out and executes, that's all we can ask for. I'm just excited to see them back out there and go through another round."UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- A vote was not taken Monday as to whether University Heights will allow the keeping of backyard chickens in coops, but there was plenty of talk, pro and con, on the subject.

"I'm not in favor of the proposal to allow chickens on residential properties," said Charney Road resident Paul Miller in opening up discussion on the topic during the public speaking portion of Monday's City Council meeting.

Miller, using Center of Disease Control figures, told council members that there were 19,000 hospitalizations in the United States in 2017 due to salmonella, a disease that lives within chickens' intestines, and 380 deaths from the disease.

"And, salmonella is only one of the diseases you can get from chickens," he said.

Miller went on the discuss other health hazards surrounding the keeping of chickens. He noted that, from internet research, he found that 70 percent of those who keep chickens allow guests to walk through coops, and that 40 percent of chicken owners don't always change their clothes after cleaning coops. Such actions, he said, help spread disease, often carried in chickens' waste products.

In arguing against the 20-foot barrier the current ordinance proposal states must separate a backyard coop from a neighbor's home, Miller walked off paces in the council chamber to approximate 20 feet, showing what he believed to be not too great a distance.

"You have choices," Miller told council. "You can approve the ordinance only a handful of (residents) want, or you can vote against the ordinance that puts a number of residents at health risk."

Miller also asked what residents will do with their chickens after they've reached the age of two and cease laying eggs, when they may not want the birds anymore.

Councilman Steven Sims agreed with Miller.

"I don't think that backyard chickens are going to destroy the world," Sims said. "I am concerned that if not done correctly it will create the opportunity to attract vermin and predators.

"I am concerned with the proximity to houses where coops, runs and even waste will be kept."

Sims added that he didn't think the presence of chickens "is in the character of our city."

Councilman Phillip Ertel, who brought up the possibility of chickens spreading disease at the last council meeting, told those in attendance: "I would not deny everyone in University Heights the opportunity of a fresh egg. But I am concerned with the regulation of chickens. I'd like to see annual inspections. I want to make sure residents of the city are safe."

Council is considering two ordinances pertaining to chickens: One is an amendment to the zoning code to allow chickens in residential districts; the other sets regulations for the keeping of chickens.

Those regulations, in addition to ensuring that coops are at least 20 feet from a neighboring home, forbid the keeping of roosters, limit the number of chickens one can keep to six, and prohibit slaughtering of chickens.

Councilman Mark Wiseman, who is spearheading the legislation, has declared that the ordinance would be in effect for one year, during which time it could be seen how many complaints might come from neighbors. The ordinance would require the city granting a one-year conditional use permit to each chicken-keeping resident.

The city's Planning & Zoning Commission will look at the two proposed ordinances and make a recommendation to council before council takes a final vote. That final vote could come at council's March 19 meeting.

Wiseman did some internet research of his own and found that there are about 40 million chickens in Ohio, with 30 million of these hens kept for laying eggs. Chickens, he added, are shown at places like the Ohio State Fair.

With all those chickens present, he said, "You don't hear about people getting sick from chickens.

"I thought I'd never see the day when there'd be talk of backyard chickens as a great health risk," Wiseman said. "I'm concerned about bluster being pushed around this issue."

Wiseman said he found that, countywide, there have been only four residential chicken complaints lodged in the past dozen years.

"I think it's something we should pass without restriction," he said of the proposed legislation.

It was last year that Meadowbrook Boulevard resident Laura Francis got Wiseman and the rest of council considering the idea of allowing backyard chickens. Francis was unsuccessful last year in getting council to grant her permission to keep her chickens. Council would not overturn the Board of Zoning Appeal's decision against her request.

Francis again made a presentation to council on Monday. A dog owner, Francis said that cats and dogs carry more diseases than do chickens. She said that, as long as a chicken owner washes his or her hands, changes clothes after cleaning coops and doesn't kiss the birds, there is minimal threat of disease.

Francis also mentioned that the city of Lakewood requires those permitted to keep chickens to take a Cleveland Metroparks class to teach them how to properly do so.

Councilwoman Michele Weiss favors allowing the one-year permit to be granted to those who want to keep chickens, but said she was previously unaware of the classes. She would like to add that requirement for chicken keeping in University Heights.

Rebranding the city

Also at Monday's council meeting, Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan announced that the city has entered into an agreement with Guide Studio for the rebranding of University Heights.

At its Feb. 5 meeting, council approved legislation to spend up to $30,000 with Guide Studio, of Shaker Square, for the campaign. The campaign will define the city's assets, assure that the city knows its audience when seeking to attract business, create unique neighborhoods, provide for signage and other things. Goals include retaining and attracting residents and businesses.

"As we get ready to embark on phase one (of the campaign)," Brennan told those at the council meeting, "we will be composing a steering committee of approximately seven to nine people who will be responsible for advising the process, making decisions and advocating for the determined solution.

"This is not to be confused with the cultivated set of community stakeholders with whom we will have one or two workshops to 'verify the brand story' and fill in details that quantitative research cannot provide.""A child is above anything else!"  a contest of confessions about the most intimate

For a woman there is no greater happiness in life than the joy of Motherhood. Unfortunately, the way to this cherished dream is often a thorny one, and many married couples have difficulties with conception of long-awaited child. It is a painful and difficult challenge of the strength of the spirit and the belief in miracles. Having 25 years of experience and 22,470 successful IVF programs, we can say for sure that even in the most desperate situations, one should not give up and forgo the dream of a small darling happiness.

There is always a hope  with this message, ISIDA clinic together with popular Ukrainian TV channel initiated a contest of confessions "A child is above anything else!". Any married couple dreaming of a baby could share with us their story, describing how much they want to become parents, and get a chance to participate in free IVF program. A touching story of Elena V. on her longstanding battle for the main dream of her life couldnt leave us indifferent:

Probably, there is nothing special about my story. I'm an ordinary woman, I did not have any terrible illnesses or abortions, I did not sleep around. And, probably, never really wanted to get married... But always dreamed of becoming a mother! When I turned 19, I got married and immediately began to dream about the baby, although we didnt even have enough money for the two of us  we were living from salary to salary. But I decided that my grandmother, whom I then lived with, will look after her great-granddaughter, and I will go to work. However, soon my grandmother died, and I still wasnt pregnant. Six months later, I went to a gynecologist for the first time. The doctor calmed me down, said that after taking hormonal medications it can happen and that in a year everything will work out.

But it never happened. I started visiting doctors, was prescribed with hormones and gained weight. All the doctors said that there seemed to be no problems, I constantly took different tests and ... nothing. So 12 years flew past. During this time, all my friends, relatives, even nieces had children. Some of them had two. And it became difficult for me and my husband to communicate with them. They couldnt understand us. Everyone talked only about children. And we could only dream about them.

Yes, I have godson, this is my sister's son, he is 6 years old, and I really love him. But I still hope to give birth to my own children. Although I understand that with every year it will be increasingly difficult. By the way, one day, when his mother was at the hospital after the birth of her youngest daughter, he asked me: "Do you know where the children in the tummy come from? Ask my mother, so that you can have a baby too and be a mother, and Yarik (my husband)  a father! ". On one hand it touches, but on the other  it hurts to hear.

Last year we seriously thought about this problem. We took all the necessary tests, even made insemination. But nothing happened. In January, we were preparing for IVF in a natural cycle. But again  no luck. So we decided to save money for usual IVF. In the meantime, prices for all services went up again. And we had to save more money to make new analyzes, only now we did it in ISIDA. I really hope that this time we will succeed, because children are the best thing in our life! So my heart tells me

Upon finding out about the victory in the contest, Elena V. could not believe her happiness:

"I wrote a confession like this for the first time and, frankly, I didnt believe to ever win a prize, -Elena V. remembers.  This contest is very good: it is not only give hope to women, but also let them understand how many people struggle with this problem, too. Right after I found out about the victory in the contest, we made IVF in ISIDA and... it went well! Now I'm pregnant, and I'm very happy about that. I want to express a huge gratitude towards the clinic and my attending physician  I have never felt such a professional approach and warm attitude to myself for the past 12 years of treatment".

When Elena came to ISIDA, it was immediately clear to me that she was a real fighter,  says obstetrician-gynecologist Ksenia Khazhilenko.  Lena was determined and did not hesitate with the actions, and with that, she stood out among all other patients. As an attending physician I can say that her firm belief in success helped us to use the existing chances for 150% and to help her become pregnant from the first attempt.

This happy story is a vivid example of the fact that miracles happen  you only have to strongly believe in them. And remember that hope is the best medicine of all there is known!

Contact us!

Phone: +380 (44) 455 88 14

Viber: +380 (67) 333 88 14

Skype: ISIDA International

Address: 65, Vatslava Gavela Blvd, Kyiv, Ukraine

https://isida-ivf.com/96%

Website datingfactory.se uses latest and advanced technologies like: Php. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 30318 bytes (29.61 kb uncompressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2020-07-20, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.Lessonia announced the launch of its third marine active: Healthyskin (INCI: Not Available). The ingredient is meant to promote a visibly younger appearance.

The company developed the active through its partnership with marine glycobiology brand CNRS using sustainable biotechnology methods. The Healthyskin ingredient works to restore physiological mechanisms of skin health in three ways:

Reinforce skins cutaneous barrier;

Improve epidermis renewal; and

Improve skin texture.

Clinical tests showed the active improved skin hydration and barrier function by 16.5% after 28 days. At a 1% concentration, it doubled skin renewal in four days. It also decreased skin's microrelief by up to 42.9% over the 28 days.

We answer the needs of the cosmetic industrys big names by offering an active ingredient with metabolic and innovative paths. ... [In today's times], customers do not [necessarily] look for appearing younger anymore, but want to be in harmony in their age. Healthyskin is a scientific translation of this trendy concept, said Charles-Henri Morice, head of innovation, Lessonia.

Healthyskin will be launched at in-cosmetics Global in Amsterdam, April 1719, 2018.Climate-smart agriculture practices are helping to counter the devastating conditions faced by farmers in Africa in recent years. Sithembile Ndema Mwamakamba is Programme Manager for the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), a longstanding CTA partner. She explains how women are at the forefront of farmers efforts to build resilience to climate change.

Climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices are helping small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa to cope with increasingly difficult conditions due to erratic weather patterns, which are having a devastating effect on their crops and livestock. Women are at the frontline of efforts to salvage agricultural production for their households, as they seek to ensure that the quality, as well as quantity of food eaten by their families, suffers as little as possible.

Farmers are actually seeing the effects of climate change in the form of droughts, flooding and changes in rainfall patterns, resulting in a decline in crop yields and livestock production, said Sithembile Ndema Mwamakamba. Its not just science anymore, or a phenomenon being talked about by experts. Its something very real that is happening on the ground.

Mwamakamba coordinates CSA policy research and advocacy projects for FANRPAN, which supports the development and implementation of better food, agriculture and national resources policies in Africa. Earlier in her career with FANRPAN, Mwamakamba was involved in various CTA initiatives, including a workshop to review issues related to youth agriculture and rural development and a study visit to Dominica as part of the 10th Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA). It was quite an honour to take African experiences to another part of the world, she said in reference to her participation in the CWA.

As part of its mandate to ensure that research feeds into climate change policies, FANRPAN recently released a report that examines the climate situation in 15 countries of sub-Saharan Africa. The findings reveal a bleak picture for smallholder farmers, especially in Southern Africa, where the El Nino weather event has left an estimated 31.6 million people food and nutrition insecure. In South Africa, more than 250,000 cattle died from heat stress and lack of grazing in 2016 alone, and crop farmers have seen their harvests decimated by the acute lack of rainfall in recent years.

Choosing the right technique

A number of sub-Saharan countries have introduced climate change policies, but the challenge now lies in implementing them and allocating budgets, says Mwamakamba. Encouragingly, some farmers are already putting CSA into practice, in many cases adapting indigenous techniques that have been used for generations.

Farmers have their own ways of coping, and a lot of organisations are now working on the ground to deliver research-based CSA solutions, said Mwamakamba. Women, being the custodians of agriculture and representing a greater percentage of the agricultural labour force, are very active adopters of these techniques, though we found that they favour less labour intensive methods. Thats because they already have multiple duties, within the household and on the farms.

Mulching is a popular CSA technique because it is highly effective and requires relatively little physical input. It involves covering the topsoil with crop residue, grass and other organic material to reduce the loss of soil moisture. In Zambia, women are growing crops on ridges in shallow wetland areas, making use of nearby water to irrigate by hand, before relying on residual moisture once the root system takes hold. Other CSA techniques include digging pits around plants to retain soil moisture and using livestock manure as fertiliser.

Women are particularly receptive to learning about new techniques that can improve agricultural production, and are active in sharing their knowledge and experience about effective CSA methods. I have seen this myself on many occasions. For example, we have an irrigation project that has introduced a monitoring device to encourage more efficient water use, said Mwamakamba. Often, when meetings are arranged, it is women who attend. I think women are always looking for ways of improving their families lives. So whenever people come into the community with something to propose, they are interested in finding out about it, and in sharing the knowledge if they see its useful.

Saving time, water and labour

The soil water-monitoring device is a classic example of how simple technologies can be used to help counter climate change. Called the Chameleon Soil Water Sensor, the device measures how hard it is for plants to suck water out of the soil, and the data is displayed with coloured lights: blue (wet), green (moist) and red (dry). The Chameleon has been introduced in Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, where it has been welcomed with enthusiasm by women farmers.

Women in Zimbabwe told us that the device had helped them to free up valuable time, said Mwamakamba. Before, they would water regardless, but now they test the soil first, and if its blue, they dont water, but go and get on with other things, which might be weeding their fields or doing family chores. That for me demonstrates the uptake of technologies by women, and how they can use these to realise their other duties.

Aside from increasing productivity and bolstering resilience, CSA can also make a valuable contribution to combating malnutrition, while offering an opportunity to mitigate climate impacts. Here too women are playing a key role. Nutrition-sensitive agriculture is an important feature of the FANRPAN portfolio, casting the spotlight not just on the volumes of food produced, but also on the substance and quality.

Malnutrition levels are rising and food consumption patterns are changing, especially in urban Africa, where people are eating more processed foods, said Mwamakamba. CSA promotes the growing of nutritious, indigenous foods that have long been neglected. Given womens responsibilities as the primary caregivers to families and communities, and the fact that they are the critical link between the farm and the dinner table, it is important that CSA technologies are tailored to the specific needs of these heroines!Heather Clark

Christian News

March 5, 2018



NEWFOUNDLAND, Pa.  Members of a group in Pennsylvania that is stated to be a breakaway from the Unification Church but still follows the late Sun Myung Moon as the Messiah raised eyebrows on Wednesday after they brought AR-15s to a couples blessing ceremony as the rod of iron cited in the Book of Revelation and a commitment to defend their communities and the spiritual nation of Cheon Il Guk.



The event was called the Cosmic True Parents of Heaven, Earth and Humanity Cheon Il Guk Book of Life Registration Blessing Ceremony, according to a public release, also known as a perfection level blessing.



On February 28, all brothers and sisters who believe that True Father Sun Myung Moon is the Messiah and that Hyung Jin Moon is his representative and heir in the physical world who has inherited the True Parents authority and preserves the words and practices established by True Father, are invited to participate in an historic Perfection Stage Book of Life Registration Blessing that True Father promised, it read.



Dressed in wedding garb, with the men donning crowns and the women wearing either crowns or tiaras, members of the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary in Newfoundland held unloaded assault rifles during the service. Some of the crowns were made of bullets.



Blessed couples are requested to bring the accouterments of the nation of Cheon Il Guk, crowns representing the sovereignty of kings and queens, and a rod of iron, designated by the Second King as an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle or equivalents such as an AK semi-automatic rifle, representing both the intent and the ability to defend ones family, community and nation of Cheon Il Guk,' the release outlined.



It said that failure to bring the rifle, or at least a gift certificate as proof of intent to purchase one, would be a sign of disrespect to the groups founder.



As the parable of the ten virgins spoken of in Matthew 25:1-13 explains, believers should be prepared internally and externally to receive the grace of the bridegrooms arrival so they can be welcomed into the wedding banquet,' the group wrote.



Hyung Jin Sean Moon leads the Newfoundland location, being the son of the Korean Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, who died in 2012. Moon launched the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification in 1954 after claiming that he was a messiah and that Jesus told him at age 15 that he must complete His unfinished work. His followers refer to him as the true father.



Moon, who once said that because Jesus did not marry during His lifetime, He failed to make humans perfect children, became known for officiating mass weddings, which have at times involved more than 2,000 people. His organization received criticism for matchmaking couples, and online reports state that some of those who were wed did not meet until just days before the mass wedding. Larsons Book of World Religions and Alternate Spirituality says that [s]ome do not meet their future marriage partner until the day of the wedding, a statement that the Unification Church denies.



Moon himself had 14 children through his second wife Hak Ja Han, who is referred to as the true mother.



According to CBS News, Sean Moon prayed at the event that the people would be a kingdom of peace police and peace militia where the citizens, through the right given to them by almighty God to keep and bear arms, will be able to protect one another and protect human flourishing. All weapons were reportedly checked at the door to ensure that they were unloaded and secured with zip ties.



However, word of the event generated both fear and protest from those who learned of the gathering. The Wallenpaupack Area School District moved students from an elementary school to another location as a precaution. While the event was reportedly planned long before the Parkland, Florida shooting, a group of demonstrators who stood outside of the facility didnt think that the gathering was a good idea.



I thought it was a joke, but then here it is real, one woman told CBS News.



Another held a sign characterizing the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary as an armed religious cult.



One neighbor expressed indifference to the group, stating, Who am I to say that its wrong, what theyre doing, you know? Theyve got a lot of followers.



[T]he Sanctuary Church in Newfoundland is not blessing guns, Sean Moon also wrote in a note of clarification posted to social media, explaining that while the rifles were a part of the service, the event focused on couples gathering to (re)dedicate their marriages to each other and most importantly to God. He also cited that participants wore crowns as the Bible speaks repeatedly of Christs followers as co-heirs of His Kingdom, as kings and queens, who must not lose their crowns.



While some religious groups proclaim men other than Jesus alone as the Messiah, 1 Timothy 2:5-6 states, For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.



Jesus also declared in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.Archive September 2021 (6) August 2021 (8) July 2021 (5) June 2021 (8) May 2021 (5) April 2021 (13) March 2021 (15) February 2021 (9) January 2021 (10) December 2020 (10) November 2020 (23) October 2020 (18) September 2020 (19) August 2020 (7) July 2020 (11) June 2020 (11) May 2020 (16) April 2020 (20) March 2020 (13) February 2020 (33) January 2020 (14) December 2019 (21) November 2019 (25) October 2019 (20) September 2019 (17) August 2019 (12) July 2019 (17) June 2019 (16) May 2019 (13) April 2019 (27) March 2019 (18) February 2019 (46) January 2019 (29) December 2018 (27) November 2018 (26) October 2018 (31) September 2018 (17) August 2018 (7) July 2018 (13) June 2018 (18) May 2018 (15) April 2018 (40) March 2018 (24) February 2018 (18) January 2018 (22) December 2017 (27) November 2017 (27) October 2017 (29) September 2017 (30) August 2017 (17) July 2017 (17) June 2017 (14) May 2017 (15) April 2017 (13) March 2017 (11) February 2017 (10) January 2017 (16) December 2016 (23) November 2016 (28) October 2016 (16) September 2016 (31) August 2016 (23) July 2016 (51) June 2016 (33) May 2016 (41) April 2016 (38) March 2016 (29) February 2016 (55) January 2016 (28) December 2015 (30) November 2015 (37) October 2015 (50) September 2015 (67) August 2015 (30) July 2015 (31) June 2015 (19) May 2015 (21) April 2015 (38) March 2015 (33) February 2015 (30) January 2015 (26) December 2014 (30) November 2014 (45) October 2014 (42) September 2014 (47) August 2014 (17) July 2014 (30) June 2014 (17) May 2014 (13) April 2014 (66) March 2014 (33) February 2014 (48) January 2014 (46) December 2013 (34) November 2013 (28) October 2013 (56) September 2013 (59) August 2013 (41) July 2013 (32) June 2013 (23) May 2013 (67) April 2013 (71) March 2013 (67) February 2013 (86) January 2013 (64) December 2012 (44) November 2012 (53) October 2012 (83) September 2012 (78) August 2012 (40) July 2012 (33) June 2012 (30) May 2012 (56) April 2012 (51) March 2012 (58) February 2012 (57) January 2012 (41) December 2011 (61) November 2011 (54) October 2011 (49) September 2011 (62) August 2011 (34) July 2011 (35) June 2011 (23) May 2011 (31) April 2011 (21) March 2011 (25) February 2011 (22) January 2011 (9) December 2010 (9) November 2010 (22) October 2010 (27) September 2010 (38) August 2010 (9) July 2010 (16) June 2010 (5) May 2010 (15) April 2010 (17) March 2010 (18) February 2010 (33) January 2010 (25) December 2009 (14) November 2009 (12) October 2009 (21) September 2009 (14) August 2009 (10) July 2009 (9) June 2009 (6) May 2009 (11) April 2009 (8) March 2009 (11) February 2009 (7) January 2009 (7) December 2008 (12) November 2008 (11) October 2008 (14) September 2008 (16) August 2008 (1)Gosh it was hot in the Commons. Hotter, even, than my old mums front room, which is in turn hotter than an Addis Ababa greenhouse. Had the Chambers thermostat fallen into the hands of climate-change deniers? Had the clerk of works forgotten to reset the boiler after last weeks snow?

Dress code should have been sola topis and string vests or (in the case of newly svelte Sir Nicholas Soames) bikinis.

The doorkeepers, in tailcoats and thick waistcoats, were as pink as Vimto. Thangam Debbonaire (Lab, Bristol West) cooled her face by waving the sort of black lace fan favoured by senoras at the corrida. Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary, kept blowing his cheeks. The heat was so bad, it brought on a piercing headache.

What stood out yesterday in the Commons, above the sweltering heat, was that Mrs may seemed to have done the impossible and united the Tories

Amid it all stood Theresa May in pale blue jacket, unusually confident and cool. She was telling MPs about her Brexit speech last Friday. When she made it at Mansion House it was heard in respectful silence. Here in the Commons it was subjected to Opposition mooings and rhubarbings and moans, when she said we are leaving the single market, of why?

The Commons can make anything sound bad. But what was striking about the Commons yesterday  apart from the heat haze rising like something in a Sam Shepard film  was the consensual mood on the Conservative benches. Mrs May seemed to have done the impossible and united the Tories.

The one exception? Anna Soubry (Con, Broxtowe). During a brief contribution by Brexiteer Peter Bone (Con, Wellingborough), I saw Miss Soubry make a jokey gesture to some of her friends on the Labour benches. She tapped her forehead, signalling that she thought Mr Bone was bonkers. His sin? To have crowed that in 389 days time the UK will leave the dreadful European superstate.

There was, however, no concerted grumbling at Mrs May from the Tory Remainers. Miss Soubry herself settled for a quibble about how much the Government is spending on Brexit preparations. Her fellow Europhile Bob Neill (Con, Bromley and Chislehurst) had a niche fret about the judiciary but praised Mrs Mays pragmatic tone which fits the natural tenor of our party (Tory activists I know are actually a lot hotter for Brexit than that).

Shadow Commons leader Valerie Vaz heckled May as she sat on one side of Jeremy Corbyn

Remainerish George Freeman (Con, Mid Norfolk), whom I recently saw hanging round in Mayfair near Tony Blairs offices, called Mrs Mays speech typically businesslike. Sarah Wollaston (Con, Totnes) merely raised a reasonable point about health experts still being able to work here if they were from the EU.

Kenneth Clarke (Con, Rushcliffe-sur-Mer) was absent. Dominic Grieve (Con, Beaconsfield), le Duc dAutosatisfaction, graced us with his presence for a short while before gliding out, silent as a top-of-the-range Citroen.

There was less serenity on the Labour side. While Mrs May spoke, she was heckled by Emily Thornberry and Valerie Vaz, sitting either side of Jeremy Corbyn. Sandwiched by glamour!

Miss Thornberry, when she shouts, moves her jaw and lips like the late Les Dawson playing a gossipy char.

The Prime Minister has been held hostage by the extremes in the Cabinet, claimed Mr Corbyn. This would have had more purchase had it not been so demonstrably untrue. Both Europhile and Eurosceptic ultras were relaxed.

Mrs May was hailed as clear and determined by Iain Duncan Smith (Con, Chingford and Woodford Green). With Brussels grumbling about British cherry-picking, IDS said cherries exist to be picked. No-nonsense Andrew Percy (Con, Brigg and Goole) was pleased that Mrs May was standing up for Northern English voters who had until now been patronised and insulted as being too thick, too Northern or too racist.

Ian Blackford, for the SNP, said his MPs would take the fight to the Government. He was rather torpedoed by the fact that there were only six of them there at the time. The best Opposition line came from the Lib Dem leader, Sir Vince Cable, who noted that Mrs May had finally delivered a trade deal with her own Cabinet. In other words, party unity.For many years, Italy has been taken for granted in Brussels. Its leaders could always be relied on to push the European project, to comply with demands for ever greater integration.

Not any more. Sundays seismic election result was almost as dramatic a rejection of Brussels as our own Brexit vote two years ago. And it could lead to a dramatic shift in the direction of the EU.

As the birthplace of the Treaty of Rome, the agreement 60 years ago that led to the creation of a united Europe, Italys status as an EU linchpin is without question.

Yet half of all Italians voted at the weekend for parties that exude Euroscepticism and have questioned the validity of the euro. Even the most purblind Brussels bureaucrat must sit up and take notice.

Matteo Salvini's League party was one of the big winners of Sunday's Italian election, with its slogan of 'Italians first'

Italians had always seemed model Europeans. Indeed, in many ways ordinary Italians saw rule from Brussels by unelected officials as preferable to being led by their own corrupt and incompetent politicians.

But soaring national debt and 30 per cent youth-unemployment levels have infuriated ordinary voters, who blame Brussels-imposed austerity measures, while uncontrolled migration has reached staggering proportions, with more than 690,000 migrants arriving by boat into the country from North Africa since 2013.

German Chancellor Angela Merkels decision in 2015 to welcome all migrants from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan to Europe is still regarded in Italy as a mistake of historic proportions.

Adding to the disdain for Europe has been the performance in recent years of Italys cravenly pro-European leadership. Interference from Brussels in the countrys affairs has increasingly angered ordinary Italians.

The biggest winner of the elections, the Five Star movement, is not like any other European party. Instead of the smart-suited wheeler-dealers who have run Rome for decades and flitted effortlessly between Romes halls of power and those of Brussels, Five Stars founder Beppe Grillo is a scruffy anarchist comic.

What drew 32 per cent of Italians to vote for his movement is that its youthful activists exude contempt for Italys sclerotic political system. They defy austerity demands from Brussels by calling for a minimum income for all and a lower pension age. And they are dead against the stifling effects of the euro on the Italian economy.

Five Star has dramatically hardened its views on immigration, coming closer to the nationalist rhetoric of the other big winner in the elections, the Right-wing League party.

Once a fringe party in northern Italy, the League found its slogan of Italians First was a vote-winner in a campaign over-shadowed by migration fears and anti-immigrant protests.

Tensions were highest in Macerata in central Italy, where a Nigerian man was arrested after the body of an 18-year-old Italian girl, Pamela Mastropietro, was found dismembered in two suitcases. Days later, a far-Right activist went on a two-hour shooting spree, targeting African migrants in the city and injuring six.

What will happen now to the Italian parliament is not clear. Even though 50 per cent of the vote has gone to the Five Star movement and the League, Italys Proportional Representation system of choosing a government means the end result is still unpredictable.

But both party leaders are vocal critics of the single currency and how the EU operates. And if either of them becomes the new Prime Minister, the deal with Europe is likely to change dramatically.

Italy is one of the EUs bedrocks, along with Germany and France. The country is too big and has been too central to the European project for too long for Eurocrats to close their eyes to the election result.

There is no doubt that the collapse in support for Italys traditional political class represents a profound crisis for Brussels.

Instead of the smart-suited wheeler-dealers who have run Rome for decades, Five Stars founder Beppe Grillo (pictured) is a scruffy anarchist comic

Over the next few weeks, the winners in the Italian election will have to try to sort out a coalition. If they cant, a coalition of losers might take over.

But even then Brussels would not be off the hook  for if such a coalition tried to carry on as though nothing had happened, continuing with pro-EU policies, there would an explosion of anger among the people. Already in this campaign, Italys streets have seen the kind of political violence not witnessed for decades.

O ne thing seems clear. Uncertainty about who rules in Rome is going to stymie any plans by Frances President Macron and Germanys Angela Merkel to push through plans for still more EU integration. Both the Five Star movement and the League have been vocally Eurosceptic. Their voters want less Europe and more local decision-making.

It may be second nature to Eurocrats to plot and intrigue to try to reverse elections that have produced the wrong outcome. But Brussels would truly be playing with fire if it intervened to fix the formation of the next Italian government.

Italians voted for many different things on Sunday. But the one thing the great majority of them clearly rejected was allowing their country to continue to be ruled from Brussels.

'They say you have to be incredibly intelligent to come up with seriously stupid ideas. Which explains why cerebral Tory peer David Willetts is nicknamed Two Brains,' writes Richard Littlejohn

They say you have to be incredibly intelligent to come up with seriously stupid ideas. Which explains why cerebral Tory peer David Willetts is nicknamed Two Brains.

His latest stroke of genius involves fleecing baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1966, to bail out hard-up millennials.

The time has come, 61-year-old Willetts said yesterday, when we boomers are going to have to reach into our own pockets.

The alternative could be an extra 15p on the basic rate of tax, paid largely by our kids.

Is that kind of tax really the legacy we  a generation who own half the nations wealth  want to bequeath our children and grandchildren? This is the moment the chickens come home to roost . . .

To meet soaring welfare and education bills, and the infinitely ravenous demands of the NHS, the Willetts Masterplan proposes imposing new wealth taxes on the over-50s.

That would include a one per cent levy on all homes valued at more than 100,000. In other words, all properties, other than those uninhabitable back-to-back slums in rundown Northern inner cities, either being bulldozed or flogged off for a quid.

The average house price in Britain is 226,000. Under the Willetts formula, the owner of such a property would be landed with an extra annual tax bill of around 1,250.

In London, where the average price is 729,000, that would translate into an additional 6,300 a year, give or take.

Where are people supposed to find that kind of money? Plenty of so-called wealthy baby boomers are retired, on fixed incomes.

According to the latest figures, the average pension is 19,900 a year.

Even the majority of younger baby boomers have passed their peak earnings years.

Many 50-somethings find themselves both unemployed and unemployable, because theyre considered either too old or lacking in the necessary skills to cope with our thrusting digital economy.

Others are forced to take jobs way below the level of their qualifications and abilities.

Whats more, a significant number of those lucky enough still to be in gainful employment are obliged  largely without complaint  to subsidise their adult children and elderly parents.

The Bank of Mum and Dad (BMD) is one of the busiest and most overstretched financial institutions in Britain.

And, unlike RBS and the rest, the BMD cant expect any taxpayer bailout when it goes bust.

Moreover, baby boomers have been paying taxes faithfully for four decades in anticipation of a long, reasonably comfortable retirement.

'Gordon Browns greedy smash-and-grab tax raid destroyed one of the worlds finest private pension systems'

Yet millions now face the prospect of working in B&Q until they drop or scraping by on whats left of their pensions and savings, after both have been repeatedly plundered and devalued by successive governments.

(Not that any of this will have much effect on Willetts himself. After failing in his ambition to become a European Commissioner, when he stood down as an MP in 2015, he was given the consolation prize of a seat in the Lords  where he will be entitled to claim his 300-a-day attendance allowance in perpetuity, on top of his index-linked, taxpayer-funded MPs pension.)

OK, I accept that my generations family homes are often worth many multiples of what we paid for them.

But even if you downsize to free up more money for your golden years, the Treasury will hammer you for thousands of pounds in stamp duty when you buy somewhere smaller.

And heres where we get to the nub of the problem  and the real reason behind the Willetts Masterplan. Rather than facing up to the future, taking the tough decisions theyre always banging on about, the politicians find it easier to pass the buck  and the bills  on to the rest of us.

Yes, housing, education and healthcare are all under pressure. Whose faults that?

Its been obvious for as long as I can remember that we would one day have to make provision for a population living longer than ever.

But the politicians have carried on behaving as if theres no tomorrow, milking taxpayers to fund their short-term ambitions.

Gordon Browns greedy smash-and-grab tax raid destroyed one of the worlds finest private pension systems because he needed the money for a massive expansion of self-indulgent state spending, designed to bribe people into voting Labour.

Not for nothing did I dub him The Man Who Stole Your Old Age.

Its also been glaringly obvious that the NHS, like the European Union, is an idea way beyond its expiry date.

But rather than grasp the nettle and introduce sensible reforms that would make the health service fit for the 21st century, politicians of every stripe have simply continued to throw taxpayers money at it.

When tough decisions are called for, they inevitably get it hopelessly wrong. As universities minister, Willetts presided over a threefold increase in student fees to pay for higher education.

A proper blue-skies thinker would have addressed the central problem and abolished the multiplicity of Mickey Mouse courses introduced to meet Labours ludicrous promise to send 50 per cent of school leavers to pretend universities.

'The Prime Minister, as part of her Brexit concessions, has agreed that the EU will still have a significant say in who can move to Britain'

When baby boomers like me were growing up, only a tiny minority of us went on to university. Most of us  me included  left school at 16 and started earning a living.

As for housing (cue Hovis music), I began married life in a two-up, two-down terrace with an outside toilet and a coal-store, which we knocked together to create a downstairs bathroom.

We didnt have the same exaggerated sense of entitlement as todays millennials. Look, I sympathise with those struggling to get on the housing ladder. But they dont make it easy on themselves.

The other day I stumbled across one of those property shows on satellite telly, featuring a young couple looking to buy their first home in North London, a part of the world I know well.

They couldnt afford to live where they wanted, but they turned up their noses at a more reasonably priced flat two stops (about five minutes) further away on the Underground  because theyd be too far from the pub that was the centre of their social life.

Still, I digress. We all know why housing, especially in London, is so expensive.

As I wrote when Mother Theresa first announced her intention to build more homes back in November: We dont have a housing crisis, we have a population crisis.

Unlimited mass immigration under Labour and Tory governments has placed intolerable pressure on not just schools and hospitals, roads and railways, but private housing, too.

Still they come  more than 300,000 last year.

And the Prime Minister, as part of her Brexit concessions, has agreed that the EU will still have a significant say in who can move to Britain.

So much for taking back control of our borders.

But rather than admit this, we get lumbered with half-witted sticking plaster solutions like the latest Willetts plan to blame it on the baby boomers.

He will only succeed in fuelling still further the millennials resentment, which is currently being exploited cynically by the Corbynistas.

And quite apart from alienating whats left of the Tory base (just as the dementia tax did at the last election), even if implemented in full, this new tax grab would only raise 9 billion a year.

Thats 5 billion less than were currently doling out in foreign aid.

Two Brains? As Eric Morecambe used to say: This boys a fool.

'Emily Maitlis first came to my attention when she read the local BBC news in London, standing up, wearing short skirts'

Emily Maitlis first came to my attention when she read the local BBC news in London, standing up, wearing short skirts and leaning against a chrome balcony rail.

Rather ungallantly, I wrote that it made her look like a pole-dancer. But, undoubtedly, it got her noticed.

Recently, Emilys been complaining that shes not paid as much as fellow male presenters on Newsnight.

Now shes protesting that the camera angles on the BBC2 show are too revealing, like upskirt photos taken by the paparazzi of female celebs climbing out of taxis.

You never know if theyre going to get your knickers, she said.

Call me a sexist pig, but couldnt she just put on a gown that touches the ground.A mother-of-two has revealed how she wrote a Fifty Shades of Grey-style novel as a way to escape her gruelling treatment for bowel cancer.

Catherine Wiltcher, 38, of Dilton Marsh, Wiltshire, turned to writing because she 'needed something to drag herself out' of the 'cancer whirlpool' that she slipped into following her diagnosis in May 2017.

The former TV producer is now in remission and her first novel, Eyes To The Wind, is set to be published in print later this month.

Speaking to FEMAIL, she said: 'I wanted to turn my diagnosis to my advantage by proving that I could still chase a dream even when I was going through the worst time of my life.

Catherine Wiltcher, 38, pictured with her two daughters, turned to writing to 'drag herself out' of the 'cancer whirlpool' that she slipped into following her diagnosis in May 2017

The former TV producer, pictured in hospital, is now in remission and her first novel, Eyes To The Wind, is set to be published in print later this month

'I didn't want to be in that chemo ward so I sent my characters on a nostalgic trip to some of the places I worked myself during my time in film and TV production  Morocco, Cannes, LA.

'Writing transported me back to a time when I was me again and not just a cancer patient.'

Catherine, who lives with husband Matt, 42, and daughters Emily, seven, and Jessica, five, initially attributed her early cancer symptoms to stress after her father was diagnosed with Stage 4 renal cell cancer.

Proceeds from the novel, pictured, will benefit charity Bowel Cancer UK

She went on to see six different GPs who diagnosed her with a range of conditions including IBS, colitis, reflux and 'health anxiety'.

It was nearly a year before doctors finally diagnosed her with stage three bowel cancer after giving her the colonoscopy she had battled for months to be given.

Catherine said: 'It was the worst moment of my life. I couldn't take it in, even when I saw the tumour on the screen myself during the colonoscopy.

'I'd been told repeatedly for nine months that cancer wasn't even a remote possibility for me. I was young, fit and healthy, or so I thought. I shouldn't have cancer but I do.

'One of my worst fears when I was a child was growing up without a mother. The thought that this might happen to my own children was devastating.

'I couldn't stop crying. I wasn't crying for me, I was crying for them.'

Three weeks later she underwent a six-hour operation to remove 15cm of her colon and 19 lymph nodes at Bath Royal United Hospital. Two of the lymph nodes were found to contain cancer cells.

Catherine, pictured with her two daughters, revealed how she drew on her love of Fifty Shades Of Grey author E.L. James and the work of Jilly Cooper when she penned her own novel

Catherine underwent four rounds of chemotherapy after undergoing surgery to remove the cancerous cells

Seven weeks after the operation Catherine started four rounds of chemotherapy, which she completed in November 2017.

Catherine, who studied journalism at university and started a parenting blog following the birth of her children, turned to writing to work through her emotions.

'Writing was my way of coping with all these terrible things that kept happening,' she said. 'I wanted to write something that removed me as far away from oncology rooms as possible.'

Writing was my way of coping with all these terrible things that kept happening. I wanted to write something that removed me as far away from oncology rooms as possible Catherine Wiltchire

She also used it to help process the grief she felt following the death of her father, who lost his battle with cancer days after her life-saving surgery.

The mother-of-two had written the synopsis for her book two years ago and entered it into a Mills & Boon competition for unpublished authors.

She said: 'In the end I was shortlisted but I never pursued it, even when the publishing world was interested. With two small children I never seemed to have the time to finish it.'

The book draws on Catherine's love of E.L. James' Fifty Shades trilogy and the work of Jilly Cooper, which she enjoyed as a teenager.

'Both authors write books that are risque but it's not just all about the sex - they write great stories and characters too, ones that you can completely lose yourself in,' she said. 'I set the same challenge for myself.'

Catherine, pictured with her daughters, wants to raise awareness of Bowel Cancer UK's 'Never Too Young' campaign, which aims to improve delays in diagnosis and allow better access to genetic testing for those under 50

The novel tells the story of the relationship between a high-powered Hollywood executive and his new 22-year-old assistant.

The eBook version has proved so successful that Catherine is now publishing a print edition, with all proceeds going to Bowel Cancer UK.

She added: 'Bowel Cancer UK has been a huge support to me over the past year.

'By donating all of the proceeds of my book, I'm hoping to raise money and awareness of their "Never Too Young" campaign which aims to improve delays in diagnosis and allow better access to genetic testing for those under 50.

'2500 young people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year, 2500 with families like mine, or those whose fertility has been robbed by this terrible disease.'

For more information visit bowelcanceruk.org.ukA dad from Brooklyn has charmed social media with a hilarious image of his young daughter's reaction after she tried pizza for the first time.

Jody Avirgan, 37, shared the brilliant photo of his little girl sitting down at a restaurant with sauce all over her face, while her eyes closed and her hands are raised in the air in what appears to be a silent celebration at what she had just eaten.

Unsurprisingly, the podcast host's brilliant snap quickly took social media by storm, racking up more than 50,000 retweets and 210,000 likes within a matter of days.

Amazing: A dad from Brooklyn, New York shared a photo of his little girl (pictured) trying pizza for the first time and it's the greatest thing Twitter's ever seen

Hilarious: Jody Avirgan shared the iconic photo of his little girl sitting down with sauce all over her face, eyes closed and hands in the hair

Jody shared the photo of his little redheaded girl with the simple caption, 'My daughter just tried pizza for the first time.'

And it appears that her first ever slice certainly hit the spot, at least if her euphoric expression is anything to go by.

Sitting in her high chair, with her face covered in red sauce, she couldn't look happier about her meal - and her delight has not gone unnoticed by the legion of Twitter users who have commented on it.

'Imagine when she tries bacon,' one person wrote, with another then replying: 'Imagine when she tries bacon on pizza.'

The internet has already turned the adorable toddler into a meme and she is now popping up everywhere.

Viral: People cannot get over how adorable the little girl is and since the podcast host posted the photo it has 50,000 retweets, over 210,000 likes and almost 2,000 comments

Funny: People have been turning the photo into memes and making jokes like this one user who said imagine when she tries bacon for the first time

Hysterical: The frozen pizza company, DiGiorno got in on the action when they joked that this is their reaction when people say it's not delivery

Feud: Jody responded to his own tweet saying that anyone from Chicago has not tried real pizza

Famous Instagram meme account F**kjerry, reposted the picture of Jody's daughter just yesterday and it already has over 630,000 likes and almost 18,000 comments.

So many people have been commenting on this photo because they just can't handle the cuteness.

One user joked, 'She praying to the pizza Gods?' while another person made a meme saying, 'And joined the Church of Pizza forevermore.'

Some people gushed about the little girl and the picture as one guy wrote, 'Jody, this is the greatest photo ever. No debate.'

Meanwhile another woman who is a complete stranger to Jody shared a picture of her phone screen with the caption, 'Please don't find this creepy but...this is my phone background now,' with a photo of the little girl on her screen.

Perhaps one of the funniest tweets came from frozen pizza company DiGiorno who tweeted, 'Us when people say it's not delivery.'

Same: Many people joked that they still have this reaction to pizza

Praise: This woman joked that the little girl looks like she's praising the pizza church

Me: One guy wrote that he still does this every time he eats a slice of pizza even 30 years later

Unbelievable: This girl joked that the little girl had a revelation when she tried pizza for the first time

While others shared how sweet the photo is, 'The tomato sauce around the perimeter of her mouth and those outstretched arms to a divine entity is how we all feel. #BabysFirstPizza.'

Another person tweeted, 'I wish I could try pizza for the first time again...I'd look like this,' while one user shared, 'Seems like she has reached enlightenment,' and 'This is so pure,' said someone else.

One woman wrote, 'My son had the same expression the first time he had syrup on pancakes. Then he looked at me like I'd betrayed him for not giving it to him before.'

After receiving a ton of feedback on the photo, Jody followed up on his original tweet saying, 'While I appreciate the love this is getting I notice that a few Chicago pizza shops have tweeted it.

'I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you that whatever it is you're subjecting your customers to - it's not real pizza.'

Jody was just joking about the Chicago pizza considering he's from Brooklyn where the New York and Chicago pizza rivalry is strong.Advertisement

With its clifftop villas and breathtaking infinity pools, this five-star hotel is the perfect place for the world's elite to relax and unwind.

The Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort, which opened its doors in Oman a little over a year ago, took three years, 2,000 people and 200million to build.

No expense was spared in constructing the 82 spacious rooms and 33 private villas, which cost an average of 1,000-a-night. Meanwhile a stay in the resort's most luxurious accommodation, the three-bedroom Royal Mountain Villa, will set you back 6,000.

The hotel, the highest five-star resort in the middle east, sits 6,500 ft above sea level on the curving rim of a great canyon, affording guests breathtaking views of the cliffs and gorge below.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited the site of the hotel when it was untouched wilderness during their 1986 visit to Oman and guests can now dine on 'Diana's Point', where she took in the natural beauty of the area.

On BBC Two's Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby, which airs on Tuesday night, presenters Giles Coren and Monica Galetti explore the resort - and offer viewers a glimpse of the ultra-luxury living it offers.

Ultimate luxury: Oman's Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort, which opened its doors a little over a year ago, took three years, 2,000 people and 200million to build. Pictured, the three-bedroom Royal Mountain Villa, which costs 6,000-a-night

Paying a premium: The infinity pool and decking area of the three-bedroom Royal Mountain Villa, which sleeps nine people and stretches across more than 7,500 sq ft. The property boasts staff quarters and comes with a dedicated in-house host

Private oasis: Bedroom in the Deluxe Garden Pool Villa, which offers guests nearly 2,000sq ft of space and a private pool

Royal visitors: Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited the site of the hotel when it was untouched wilderness during their 1986 visit to Oman and guests can now dine on 'Diana's Point', pictured, where she took in the natural beauty of the area

The Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar, which roughly translates to 'the green mountain', has three restaurants, two lounges and a spa to cater for the guests in its 82 rooms and 33 villas.

Each room has a balcony with canyon views, while the 33 villas each have a private pool and dedicated host.

Muslim custom means women are not permitted to wear swimming costumes or revealing clothing in public areas and so cannot use the communal pool on offer in the hotel.

Instead they can use the private pools in the suites and villas which back on to the cliff edge, giving them total privacy and freedom to dress in swimsuits and bikinis.

Local rules also mean that pork and bacon are not served in the restaurants, although the hotel holds a licence means it can still be specially requested by guests.

When guests arrive at the resort they are given a traditional Omani welcome with men in traditional dress playing drums and singing to mark their arrival, before they are whisked off on a guided tour of the resort.

What a view: The resort sits sits 6,500 ft above sea level in the Omani mountains, offering guests outstanding views of the canyons. Pictured, Al Maisan, one of the three restaurants in the resort, looks out over the beautiful natural landscape

Spacious: The living room of the 7,500sq ft Royal Mountain Villa, which looks out on to the pool and decking area

Catering to every whim: The One Bedroom Garden Pool Villa, pictured, comes with a personal host and private plunge pool

Among the highlights are the spa, where male and female guests enjoy separate facilities as they indulge in treatments including massages with a locally sourced pomegranate scrub.

In the restaurant guests are served a variety of foods from around the world including dim sum, French pastries and local delicacies like ful medames, a dish of cooked fava beans.

Guests can also opt for a number of private dining options, including having a meal served on Diana's Point, which offers stunning views over the canyon.

Activities on offer include walks around the mountain, and guests can even do 30m climbs down the cliffs with the aid of an experience mountaineer.

Yoga with a view of the canyons is also on offer, as are trips to local historical sights like forts and old markets.

After dark: The Al Shourfa shisha lounge is poised above the courtyard and offers guests a place to enjoy the delicacy

Rugged landscape: A balcony at the 645sq ft Deluxe Canyon View Room, which overlooks the mountains

Bright and airy: The Bella Vista restaurant, pictured, is a casual poolside dining option serving delicious Italian food

On the programme Giles Coren and Monica Galetti meet Marshaal, who has an engineering degree and is in charge of food hygiene.

One of just six female employees at the resort, Marshall tells the presenters that she is 'working on' being the hotel's first female general manager despite reservations from some of her male colleagues.

General manager Darren Darwin says his career former soldier helped him be the best at his job.

Ive always had an eye for detail but it was really drilled into me in the army. You really had to support and help each and its the same principals here. Im very emotionally attached to this place I came here when it as bricks and mortar and scaffolding and mud everywhere. I feel a pressure because I live up to my own expectations.'

Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby airs tonight at 9pm on BBC Two

Privacy: Muslim custom means women are not permitted to wear swimming costumes or revealing clothing in public areas. Instead they can choose to take a dip in their villa's private pool, pictured, which each overlook the cliffs

Staying fit: Hotel guests can also enjoy the gym facilities, which include work out machines and a rock climbing wallConor McGregor is no stranger to throwing the first punch inside the ring, but the MMA fighter got the chance to sling a few barb at his opponents in a new forum after starring in a video ad for Burger King.

Taking on a leading role in the campaign for the chain's new spicy crispy chicken sandwich, the 29-year-old MMA fighter shows off the cocky attitude that he has become famous for both in and out of the arena, while flying on a private jet alongside the King himself.

And far fro focusing simply on the food in front of him, Conor couldn't resist the chance to sneak in some inside jokes and subtle digs referencing past smack talk with Floyd Mayweather and Khabib Nurmagodomedov.

Packing a punch: MMA fighter Conor McGregor, 29, stars in a Burger King commercial promoting the spicy crispy chicken sandwich

'All this chicken and king talk swirling around out there's got me really fired up. Fired up to try this new spicy crispy chicken sandwich from this king,' he says as he point to the costumed 'king' for the fast-food chain.

'There's no doubt I'm going to destroy this thing. So spicy, crispy and juicy - it just doesn't stand a chance. From one king to another, this packs a real kick.' He then goes on to thank his critics for all the trash talk because they just put 'Conor Jr through college'.

Conor and Khabib have routinely engaged in a battle of verbal barbs but the subtle shade comes from when Khabib called the Irishman a 'chicken' after a post-fight interview back in 2016.

He said to a crowd of Conor fans: 'I want to fight your chicken. Let's go. Let's go with your chicken.'

Subtle jabs: In the 50-second ad, Conor makes some snide remarks to his critics

No doubt: In the commercial Conor says there's 'no doubt' he's going to destroy the sandwich

Fired up: In the beginning, he states 'all this chicken and king talk got me really fired up'

Conor also has a long history of trash talking Floyd Mayweather and vice versa. In August, Floyd was seen at a Burger King throwing a few insults Conor's way in between chomping on his burger.

'I have to eat Burger King to keep that weight on,' he said. In a mock tone Floyd continued, 'I'm so scared of Conor McGregor, I'm so scared of Conor McGregor,' while holding his arms aloft so as to look vulnerable.

'I just want to say this, thank you Dana White for bringing that b**** to the table,' he added. And ironically enough, three years ago, the costumed 'Burger King' escorted Floyd out for his 'Fight of the Century' with Manny Pacquiao.

But as of now, it would seem that Conor is winning the trash talk contest (and the support of Burger King) due to his recent collaboration with the fast-food chain.

King of everything: Conor in August 2017 during a media workout in Las Vegas. He has referred to himself at the 'king of everything' on social media

Trash talk: Conor also has a long history of trash talking Floyd Mayweather and vice versa. The two battling in Las Vegas in August

And it doesn't seem like he is too concerned with maintaining his physique as the crispy chicken sandwich contains 670 calories, 41 grams of fat and 23 grams of protein whereas the spicy crispy chicken sandwich has 700 calories, 42 grams of fat and 25 grams of protein.

The unveiling of the spicy crispy chicken sandwich, which is available at Burger King restaurants for $4.59, follows the success of the crispy chicken sandwich, which was introduced as a permanent menu item in March 2016.

'Guests were overcome with excitement about the Crispy Chicken Sandwich and will now be fired up to try the new Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich,' Burger King said in a press release.

And there's no better person to get customers fired up than the 'king' himself as he has previously taken to social media to brand himself as the 'King of Everything'.A woman who became an online star after losing 150lbs has revealed how the relentless bullying and death threats she received following her skin removal surgery caused her to regain 100lbs.

Stephanie Seabrook, 30, from Portland, Oregon, weighed 340lbs before she shed a whopping 150lbs. She became a viral sensation after she scrawled the cruel things people have said about her body on her excess skin in 2012.

Although received thousands of comments of support following her skin removal surgery, Stephanie told People that people's attitudes toward her changed when her Instagram followers started accusing her of Photoshopping her pictures.

Fluctuations: Stephanie Seabrook, 30, from Portland, Oregon, lost 150lbs from her 340lb frame only to regain the weight after being bullied online. She now weighs 240lbs

Making a statement: Stephanie became a viral sensation after she scrawled the cruel things people have said about her body on her excess skin before her skin removal surgery in 2012

Pressure: Accusations that Stephanie Photoshopped her images led her to start gaining weight. Her stomach is pictured in 2013 (L) after her skin removal surgery and in 2018 (R)

'I got death threats, and people said I should go kill myself because Im pathetic,' Stephanie said of the backlash. 'They thought that I was a liar and a fraud when I was just trying to be loved and accepted like anyone else.'

Stephanie eventually learned that a girl she met on Instagram was Photoshopping her pictures without her knowledge and posting them online to draw criticism.

The intense scrutiny and the inability to deal with negative comments she was receiving led her to start gaining back the weight that she had lost.

She felt such an immense pressure to be an inspiration to her fans that she dealt with her weight gain by Photoshopping images of herself, but she admitted that only made things worse.

Cruel trolls: Stephanie said online bullies sent death threats and told her to kill herself after she was accused of Photoshopping her pictures

Struggle: The online bullying caused Stephanie to start to start gaining weight after she got down to 185lbs (pictured)

'I was getting really depressed, and I couldnt admit to everyone that I was gaining weight because I felt that I had a duty to be there for these people who said they could relate to me,' she explained. 'I didnt want to disappoint them.'

Realizing that she had a problem, Stephanie quit Instagram and started seeing a therapist for about nine months. She reactivated her account on January 20, 2017 with a selfie, revealing that she had taken a break because she was being bullied.

'I made some bad choices and people were mean. I took a break. But today is a day to feel empowered,' she wrote. 'I am no longer going to hide. I am no longer going to try and be a person you want me to be, I am going to be the person I already am.'

Stephanie went on to reveal that she had lost some of the weight she had put on during that difficult time in her life.

Still in suffering: Stephanie admitted that she wasn't much happier at 185lbs than she was at her heaviest

Problem: The pressure to inspire her followers led her to Photoshop some of her pictures after she started to gain weight, and she ended up quitting social media for about nine months

'I am 37 pounds down again. And I am proud of the woman I have become,' she said. 'You don't have to like me or follow me but I will ask that you respect me.'

More than year later, Stephanie has lost a total of 60lbs, but she has stressed that she is only focused on getting healthy and her desire to have a baby with her husband, Kaycee.

When she was at her heaviest, Stephanie feared that she would 'die obese.' She started walking four miles a day and cutting out fast food.

After about six months, she had lost a whopping 80lbs.

Candid: In January, Stephanie shared photos of changing stomach, starting before her skin removal surgery and ending with what her stomach looks like now

She's back: Stephanie eactivated her account on January 20, 2017 with a selfie, revealing that she had taken a break because she was being bullied

Getting there: Stephanie has continued to track her weight loss as she focuses on shedding the weight she had regained

Stephanie began working with trainer and eating clean meals, which helped her lose another 50lbs. She eventually went from 340lbs to 185lbs.

In January, a year after she returned to Instagram, Stephanie posted a photo of herself at 240lbs along pictures of herself at 340lbs and 185lbs.

She admitted that at 185lbs, she wasn't much happier than she was at her heaviest because she naively thought her life would be be easier if she had a 'great' body.

'Sometimes it takes a period of time for reflection to figure out what changes need to be made. I needed to take time for me to heal and find myself again,' she wrote.

'I learned never to apologize for me and to just love and do the right thing every time. I have never been happier in my life and my relationship with my husband has never been better.'A former Hostage Negotiator for the NYPD has offered up his expertise to parents in the hopes of helping them to better manage their children's bad behavior.

Lieutenant Jack Cambria stars in a new family-focused video released by Heinz Ketchup, which sees him educating a family on the best form of negotiation when they're son runs out of ketchup at the dinner table.

In the clip, the family is seen suffering an over-dramatized ketchup shortage at the dinner table, a situation which results in quite the tense situation, which thankfully Jack is on-hand to help diffuse.

Crisis: Former NYPD Hostage Negotiator Jack Cambria stars in a satirical new video ad for Heinz Ketchup in which he reveals how to best diffuse children's tantrums

Dinner: Every parent knows the struggle of kids getting annoyed at dinnertime if something doesn't go their way

Mediate: Cambria suggests different ways parents can deal with their kid's reactions to certain situations

Scary: The negotiator even says to parents, 'I've resolved thousands of crisis situations and I'm here to help if you find yourself in a tough spot'

Jack is a 63-year-old retired NYPD hostage negotiator who worked on the job for 33 years before retiring in 2015.

'I've resolved thousands of crisis situations and I'm here to help if you find yourself in a tough spot,' he says.

Cambria shared his five tips for dealing with your kids like a pro whenever there's a tricky situation and how to easily solve each with a quick approach.

'Your child won't give nana a kiss: Give respect. Your counterpart needs to feel that his/her concerns are being addressed.

'Your child refuses to stop saying (bleep): Speak to the boss. Be sure to talk to who's in charge to get the desired result in a negotiation.

'Your child won't get off their smartphone: Employ empathy. Understand why what your opponent is doing is important.

'Your child wants to play the same song over and over: Stay calm. Using a calm tone helps the subject realize there's an alternative way out.

'Your child wants to lie on the ground and won't get up: Seek voluntary compliance. You want your opponent to make the decision to comply on their own.'

Help: Cambria shared his five tips to help parents deal with their kids like a pro whenever there's a tricky situation and gave five different scenarios

Angry: If your child won't give nana a kiss: 'Give respect. Your counterpart needs to feel that his/her concerns are being addressed'

Language: 'Your child refuses to stop saying (bleep): Speak to the boss. Be sure to talk to who's in charge to get the desired result in a negotiation'

If parents find themselves in this situation they can call the 24-hour hotline at 1-844-HEINZ11 for expert tips on how to negotiate with the toughest opponent, their kids.

A young boy sits at the table trying to squirt ketchup out of a totally empty bottle, while his parents shift around uncomfortably.

Having exhausted his efforts, the little boy then looks at his parents with hatred in his eyes as he holds up the empty bottle and just stares at them.

The mother can do nothing but utter a frightened, 'Oh no' before the parents shoot terrified looks at one another.

At this point, Jack steps in to help them smooth things over and suggests 'Emotional Labeling.'

'During a negotiation, your opponent will be acting on emotion. It's important to validate those emotions.'

The dad says to his son, 'We feel your frustration. We should have never giving you chicken nuggets without' before the dad could finish his sentence the little boy slams his plate into his mom's.

Next, the negotiator suggests, 'Talk to me. Open up an avenue of communication. Show you're ready to listen.'

Technology: 'Your child won't get off their smartphone: Employ empathy. Understand why what your opponent is doing is important'

Remain calm: 'Your child wants to play the same song over and over: Stay calm. Using a calm tone helps the subject realize there's an alternative way out'

Tactics: 'Your child wants to lie on the ground and won't get up: Seek voluntary compliance. You want your opponent to make the decision to comply on their own'

The dad is now sitting nicely looking at his son and he says 'Talk to me,' to which his son takes one of his chicken nuggets off his plate and holds it above the floor as if he's threatening to drop it at any minute.

Once the dad sees the threat he says 'No' quickly but the little boy, looking his dad dead in the eyes, unclenches the nugget and lets it fall to the ground.

The dad says, 'Alright. Not one more,' and the boy goes ahead and picks up another, dropping it to the floor.

At this point the dad is so obviously annoyed he bites his fists and says 'Honey,' summoning his wife.

That's when the negotiator suggests creating a mutual enemy saying, 'If you're really in a bind and the opportunity presents itself, create a mutual enemy.'

Tips: Jack also suggests other ways to deal with kids such as this one 'During a negotiation, your opponent will be acting on emotion and it's important to validate those emotions'

Next: The negotiator explains, 'Open up an avenue of communication and show you're ready to listen'

Mutual: He suggests creating a mutual enemy, 'If you're really in a bind and the opportunity presents itself, create a mutual enemy'

Hotline: If parents find themselves in this situation they can call the 24-hour hotline at 1-844-HEINZ11 for expert tips on how to negotiate with their kids

The little boy whines, 'I want ketchup' to which the dad quickly replies, 'it's your mother's fault.'

The mom looks at him and says 'Seriously?' to which the dad hilariously replies, 'I sent her out for ketchup and she forgot' as the mom replies, 'That is not true.'

All of a sudden the negotiator walks in and lifts his hand in front of everyone to mediate the situation.

'So these are just a few of the tactics that have led to successful negotiations with some of the toughest minds out there,' he says.

'But just remember, the best way to win this game is not to play it, always have a backup bottle of Heinz ketchup.'

Former NYPD Hostage Negotiator shares his five tips to help parents deal with their kids like a pro Heinz Ketchup launched its latest campaign today starring Lieutenant Jack Cambria, former NYPD Hostage Negotiator, to provide parents with real tips to help dinner go smoothly if you ever run out of ketchup. Jack Cambria is a 63-year-old retired NYPD hostage negotiator who worked on the job for 33 years before retiring in 2015 and he shared five ways parents can approach their kids and mediate a situation. If parents find themselves in this situation they can call the 24-hour hotline at 1-844-HEINZ11 for expert tips on how to negotiate with the toughest opponent, their kids. 'Your child won't give nana a kiss: Give respect. Your counterpart needs to feel that his/her concerns are being addressed. 'Your child refuses to stop saying (bleep): Speak to the boss. Be sure to talk to who's in charge to get the desired result in a negotiation. 'Your child won't get off their smartphone: Employ empathy. Understand why what your opponent is doing is important. 'Your child wants to play the same song over and over: Stay calm. Using a calm tone helps the subject realize there's an alternative way out. 'Your child wants to lie on the ground and won't get up: Seek voluntary compliance. You want your opponent to make the decision to comply on their own.' Advertisement

For a limited time, US customers can buy one Heinz and get a backup free. Coupons are available in stores while supplies last and the offer is valid for a 30-38 ounce ketchup bottle up to $4.00.A mother-of-six has lashed out for being judged for telling off her children in public.

Krechelle Carter, 27, of Adelaide, has penned her frustrations on her blog Eight At Home saying she is 'sick of being shamed' for reprimanding her kids, Sylus 7, Noah 6, twins Paige and Olivia, 4, Bailey, 2, and one-year-old Emerson.

The mother claims that every time she tells them off she is met by an audience of people judging her.

Fed up! Krechelle Carter, 27, has penned her frustrations in her blog Eight At Home saying she is 'sick of being shamed' for reprimanding her six kids

'I'm met with an audience of other parents or relatives, sometimes random strangers judging the way that I'm handling things,' says Krechelle.

She says she tries to be diplomatic and calm but she feels that others see her as a 'terrible parent'.

Krechelle, who has been married to her husband David for 11 years, says they share similar views and frustrations.

'We have very similar ideas on rules for children and believe that by using the right tools to tell them off were raising our children to be respectful people with good morals,' she tells FEMAIL.

'My husband had to have stern words with our then five-year-old on the side of a road infringement of a crowd because he went to run across the road after the Christmas pageant. My husband grabbed his arm.

'And two young women behind us laughed and said, ''I hope I'm never like that as a parent''. It was hurtful. They had no idea what trouble he was about to get himself into.

'There is only so many times you can say; "sweetheart can you please not hit your sister with a rock because when you do your entering her personal space and it hurts and how do you think that makes her feel?" adds Krechelle.

She says she tries to be diplomatic and calm but she feels that others see her as a 'terrible parent'.

'By the third time it kinda comes out like: "if you touch your sister one more damn time I'm putting your iPad in the rubbish bin".'

Krechelle admits she feels guilty for the way she speaks to her children and for not handling the situation perfectly.

'I have six children and whether we're out places or at home, I have to make sure my children are reminded that we have rules because they always seem to get amnesia once we leave the front door.'

'We'll be walking along a road and my children will start play fighting like they've just entered a WWE arena and I'll have to say, "HEY; focus guys" in a loud stern enough voice so all six can hear me.'

'And then it begins again. The judgmental stares, the head shakes,' admits Krechelle.

Guilty: Krechelle admits she feels guilty for the way she speaks to her children and for not handling the situation perfectly

Unlike other parents who prefer not to 'shame' their children in public, the mummy blogger believes that if her children aren't reprimanded on the spot then the moment is lost.

Krechelle cites three reasons why: 'Number one: I won't remember!

'Number two: I don't have time to sit down and pee let alone to lecture them later.

'And number three: They were most probably being an a**hole; so maybe they should not be an a**hole and I wouldn't have to pull them up on it?'

Krechelle says she would appreciate more support from the public and 'less glaring.'

Support: Krechelle says she would appreciate more support from the public and 'less glaring.'

'You know what would be awesome; a high five, a smile. A thumbs up. I'd appreciate a "your mum's right". Or a "listen to your mum",' she asserts.

Krechelle says she's doing 'the best she can' in raising her six children.

She admits she has rules and that she chooses to stick with them - especially during times such as school pick ups where roads are involved.

'My rules may not be the same as other's rules, but can't we just support each other in our parenting choices?' Krechelle says.

She also claims that mothers should not judge each other for being less of a parent, when they are really being more of a parent.

Krechelle says she's doing 'the best she can' in raising her six children under the age of six

Happy family: Krechelle with her husband David who share similar values and frustrations

'I'm sorry people are such judgmental b**tards.'

'We all feel bad telling of our children, we all don't know if we're doing it right or doing our best. But I promise there are mother's with you.

'There are mothers looking on saying 'you go girl'. You are the mother you have the right to tell your child off when you need to,' says Krechelle.A mum claims her teenage daughter was unable to open her left eye after a $3 AUD Kmart eye mask allegedly caused a severe allergic reaction.

Clare Boulton, 45, said her 14-year-old daughter Angel was left in agony with severe facial swelling after buying the 'firming' product from the discount department store in Loganholm, Queensland, Australia on Saturday [March 3].

Ms Boulton said her aspiring beautician daughter missed school after she was unable to open her left eye and sleep through the burning pain since using the mask for just five minutes the same evening.

Clare Boulton, 45, said her 14-year-old daughter Angel (pictured) was left in agony with severe facial swelling after using a Kmart eye mask

She is now calling for the beauty product to be pulled off the shelves.

She said she was only offered a $6 AUD refund by the store.

Kmart have confirmed they are investigating and said customer safety was their 'utmost priority'.

'I figured it would go down, but it's just gotten worse. Angel has been using eyepacks all night, antihistamines and panadol but she's just been crying in pain,' Ms Boulton said.

Ms Boulton said her aspiring beautician daughter missed school after she was unable to open her left eye

'We went in to the store on Monday and I said ''look what you've done to my daughter's eye''. They said they were busy and just offered me a $6 refund.

'I said to them, ''don't you think you should take it off the shelves until you get this all cleared?'' Shouldn't they be doing more testing before stocking this stuff?'

'I'm definitely planning to be taking this further.'

The mother is now calling for the 'Raspberry Leaf Botanical Eye Mask' product to be pulled off the shelves

The 14-year-old claims she only left the product on for five minutes as an experiment but woke up the following morning with both eyes severely swollen

The packaging of the 'Raspberry Leaf Botanical Eye Mask' advises users to leave the product under their eyes for 15 to 20 minutes.

The 14-year-old claims she only left the product on for five minutes as an experiment but woke up the following morning with both eyes severely swollen.

The swelling went down over her right eye but the teenager said she is still unable to open her left eye.

Ms Boulton claims her daughter's GP has since confirmed the swelling is as a result of the eye mask and alleges Kmart employees told her it was a newly-stocked product.

Ms Boulton (pictured) said Kmart offered her $6 refund when she went into the store

Kmart have confirmed they are investigating and said customer safety was their 'utmost priority'

She added: 'Angel does this stuff all the time but she has never had a reaction like this. She wants to be a beautician so she loves to experiment with this stuff.'

A Kmart spokeswoman said the company had not received any 'direct notifications' from customers around the product, but confirmed they had launched an investigation.

The spokeswoman said: 'The safety of our customers is our utmost priority, we would like to request the customer contact our customer service team so we can assist them with this investigation.'She's the youngest female leader in the world, taking over New Zealand as Prime Minister at the age of 37.

But before securing the country's top job, Jacinda Ardern led a different life... on stage - a stark contrast to her political duties.

Her track record reveals the now-expectant mother was once a DJ.

Behind her beaming smile, the stylish politician tried her hand at the deck, playing a 45-minute DJ set at Auckland's Laneway music festival in 2014.

Jacinda Ardern led a different life - she was a DJ before becoming the youngest Prime Minister

The stylish politician played a 45-minute DJ set at Auckland's Laneway music festival in 2014

Since becoming the Labour Party leader, her Instagram feed illustrates a career-driven woman who is on a mission to end child poverty.

But rewinding back, Ms Ardern was a festival-goer - and her love for music saw her perform in a baggy singlet at her local record store.

The Spinoff uncovered the amateur DJ's tracks from her past where she used to play Spice Girls, The Beatles, Iggy Pop and Snoop Dogg, from her Macbook.

'For years, Ardern DJed in her spare time (she prefers the term "tune selector" over being called a "real DJ"),' Marie Claire's digital content editor Isabelle Truman said.

Speaking fondly about the female leader, Ms Truman revealed she has been friends with Ms Ardern since meeting her in 2014.

'She is still the same genuine, kind and incredibly smart woman I've always known. Still a friend you can laugh with over a wine,' Ms Truman said in the latest issue.

'Just one who now happens to run a country.'

The amateur DJ used to play tracks, even making appearances at her local record store

Speaking fondly about the Kiwi Prime Minister, Marie Claire's digital content editor Isabelle Truman (left) offered a glimpse into the life of her politician friend

In the magazine, Ms Truman reflected on Ms Ardern's humble beginnings and offered a glimpse into her life before she came the youngest female leader in the world.

Ms Ardern was born into a devoutly Mormon family but left the faith in her early 20s amid its opposition to same-sex marriage.

And it seems she always had an interest in politics. Ms Ardern used to campaign in high school elections - calling on the school to allow girls to wear trousers.

At the tender age of 17, she started volunteering for the Labour Party - door knocking and handing out flyers while juggling her job at the local fish shop.

She swapped her baggy clothing for stylish suits, and went on to become New Zealand's youngest Labour MP in 2008.

'I am the first to concede that I am not a normal young person,' the then-28-year-old said in her maiden speech in parliament.

She met her now-partner TV presenter Clarke Gayford after he penned her letter about his concerns over a security bill being debated in parliament.

What started off as friendship soon turned into a blossoming romance.

The stylish politician is expecting her first child with her partner TV presenter Clarke Gayford

Standing next to the Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Sydney last November

Her track record reveals she played Spice Girls, The Beatles, Iggy Pop and Snoop Dogg - a far cry from her political duties today

Earlier this year, Ms Ardern announced her pregnancy - making her the first world leader since 1990 to expect a baby while in office.

She's expecting her first baby with her media personality partner Mr Gayford.

'I'll be Prime Minister and a mum, and Clarke will be "first man of fishing" and stay-at-home dad,' she said in her baby announcement in January.

In an official statement, Ms Ardern confirmed she would be heading back to work six weeks after she gives birth to her baby, due on June 17.

'We wanted a family but weren't sure it would happen for us, which has made this news unexpected but exciting,' she said.

'I will make arrangements for appropriate ministers to act in my other portfolios over the six weeks I am away from Parliament.

'I am not the first woman to work and have a baby. I know these are special circumstances but there are many women who have done it well before I have.'A 21-year-old woman claimed she found a clever solution to escape Sydney's overpriced rental market - but is it all too good to be true?

'Alexis Dobler from Byron Bay' revealed she lived in a humble caravan parked in Sydney's inner west suburb of Newtown for the past 18 months.

The retail worker claimed she rented out a carport space at a cheap price - but now, she was searching for a new property where she can park her home on wheels.

She placed an advert in a Facebook group over the weekend, saying she was willing to pay $200 a week for a carport space to park her caravan and use of amenities inside the home.

As the city's rental prices continue to soar, the average cost to rent a property in Newtown is $795 per week, according to realestate.com.au.

A 21-year-old woman claimed she found a clever solution to escape Sydney's overpriced rental market - but it's not all it's cracked up to be

But Daily Mail Australia can now reveal 'Alexis' was an alias created by a university student, known only as Max.

'Max' confirmed the social media post was part of 'venture idea involving caravan sharing'.

'I was interested to find out how many people would allow a caravan on their share house property and how much money they would be willing to take,' he said.

'My passion is finding ways for students and other young Australians to find a way to cope with the extreme housing prices in inner Sydney in a way that doesn't impact their quality of life - paying too much percentage of income living in tiny airless rooms.'

Max said he created the fake profile so he could get a different opinion.

'I just wanted people in the group to take it seriously, as people had made joking posts before about living in a similar situation,' he explained.

'I wanted to post from the profile of a conventionally attractive person to make sure the nature of the person posting had as little negative impact on the proposal reception as possible.'

Taking to a housemate Facebook group, the young woman placed an advert, saying she's willing to pay $200 a week for a carport space and use of amenities inside the home

It comes after he posted on social media on Sunday, seeking a 'nice' and 'friendly' home but was willing to pay more or less depending on the quality and location.

'I've been doing the caravan and sharehouse situation for the last year and a half and find it a good way to balance money and location,' the post read.

'My preference is for somewhere in Newtown/surrounding areas but please let me know if you have something else you think I might like.

'I'm looking to pay $200pw + bills for for the carport space as well as use of amenities (shower, bathroom, kitchen, living room). Of course I will pay my share of water/gas/electricity bills as well.'

'My caravan looks really cute in person and won't cramp the style of your place.'Refreshing the look and feel of your home can be a challenge, particularly when your budget is tight.

But there are a few simple tricks you can employ to update your home without breaking the bank.

Speaking to FEMAIL, Sydney-based interior designer, Emma Blomfield, revealed the simple ways you can hit refresh on your interiors and make your home look more stylish.

'De-cluttering is still a huge buzzword in interiors so keeping our trinkets to a minimum is best,' Emma told FEMAIL.

'It's cleaner, more minimalist and gives off less of a Nanna vibe (plus it's a lot easier to dust!).'

Sydney-based interior designer, Emma Blomfield (pictured), revealed the simple ways you can hit refresh on your interiors and make your home look more stylish

Emma said you can easily improve your home is by adding mirrors and artwork throughout your property, which create an illusion of space (stock image)

'Mirrors instantly bounce more light into the room, especially if they are placed opposite a window,' Emma (pictured) told FEMAIL

MIRRORS AND ARTWORK

The first way by which Emma said you can easily improve your home is by adding mirrors and artwork throughout your property.

'Mirrors instantly bounce more light into the room, especially if they are placed opposite a window,' Emma told FEMAIL.

'The benefits of artwork is that it finishes off a room beautifully. Bare walls are so uninviting! Artwork has the ability to brighten up a space and set a colour palette for the room at the same time.'

Try putting a mirror opposite a window to give an illusion of space in your living room, and place art and photographs on your walls.

Even if you haven't spent a huge sum, many will think your home automatically looks more expensive.

'Statement rugs are the way to go to inject some colour into a space,' Emma explained (stock image)

STATEMENT RUGS AND LIGHTING

'Statement rugs are the way to go to inject some colour into a space,' Emma explained.

'Lighting is the most elegant touch for a room as well as being extremely practical at different times of the day or night.'

The expert recommended statement lamps or statement pendant lamps as a 'great feature for a living room':

'There's also still a huge trend to hang a statement piece above the dining table or in your entry way,' she continued.

Finally, if you're looking to improve the look and feel of your home, it's all about cushions and greenery (stock image)

UPDATE CUSHIONS AND ADD GREENERY

Finally, if you're looking to improve the look and feel of your home, it's all about cushions and greenery.

'Fast and affordable updates are new scatter cushions (with feather inserts to keep them looking plump) or a few faux plants dotted around the living and dining room to add life to the space,' Emma explained.

Retailers including Kmart excel in fashion-forward cushions and throws, which will make your home look more pricey than it is.

To read more from Emma Blomfield, please visit her website here.Meghan Markle is the most attractive female royal according to science, a Harley Street doctor has revealed.

The bride-to-be came the closest to scoring 100 per cent based on the 'golden ratio', which is said to reveal 'perfect' physical beauty.

Harley Street surgeon Dr Julian De Silva mapped the 36-year-old's face and compared it to the Duchess of Cambridge, Zara Phillips, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who came in places two to five, respectively.

First place: Meghan Markle with 87.4 per cent. Dr Julian De Silva said: 'Meghan has an almost perfectly shaped nose with a 98.5 per cent score, her eye position is exactly right and she has a gorgeous V-shaped or heart-shaped chin which is the shape women most covet'

Second place: Duchess of Cambridge with 86.8 per cent. Dr Julian De Silva said: 'Kate stands out stands out for having a perfect gap between her nose and lips and very strong eye spacing. She was marked down for having a weaker chin and jawline than Meghan. She is a striking woman and her scores mark her out as one of the most beautiful women in the world'

Dr De Silva explained that Meghan had an almost perfect nose and that her eye position is 'exactly right'.

In a close second was the Duchess of Cambridge, who scored 86.8 per cent.

The Golden Ratio was a mathematical equation devised by the Ancient Greeks in an attempt to measure beauty.

The ratio can be applied to anything and was used by Leonardo Da Vinci for the perfect human male body in his celebrated Vitruvian Man.

Third place: Zara Phillips with 81.6 per cent, Dr Julian De Silva said: 'Zara is few points behind Meghan and Kate. She is still a beautiful woman but is marked down by a weak chin and poor eye spacing.'

What is the golden ratio? The golden ratio was a mathematical equation devised by the Greeks in an attempt to measure beauty. While the ratio can by applied to anything, and was used by Leonardo Da Vinci for the the perfect human male body in his famous work the Virtruvian Man, it is also applied to the human face. The premise behind this is that the closer the ratios of a face, body or room are to the number 1.62, the more beautiful it becomes. Though it can seem complex these can be fairly simple equations to try on yourself. For example, the simplest measurement is the length of your face divided by the width of your face. Width of lips divided by length and length of nose divided by width are other calculations you can try. Twentieth-century artists and architects, including Le Corbusier and Dali, have used the golden ratio. The golden ratio also appears in some patterns in nature, including the spiral arrangement of leaves and other plant parts. Advertisement

The closer the ratios of a face or body are to the number 1.618, the more beautiful they become.

Dr De Silva, who runs the Centre For Advanced Facial Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery in London, said: 'Meghan and Kate both really stood out and got significantly higher marks than the three other princesses.

'Meghan has beautiful facial symmetry and gets closer than any other princess to having what the Greeks considered the perfect face.

'Meghan has an almost perfectly shaped nose with a 98.5% score, her eye position is exactly right and her gorgeous V-shaped chin is far more classically beautiful than Kate's.

'Kate gets a very high rating, too, and stands out for having a perfect gap between her nose and lips and very strong eye spacing.

'The other three princesses all received high scores but were a little further away from Golden Ratio perfection than Meghan and Kate.

'These brand new computer mapping techniques allow us to solve some of the mysteries of what it is that makes someone physically beautiful, and the technology is useful when planning patients' surgery.

'The Phi ratio of 1.618 has long been thought to hold the secret of beauty, and now with the computer mapping we can calculate exactly how it applies to all the royal princesses.'

Fourth place: Princess Beatrice with 80.7 per cent. Dr Julian De Silva said: 'Beatrice scored highly for her nose which is beautifully shaped but had the lowest mark of all the princesses for her chin'A teenager didn't know she was having a baby until she was in labour because she hadn't shown any signs of pregnancy.

Charlotte Thomson, now 21, of Newcastle upon Tyne, had regular periods and was still slipping into her size 8 dresses so had no idea she was expecting.

It wasn't until she took herself to hospital with bleeding and painful stomach cramps that medics told her she was about to give birth.

Daughter Molly, now two, arrived two hours later.

Seven months pregnant: Charlotte Thomson, now 21, still slipped into her size 8 dresses and continued to drink alcohol throughout her pregnancy, not realising she was expecting

Today: The proud mother-of-one with daughter Molly, who was born in December 2015

Nursery nurse Charlotte said: 'My stomach was completely flat, and I'd been having regular periods so it was such a shock when I found out.

'I didn't believe that I was actually pregnant until I gave birth. It was scary becoming a first-time mum with no warning.

'But I wouldn't change Molly for the world, and I feel so lucky.'

Some women experience period-like vaginal bleeding during pregnancy that can have a number of different causes including cervical changes, vaginal infections and when the embryo first implants itself in the wall of your womb.

Charlotte, who fell pregnant with an ex-boyfriend, said she only put on 3lbs during her pregnancy and had felt more tired than usual but put the symptoms down to her party girl lifestyle.

'I thought it was from going out all the time,' she said. 'I still managed to get into my clothes so I just ignored it.'

No bump: A slender Charlotte, then 19, at two (left) and three months pregnant (right)

Four months pregnant: Charlotte with her mother Lynne, who supported her daughter when she was told she was in labour in hospital

In December 2015 Charlotte woke in agony at 2.30am and realised she was bleeding profusly.

She said: 'I took some paracetamol and hoped that it would blow over.

'Instead, the pain just got worse and I was in agony. An hour later I felt like I was going to be sick so I ran to the toilet and saw that my underwear was full of blood.

'I had just finished my period so I was really scared. I knew something was seriously wrong and booked a taxi to the hospital.'

Not showing: Charlotte at six (left) and eight months pregnant (right). The teenager only put on 3lbs during the pregnancy

Nurses at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital examined Charlotte and told her she needed to speak to a midwife.

'I told them that there had to be a mistake,' Charlotte said. 'I'd had no symptoms.'

But ten minutes later, a midwife performed an ultrasound and told Charlotte she was nine months pregnant and in labour.

Charlotte continued: 'I panicked that I wasn't prepared and hadn't bought any baby clothes. I was so worried about what my parents would say when they found out that I was having a baby.'

Surprise arrival: Charlotte welcomed baby Molly just three hours after discovering she was pregnant

Instant bond: Charlotte said she loved Molly, pictured in hospital, as soon as she held her

At 4.30am, a nurse phoned Charlotte's parents, Lynne Thomson, 50, a domestic cleaner, and Vincent Thomson, 50, an engineer, and told them their daughter was pregnant.

Charlotte said: 'My parents thought that I was only a few weeks along and having a miscarriage.

'I burst into tears when they arrived, and told them I had no idea that I was pregnant. They were really supportive and excited about their first grandchild.'

Two hours later, Charlotte gave birth to Molly.

Charlotte said: 'As soon as I held Molly, I loved her so much. She was perfect and we had an instant bond.'

Slender frame: Charlotte said she had little baby weight to lose because she had stayed so slim

Proud: Charlotte said she can't wait to tell Molly, pictured, the story of how she was born

Doctors explained that she'd had no bump because Molly had been tucked up underneath her ribs.

Charlotte said: 'It's crazy to think that I'd been carrying a baby all that time.

'When Mum called my work to explain that I'd had a baby, they were gobsmacked as they'd seen me the day before with no baby bump at all.'

Charlotte and Molly were discharged from hospital two days later  after Lynne rushed out to buy nappies and baby clothes.

Charlotte says: 'My friends didn't believe me until they saw a picture of Molly. Luckily I'm still a size 8 and didn't need to lose any baby weight.

'Molly has joined the nursery that I work at so I can take her with me, which is perfect.

'Molly's dad is an ex who is no longer in the picture, but I have plenty of help from my parents with the baby. I'm no longer a party animal but it's worth it to have Molly.

'I can't wait to tell her the story of how I discovered I was pregnant with her. Nothing Molly could ever do in the future would surprise me as much as the day she was born.'Fern Britton has joined the #MeToo movement, revealing she was propositioned by a male TV star when she landed a role in a TV programme in London.

The incident occurred when she was invited out to lunch with the rest of the team, including the star of the show who turned to her while everyone was eating dessert and smoking.

'This guy looked at me and said: "I wonder how long it will be before I am having an affair with you. Because I do have a very big c**k",' she told The Sun.

Ferne who was 23 or 24 at the time ran home to her mother and turned down the part in the show.

And she said it wasn't the only time a man had made an inappropriate comment towards her, adding that it's happened to everyone.

'We have been quietly groomed for centuries without knowing it,' she said. 'You think: "It was my fault as I turned up for the meeting or agreed to have lunch".

Fern Britton, 60, has joined the #MeToo movement, revealing she was propositioned by a male TV star when she landed a role in a TV programme in London

Ferne Britton pictured in the 1980s when she was presenting Coast To Coast. The star said propositions from male colleagues were commonplace and that women have been 'quietly groomed for centuries'

The former This Morning host rose to fame when she started presenting Ready Steady Cook, and has been happily married to chef Phil Vickery since 2000.

Recently, she opened up about her terrifying brush with death when she battled sepsis in 2016.

During an appearance on Good Morning Britain last month, she detailed the unnerving moment she thought she was going to die.

The Calendar Girls star discussed how she was in 'so much pain', left 'unwell, hot and sick' after her hysterectomy in July 2016.

'I thought I am going to die': Fern Britton, 60, got emotional as she discussed her terrifying near-death experience with sepsis on Good Morning Britain on Thursday

Recalling the moment, she told Susanna Reid: 'July 2016 I had a hysterectomy but unfortunately within the first  days.

'I started to feel so much pain, so unwell, sick, hot, sweaty, confused and I thought I am going to die. I am dying.

'This is a very important symptom of sepsis. The thought you're going to die. I nearly died, but I didn't, sorry!'

'I nearly died': The Calendar Girls star, 60, discussed how she was in 'so much pain', left 'unwell, hot and sick' after her hysterectomy in July 2016

Sepsis develops when the body responds to an infection such as blood poisoning by attacking its own organs.

It is difficult to diagnose until it has spread throughout the body. Without quick treatment it can lead to multiple organ failure and death.

The television presenter was rushed straight to hospital where she was kept for 10 days and immediately put on antibiotics.

Discussion: The television presenter was rushed straight to hospital where she was kept for 10 days and immediately put on antibiotics

Terrifying: Recalling the moment, she told Susanna Reid: 'July 2016 I had a hysterectomy but unfortunately within the first  days

Moving speech: 'I started to feel so much pain, so unwell, sick, hot, sweaty, confused and I thought I am going to die. I am dying'

'I had e coli. Spent another ten days in hospital,' she said. 'The ambulance were brilliant. I went straight to hospital and straight onto antibiotics.'

Following a year away from the limelight, the former Ready Steady Cook host revealed she is doing 'very well' and 'feeling better'.

She added: 'I am doing very, very well. The last month Ive felt much better.

Stylish arrival: Fern layered up for the chilly conditions, in London, when she donned a fleeced frayed edge cardigan worn over two tier tops and form-fitting trousers

How to accessorise: The television star came prepared as her handbag was overfilled with papers ahead of her television apppearance

'My pain started to ease away recently and I'm feeling better. It can last up to two years. Thank goodness it was the year I took off from working.'

After a year away, Fern is making an epic comeback to the spotlight with her stage production of Calendar Girls.

Everyone is naked on the show poster apart from the star, who expressed her relief she didn't have to strip off. Kate said: 'You're not naked?' Fern responded: 'Thank goodness!'

She added: 'I dont think you need to be totally naked but as a mum, kids come into the bathroom and have a good look and thats normal! Thats the way it should be.

Welcome back! After a year away, Fern is making an epic comeback to the spotlight with her stage production of Calendar Girls

'Theres a fantastic team of people, theyre the ones being naked singing and dancing, and Im the one saying "you cant do this".'

Fern shares three of her children with her ex-husband TV executive Clive Jones, who she was married to between 1988 and 1998.

The former flames raise their twin sons Jack and Harry, 23, and their daughter Grace, 20.

She went onto mend her heartache with celebrity chef Phil Vickery, who she married in 2000, and the pair raise their daughter Winnie, 16.

Cheeky! Everyone is naked on the show poster apart from the star, who expressed her relief she didn't have to strip off. Kate said: 'You're not naked?' Fern responded: 'Thank goodness!'

Great mood: Fern was in a fabulous mood when she headed onto the show to chat about her near-death experience and her return to the spotlightHer incredibly positive attitude has inspired countless fans since she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, but Leah Bracknell opened up about how hard it is to be positive as she faces leaving her two daughters behind.

In an emotional blog post, the former Emmerdale star, 53, spoke about her fear of leaving her two daughters Maya and Lily who are in their early 20s.

The star who played Zoe Tate as diagnosed with inoperable and incurable stage 4 lung cancer in 206 and started targeted biological therapy on the NHS to prolong her life, but the treatment stopped

'It's hard to keep on keepin' on, it's hard to GLIDE, it's hard to not see the glass half empty, when you have been issued a sell-by date.'

She added: 'As a parent, one's fears of dying multiplies. Actually, I don't know if that really is the case, but it's the only perspective I have.'

However she struck a more positive note, adding that she's grateful her children are now adults.

'They are on their way, they have weathered the storms of childhood and adolescence and beginning to carve out lives independent from parental influence,' she said.

In an emotional blog post, terminally ill former Emmerdale star Leah Bracknell, 53, spoke about her fear of leaving her two daughters Maya and Lily who are in their early 20s

The mother-of-two wed her partner Jez Hughes in 2016 in a secret ceremony

And she explained that she hoped her positive attitude to dealing with her terminal diagnosis would stand her daughters in good stead for the future.

'That I may not be around to witness milestones, or be a shoulder and support for whatever challenges life brings motivates me and inspires me to live by example, to pay it forward,' she explained.

The terminally ill actress recently called for more NHS funding after revealing how over-stretched doctors missed her cancer.

In 2016 the actress suddenly felt breathless while climbing stairs and her abdomen swelled up, but she saw four GPs in 10 days before she was finally taken to A&E.

Former Emmerdale star Leah Bracknell, 53, has revealed that doctors initially missed her cancer before she was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in October 2016

'I was dying, but the urgency of the situation was completely missed,' she told The Daily Star, as she called for the government to give the NHS a cash injection. 'The funding crisis and resultant staff shortages cannot meet demand.'

On her blog, Something Beginning With C, she's also spoken about how long it takes to get urgent diagnostic tests from the overstretched health service.

'Even now, receiving treatment at a cutting edge NHS cancer centre, urgent scans are taking up to three weeks to come back due to the severe shortage of qualified radiographers,' she said.

In August 2017, the actress and yoga teacher revealed the treatment had stopped working and that she was relying on alternative treatments such as plant-based healing oils and sessions in an infrared sauna.

Leah was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in October 2016, and feared she would die within a year of receiving the devastating news

Her now husband Jez set up a GoFundMe page in the hope of raising funds to pay for further immunotherapy and integrative medicine at a German Clinic, raising 64,560 thus far.

Last month, it emerged that Leah wed her long-term partner author Jez Hughes, 44, in March last year after discovering her treatment had stopped working.

The husband and wife said their vows in the drawing room at Park House - a grade II listed Georgian building Horsham, Sussex on March 10.

In December the actress and yoga teacher appeared on Lorraine where she told the host that she wanted to teach people how to embrace life, and said that she still has hope for the future despite feeling 'written off' by some.

The star is a devoted yoga practitioner and has tried alternative treatments such as healing

In a blog post last month to mark a year since her diagnosis, Leah insisted she sees cancer as a teacher she can learn from rather than an enemy

DOES THE NHS RECEIVE ENOUGH FUNDING? Campaigners have argued for years that the NHS is strapped of cash and desperately needs more funding to cope on a day-to-day basis. it is now in the midst of its worst financial crisis in a generation, they warn, as the health service struggles to function on a tightly-constrained budget. A&E waiting times have soared to record levels, tens of thousands of patients have had to wait outside casualty units for treatment and dozens of trusts have reported they have no free beds this winter. NHS England has been allocated 123 billion this financial year from the Budget - but further cash injections have been asked for. Last November, Chancellor Philip Hammond promised the health service a 2.8 billion cash injection over two years  but this was a third of what experts demanded. Health trusts across the country have reported severe financial constraints in recent years as chiefs tightens their purse strings. Advertisement

'It is still my life, other people were writing me off quicker. Even people close to me, I don't mean to be unkind, but people are embarrassed, they dont know what to do,' she said on the show.

'They... are feeling very pitiful. The one thing that nobody wants is to be pitied.

'It feels like all my power has been taken away,' she said.

'This [her positive approach] is very much about how we can hold onto our power in order to deal with doctors and hospitals and retain authority.

'The point is, its life and living. I am alive until the point I am not. That for me is the key, not to surrender to something else.'

But she recently revealed in an interview with the Mirror how people had stopped offering her work since learning of her cancer battle.

'No one is employing me since I was diagnosed, the phone hasnt been ringing,' she said.

Despite the setbacks, Leah said she is determined to remain positive and insists she sees cancer as a 'teacher' she can learn positive lessons from, rather than an enemy.

She has undergone immunotherapy treatment in Germany, which is not available on the NHS.

The treatment 'reprogrammes' the body's defence system to attack cancerous cells. Trials show it could stop cancer from spreading and reduce tumour size.

LEAH BRACKNELL'S BATTLE WITH CANCER Leah was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in October 2016 and faced a race against time to raise 50,000 to pay for pioneering treatment in Germany. The award-winning actress, who played lesbian Zoe Tate in the ITV soap for 16 years, had been told by doctors that her cancer is not curable and not operable. An online appeal was launched to raise funds so Leah could visit the clinic that specialises in DNA-based immunotherapy and within 24 hours of her announcement fans had raised a staggering 40,000. Donations poured in from more than 1,700 people, including a 5,000 pledge from one anonymous donor. Now that total is up to 62,355 and Leah has been receiving treatment she hopes will increase her life expectancy. Miss Bracknell, a 52-year-old mother-of-two to Lily, 25, and Maya, 21, who is believed to be a vegetarian and a non-smoker, said she felt fit and healthy just weeks before she was diagnosed. She was about to start rehearsing for a comedy play alongside her work as a yoga teacher. But in a matter of days she had become breathless climbing stairs and her abdomen swelled so much that she looked heavily pregnant. When her heart rate rose to 180 beats per minute she was taken to hospital. There, a litre of fluid was drained from her heart and doctors diagnosed her with stage four lung cancer. In an emotional post online, Miss Bracknell said: 'I was told later, without that [emergency procedure], I would have died. So I am beyond grateful. The bad news is that I have been diagnosed with lung cancer, stage 4. In their opinion, that means it's terminal, not curable, not operable. 'A fairly brutal and bleak diagnosis but one I am determined to challenge and see from the perspective of 'a glass half full', going against a lifetime of pessimism, negativity and fear!' Mr Hughes explained the 50,000 target would pay towards Miss Bracknell receiving potentially life-saving treatments at the Hallwang clinic. He explained that the clinic uses 'DNA testing to attack the specific cancer cells in your body', and there are cases where 'previously 'incurable' cancers go into complete remission'. In his fundraising appeal he said: 'She has responded with incredible positivity and we're determined to fight this. 'After a month of researching and getting advice from professionals, we've found there are incredible breakthroughs being made in clinics in Europe that combine the best of integrative (alternative) medicine with the most cutting edge modern treatments such as immunotherapy.' As vet and landowner Zoe Tate in Emmerdale, Miss Bracknell portrayed the first lesbian in a British soap. Her farewell from the show in 2005 won her the 'Best Exit' at the 2006 British Soap Awards. She has also appeared on TV in Judge John Deed, A Touch Of Frost, DCI Banks and daytime soap The Royal Today. She has also toured the country on stage in productions ranging from Shakespeare to pantomime. Miss Bracknell lived in Yorkshire for 25 years before moving to Worthing, West Sussex. Advertisement

The experimental treatment isn't a permanent medication as it stops working when the cancer starts to resist it.

She's also had Mexican shamans by her hospital bed in an attempt to heal her. Shamanic healers believe that illness has a spiritual cause and results in a loss of energy or power.

Leah has been practicing yoga for 15 years and also teaches it. She cites it as a way to keep her calm and positive in the face of her devastating diagnosis.The 16 singletons who signed up to Married at First Sight all said they were looking for love, with many saying they'd had a series of unsuccessful romances in the past. But as the weeks went on, some couples seemed less than willing to try to make it work with their new spouses, with some viewers accusing the contestants of going on the show to find fame, not love. Now FEMAIL can reveal the cast have racked up at least 10 prior reality TV appearances between them. Top row, from left: Morag Crichton on Take Me Out, Nikita Jasmine on True Love or True Lies, Joshua Christie on Ibiza Weekender, Marilyse Corrigan on TOWIE. Bottom row, from left: Joshua Christie on Shipwrecked, Adam Aveling on Back to Mine, Amy Christophers on the Bachelor, Ant Poole on Your Face or MinePrince William has revealed that he still considers Norfolk to be his 'home', despite moving with his family to live in Kensington Palace last summer.

The prince let slip his attachment to the county in a letter to a local newspaper to show his support for the ever Norfolk Day later this year.

He and his family are known to be regular visitors to Norfolk where they have their country retreat Anmer Hall on the Sandringham estate.

The prince's letter published in today's Eastern Daily Press said that Norfolk Day on July 27 was 'a great idea' to 'celebrate all that is good about our home'.

Prince William revealed that he still thinks as Norfolk as his 'home' in a letter written to the local paper Eastern Daily Press today

But in his letter, he also made a mistake in describing Norfolk as having 'historic cities' when its only city is Norwich.

As well as its Royal connections, Norfolk is famed as the home of Steve Coogan's character Alan Partridge, Colman's mustard, the Norfolk Broads and Norwich City shareholder Delia Smith (even though she actually lives across the border in Suffolk).

William, 35, lived mostly at Anmer Hall with wife Kate and children Prince George and Princes Charlotte while he was working as an air ambulance pilot.

He and his family moved their main base to Kensington Palace last summer after he flew his last shift with the East Anglian Air Ambulance charity.

The move coincided with William taking on full time Royal duties and Prince George, four, starting at his London school last September.

William previously lived in Anmer Hall (pictured) in rural Norfolk alongside the Duchess of Cambridge and their two children Prince George and Princess Charlotte

But ever since their move, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are known to have regularly returned to the rural seclusion of Anmer Hall.

The prince who is known to appreciate his privacy is thought to be particularly fond of staying at Anmer Hall because it means he and his family are away from prying eyes.

He can also indulge in one of his favourite hobbies of game shooting largely undisturbed.

Norfolk Day is intended as a day of fun for individuals, community groups and businesses to get involved in events to celebrate the county.

Prince William said in his letter: 'My family's connections with the county of Norfolk go back more than 150 years when Queen Victoria bought Sandringham House.

The Duke of Cambridge (pictured here in the grounds of Anmer Hall with his family) enjoyed the privacy that Norfolk gave him

The family moved permanently into their Kensington Palace home last summer. Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George and Prince Harry during the Obama's visit in 2016

'My mother was born at Park House in the grounds of Sandringham and many other family moments have taken place here.

'So it already felt like home when Catherine and I lived there for the first years of George and Charlotte's lives whilst I had a job as a pilot for East Anglia (sic) Air Ambulance up the road in Cambridge.

'The obvious affection in which all my family is held in Norfolk, especially the Queen, as demonstrated every Christmas Day, means that the county has a particularly special connection for us.

'The county has much going for it - beautiful coastline and countryside, historic cities and churches, an ancient culture and a rich tradition of food and drink, not to mention global, national and local businesses, contributing to thriving commerce.

'This is why I am so pleased that the first Norfolk Day is to take place this summer. The county has a lot to shout about, and it is a great idea to bring people together from across the county in its full diversity to celebrate all that is good about our home.

'I sincerely hope that Norfolk Day becomes and entrenched tradition in the life of this county for years to come.'

Norfolk Day has been launched by the Eastern Daily Press and Norwich Evening News in partnership with BBC Radio Norfolk and is backed by local businesses and community organisations.

Norfolk Day ambassador, the Very Rev Jane Hedges who is Dean of Norwich Cathedral said it was 'fantastic news' that the Duke of Cambridge had decided to get behind Norfolk Day

She said: 'It goes to show how far and wide the passion for this great county of ours runs and is just another example of how lucky we are to live here.'

Norfolk chef Charlie Hodson, who is also an ambassador, said: 'This has to be the best accolade for Norfolk Day to have Prince William backing his love for Norfolk.'

Another ambassador Dr Ben Garrod said: 'That William wants to be involved is a great endorsement for Norfolk and our community. We hope to see him on the day celebrating along with the rest of us.'

EDP editor David Powles said Prince William's comments showed how much Norfolk meant to The Royal Family.

He said: 'We're incredibly fortunate to live in such a special part of the country and we'd like to see as many people as possible get involved in Norfolk Day.'As one of the most photographed women in the world, the Duchess of Cambridge's every outfit and accessory is scrutinised.

But it was Kate's hands - and not her elegant cream ensemble - that generated the most attention on Tuesday, when the 36-year-old paid a visit to a primary school in Oxford.

Photographs taken of the pregnant mother-of-two indicate that, unusually, the central three fingers of her hands are almost the same length.

Most people's middle fingers are noticeably longer than their index or fourth fingers.

Royal watchers have spotted that the Duchess of Cambridge's fingers on her right hand are all the same length

The royal looked stylish in a cream coat and a smart pair of brown heels as she was greeted by flag-waving pupils at the school, which is part of an innovative charity programme to support emotional health and wellbeing.

And as she gripped onto her smart black clutch, observers noted that Kate's fingers appear to be the same length.

In the past scientists have linked the so-called 'digit ratio' to a whole host of seemingly unrelated traits.

For example, it was noted by scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research that men whose index fingers are longer than their ring fingers are significantly less likely to develop prostate cancer.

A long index finger also correlates strongly with a lower risk of early heart disease, and, in women, a higher risk of breast cancer and greater fertility.

People with relatively long index fingers have also been found to be more likely to suffer from schizophrenia, allergies, eczema and hay fever.

On her visit to the school on Tuesday, Kate met with parents to hear more about how their families have overcome challenges with the support of Family Links.

The heavily pregnant royal was completing one of her last public engagements before the birth of her third child

The charity integrates emotional health support into pupils' education at the school, and their entire families are supported through a range of workshops.

Pregnant Kate is completing her final engagements ahead of the birth of her third child in April.

And royal sources are predicting that the baby could well arrive on the patron saint of England's feast day on the 23rd.

'There's no certainty with due dates of course but the Duchess is working off a date around St George's Day and it would be a lovely patriotic coincidence if he or she were born then,' a source told The Sun.

The Duchess, seen clutching an umbrella at an event in August 2017, is expecting her third child in April

If the royal baby does arrive on the feast day, it could reignite calls for 23rd April to become a public holiday.

It was also revealed on Tuesday that Meghan Markle has topped a list of the most attractive female members of the British royal family.

The bride-to-be came the closest to scoring 100 per cent based on the 'golden ratio', which is said to reveal 'perfect' physical beauty.

Harley Street surgeon Dr Julian De Silva mapped the 36-year-old's face and compared it to Kate, Zara Phillips, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who came in places two to five, respectively.

Dr De Silva explained that Meghan had an almost perfect nose and that her eye position is 'exactly right'.

In a close second was the Duchess of Cambridge, who scored 86.8 per cent.The Queen paid a visit to London's International Maritime Organisation on Tuesday to mark its 70th anniversary.

Dressed in a vibrant purple coat and matching hat, Queen Elizabeth II certainly put on a regal display.

The royal, 91, was seen greeting the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organsation (IMO) Kitack Lim, before admiring their grand model ships on display.

Her Majesty the Queen examines a model of the RMS Queen Mary II ocean liner at London's International Maritime Organisation

The Queen looked elegant as ever in a purple coat dress with a co-ordinating hat embellished with flowers

The Queen's tailored wool coat was adorned with a pretty brooch, and matched her hat which was embellished with fresh flowers.

Teaming it with black court shoes and coordinating gloves, she appeared to be wearing her trademark Launer handbag, a brand she has carried for 60 years.

The Queen was seen smiling as she admired a model of the RMS Queen Mary 2 transatlantic ocean liner.

Later in the morning she was seen admiring a work of art hanging form the ceiling which portrays the world's continents, created by artist Marc Mathews, along with Frederick J. Kenney, Director, Legal and External Affairs.

The Queen paid a visit to the International Maritime Organisation to mark its 70th anniversary

Her visit to the organisation came after her impromptu appearance at London Fashion Week last month delighted royal watchers

Completing her visit, the Queen then unveiled a plaque to record her visit to the International Maritime Organisation.

Taking to the stage in front of a select crowd, she was seen presenting the plaque, which read: 'This plaque was unveiled by her Majesty The Queen on the occasion of her visit to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the international maritime organisation 6th March 2018'.

As a specialised agency of the United Nations, the IMO is the global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping.

The organisation has 173 Member States and is the only United Nations agency to be headquartered in the UK.

The Queen, 91, unveiled a plaque installed to mark the 70th anniversary of the organisation

The monarch was greeted by the secretary general of the International Maritime Organisation, Kitack Lim

Her visit comes just days after the content of her famous Launer handbags was unveiled following her impromptu debut on the FROW during London Fashion Week last week, alongside Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

Made by Launer, a 77-year-old British company based in Walsall, West Midlands, the royal handbag is as much a part of her trademark look as pastel-hued coats and pearl earrings.

Her favourite style is the Traviata, a 1,850 bag made from calf leather and finished in black patent, which has  unsurprisingly  become the brands biggest seller. In fact, thanks to repeated royal endorsement, Launer has seen sales soar by 400 per cent in the past four years  with huge demand from China and Japan.

Each of the Queens designs is, as one might expect, bespoke. Gerald and his team work with Angela Kelly, Her Majestys right-hand woman and dresser, to fulfil her precise requirements. We tend to work on a bag we already have, then personalise it with what Angela knows the Queen wants, or for specific engagements she may have, says Gerald.

Queen Elizabeth II was seen beaming after the cutting of the cake during a visit to the International Maritime OrganizationIvanka Trump got to spend a little bit of extra time with her daughter Arabella on Tuesday morning as both of them headed out together.

The first daughter, 36, and her six-year-old, were seen leaving their Washington, D.C. home a little after 8 to hop on a Secret Service vehicle, with Ivanka smiling as she started the day with her eldest.

She kept her hand on the back of Arabella's hood as both of them made their way out in the cool in the cool D.C. morning.

Duo: Ivanka Trump got to spend a little bit of extra time with her daughter Arabella on Tuesday morning as both of them headed out together

Greeting the day: The first daughter, 36, and her six-year-old, were seen leaving their Washington, D.C. home a little after 8

Happy times: Ivanka smiled as she left with the eldest of her three children in the morning

Safe: She kept her hand on the back of Arabella's hood as both of them made their way out

Sartorial: Ivanka was wearing a checked top and matching flare pants during the outing

Details: The first daughter had opted to mix prints by finishing off her outfit with a pair of high heels with a houndstooth pattern

Ivanka was wearing a checked top and matching flare pants during the outing, and had opted to mix prints by finishing off her outfit with a pair of high heels with a houndstooth pattern.

She shielded her eyes behind a pair of aviator sunglasses and kept her hair in a simple blowout, carrying her belongings in a black purse.

Arabella, meanwhile, carried a multicolored bag as she and her mother walked to the Secret Service vehicle waiting for them.

Ivanka appears to be quite fond of the checked outfit. She was photographed wearing it in November last year, this time paired with black shoes and a matching purse.

On that occasion, Ivanka wore her hair in a low ponytail and completed her look with a bright red lipstick, as well as a pair of dangling earrings.

Accessory: She shielded her eyes behind a pair of aviator sunglasses in the cool D.C. morning

Joy: Ivanka seemed to be in high spirits as she and Arabella left the house together

Belongings: Arabella carried a multicolored bag as she and her mother walked to the Secret Service vehicle waiting for them

Leaving: Ivanka made sure to close the gate behind her as she headed out for the day

Looking back: Arabella turned towards her mother as both of them hopped on the vehicle

Repeat: Ivanka appears to be quite fond of the checked outfit. She was photographed wearing it in November last year, this time paired with black shoes and a matching purse

On Monday too, the first daughter chose to keep her eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, this time as part of an all-black outfit.

She was spotted heading to work a little before 8, bundled up in a black turtleneck paired with a matching black jacket, as well as coordinated tailored pants.

Ivanka had a black purse slung over her left shoulder as she departed from her house in the luxurious neighborhood of Kalorama.

Ivanka finished off her outfit with pointy, striped black and white shoes with a low heel.

As for accessories, she opted for a pair of discreet pearl earrings and kept her eyes shielded behind a pair of large black sunglasses, with her hair in a simple blowout.

Her husband Jared, 37, was also seen heading out to work on Monday morning, leaving a little before 7 and flashing a bright smile at the cameras.

Dress code: Ivanka cut a somber silhouette as she stepped out in an all-black outfit on Monday

Sartorial: She paired the sweater with a matching black jacket and coordinated tailored pants

The couple's departures on Monday came a few days after it was initially revealed that Ivanka and Jared, who are both senior White House advisers, might be at risk of losing their jobs.

Some White House aides have become frustrated that Jared and Ivanka have been able to stay at the White House, even though the president, Ivanka's father, has said they should leave and should never have been hired in the first place, the New York Times reported on Friday.

President Trump has told his daughter and son-in-law that they should remain at their current jobs, but he has also asked chief of staff John F. Kelly to help oust them, aides told the newspaper.

Jared has been stripped of his top security clearance and has been downgraded to a secret level.

Mother-daughter: Ivanka seemed in high spirits this weekend as she got ready for the Gridiron dinner with Arabella

Glamorous outing: Jared and Ivanka arrived together to the Gridiron Dinner on Saturday night

Look: Ivanka wore a gown made by the Venezuelan-American designer who has also dressed First Ladies such as Michelle Obama, Melania trump and Jacqueline Onassis

This has prompted questions on how he can successfully advance his ambitious agendaincluding achieving Mideast peace, a goal that has eluded presidents for generations.

Meanwhile, the president's son-in-law remains under the shadow of the Russia probe and has seen his business dealings come under renewed scrutiny.

Thus, a frustrated Trump has griped about the wave of bad headlines generated by probes into Jared's business dealings and the status of his security clearance, according to two people familiar with the president's thinking but not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations.

The president also has wondered aloud if the couple would be better off returning home to New York.

In spite of these developments, Ivanka seemed in high spirits this weekend as she got ready for the Gridiron dinner.

She took to social media to share a photo of her six-year-old daughter Arabella crawling underneath her $7,990 black and white Carolina Herrera gown before the event.

Ivanka captioned the picture: 'My pre-game partner in crime!'

Both she and Jared attended the 133rd Gridiron Club and Foundation dinner on Saturday.

Duo: Ivanka and Jared were among the 660 in attendance at the dinner on Saturday night

Peek: Trump and Melania are seen at the Gridiron dinner on Saturday in a photo snapped from the audience. The event was closed to cameras, but accounts of his remarks emerged

President Trump and his family accepted an invitation to the event after he first declined to attend last year. Every president since Grover Cleveland has come to at least one Gridiron.

The Gridiron Club and Foundation dinner is an annual bipartisan dinner with members of the press.

Ivanka was part of Trump's entourage for the dinner, which also included Melania Trump, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and his wife Louise Linton. All were part of the 660 guests in attendance at the dinner.

President Trump used the current news cycle to crack a joke about his son-in-laws security clearance.

'We were late tonight because Jared could not get through security,' the president said during the event.Juliet Stevenson has revealed that she took in a teenage immigrant into her family home after meeting the then 13-year-old at Yarl's Wood Detention Centre in Bedford.

The actress, 61, says that the girl, who is now the same age as her daughter Rosalind, 23, stayed with the family for 'quite a while'.

A fervent campaigner for the rights of refugees in the UK, the actress said the young woman was now 'doing brilliantly' and training to be a lawyer.

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Actress Juliet Stevenson, currently starring in West End hit Mary Stuart, has revealed that she welcomed a teenage refugee into her London family home for 'quite a while' after meeting her in Yarl's Wood in 2008

Stevenson, pictured visiting The Jungle migrant camp in Calais in 2016, says the girl she took in to live with her partner Hugh Brody and two children, Rosalind, 23, and Gabriel, 17 is now training to be a lawyer

In an interview with the Evening Standard, Stevenson revealed that the teenager was welcomed into the Highgate home she shares with her partner Hugh Brody.

She said: 'We had a young woman living in our house for quite a while when she first arrived in the UK and had nowhere to live.'

Stevenson added: 'It was difficult for her. She couldnt eat any food at first because her mother hadnt cooked it for her. But now she has moved out and is doing brilliantly. Shes training to be a lawyer.'

WHEN DID EMMA THOMPSON OPEN HER HOME TO A REFUGEE? Leading lights in the acting world have been some of the strongest campaigners for the plight of refugees. Actress Emma Thompson has regularly expressed her frustration that more child refugees aren't allowed to find a home on UK shores. Emma Thompson, a vocal campaigner for the rights of child refugees in the UK with her adopted son Tindyebwa Agaba (pictured in 2008) The thespian has an adopted son Tindyebwa Agaba, who is a former child refugee from Rwanda. The actress met the then teenager in 2003 at a Christmas party in London held by the Refugee Council. He had been sleeping rough in Trafalgar Square and she invited him to spend Christmas Day with her family. The young man then moved into the couple's Hampstead home and has been regularly spotted at the couple's side during awards ceremonies and public events. Advertisement

The actress also revealed that she uses the current crisis in Syria to inspire her while performing in her current role as Elizabeth I in Mary Stuart.

She says there's a point in the play where the queen says 'this horror has to end'.

Stevenson says: 'What comes into my head is that I have to imagine I am talking to Assad, on the streets of Eastern Ghouta, seeing dead children.

Stevenson, who has two children, says that she often channels the plight of children in Syria to give her depth and urgency when she's on stage

'I try to go to that place to get to the depths and sense of urgency of what she is feeling.'

The actress is currently campaigning for the family of child refugees to be able to stay with them in the UK.

Grandparents, brothers, aunts and sisters are currently not allowed to stay in the country to look after young family members. MPs will vote on whether the definition of family can be widened on Friday.A college student who thought she was suffering from a painful kidney infection got the shock of her life when she found out she was actually in labor.

Allyson Opfer, 23, from Garrettsville, Ohio, 'freaked out' when doctors told her she was 42 weeks pregnant  two weeks overdue  and just minutes away from giving birth to her son Oliver David.

'The day before I had him I woke up with what I thought were just normal menstrual cramps and I was in a little bit of discomfort,' the Kent State University senior explained. 'But the cramps just got more intense as the day went on, they just kept getting worse and worse.'

Surprise: Allyson Opfer, 23, from Garrettsville, Ohio, gave birth to her son Oliver David on December 23, 2016, after being hospitalized for what thought was a kidney infection

Shock: Allyson (pictured the day before the gave birth) had been in a relationship nine months before, but she didn't suspect she was pregnant because her periods were often irregular

Allyson said she was in so much pain her mother brought her to the ER, where she was given a blood test.

Her white blood cell count was high, indicating what they thought was a kidney infection. However, when she was brought in for an ultrasound, they learned that she was actually pregnant.

'Obviously the technician could see that I was pregnant, but it was the doctor who had to tell me,' she recalled.

'He came in and he asked if I had ever been pregnant, and I said I hadn't, and then he told me he thought I was two weeks overdue and in labor.'

Stunned: Doctors initially thought Allyson's painful cramping was a kidney infection, but an ultrasound revealed that she was actually 42 weeks pregnant  and in labor

Initial scare: Allyson was suffering from pre-eclampsia, a condition that can be fatal for both mothers and babies, and doctors opted to deliver the baby via C-section

Allyson had been in brief relationship nine months before, but she didn't suspect that she was pregnant because her periods were often irregular.

The college student said she was frightened when doctors told her she was suffering from pre-eclampsia, a condition that can be fatal for both mothers and babies.

Due to her high blood pressure, they opted to perform an emergency C-section to deliver her 7lb, 8oz baby, who was born at 3:13 a.m. on December 23, 2016.

'When they said I had to have a C-section, I was so scared, I was crying and really freaking out,' she said.

Bundle of joy: 'I was so worried about him because he had no prenatal care but he was healthy thankfully,' Allyson said

Unforgettable moment: The mother-of-one said hearing her son cry for the first time was an 'incredible' experience

'My mom was trying to calm me down as they wheeled me up to the labor and delivery ward.'

Allyson said meeting her son Oliver David for the first time was an amazing moment, despite discovering she was to be a mom just half an hour before.

'I just couldn't believe I was about to give birth,' she explained. 'When I saw him and heard his cry, it was incredible.

'I was so worried about him because he had no prenatal care but he was healthy thankfully.'

Hard to believe: Allyson said her best friend didn't believe her when she first revealed that she had given birth to a baby boy

Look of love: The mom credits her 'wonderful' parents with helping her with her son, as his father isn't in the picture

The mom, who is studying to be an air traffic controller, said Oliver's birth was a huge shock to her friends, who did not believe her when she texted them about becoming a mom.

'When I texted my best friend Nicole the next day, she didn't believe me. I had to send her pictures of me and Oliver before she realized it wasn't a joke,' she said.

'Then she was like, "Wow this is crazy."'

Allyson said she is lucky to have the support of her 'wonderful' parents, Teresa and David Opfer, especially because Oliver's father is not involved in their lives.

Over the moon: 'Oliver is their first grandchild and they just love him so much,' she said

Adjusting: Allyson admitted that suddenly becoming a mom was overwhelming, explaining that she had to learn how to breast feed after finding out she was pregnant and giving birth

Cutie pie: Oliver is now 14 months old, and the proud mom said he is 'just the happiest baby'

'My parents were shocked, but they were extremely supportive,' she said. 'Oliver is their first grandchild and they just love him so much. I'm so lucky to have my parents, because it can be so overwhelming sometimes.

'I was so unprepared. I had to get to grips with breastfeeding when two days earlier, I didn't even know I was pregnant.'

Allyson said life with Oliver, now 14 months, can be just as crazy as his dramatic entrance into the world at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center.

'He's so high-energy, he just never stops running around,' she said. 'He's just the happiest baby and he's always smiling.

'I've been lucky because he's always been such an easy baby. He's the best thing that ever happened to me.'BrewDog is facing a fierce backlash after launching a bright pink IPA 'for girls' that it claims is ironically sexist.

An army of women on social media have accused the Scottish beer company of using sexist stereotypes to launch a beer that allegedly aims to fight gender inequality.

Several accused BrewDog of using 'lazy marketing' and 'poorly executing' the idea to launch a beer that raises awareness of the gender pay gap as well as money for gender inequality causes.

Independent craft brewer BrewDog says it has taken on the 'global scourge of gender pay inequality' and is 'combating sexist marketing' with its 'new' Pink IPA beer

The beer maker has so far stood by the drink - which is the same pale ale as the company's famous Punk IPA in different packaging - and explained in a lengthy statement that they launched an offensive beer deliberately to take aim at sexist marketing.

Several women on social media say that by using sexist marketing, even ironically, BrewDog has failed to tackle the problem of gender inequality.

Sarah-Elizabeth Daly tweeted: 'Did anybody just roll their eyes at BrewDog?'

Zoe Paskett wrote: 'When you have to repeatedly tell everyone that your publicity stunt is satirical, ironic and sarcastic to make it work, you are doing it wrong.'

The beer is the same as its Punk IPA but in different packaging with an explanation in small print about why it is ironic

Women on social media were not impressed by the marketing stunt and said that the problem with it is that the bottles still look too gendered if you don't know it's ironic

The Pink IPA beer comes in bright pink packaging and was launched this morning.

BrewDog said it is 'satirically dubbed a Beer for Girls' but is actually a 'clarion call to close the gender pay gap in the UK and around the world and to expose sexist marketing to women, particularly within the beer industry.'

BrewDog will be donating 20 per cent of proceeds from sales of Pink and Punk IPA to causes that fight against gender inequality.

The bottles are on sale in pink packaging and proceeds go towards gender inequality causes

However some people praised BrewDog for the 'genius' campaign, which is currently trending on Twitter

It will also be serving the beer for 20 per cent cheaper in BrewDog bars to those who identify as women.

In an online statement, BrewDog said: '[We] intend to trigger questions about why women continue to earn less than their male counterparts, and offer them a discount on the beer equivalent to the gender pay gap.'

Not everyone is furious about the marketing stunt, however.

Some have praised BrewDog's 'genius' campaign and praised the brewer for donating money to gender inequality causes.

Sarah Warman, BrewDog's global head of marketing has responded to the social media reaction.

She told FEMAIL: 'We always anticipated that some people might not immediately appreciate the irony of Pink IPA but that did not deter us in our mission to spark a conversation about the gender pay gap.

'Pink IPA is clearly an over-the-top ridiculing of the types of sexist marketing we often see from brands trying to engage a female audience.

'This beer is part of a bigger campaign that raises awareness of the scourge of the gender pay gap and sexism; two issues we think we should be doing a lot more to solve as a society.

'We're proud to donate proceeds from the beer to The Women's Engineering Society who are doing amazing work at inspiring women to break glass ceilings in the STEM sector.'More than 5,000 patients are still stuck in hospital with flu and norovirus  the equivalent of one in 20 NHS beds.

Three times as many people have had to stay in hospital this year after the worst flu season in seven years.

This has combined with a spike in norovirus cases to fill the equivalent of ten acute hospitals with these patients alone, the head of NHS England warned.

Simon Stevens said NHS staff had worked tirelessly to cope with this winters pressures. He praised their efforts at reducing so-called bedblocking, adding that the health service had turned the corner by working with councils to enable patients to be discharged more quickly.

More than 5,000 patients are still stuck in hospital with flu and norovirus

This had freed up 2,000 beds in time for the winter, he told the Commons public accounts committee. He added: We have genuinely turned the corner on the delayed transfers of care problem, which has been brewing for many years.

The bad news is that we have obviously had the worst flu season in seven years. We have had a hospitalisation rate three times higher than last year for flu.

As a result even today we have got about 5,000 hospital beds occupied by people either with flu or norovirus. Now 5,000 hospital beds is the equivalent of having ten acute hospitals solely looking after those patients, which would not normally be the case.

Three times as many people have had to stay in hospital this year after the worst flu season in seven years

Last week, NHS bosses warned a perfect storm of -16C (3F) blizzards, norovirus and flu was piling pressure on over-stretched hospitals. Bed occupancies remain high and a spike in norovirus cases has also meant the number of beds closed by sickness and diarrhoea has been up to 143 per cent higher than the same time last winter.

The anticipated spike in flu cases meant hospitals in England were told they could postpone non-urgent operations throughout January to ease pressure.

NHS England officials estimated that 55,000 operations may have been cancelled.

But last night Mr Stevens told MPs that figures released later this week will show a substantially lower number than feared.

 A hospital was forced to close its A&E department due to computer network issues.

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust declared a major incident at Addenbrookes yesterday.

Patients were urged to choose alternatives where possible and the advice continued after the issue was resolved as the department was still extremely busy.Conjoined female twins are fighting for their lives after being born with one body and two heads.

Weighing around 15lbs, only one of the heads of the unnamed girls is able to move and is being fed via tubes.

Amid fears they will not survive, the twins are being kept in an incubator where they are receiving round-the-clock care while baffled doctors, in the remote Siem Reap province in Cambodia, decide how best to treat the newborns.

Their mother Ket May, 35, who is extremely distressed by the incident and is still recovering from her Caesarean section on March 3, had no idea she was expecting conjoined twins as she could not afford a 10 ultrasound scan.

She said: 'My feelings are confused. Yes, I'm happy to have a baby girl but I am distressed, too. I do not know if she will survive. We don't know what to do.'

Around one in every 200,000 babies are born conjoined. Between 40 and 60 per cent arrive stillborn, while 35 per cent only survive one day.

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Conjoined twins are fighting for their lives after being born with the same body and two heads

Their mother Ket May (pictured) had no idea she was expecting conjoined twins due to her not being able to afford an approximate 10 ultrasound scan at any point of her pregnancy

Only one of the heads of the twins, who weigh around 15lbs, is able to move

'The baby is not strong'

Doctors decided to perform a c-section on Ket after it appeared the infant would be born feet first, only to be amazed when the conjoined twins emerged.

Ket, who is spending all her time at Kantha Bopha Children's Hospital with the baby's father Kam Sary, 40, said: 'I want to be happy but I am also upset. I don't know why this happened. The baby is not strong.'

As well as being unable to afford a scan, the parents, who have three other children, are also from a remote village that has limited access to normal prenatal checks.

The twins are being fed via tubes and are receiving round-the-clock care in hospital

Doctors are concerned by the twins' very weak heartbeat, leaving medics unsure what to do

WHAT ARE CONJOINED TWINS? Conjoined twins occur when siblings have their skin or internal organs fused together. It affects around one in 200,000 live births. Conjoined twins are caused by a fertilised egg beginning to split into two embryos a few weeks after conception, but the process stops before it is complete. The most common type is twins joined at the chest or abdomen. Separation surgery success depends on where the twins are joined. Doctors can only tell which organs the siblings share, and therefore plan surgery, after they are born. At least one twin survives 75 per cent of the time. The most famous pair of conjoined twins was Chang and Eng Bunker, who were born in 1811 and travelled with PT Barnum's circus. They were born in Siam and were known as the Siamese twins. Source: University of Maryland Medical Center Advertisement

'We have never dealt with this before'

Doctors at the hospital are monitoring the twins' condition before deciding what to do next.

A hospital spokesman said: 'The baby has a very weak heartbeat. The mother is also exhausted from the birth. She is also shocked.

'Doctors have not allowed the baby to be taken home and we have her at the hospital.

'The birth has surprised a lot of people at the hospital. We have never seen this before or dealt with the condition.

'We are very cautious about the health of the girl. We are still waiting for a specialist in the condition.

'The doctors and nurses here will do everything possible for the young child.'A little girl, who was left with a shattered jaw and horrific scarring after dogs mauled her face now uses selfies to help her accept her new face

Paige Woody, 41, from Crestview, Florida, USA, watched in terror as two pit bulls grabbed her daughter, who was then five, by the face, tearing her skin and leaving her eye hanging from its socket.

After multiple surgeries to repair the horrific damage, daughter Zoey, now six, is using selfies to repair her lost self confidence.

'She constantly takes selfies of herself, she takes around 30 a day while she feels her scars and tries to smile,' mother Paige says.

'She pulls at her face and does different things to take pictures to see if she looks different and is definitely aware of her scars.

'A couple of times she has asked if she was ugly and of course I tell her it's not true and that she's beautiful.'

Zoeys injuries from the dog attacks, she has left with her eye hanging from its socket, severe incisions, and with a shattered jaw

Paige Woody, 41, from Crestview, Florida, USA, watched in terror as the two pit bulls grabbed her daughter by the face tearing her skin and leaving her eye hanging from its socket

Lucky to live

When her daughter was attacked, Paige threw herself over daughter, Zoey, as the dogs continued to ferociously snap, gnawing the back of the mum-of-three's head, damaging her knee and tearing part of her ear off.

After rushing to hospital, she was airlifted to a specialist unit to undergo ten hours of extensive procedures to repair her jaw - that had been 'shattered into hundreds of pieces' - and to stitch her face back together again.

She was lucky to survive and went onto have in-depth facial surgeries, dissoluble plates fitted into her jaw and the reconstruction of her upper and lower eye.

Zoey, now six, is set to undergo her third skin graft next month (April) and is learning to accept the life-altering damage to her face thanks to taking up to 30 selfies a day.

Her mum believes the photos, which range from smiles to silly and serious faces, as well as her pulling at her scarring, is helping her to appreciate her differences and track her monthly progress.

Paige a full-time parent, said: 'I think the selfies are positive as it's helping her to understand and appreciate the healing process too.

The family are continuing to fundraise for the medical treatment and travel expenses, so that she can get the help needed to allow Zoey the best chance of recovery

'She is six but has the oldest soul ever, when people are staring at her she will walk up to them and say I was attack by two pit bulls, which is why I look this way'

'She constantly takes selfies of herself, she takes around 30 a day while she feels her scars and tries to smile.

'She pulls at her face and does different things to take pictures to see if she looks different and is definitely aware of her scars.

'Some of selfies are smiles, some silly faces, others more serious and some at different angles.

'A couple of times she has asked if she was ugly and of course I tell her it's not true and that she's beautiful.

'Other people tell her she is beautiful too, which I believe is helping to encourage her to recognise that she is still pretty.

'She can't smile fully because part of her lower lip was completely taken off during the attack, despite having it sewn back on it still droops.

Zoey Woody, 5, from Crestview, Florida, USA, was mauled by two pit bulls, tearing her skin and leaving her eye hanging from its socket

'I think taking selfies is her way of understanding. She won't look in a mirror and avoids them - the only way she looks at herself is through her camera phone.

'By photographing her face and the scars she can compare how she looked three months ago and how she has progressed, as she slowly gets better..'

The attack happened last year, when Zoey tapped on the glass door to get her mother's attention.

Upon hearing the noise, one of the two pit bulls that had been playing outside suddenly grabbed and pulled her out of the house.

Mum Paige tried to pull them off, before using her body to block the dogs and protect her daughter.

She said: 'The dog was still attacking Zoey relentlessly and wouldn't let go, so I threw myself on top of her, shielding my sweet girl from the continuous attack.

'As thoughts of losing my daughter spun through my mind, both pit-bulls continued to viciously attack me, causing life threatening wounds to both my daughter and myself.

'We got back inside and it was the most horrific thing you could see, I was terrified I was going to lose my daughter.

'My head was gushing with blood. Zoey's face was bleeding and her eye were hanging down, all I could do was wrap her in a towel.'

Zoey was diagnosed with PTSD from that attack that nearly killed her. Pictured left: Zoey and mother Paige

'Her recovery has been ridiculous'

They rushed to hospital where Zoey was then airlifted for lifesaving surgery and Paige treated for deep gashes to the back of her head and other wounds.

Paige said: 'Surgeons put dissolvable plates in Zoey's jaw, they had to reconstruct her lower and upper eyelid, then put her face back together and sew it up.

'Her jaw was completely shattered into hundreds of pieces. She couldn't chew for ten months, everything she ate had to be blended.'

Since then Zoey has had two skin grafts and is scheduled for a third, with each one she needs additional chemo injections and laser treatment.

Zoey has to keep out of the sun as UV rays can cause her transplanted skin to thicken - making it harder for future surgeries and for the grafts to take.

When she is outside for longer than a few minutes, the little girl has to have silicone sheets applied to her face that help to block the sun and break-up her scar tissue.

Paige said: 'Her recovery has been ridiculous, she can't go outside for a year without protection.

'The more UV rays that hit her skin, the thicker the scarring will become and harder it will be to perform grafts and for them to take.

'She has tonnes of sun hats, glasses and if she is out in the sun for longer than a few minutes I patch her face up with silicone.

'They are silicone sheets, which are like really thick band aids, that push on the scarring to help break it up. Then we also use every ointment under the sun.'

Zoey, who is now six, is set to undergo her third skin graft next month (April) and is learning to accept the life-altering damage to her face thanks to taking up to 30 selfies a day

Zoey was diagnosed with PTSD from that attack that nearly killed her, but thanks to therapy in Galveston, Texas, through the Shriners Club, is becoming more at peace with herself.

'She is six but has the oldest soul ever'

Paige said: 'She was there for a full month with sessions five days a week, it helped a lot because at the time she would never leave my side.

'Even if I went to the bathroom she would come with me and would always sleep in the same bed as me.

'It made a huge difference for her, now she is able to sleep in her own bed and only comes in if she has a bad dream.'

Out in public, Zoey is often quizzed about her facial difference, but the brave little girl has found the courage to explain her attack.

Paige added: 'People stare at her or say, 'Oh my god, what happened to you?'

'She is six but has the oldest soul ever, when people are staring at her she will walk up to them and say I was attack by two pit bulls, which is why I look this way.'

The family are continuing to fundraise for the medical treatment and travel expenses, so that she can get the help needed to allow Zoey the best chance of recovery.

Paige said: 'The GoFundMe page is so important to us, every trip we take costs several thousand dollars.

'That's not only for the transportation but lodging and food, then seeking out day care for my two older daughters.

'We are gone for so long, you have to uproot yourself for two or three weeks at a time.

'Without the generosity of others so far, we wouldn't have gotten the amazing doctors and surgeons she sees, there's no way that ever would have happened.'A father-of-two claims he was given paracetamol for his broken neck after doctors dismissed his crippling pain for three months.

Anton Frolov, 36, was swimming on holiday when he banged his head on the seabed in Phuket, Thailand, and fractured his neck.

Despite being given the all-clear while on holiday, he decided to visit his local A&E two days later when he returned home to Edenbridge, Kent.

Mr Frolov was transferred to Tunbridge Wells Hospital for further care - but claims he was sent home with mild painkillers and no further tests.

His pain worsened and advice from his physiotherapist to strengthen the muscles in his spine by visiting the gym caused irreversible damage, unbeknown to him.

Three months later it was finally revealed that Mr Frolov had fractured his neck after he decided to go through his private health insurance.

Mr Frolov claims he was then told his neck bone was pressing on his spinal cord, which could have left him paralysed or killed him at any moment.

Anton Frolov, 36, was swimming on holiday when he banged his head on the seabed in Phuket, Thailand, and fractured his neck (pictured with his wife Ekaterina, and son Misha, five)

He is now suing the hospital trust, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, for not conducting an X-ray when he first went to hospital.

Mr Frolov needed two titanium bolts to fix two cervical vertebrae together, leaving him with limited rotational movement of the neck.

The chartered aviation businessman, speaking for the first time about his painstaking ordeal in 2015, claims this operation has left him feeling disabled.

Mr Frolov said: 'I had been going to the gym to try and strengthen the muscles in my neck but I was actually risking my life.

'I was in daily pain and the only pain relief I had was paracetamol and co-codamol.

'Three months after banging my head on the seabed I was still having pain so I decided to pay privately to get my spine checked.

'Once I'd had an X-ray the osteopath called me and said I had to go to hospital immediately as I had an unstable fracture in my neck.

'It's a bit crazy to be called and told your neck is broken, especially as I had been walking around with it for so long.

Three months later it was finally revealed that Mr Frolov had fractured his neck after he decided to go through his private health insurance (pictured in hospital)

Mr Frolov needed two titanium bolts to fix two cervical vertebrae together, leaving him with limited rotational movement of the neck

'I was told the broken neck bone was pushing against my spinal cord, something which could have punctured it at any time and caused life-long paralysis.'

He added: 'I needed surgery and had two titanium bolts used to fix two cervical vertebrae together, leaving me with limited rotational movement of the neck.

'I feel all of this could have been prevented if I'd had an X-ray when I first went to hospital in the UK.

'The surgeon told me that my original fracture could have been fixed with just a neck brace but as I'd been pulling my neck at the gym the bone had moved around.'

Mr Frolov was pulled from the sea by onlookers after banging his head on the seabed in Thailand during April 2015.

After being given the all clear by a local hospital abroad, his wife Ekaterina, 34, decided to drive him straight to Edenbridge and District War Memorial Hospital from the airport.

But it was at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, where he was transferred to, that he claims he was dismissed by doctors who stated his neck wasn't broken.

Mr Frolov said: 'I was sent home by the hospital with them telling me there was no fracture.

Mr Frolov was transferred to Tunbridge Wells Hospital when he returned home from his holiday for further care - but claims he was sent home with mild painkillers and no further tests

'I guess when you are a patient you hope to hear good news, and in a way the fact that nobody seemed too concerned was quite reassuring to me. It just made me think I was worrying over nothing.

'When health professionals tell you everything is ok, you take their word for it. They're the experts and you trust them.

'I then went to see my GP a couple of days later and he referred me to a physiotherapist to try and lessen the pain.'

He added: 'After finally having surgery I was told I'd been extremely fortunate and that it was something of a miracle to be walking around, as because of the fracture and the position of the broken bone, I could have been paralysed at any moment.

'If I had gone a few more days without it being discovered, I don't like to think what could have happened because I was told it was getting more dangerous day after day.'

Hudgell Solicitors allege Tunbridge Wells Hospital breached its duty of care in not carrying out its own X-ray, resulting in a delayed diagnosis.

This led to Mr Frolov needing a neurosurgical operation to reposition and fix the bone with bolts.

Solicitor Sue Jackson said: 'This is a shocking case where a failure as simple as not taking an x-ray could have had life-long consequences, and perhaps even fatal.

Mr Frolov was pulled from the sea by onlookers after banging his head on the seabed in Thailand during April 2015 (pictured with Ekaterina, Misha and Daniel, one)

WHAT IS A FRACTURED NECK AND HOW DEADLY IS IT? There are seven bones in the neck, called the cervical vertebrae, that are designed to support the head. Crashes, falls and other trauma can cause one of the bones to fracture - which can be deadly. Injury to the spinal cord - which runs through the centre of the vertebrae - can also lead to paralysis. Guidelines ask doctors to keep patients completely still until X-rays are taken to assess the damage. Often, patients are given a Halo device - a vest connected to a metal ring that goes around the head - to help them recover. Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Advertisement

'Given our client's injury history... and the fact there was no copy of the x-ray taken in Thailand, we argue that Tunbridge Wells Hospital should have conducted full and thorough checks, including its own x-rays.

'Even though Mr Frolov was fortunate not to suffer serious, life-changing injuries as a result of this error, he has still suffered hugely and it has had a big impact on his quality of life.

'Following surgery in which he had two bolts inserted to strengthen his neck, he has been left with restricted movement and the prospect of suffering pain for the rest of his life.'

Mr Frolov who has two young boys, Misha, five and Daniel, one, said he feels fortunate to have dodged death twice and is now able to move on with life.

He said: 'I thought it was the end for me in Thailand when I hit the seabed as all of a sudden I was face down in the water and I couldn't move myself.

'I remember being conscious and having the time to think that I was about 30 seconds away from dying unless somebody helped me and turned me over.

'Then, having walked around with a broken neck for three months, and with what I have been told could have happened, it has made me feel fortunate to still be here. I could have died twice, so in that sense, I guess I have been lucky.'

A Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust spokesperson said: 'We investigated Mr Frolov's complaint in 2015 and sent him an explanation of what happened and what we have learned from this case.'The Lassa fever death toll in Nigeria has now reached 110 as scientists desperately try to contain the 'unusually severe' outbreak.

Fatalities from the killer disease in the African country have rocketed by 22 per cent in the space of just one week, according to the latest official figures.

It comes just days after the UK Government announced that it had deployed a rapid response team to combat Lassa fever.

Global health chiefs say this is the worst outbreak of the deadly bug to have ever rocked Nigeria, with 1,121 suspected cases since January.

Fatalities from Lassa fever have rocketed by 22 per cent in the space of just one week in Nigeria, according to the latest official figures

This year's outbreak carries a significantly higher death rate than the usual one per cent, the Nigerian Center for Disease Control states.

Health officials have stressed in the latest situation report that Lassa fever is killing nearly 24 per cent of those it strikes.

Four healthcare workers have so far died this year from the infection, which can cause bleeding from the vagina. Two of these occurred last week.

Elsie Ilori, head of the NCDCs Lassa Fever Emergency Operations Centre, described the situation as 'overwhelming' last week.

In an interview with Bloomberg, she explained that the current outbreak is 'more than what we have seen before'.

The Lassa fever outbreak, which has now struck 18 of Nigeria's 36 states, has already prompted international help from the World Health Organization.

WHAT IS LASSA FEVER? Scientists first identified the virus causing Lassa fever in 1969. It belongs to the Arenaviridae family. According to the World Health Organization, only 20 per cent of victims will report any symptoms. Lassa fever is endemic in Nigeria and several other countries on the west coast of Africa, including Liberia and Guinea, according to the WHO. Symptoms begin with headaches, sore throats and vomiting, but it can trigger bleeding from the mouth, nose or vagina. However, they gradually progress to shock, seizures, tremors, disorientation and comas without prompt treatment. A quarter of patients will also experience temporary deafness that will eventually return, medical literature states. Pregnant women who contract the disease late in pregnancy face an 80 per cent chance of losing their child or dying themselves. It can either be spread by rats or from person-to-person by exposure to bodily fluids of someone who is infected. Advertisement

Nigerian officials have already praised efforts in containing the outbreak, which WHO declared as the largest outbreak ever last week.

However, despite the help, they still requested assistance from the UK Government, which announced it would send four specialists to Nigeria.

It is just the sixth time the UK Public Health Rapid Support team has been deployed since it was created two years ago.

WHEN HAS THE UKPHRST BEEN DEPLOYED? The UK Public Health Rapid Support, ran in partnership with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, was created in November 2016. It was established in the aftermath of the Ebola crisis that was officially declared as over at the start of 2016. The haemorrhagic fever killed at least 11,000 across the world, including one in the US. It has been sent to: APRIL 2017 : Ethiopia (diarrhoea)

: Ethiopia (diarrhoea) APRIL 2017 : Nigeria (meningitis)

: Nigeria (meningitis) AUGUST 2017 : Sierra Leone (cholera)

: Sierra Leone (cholera) OCTOBER 2017 : Madagascar (plague)

: Madagascar (plague) DECEMBER 2017 : Bangladesh (Diptheria)

: Bangladesh (Diptheria) FEBRUARY 2018 : Nigeria (Lassa fever) Advertisement

In a statement last week, PHE - which runs the team - described the outbreak of Lassa fever - which can cause bleeding from the vagina - as 'unusually severe'.

The announcement came several days after the World Health Organization named Lassa fever in its list of pathogens that pose the most 'urgent' threat.

The UK-PHRST has sent an expert in patient management, two epidemiologists - the art of tracking diseases - and a logistician to Nigeria.

The team was created in the aftermath of the Ebola crisis that killed at least 11,000 across the world, including one in the US.

Lassa fever is endemic in Nigeria and several other countries on the west coast of Africa, including Liberia and Guinea, according to the WHO.

Symptoms begin with headaches, sore throats and vomiting, but it can trigger bleeding from the mouth, nose or vagina.

However, they gradually progress to shock, seizures, tremors, disorientation and comas without prompt treatment.

A quarter of patients will also experience temporary deafness that will eventually return, medical literature states.

Pregnant women who contract the disease late in pregnancy face an 80 per cent chance of losing their child or dying themselves.

It can either be spread by rats or from person-to-person by exposure to bodily fluids of someone who is infected.A 53-year-old man was left confused and struggling to speak after being bitten by his cat, a bizarre new case report reveals.

Doctors assumed the Greek patient, who was displaying some hallmark signs of a brain injury, had suffered a stroke.

But medical tests revealed the unnamed man's neurological problems stemmed from when he was bitten by his feline on his leg.

He developed 'cat-scratch disease' - caused by bacteria called Bartonella henselae found in the mouth and claws of cats.

It causes fever, fatigue, headaches, and swollen lymph nodes. In extreme cases it can even cause deadly brain swelling and heart infections.

The patient developed 'cat-scratch disease' - caused by bacteria called Bartonella henselae found in the mouth and claws of cats

He sought medical help at Laikon Hospital, Athens, where he presented with a fever and two 'reddish' papules where he was bitten.

Doctors, writing in the prestigious BMJ Case Reports, quickly assumed it was CSD and dished him out antibiotics.

But around a week after he finished the 10-day course of treatment, he was admitted to be seen by medics at the University of Athens.

He was struggling to speak, read and write - but doctors, led by Professor Michael Samarkos, were baffled when all tests came back clear.

They noted how he had 'deficits' in all five areas of cognitive function.

Doctors made an initial diagnosis of Broca's aphasia - damage to the brain usually caused by a stroke.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU'RE BITTEN BY AN ANIMAL? Clean the wound immediately by running warm tap water over it for a couple of minutes, even if the skin does not appear broken. Remove any dirt or foreign objects from the wound. Encourage the wound to bleed slightly by gentle squeezing (unless already bleeding freely). If there is heavy bleeding, place a clean pad or sterile dressing over wound and apply pressure. Dry the wound and cover with a clean dressing or plaster. Seek medical advice unless the wound is very minor. For severe wounds, go to A&E. Advertisement

However, brain scans revealed no abnormalities.

Tests showed he had high levels of Bartonella henselae, and doctors gave him a second course of antibiotics.

His state of confusion disappeared after just three days on the drugs and he was discharged from hospital five days after that.

Doctors conducted a follow-up a month later which showed the patient had 'no abnormalities in neurological examination'.

He returned to work and reported no difficulties in performing any of his tasks. He was instructed to be careful with cats in the future.

The new case follows the tale of a 23-year-old Belgian man who was left unable to get an erection after being scratched by a cat last September.

Official figures suggest around 12,000 Americans succumb to cat scratch disease each year. It is unsure how many Britons develop the infection.

Watchdogs have previously warned that cat bites and scratches can be 'devastating in terms of infection and permanent disability' if left untreated.

While dogs are responsible for the vast majority of animals bites, ones from cats are twice as likely to become infected, it is believed.

Felines tend to create puncture wound, injecting bacteria deep into human tissue. But dogs cause a more open wound with tissue damage.Opioids painkillers do not treat chronic hip, knee or back pain any better than less addictive painkillers, new research has found.

As the opioid epidemic continues to claim American lives, more physicians and clinics are looking for alternatives to the addictive drugs.

Veterans Affairs clinics across the US compared how well opioid and other medications, such as Advil, restored basic functions like walking, working and sleeping to former service men and women.

In the small study, opioids offered no advantage to people suffering from chronic back, hip or knee pain.

Prescription opioids offered no advantage over less addictive drugs, like Advil, for veterans with chronic pain, a new study found

Prescription opioids - like the blockbuster drug Oxycontin - have long been the go-to treatment for chronic pain.

An estimated 11 percent of Americans suffer from chronic pain, and about 20 percent of veterans do.

But the widespread use of opioids to treat the condition has led to a massive spate of addiction, and veterans have been particularly vulnerable.

As of 2008, 11 percent of American veterans reported that they had misused prescription opioids at some point, and the majority of the drugs were opioids.

American health officials and President Trump have, in the last year, been making increasingly public efforts to curtail the opioid epidemic.

Yet those efforts have run up against people debilitated by persistent pain, who have voiced concerns that, without the popular treatment, they will be unable to function.

Some experts have worried that the US government does not fully understand the opioid crisis and that its efforts to stop the epidemic have been misguided.

Dr Warren Bickel, a Virginia Tech University neuroscientist, is briefing the White House today in an effort to educate officials on the nature of addiction in the hopes that expertise like his can help guide the administrations next move in the battle against opioid addiction.

Dr Bickel, director of the Virginia Tech Addiction Recovery Center, has worked to develop opioid replacement therapies to help ween addicts off of opioids so that they can find pain relief without the long-term consequences of the powerful drugs.

Public health researchers and experts have suggested that the attack needs to be two-fold, incorporating both a better understanding and destigmatization of addiction and new ways of treating pain.

Researchers at Veterans Affairs (VA) clinics across the country recruited 240 people with chronic pain to split into two treatment groups - opioid and nonopioid - in order to assess if the addictive drugs really were the only path to pain relief.

Half of the subjects for the study, published in JAMA, were given a fast-acting opioid, either in the form of morphine, oxycodone, or hydrocodone/aceteminophen (a combination of an opioid and nonopioid painkiller) at the start of their treatment plans.

The other group received either aceteminophen only or a nonsterioidal anti-inflammatory drug.

The target for each patient was basic functionality with tolerable pain. Their doctors wanted them to be able to walk, sleep and work.

Over the course of a year, they monitored the veterans for functionality and for pain intensity.

The patients also filled out drug misuse screening surveys over the course of the study so that the researchers could gauge how significant the risk of addiction was.

By the end of the research period, there was almost no difference between the abilities of the two groups to function or in their pain levels.

Veterans that took opioids rated pain's interference with their daily activities at an average of 3.4 out of 10. Those that took nonopioids rated interference at 3.3.

The group that took nonopioids actually reported 'significantly better' pain intensity. After 12 months, the nonopioid group said their pain level was a 3.5 out of 10, compared to a 4.0 for the opioid group.

Notably, in the study, there was also little difference in the risk - which was low - between the two groups.

The researchers concluded that the opioids caused 'significantly' more severe side effects than the alternatives, and that 'overall, opioids did not demonstrate any advantage over nonopioid medications that could potentially outweigh their greater risk of harms.'Thousands of men are being needlessly treated for prostate cancer because there is no reliable test for the disease, experts have warned.

A decade-long study involving 415,000 British men lays bare the fundamental flaws of the blood test that forms the cornerstone of the way prostate cancer is diagnosed.

Experts said there is a 'desperate need' for a much better way of screening for prostate cancer, in the same way as women are screened for breast cancer with regular mammograms.

Using a 'prostate specific antigen' - or PSA - blood test to screen healthy men would not save extra lives, the Oxford and Bristol-led researchers found.

The researchers admitted it remains the only method of testing men who are already showing symptoms.

But they said it should not be routinely used for men with no signs of problems.

Using a 'prostate specific antigen' - or PSA - blood test to screen healthy men would not save any lives, Oxford and Bristol-led researchers found

Study leader Professor Richard Martin, of Bristol University, said: 'PSA is currently the only tool we have, but it is a very blunt tool.

'It detects prostate cancer in men who will not benefit from treatment, but is misses aggressive cancer in men who do need treatment.'

The Daily Mail is campaigning to end needless prostate deaths through better treatments and greater awareness.

Last month official figures revealed rising prostate cancer deaths saw it become a bigger killer than breast cancer for the first time.

This is partly because screening for breast cancer is routine - with middle-aged women invited for scans every three years - which has resulted in falling deaths.

But there is no national screening programme for prostate cancer.

The new study attempted to resolve that by testing whether the PSA test could form the basis of a the first prostate screening programme.

Instead it revealed major shortfalls with the test.

WHAT IS A PSA TEST? Every year in Britain, prostate cancer claims 10,000 lives. The disease is difficult to spot early, given that symptoms  pain when urinating and frequent, urgent trips to the lavatory  tend to arise only when the tumour has grown large enough to put pressure on the urethra. This is when men may first go to their GP with a problem. There is no universal screening, but many men opt for a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. PSA is a protein produced by the prostate, and concentrations in the blood often increase if someone has prostate cancer. But there are other reasons why PSA levels may be raised, such as a benign growth or an infection or inflammation. And in some people with cancer, levels are not raised at all. If high PSA levels are detected, men can be referred for a biopsy, during which up to 20 samples of tissue are taken from the prostate to be examined. But as biopsies sample only about one per cent of the gland, there is a 30 per cent chance that the cancer could be missed. Biopsies are also carried out with a needle, so carrying a small risk of infection afterwards. Advertisement

The researchers invited 190,000 healthy men aged 50 to 69 to have the blood test, and then tracked them for another 10 years.

They were compared to another 220,000 men of the same age who could get a PSA test if they asked for it, but were not actively offered one.

The researchers, whose findings are published in the JAMA medical journal, found about a fifth more men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in the screening group.

But this only resulted in needless treatment without actually saving lives.

The number of deaths after 10 years were no different among men who were screened and those who were not - with about three deaths for every 1,000 men in each group.

Experts believe this is because the PSA test picks up slow-growing tumours that would do no harm if left untreated.

And yet the test misses many of the aggressive cancers that require urgent treatment.

The Government-funded project rules out the use of the PSA test for a way of screening healthy men.

Researchers believe 25 per cent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer - nearly 12,000 of the 47,000 diagnosed in Britain every year - are victims of 'over-detection' - which means they have been diagnosed with disease that actually requires no treatment.

Most of these men are subjected to gruelling treatment - such as radiotherapy and surgery - involving a high risk of side effects including impotence and incontinence.

Rapid treatment for men with more aggressive forms of the disease is vital, and could be lethal if delayed, with 11,400 men dying each year from the disease.

But the test - and the biopsy that men are offered after the PSA test - are not very good at differentiating between slow and quick-growing tumours.

Scientists are experimenting with using MRI scanners to improve detection, in a series of 'one-stop shop' services.

Prostate cancer is difficult to spot early, given that symptoms  pain when urinating and frequent, urgent trips to the lavatory  tend to arise only when the tumour has grown large enough to put pressure on the urethra

But not all hospitals have the right equipment and it still requires a PSA test to begin with.

Professor Martin added: 'The results highlight the multitude of issues the PSA test raises - causing unnecessary anxiety and treatment by diagnosing prostate cancer in men who would never have been affected by it and failing to detect dangerous prostate cancers.'

Prostate cancer expert Professor Malcolm Mason of Cancer Research UK, which part-funded the work, said GPs need to have very careful conversations with their patients before offering them the tests.

PSA is currently the only tool we have, but it is a very blunt tool Professor Richard Martin, of Bristol University

Men with symptoms should continue to get the tests, and any man over the age of 50 can ask for a PSA test, but they should not be given routinely to men with no symptoms, he said.

'A man has the right to have a PSA test if he wants it,' Professor Mason said.

'But men should not have the testing without having the whole picture and all the pros and cons explained to them.

'In the past when men have gone to their GP they have been told: 'Oh while you are here should we test your PSA?'

'That is just wrong and should not happen anymore.'

Heather Blake of Prostate Cancer UK said: 'Right now the PSA test is the best first step we have to indicate that there might be a problem with the prostate in men who do not have symptoms.

'That is why we recommend that men over 50  and men over 45 if they are black or have a family history of the disease  discuss the pros and cons of the PSA test with their GP so that they can decide if it's right for them.'

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of GPs, added: 'GPs have long held reservations about the effectiveness of PSA testing based on previous research findings, in particular with regard to potential overdiagnosis and its associated risks - today's research supports these concerns.

'It shows that PSA testing is not sensitive enough to either detect the subtle variations between prostate cancers or exclude clinically insignificant cancers.'Advertisement

Doctors have delivered the second American baby born to a woman following a uterus transplant from a living donor.

The little girl was born in February via cesarean section weighing 6lbs 7oz, with no complications, at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, medics confirmed today.

The mother, who has not been identified, was born without a uterus due to a syndrome called Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH), meaning she always thought pregnancy and childbirth were not an option for her.

However, that changed when she became one of the eight women selected to receive a womb from a donor - six living, two deceased - as part of Baylor's groundbreaking endeavor in 2016.

While four suffered complications that led to their removal, this is the second to prove a resounding success.

'It was fantastic,' lead obstetrician Dr Robert Gunby told Daily Mail Online on Tuesday. 'You can deliver one and someone might say "you were lucky to do that". But now we have replicated it. It is wonderful for these women who never thought this was possible in their life, let alone a few years ago.'

The breakthrough comes just months after the team announced the birth of the first child in December to a woman who received a womb from a mother-of-two nurse who lives nearby in Dallas, and wanted to give another woman the experience of delivering her own child.

This is the little girl who was born at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, in February after her mother (pictured) received a womb from a living donor. It is the second such birth at Baylor, the first was last year

This is the new family, who are not revealing their identity at this time. The mother, who was born without a uterus, grew up believing she would never be able to get pregnant or give birth to her own child

The team (L-R) Dr Brandon Cornelius, Dr Liza Johannesson (from the Swedish team), Dr Robert Gunby and Dr Giuliano Testa during the birth. Dr Gunby is seen holding the baby girl up to show her mother and father

This is the moment the little girl was lifted up out of her mother's transplanted womb in February, captured in a video

She was born in February via cesarean section weighing 6lbs 7oz, with no complications

HOW IS A WOMB TRANSPLANT PERFORMED? The first step involves doctors removing some of the patients' eggs in order to fertilize them in a dish to create embryos. These are then frozen, until they are needed. Secondly, a womb, complete with two major arteries and four veins, removed from a from donor in a three-hour operation. The donated womb is then implanted into the patient during an operation that typically takes around six hours. The woman is then, as all organ transplant patients are, prescribed powerful immune-suppressing drugs to stop the transplanted womb being rejected by the body. Around a year later, when doctors are confident the transplant is a success, one of the embryos is thawed and implanted into the donated womb. If the pregnancy is a success, doctors ultimately deliver the baby via C-section. Once a woman has successfully carried one or two babies, the transplanted organ is then removed. Advertisement

'It's important to carry your own child and to feel that bond that you have when she's in your stomach,' the new mother told The Dallas Morning News.

The latest birth follows years of attempts by various hospitals to perfect the art of womb transplants, which has only been a success in Sweden, with a live donor, and Brazil, with a deceased donor.

The Cleveland Clinic in Ohio made headlines in early 2016 after transplanting a deceased donor's womb into a patient, but it had to be removed days later due to a yeast infection.

In October 2016, Baylor quietly announced it had performed four uterus transplants using living 'altruistic' donors, who had no connection to the recipients - the same approach as the Swedish team.

Though some had to be removed due to poor blood flow, this is the second to prove a success.

A doctor in Sweden, Mats Brannstrom, was the first in the world to deliver a baby as a result of a uterus transplant. As of last year, he had delivered five babies from women with donated wombs.

There have been at least 16 uterus transplants worldwide, including one in Cleveland from a deceased donor that had to be removed because of complications. Last month, Penn Medicine in Philadelphia announced that it also would start offering womb transplants.

Womb donors can be dead or alive, and the Baylor study aims to use some of both.

Doctors hope that womb transplants will enable as many as several thousand women born without a uterus to bear children.

To be eligible for the Baylor study, women must be 20 to 35 years old and have healthy, normal ovaries. They will first have in vitro fertilization to retrieve and fertilize their eggs and produce embryos that can be frozen until they are ready to attempt pregnancy.

After the uterus transplant, the embryos can be thawed and implanted, at least a year after the transplant to make sure the womb is working well.

The new mother is one of the eight women who were selected to receive a womb from a donor - six living, two deceased - as part of Baylor's groundbreaking endeavor in 2016. While four suffered complications that led to their removal, this is the second to prove a resounding success

Baylor filmed the entire birth, a landmark in their projects history. They said it proves this is not a stunt

The woman and her husband pictured moments before the cesarean section

A baby resulting from a uterine transplant would be delivered by cesarean section.

The wombs are not intended to be permanent.

Having one means a woman must take powerful drugs to prevent organ rejection, and the drugs pose long-term health risks, so the uterus would be removed after one or two successful pregnancies.

For women born without a functioning uterus, 'transplantation represents the only way they can carry a pregnancy,' the statement said. The group is convening experts to develop guidelines for programs that want to offer this service.

Since Baylor announced the project in October 2016, more than 200 women have offered up their uterus for other women to have as a transplant.

'When we started this, we were expecting relatives or people who knew the patients. But the number of altruistic donors was overwhelming,' Kristin Posey Wallis, a uterine transplant nurse at Baylor who coordinates the donors and recipients, explained.

'We are still going through all of them. It's going to take a while but we will get back to all of them!'

America's first uterus transplant baby: The birth was announced on December 1, a year after Baylor performed four womb transplantsOpioid overdoses shot up by 30 percent in emergency rooms across the US in a single year, according to newly-released data from the CDC.

Overdoses increased in almost every state, with the Midwest seeing a particularly steep 70 percent rise between July 2016 and September 2017.

It did not matter if people lived in rural or urban areas - overdoses rose in all kinds of cities and towns.

The CDC's new report urges state health departments to take actions like distributing more naloxone, improving access to drug-assisted addiction therapies and coordinating across state lines to combat the opioid epidemic.

ER visits for opioid overdoses increased in the majority of the 16 states that have been worst affected by the addiction epidemic, the CDC's latest data reveals

The American opioid epidemic claimed more than 64,000 lives in 2016 alone.

Addiction, overdoses and deaths have all been on a sharp incline in the last several years in the US, and the latest data suggests we are not past the worst.

Health officials have been playing catch-up with the opioid epidemic all along, leaving many questioning how we got to the crisis point we've reached.

Death certificate data gives the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) final numbers for the number of people killed by opioid epidemics, but this information takes time to make its way to the agency.

In an effort to close that time gap, Congress allotted additional funds to the CDC in 2016 so that it could implement its enhanced monitoring program, collecting data from emergency rooms across the US.

That money was distributed to 16 states that are now enrolled in the CDC's Enhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance Program.

Although the program is not nationwide, the sample includes the states that have been hit hardest by the opioid epidemic, according to the CDC, and provides a window into broader trends.

Now, their fast tracking method has revealed that the crisis is far from over.

Both non-fatal and deadly overdoses surged in the majority of the 16 states from which the CDC collected data.

But the rates varied between regions and states.

The opioid crisis seemed to be worsening most quickly in Wisconsin, where 109 percent more people went to the emergency room for an overdose in September 2017 than did in July 2016.

Half of the 16 states saw 'significant' increases - of 25 percent or greater - overdose visits during that time period.

The CDC also used looked at a second data set, from the National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP) Biosense platform.

The programs software collects data on more than 60 percent of all emergency room visits across the US in 45 states.

Overdoses increased in all five regions of the US, and in every demographic.

On the whole, the Midwest suffered the highest rates of overdose, with every state in the region reporting increases.

Opioid overdoses increased in towns and cities of all sizes, according to the CDC

The opioid epidemic is affecting all types of residential areas - from the smallest rural towns to the biggest metropolitan cities - but the sharpest increases in related hospital trips happened in urban areas.

There were 'large and steady increases' in cities, where the hospitals saw a 54 percent spike in overdoses, the CDC reported.

But even in the smallest, most rural towns that submitted overdose data, there was a 21 percent increase in overdoses.

'This fast-moving epidemic affects both men and women, and people of every age,' said CDC Acting Director Dr Anne Schuchat.

'It does not respect state or county lines and is still increasing in every region in the United States,' she added.

In light of its most recent, jarring findings, the CDC's new report included suggestions of actions that everyone - from individuals to hospitals, health departments and governments - can do to combat the crisis.

Despite the scope of the opioid crisis, a 2015 Michigan State University study found that 32 percent of Americans did not recognize the signs of prescription drug misuse, suggesting that these signs may need to be taught more clearly to the general public.

Public health experts have asserted that the naloxone - an overdose-reversing drug - and access to counseling and medically-assisted addiction therapies (MAT) may be the greatest weapons against the opioid epidemic, but that the government has been slow to embrace them.

Meanwhile, White House officials are being briefed today by Dr Warren Bickel, an addiction neuroscientist with Virginia Tech University, whose aim is to educate the government on the behavioral science behind the opioid epidemic.

The CDC's guidance went a step further than education, encouraging community members to 'connect with organizations in the community that provide public health services, treatment, counseling, and naloxone distribution.'

The CDC stressed the importance of naloxone and, in its new guidance, outlined a sort of community funnel toward locations where the drug - and MAT therapies - might be distributed.

'Coordinated action between [emergency rooms], health departments, mental health and treatment providers, community-based organizations, and law enforcement can prevent opioid overdose and death,' its new report said.Miss World Manushi Chhillar will not attend this year's Props awards

For the first time in seven years, The Props awards, the annual property industry shindig held in May at the Hilton Park Lane, will not be attended by Miss World, reports Financial News.

A result of the recent Presidents Club hullaballoo?

A spokesman insists not, saying the reigning beauty pageant winner, India's Manushi Chhillar, 20, merely has a scheduling conflict.

But some feel the event's boisterous flavour is long due a rethink.

A female guest at last year's lunch witheringly describes it as 'male, pale and stale'. Oof!

Strange the London Stock Exchange still haven't appointed a chief executive nearly four months after Xavier Rolet abruptly exited.

Blustering LSE chairman Donald Brydon, 72, is thought to be keen on another big fish from investment banking.

The delay in making an appointment suggests slap-headed interim chief, David Warren, 62, is unlikely to get the job.

Elegant businessman Robin Birley, 60, owner of chichi private members' club 5 Hertford Street, says his shirts are custom-made by Parisian fashion house Lanvin.

'They're probably 300 or 400, maybe more. I'm too frightened to look at the bill.' Robin's late father, Annabel's founder Mark Birley, was equally fastidious.

He wore bespoke socks and purportedly once flew his valet to the south of France to polish his brogues.

Avuncular investor Warren Buffett has been unable to sell his six-bedroom beach house in California, which has been on the market for nearly a year for 8million.

Perhaps he could attract interest by offering bidders free investment advice.

Buffett, 87, once raised 200,000 for charity by auctioning his old wallet which contained a stock tip.

Ex-Deutsche Bank trader Guillaume Adolph, who's been fined 150,000 by the Financial Conduct Authority for his role in the Libor scandal, was known to his peers as Gollum after the slimy creature from The Lord Of The Rings.

The moniker was coined by jailed UBS trader Tom Hayes, 38, as he couldn't pronounce his first name.

Was Hayes squeamish about calling him Adolph?Bustling: Markit said Britain is on course for expansion of 0.4% in the first quarter of 2018

The economy picked up pace last month after a slow start to the year, while the resurgent eurozone slowed, latest figures show.

Research group Markit said its index of activity in the UK  where scores above 50 show growth  rose from 53.1 in January to 54.2 in February.

The report was a further sign that the British economy continues to defy warnings of a sharp Brexit-related slowdown.

Markit said Britain is on course for expansion of 0.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2018  although the final outcome could be weaker due to the freezing weather.

The rise in the overall index of activity was driven by a pick-up in the services sector, which includes everything from hotels to hairdressers.

The services index rose from 53 in January to 54.5 in February  its best for four months.

The eurozone economy has slowed following a surge in activity in recent months. The index of activity dipped from 58.8 to a still-healthy 57.1.Melrose's takeover of GKN would damage the pensions of 32,000 workers, a watchdog has warned.

The Pensions Regulator, which is responsible for making sure bosses pay into company pension schemes, is concerned that increased debt for GKN under Melrose's plans may weaken GKN's ability to pay into its heavily indebted scheme.

Car and aeroplane parts maker GKN's pension fund has a deficit of 675million with about 32,000 members.

The firm, which has 6,000 UK employees, is fighting off a hostile 7.4billion bid from the City turnaround group amid mounting pressure for the Government to intervene.

Concerns: The pension fund of GKN which makes parts for warplanes such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, has a deficit of 675m with about 32,000 members

Bosses from GKN and Melrose as well as union Unite, which is opposed to the takeover, will be quizzed by MPs this morning.

In a letter to Work and Pensions Committee chairman Frank Field, published today, The Pensions Regulator chief executive Lesley Titcomb said she had met with both sides since the possible takeover emerged.

'From the outset,' she wrote, TPR had been concerned that the increased debt involved in any takeover is likely to have 'a detrimental impact' on payments into the pension scheme.

Titcomb said she had encouraged Melrose to apply for a formal statement from the regulator  known as clearance  which would assure pensioners that their retirement savings would not be put in danger.

Field said: 'Melrose claims an impeccable record in protecting pension rights.

The surest way to demonstrate its commitment in this case would be to apply voluntarily for clearance.'

Melrose has pledged to pay an upfront sum of 150million into the pension fund if its takeover is successful.

GKN has pledged to pay 160million into the fund under its plan to split its aerospace and automotive divisions.

A Melrose spokesman said: 'Melrose has consistently strengthened the pension scheme covenants of the businesses that it has acquired.'Blackstone Group's founder is on course to be America's best-paid boss this year after pocketing 570million.

The private equity titan's boss Stephen Schwarzman got a base salary of 253,500, beyond the dreams of most ordinary people but relatively low for leading chief executives in the US.

But this was dwarfed by a 91million bonus pay-out and 479million in dividends from his 19 per cent stake in the company.

Bumper payday: Blackstone Group's founder Stephen Schwarzman is on course to be America's best-paid boss this year after pocketing 570million

It puts him on track to be the country's top earner, eclipsing Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel who got 461million.

The 71-year-old launched Blackstone in 1985 with banker Pete Peterson, who had been commerce secretary under disgraced President Richard Nixon.

Schwarzman has since built the firm into a 314billion empire with holdings in everything from hotels and theme parks to publishers and tech firms.

FACTFILE: STEPHEN SCHWARZMAN Stephen Schwarzman once summed up his business philosophy as: 'I want war  not a series of skirmishes'

He has two children with his first wife. Son Teddy is a film producer whose successes include The Imitation Game

He lives in a luxury New York apartment he bought for 22million. 740 Park Avenue is considered the most prestigious address in the city

His 70th birthday party last year featured camels, acrobats and a song from Gwen Stefani at a cost as high as 6.5million

The firm is often accused of cashing in on financial turmoil and economic chaos

After the financial crisis, Blackstone became the largest owner of single-family rental homes in the US by buying up tens of thousands when they foreclosed

But Schwarzman is no stranger to controversy.

The Blackstone chief was accused of profiteering at the expense of the elderly and vulnerable when he made almost 500million after his company sold its interest in Southern Cross, Britain's biggest care home provider.

The deal involved the sale of the group's properties, forcing Southern Cross to lease them back from another company.

The business ended up saddled with expensive long-term rent commitments and went bust in 2012, leaving thousands of residents fearing for their futures.

Schwarzman was born into a middle-class family to a father who ran a Philadelphia dry goods store. He won a place at Yale University where he joined its Skull and Bones secret society.

After graduating he met William Averell Harriman, a Democrat politician, the son of a railroad baron and a former Skull and Bones member, who advised Schwarzman to become independently wealthy if he wanted to succeed in life.

So the aspiring leader went into investment banking, deciding high finance was for him, because, as he later said, 'if you have such great-looking girls and intense guys then I want to do it'. Schwarzman  who is today worth 9.2billion  wound up working for Peterson at Lehman Brothers and built a reputation as one of its top dealmakers.

Colleagues even bought him a framed flattering newspaper profile with a mirror attached so that he could read it and look at himself at the same time.

And when his boss was forced out in an internal power struggle, Schwarzman followed to work on a new venture.

He came up with the name Blackstone from their two names, because 'schwarz' is German for black and 'petros' means stone in Greek.

Schwarzman gradually took over from Peterson following decades of growth, and made a fortune when the business went public in 2007.

The billionaire has burnished his credentials by backing good causes, including a Chinese university programme called Schwarzman Scholars and a New York Library building predictably also named after him.Santander's chief executive is being paid 1.8million a year for a job which oversaw a toxic unit at Royal Bank of Scotland  despite leaving the role four years ago.

Nathan Bostock gets the seven-figure sum to compensate him for bonuses which he gave up when he jumped ship from RBS.

The revelation will spark fury because the money relates to his time as head of risk and restructuring at RBS, a role in which he was responsible for overseeing its notorious Global Restructuring Group.

And an MP has demanded an inquiry into lucrative pay deals for undeserving bosses.

Santander's chief executive Nathan Bostoc, pictured (right) with then Mayor of London Boris Jognson in 2015, is being paid 1.8m a year for a job which oversaw a toxic unit at RBS

Tasked with rescuing failing businesses during the Great Recession, the GRG has instead been accused of loading them up with vast fees to boost its own profits.

And a report commissioned for the City watchdog squarely blames management for fostering this toxic culture.

Critics last night branded Bostocks payments a reward for failure and called for them to stop.

Labour MP Wes Streeting, a member of the Treasury Select Committee, said: For GRG victims this will feel like a huge punch in the guts.

Its past time for company boards to reflect on the collective damage these sorts of awards continue to do to the reputation of financial services.

Perhaps its time for a Treasury committee inquiry on rewards for failure, where we could haul in those responsible for dishing them out as well as those receiving them.

BOSTOCK'S REIGN Nathan Bostock joined RBS in 2009 as head of risk and restructuring

One part of the role was to oversee the Global Restructuring Group, which loaded struggling firms up with toxic fees

The scandal at GRG began in 2008  before Bostock arrived  but ran until 2013

Senior executives, such as Bostock, have been accused of failing to spot the scandal

Liberal Democrat leader and former Business Secretary Sir Vince Cable said: Santander has now got a big problem on its hands. Its top hire from RBS is turning out to be a public relations liability.

Small businesses will simply not understand why he has been rewarded on that scale, and we should be calling on the bank to stop these payments.

Bostock, 57  pictured above with former Mayor of London Boris Johnson  was head of risk from 2009 to 2013 before being promoted to finance director  a job he did for just ten weeks before joining Santander, where he served very briefly as deputy chief executive before taking the top job.

He was paid 4.7million for running the bank last year according to its annual report. But the small print reveals he was also given 1.8million as a buy-out for RBS bonus awards which he lost when he was poached.

It is the third such payment handed to Bostock, meaning he has picked up 5.4million from the deal so far. It is understood he will receive one more 1.8million payment this year.

Because the money is being paid by Santander, it is not subject to the clawback rules which would have applied at RBS  meaning it is not possible to recover the cash should doubts emerge about Bostocks conduct while working there.

The married father of two, who lives on a farm in rural Kent, has faced questions since Cable blamed him in Parliament for failings at the GRG.

It is particularly sensitive because Santander is seeking to portray itself as a champion of small businesses, and is bidding for a slice of an 800million fund to boost competition in business banking operations, set up by RBS as a condition of its 46billion bailout.

There is no suggestion that Bostock was personally responsible for any wrongdoing at the GRG, which was one of many divisions he looked after at RBS.

The board and Santanders Spanish head office have investigated and are standing behind him.

A Santander spokesman said: Nathans pay and bonus are agreed by our parent Santander Group and the Santander UK remuneration committee and board, based on performance which was evaluated as outstanding this year.

The buyout is a contractual entitlement that was agreed when he was appointed to Santander UK.A yacht once used by a criminal banker who wrecked small businesses to line his own pockets has been sold by the state.

The 100 ft Powder Monkey previously belonged to David Mills, the ringleader of a gang operating out of the Reading branch of HBOS.

The motorboat was on the market for 1million and has been sold, according to Boat International magazine.

Sold: The 100 ft Powder Monkey previously belonged to by David Mills, the ringleader of a gang operating out of the Reading branch of HBOS

Her new owner has changed the vessels name to Great Hope and taken her from Majorca, where she was impounded by officials, to the mouth of the Suez Canal in Egypt.

The owner of turnaround firm Quayside Services, 61-year-old Mills stripped the assets from businesses referred to him by corrupt HBOS employees in a 245million fraud.

Fraudsters: David Mills, centre with co-workers Michael Bancroft, left and Lynden Scourfield, right, enjoy the sunshine in Barbados

They squandered the profits on holidays, prostitutes and luxury goods.

Mills is understood to have bought Powder Monkey for 4million.

He was jailed for 15 years in 2017, along with wife Alison, 52, and the rest of the gang.Advertisement

Incredible photographs showing Mongolia's spectacular, rugged landscape and have given a rare glimpse into the fascinating lives of nomads in central Asia.

Photographer Hamid Sardar-Afkhami set out to record the lives of three tribes living in Mongolia - the Tsaatan reindeer people, Kazakh eagle hunters and Mongol horsemen.

His collection of photographs from almost 20 years of expeditions to central Asia is titled 'Dark Heavens'.

'My aim was to create a photographic record of the nomad's way of life and observe something of the wisdom hidden in their customs and manners,' Mr Sardar-Afkhami said.

'There were times when I was totally cut off from urban civilisation, yet I always felt strangely embraced in the Mongol wilderness.

'There was an imaginative resonance here between animal and man that can no longer be found in places less primal.'

Some of the scenes captured in the amazing photographs include a soaring falcon flying high over the Deloun Highlands, a shaman with his wolf in Olgii province, and Kazak's holding eagles while riding horses.

The relationship between humans and animals is a key theme of Mr Sardar-Afhami's work.

'I met an old man in the Gobi who could make camels cry by playing his fiddle; a Buryat lama who would call wolves to his doorstep by singing an ancient song.

'In the foothills of the Altai, I rode with Kazak shepherds who taught me how to capture golden eagles from the nest and trained them to hunt before releasing them back into the wild.'

The name of the collection - 'Dark Heavens' - comes from a practice carried out by a shaman named Tsuyan who Mr Sardar-Afkhami would stay with during the bitter winters.

A man on a horse waits for a falcon to land on his arm while perched on a rock

A woman attempts to wrangle a deer in the icy cold winter in central Asia

A dancing shaman is pictured in Hovsgol province in Mongolia in 2006

A young woman holds a baby deer while standing in knee deep water as dark storm clouds loom

A boy sits with two wolves either side of him on a rocky perch in Mongolia

A boy holds a falcon while taking a drink in the rugged wilderness of Mongolia

A child sleeps leaning up against a deer in west Taiga, Mongolia in 2006

A boy is pictured shouting at Kosgholgonduk Pass in Mongolia in 2007

The relationship between humans and animals is a key theme of Mr Sardar-Afhami's work

A rider holds an eagle while riding a white horse in the Deloun Highlands in Mongolia in 2010

A falcon flies over the Deloun Highlands in 2009

A shaman matriarch is pictured in west Taiga, Hovsgol province, Mongolia in 2000

Two men and a boy are pictured during a harsh winter in Mongolia with deer and wolves

Humans and animals work together to make their way through thick snow in central Asia

A man sits with a bear in front of his hut in Mongolia

A man holds an eagle while riding a horse in vast open lands in central Asia

A boy and a falcon in Olgii Province, Mongolia in 2001

A long trek through the snow is made by a man riding a horse followed by animals

The interaction of humans and animals is a prevalent theme in the collection of photos

A deermaid rides through a rocky stream in west Taiga, Hovsgol province, Mongolia in 2013

Three young women ride deer through shallow waters in Mongolia

A man holds a falcon using a specially crafted glove

An elderly man stands with a cane and two wolves at the top of a cliff-face

A woman breastfeeds a small baby while keeping warm during a bitterly cold winter

A young girl smiles despite the blizzard-like conditions she is surrounded by

A woman rides a deer as skies clear in Mongolia, central Asia

A woman breastfeeds while riding a deer

A deermaid poses for a photo on rocky cliffs in Mongolia

Intrepid travellers make their way through thick snow as the sun shines in Mongolia

A woman feeds a deer from the comfort of a tent

A man riding a deer makes his way through a raging river

The contrasting landscape of central Asia is on show in the collection

Amazing photographs such as this one of mountain peaks are also on show



A firebrand South African politician has vowed to unseat a white mayor after praising plans to hand land to black people.

Julius Malema, 37, who leads the country's Economic Freedom Fighters opposition party, said he wanted to 'remove' Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip specifically because he 'is a white man'.

He told a packed arena in Johannesburg that 'we are starting with this whiteness. We are cutting the throat of whiteness'.

During the speech Malema said he wanted to unseat the mayor - a member of the Democratic Alliance - and accused the political group of being a racist party that promotes the interests of whites.

'All white people who are voting DA, who are angry with what we are going to do in (Port Elizabeth)... all of you can go to hell, we don't care about you. We don't care about white feelings,' he said to loud applause and cheering. 'We don't hate white people, we just love black people.'

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Julius Malema, who leads the country's Economic Freedom Fighters opposition party, said he wanted to 'remove' Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip specifically because he 'is a white man'

He told a packed arena in Johannesburg that 'we are starting with this whiteness. We are cutting the throat of whiteness'

Trollip is pictured showing his ID prior to vote in the municipal election at a polling station on August 3, 2016 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Malema launched his campaign to be elected president in 2019 by aggressively distancing his party from its one-time coalition partner.

The EFF has propped up the administration of Port Elizabeth's mayor since 2016 elections.

Athol Trollip is a member of the DA which has governed Port Elizabeth as well as Johannesburg and Pretoria with the support of Malema's EFF.

But since the resignation last month of president Jacob Zuma, long the target of Malema's ire, the EFF has switched its attentions to the main opposition DA.

malema shared this picture of himself in September. In 2014 he was criticized for wearing Louis Vuitton shoes and in 2011 he received backlash after flying business class to the three-day nuptials of millionaire property developer David Mabilu

Malema is seen above flashing one of his expensive watches. He loves to wear Breitling and Rolex

Malema has sought to rebuild ties with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) since President Cyril Ramaphosa succeeded Zuma last month.

'Ramaphosa must do the right thing. We don't care about him being a billionaire, we want him to do the right thing,' said Malema.

Malema founded the EFF in 2013 when he was expelled from the ANC along with a number of allies, and the party now has the third largest number of MPs in the National Assembly.

In his speech, Malema welcomed the ANC's recent resolution to seek to expedite the process of redistributing land to 'rightful owners' that is widely understood to mean transferring land owned by whites to economically disadvantaged blacks.

Malema founded the EFF in 2013 when he was expelled from the ANC along with a number of He is seen above in an October Instagram snap with his wife

Party time: Malema busts a move while holding a glass of champagne in this Instagram snap hashtagged 'weekend vibes'

'We want to give land to our people, it is going to happen, it will happen in our lifetime, whether they like it or not. The land will be returned,' he said.

'We are not going to listen to any Britain, we are not going to listen to European Parliament, we are not going to listen to UN - we are going to listen to the people of South Africa,' Malema added.

He was referring to a letter sent Tuesday by right-wing British UKIP MEP Janice Atkinson to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson calling on London to 'step in' over the issue of land redistribution in South Africa.

Malema also announced a voter registration drive for EFF supporters.

'All fighters in all branches must be registered to vote. If you are not registered, then you are a criminal.'

According to the Telegraph he has said he has learned 'to live in conditions of capitalism while fighting and defeating it'.

In 2014 he was criticized for wearing Louis Vuitton shoes and in 2011 he received backlash after flying business class to the three-day nuptials of millionaire property developer David Mabilu.

He is also known to wear flashy watches such as Breitling and Rolex

In 2010 he came under fire for drinking Moet et Chandon Rose champagne and eating cake at his birthday celebrations, while his supporters, including a large number of elderly people got just water and fruit.

He said: 'We don't want them to stay in shacks, that's why we can't stay in shacks.

'How are you going to inspire them when you are also going to stay in a shack?'A Mexican man who was deported twice and had a history of arrests was able to assume the identity of an American citizen and receive more than $360,000 in government benefits for 37 years.

Andres Avelino Anduaga used a fake birth certificate starting in 1980 to develop a seemingly legitimate persona by applying for a California driver's license, Social Security number and U.S. passport, according to documents obtained by the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The official U.S. documents identified him as Abraham Riojos, born in Texas in 1958.

Anduaga, who's actually 66 years old and a resident of Tijuana, Mexico, pleaded guilty last week in San Diego to theft of public property and being a previously removed unauthorized immigrant in the U.S., the newspaper reported Saturday.

He has agreed to pay back government agencies what he stole. but could face additional fines and 12 years in prison when sentenced in May.

A Mexican man who was deported twice assumed the identity of an American citizen and received more than $360,000 in government benefits for nearly four decades

Anduaga's charade began to unravel in April 2015 during a standard review to determine whether he was still eligible for disability benefits.

The man who called himself Riojos gave an address in the Southern California city of Chula Vista, according to the criminal complaint.

But when investigators visited the home in January 2016, the landlord admitted Riojos never lived there but instead resided in Mexico, court papers show.

Investigators turned to border crossing records, finding frequent travels indicating Riojos had likely been living in Mexico.

Further investigation revealed the man claiming to be Riojos had a rap sheet that included 21 different names and six dates of birth, dating back to 1974, the newspaper reported.

Andres Avelino Anduaga used a fake birth certificate starting in 1980 to develop a seemingly legitimate persona by applying for a California driver's license, Social Security number and U.S. passport

They included a firearms violation, forgery, cocaine possession and multiple DUIs, according to prosecutors.

Immigration records showed he'd been deported in 1994 and again in 2000.

An analysis of Anduaga's benefits showed he first applied for Supplemental Security Income benefits in 1989 and was awarded payments retroactive to 1988.

He received monthly payments - $244,441 total - until Aug. 1, 2016, according to his plea agreement.

He also qualified for Medi-Cal benefits and payments and received $112,981 total. In addition, he illegally received more than $3,486 in food stamps under a county program, according to records.

Investigators tracked down the real Abraham Riojos to a small town in rural Florida. He told the special agents who visited him that he had no idea his identity had been used all these years.Four gunmen burst into a hospital in the Mexican resort of Cancun and shot to death a drug gang suspect, Contreras Espinoza (above), and his wife

Four gunmen burst into a hospital in the Mexican resort of Cancun and shot to death a drug gang suspect and his wife, officials in the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo said Monday.

The suspected drug trafficker was Alfonso Contreras Espinoza, alias 'El Poncho,' according to a state official who was not authorized to be quoted by name.

Contreras Espinoza was arrested in July on weapons charges, but had been allowed out of a local prison under guard for treatment at a hospital for leg problems.

He was believed to head the Cancun operations of the Gulf drug cartel.

The hyper-violent Jalisco cartel has been moving into the resort city over the last year, pushing out other gangs.

The state prosecutor's office said the four assailants overpowered one of the hospital guards and went to the area where Contreras Espinoza was being treated, killing him and his wife before escaping.

State police said in a statement that the attack 'was a possible settling of accounts between drug gangs.'

The private hospital is located not far from Cancun's tourist zone. The above stock image shows an aerial view of Cancun

The private hospital is located not far from Cancun's tourist zone.

The incident was the third troubling event in the state in less than two weeks.

On Thursday, undetonated explosive devices were found on a tourist ferry that runs between the Caribbean resorts of Playa del Carmen and the island of Cozumel.

A February 21 blast shook another ferry plying the same route, injuring 19 Mexicans and at least five US citizens.

The US Embassy in Mexico barred its workers from taking any tourist ferries on the line because of the explosive devices found in the latest incident.

Cancun, which is a popular travel destination, has been largely spared the violence plaguing the rest of Mexico.

But in January 2017, gunmen attacked the state prosecutors' office in Cancun, killing four people.

A day earlier, a shooting at a music festival in Playa del Carmen left three foreigners and two Mexicans dead.

Gruesome find: State prosecutors inspect a pick-up truck found abandoned in Guadalajara, Mexico, with the bodies of six men, some of them decapitated

Elsewhere in Mexico on Tuesday, a pickup truck loaded with the dismembered and mutilated bodies of six men was discovered abandoned on a street.

The grisly discovery was made at around 7.40am in the Morelos section of Guadalajara after police received a report about an unconscious person in a pick-up truck.

Paramedics from Mexicos Green Cross arrived at the scene in the area of Perdiz and Ruisenor streets and found a red Dogde RAM filled with butchered human corpses.

The bodies, some of which were headless and others with their limbs chopped off, have been stacked in the bed of the pickup truck.A senior Army official was caught on tape kissing and fondling a female contractor who was competing for a $4 billion federal advertising bid that he was supervising, according to videos obtained by DailyMail.com.

The footage comes on the heels of an internal audit that found the Army has wasted nearly $1 billion on ineffective marketing campaigns since 2013.

Army insiders claim the video is evidence of an improper relationship between the Army and McCann Worldgroup, the branch's top marketing contractor.

Records obtained by DailyMail.com also show that multiple complaints have been filed against Army marketing leadership by employees who say they were threatened or harassed after they raised concerns about waste and abuse in the McCann contract.

The video shows married Army official James Ortiz, 62, embracing woozily and kissing McCann Worldgroup executive Molly Berkeley, 48, on a dance floor at the Birchmere, a bar in Alexandria, Virginia, on October 4, 2017. The two were then filmed leaving the bar together with their arms around each other.

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James Ortiz, an US Army marketing group official, is under investigation after he was caught on tape making out in a Virginia bar with Molly Berkeley, a McCann ad agency executive, in October 2017

The two were seen shuffling woozily and kissing while on the dance floor at the Birchmere, a bar in Alexandria, Virginia

Ortiz, who is married, held Berkeley's hand and rubbed her behind as he led the blonde 48-year-old executive out of the venue

A spokesperson for the Army told DailyMail.com that Ortiz's relationship with Berkeley (right) is currently under investigation. She said Ortiz has been reassigned and now serves as an advisor to the marketing department. Berkeley abruptly left McCann in November

Ortiz was director of marketing at the Army since 2013, where he oversaw the agency's marketing plan and supervised the program managers who signed off on McCann's invoices.

Berkeley, who helped lead McCann's Army account, left her job at McCann abruptly in November, shortly after the video was taken.

In an internal email, the company said Berkeley 'made the difficult decision to leave the team to pursue other opportunities.'

Ortiz and McCann declined to comment. McCann did not return DailyMail.com's request for comment.

A spokesperson for the Army told DailyMail.com that Ortiz's relationship with Berkeley is currently under investigation. She said Ortiz has been reassigned and now serves as an advisor to the marketing department.

'When Army Marketing and Research Group (AMRG) leadership became aware of allegations of possible inappropriate conduct between a member of the AMRG staff and a defense contractor in December 2017, the employee was removed from the Director of Marketing position, all duties associated with our advertising contract and contractor, and reassigned within the organization,' said Army spokesperson Alison Bettencourt.

Sources familiar with the Army marketing department provided calendar entries to DailyMail.com indicating that Ortiz continues to meet regularly with Army marketing leadership.

He organized a meeting on February 20 with top officials to discuss the department's marketing strategy and operations for the upcoming fiscal year.

McCann, which has handled the Army's marketing strategy for the past decade and is behind the 'Army Strong' campaign, is currently competing for an extension of its contract worth an estimated $4 billion.

The company's current contract with the Army is set to expire in September.

Contractors often work closely with government officials. However, federal rules prohibit relationships that can give the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Ortiz was director of marketing at the Army since 2013, where he was oversaw the agency's marketing plan and supervised the program managers who signed off on McCann's invoices

Berkeley, who helped lead McCann's Army account, declined to comment on the video

In an internal email, McCann said Berkeley (pictured with her husband) 'made the difficult decision to leave the team to pursue other opportunities'

Federal rules prohibit relationships that can give the appearance of a conflict of interest. Federal employees in general must also avoid working on contracts that could benefit someone who they have an intimate relationship with. Pictured: Ortiz on a boat

For example, Army officials are not allowed to accept food or drinks from McCann employees, according to their contract. Federal employees in general must also avoid working on contracts that could benefit someone who they have an intimate relationship with.

McCann Worldgroup has a written policy against socializing with Army officials. Just a few hours after the October bar incident, McCann senior vice president Steve McGinniss wrote an email to the staff on the Army account highlighting the policy.

'Perceptually, we need to ensure that we are not in a position to have our ethics called into question. Therefore, our team policy continues to be that no member of the agency is permitted to socialize with our clients outside of business,' he wrote.

According to an October 2017 review by the Army Auditing Agency, the Army marketing department spent $930 million between 2013 and 2016 'on marketing efforts that potentially didn't provide best value to support Army recruiting.' The analysis found that only three of the Army's 23 marketing programs had a positive impact in 2016.

The Army marketing department countered that the report conflated recruitment and marketing, and showed a 'lack of marketing understanding or criteria for performance assessment.'

This is not the first time questions have emerged about the relationship between Army officials and McCann.

Army employees and contractors have filed multiple complaints over the past few years claiming that they were threatened or harassed by Army marketing leadership after raising concerns about the McCann contract, according to records reviewed by DailyMail.com.

One complaint, filed with the Department of Defense inspector general by an Army Marketing employee, questioned the appropriateness of a meeting Army officials held with high-level McCann executives to discuss marketing strategy in May 2016.

McCann, which has handled the Army's marketing strategy for the past decade and is behind the 'Army Strong' campaign, is currently competing for an extension of its contract worth an estimated $4 billion. Pictured: A McCann advert for the Army

The meeting, which included McCann CEO Harris Diamond and the Acting Director of the Army Patrick Murphy, was described by insiders as a 'sales pitch' by McCann that included discussions on future marketing strategy.

'The appearance of favoritism to an incumbent vendor without giving the same treatment and consideration to other bidders is at least one major crux of the concern and gives clear possibility that other vendors have grounds for potential protest and remedy,' wrote the employee.

The employee, who has requested anonymity, also said he was fired six weeks after filing a prior complaint with the inspector general about the meeting, and claimed this was retaliation for his initial grievance.

'The current contract structure allows the waste of millions of dollars,' wrote the employee. 'I and others have been targeted and alienated in many ways and I have at least 4 or 5 witnesses to that affect [sic].'

Bettencourt, the Army spokesperson, declined to comment on the complaint and referred questions to the Inspector General. She said the May 2016 meeting was a 'routine business meeting' requested by the Under Secretary of the Army at the time. She said 'a legal review of the meeting, its agenda and prohibited topics due to the re-compete was done and adhered to.'

Multiple complaints have also been filed against Jeff Sterling, the Army contracting officer representative who is responsible for supervising the McCann contract.

Female employees claim Sterling threatened them after they raised concerns about McCann's productivity and costs.

One Army project manager, Crystal Guerrero, wrote in a 2014 complaint to human resources that Sterling repeatedly 'verbally assaulted' her and other women in the office.

Guerrero said Sterling ignored feedback that was negative about McCann and berated her after she told him McCann was inflating its costs compared to other vendors.

One complaint, filed with the Department of Defense by an Army Marketing employee, questioned the appropriateness of a meeting Army officials held with McCann executives to discuss marketing strategy in May 2016. The meeting, which included Acting Director of the Army Patrick Murphy (pictured), was described by insiders as a 'sales pitch'

The May 2016 meeting also included McCann CEO Harris Diamond (pictured). An employee who wrote a complaint about the meeting said: 'The appearance of favoritism to an incumbent vendor without giving the same treatment and consideration to other bidders is at least one major crux of the concern'

'Talking to [Sterling] about anything is near impossible, he doesn't talk, he barks, primarily at women. It makes me feel belittled and threatened because he seems to be an unstable individual, with a very short fuse, capable of anything,' wrote Guerrero in an October 17, 2014 complaint obtained by DailyMail.com.

'My personal feeling is that it is somehow due to the fact that I am a woman that [Sterling] feels he has this authority. Unsure as to the primary motivation but whatever the case, it is belittling, demeaning, and not conducive to a productive and healthy work environment.'

She added that his comments toward her made her feel 'demeaned, degraded and deflated.'

Guerrero, who still works at the Army Marketing department, declined to comment on the complaint and referred questions to the Army's spokesperson. Bettencourt declined to comment.

Another 2017 complaint, filed by a female contractor, claimed that Sterling threatened her outside of an Army marketing event where she had been hired to observe McCann's performance.

Sources told DailyMail.com that the contractor had previously filed reports that were critical of the quality of the marketing events.

'The nature of Mr. Sterling's interaction felt disrespectful, hostile, condescending, rude, and unprofessional. I felt he was using his position to intimidate and verbally assault me,' said the April 24, 2017 complaint.

The contractor's work agreement with the Army marketing department was not renewed after the complaint was filed.

Bettencourt denied that there was a connection between the contract's expiration and the complaint. She said the contract was not renewed because an audit determined that the same services were already being provided for the Army by another company.

Army project manager Crystal Guerrero (right) wrote a complaint against Jeff Sterling, the Army contracting officer representative responsible for supervising the McCann contract, for repeatedly 'verbally assaulted' her and other women in the office in 2014

'The contract referenced was not terminated early. During an audit of the events marketing contracts, the Army Audit Agency determined the services being provided by that contract were duplicative,' said Bettencourt. 'The contracting officer at the MICC made the decision to not renew the contract after the period of performance expired.'

However, documents provided to DailyMail.com show that Army officials had drafted a new agreement to allow McCann to take over the services that were being provided by the other contractor before the audit had even concluded.

This agreement was drafted on May 5, 2017  less than two weeks after the female contractor filed a complaint against Sterling. Sterling was listed as the authorizer of the agreement. The document itself was drafted by McCann and edited by Army marketing officials, according to metadata.

Bettencourt declined to comment on the harassment complaints against Sterling or confirm if the Inspector General had opened an investigation. She referred questions about the Army criminal investigation to the criminal investigation division.

Sterling has vehemently denied the harassment complaints, as well as the accusations he accepted lunches, kick-backs, duffel bags of cash and sexual favors, according to a sworn statement Sterling wrote in March 2017 and obtained by DailyMail.com.

Sterling did not respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment about the accusations.

Sterling wrote the 'vicious lies' were 'slanderous attacks' on his reputation, pinning the alleged falsehoods on some of his fellow co-workers.

The government official said he informed McCann about these claims because 'they were also implicated in the slanderous activities. The agency was aghast by the rumors'

But Sterling noted the claims had 'not impacted my relationship with the Ad Agency, (Ms Nancy Peters).'

Sterling was photographed with Nancy Peters, the SVP of Program Management at McCann, as the two grabbed lunch at Ted's Grill in Arlington, Virginia in October 2016.

Sterling was photographed with Nancy Peters, the SVP of Program Management at McCann, as the two grabbed lunch at Ted's Grill in Arlington, Virginia in October 2016

In addition to the employee complaints against Sterling, there were accusations he acknowledged and vehemently denied that he has accepted lunches, kick-backs, duffel bags of cash and sexual favors, according to a sworn statement Sterling wrote in March 2017 (pictured)

Sterling wrote the 'vicious lies' were 'slanderous attacks' on his reputation, pinning the alleged falsehoods on some of his fellow co-workers

The Army's policy states employees are not allowed to accept food or drinks from McCann employees. McCann also has a written policy against socializing with Army officials.

An email exchange obtained by DailyMail.com also showed Sterling insisting that McCann get paid to do a project that was deemed unreasonably expensive by the Army.

McCann's estimate for three marketing projects went $220,000 over the Army's budget, according to the exchange, and the Army's contracting officer recommended that they cancel them.

'[I]t simply should not cost this much to perform this work, I don't see any way that we would be able to ''with a straight face'' accept these proposals and make a reward,' wrote Army contracting officer James R. Meeks in an August 29, 2014 email.

Sterling responded that the marketing director was adamant that McCann do the work, and the Army needed to 'accept the price and move out.'

'I don't think [Meeks] can ''accept'' a price deemed not reasonable. That'll never make it through the process,' replied another employee. 'What would be the rationale?'

A third employee remarked 'if someone wants to sign their name to accepting these at these exhorbant [sic] rates, then so be it. I certainly do not want to be associated with these. I think this is a microcosm of what is going on at a much higher level.'

CRYSTAL GUERRERO'S FULL COMPLAINT AGAINST JEFF STERLING

Crystal Guerrero wrote in a 2014 complaint (pictured) that Sterling repeatedly 'verbally assaulted' her and other women in the office. Guerrero said Sterling ignored feedback that was negative about McCann and berated her after she told him McCann was inflating its costs compared to other vendors

THE SECOND COMPLAINT MADE AGAINST JEFF STERLING

Another 2017 complaint (pictured), filed by a female contractor, claimed that Sterling threatened her outside of an Army marketing event where she had been hired to observe McCann's performance

THE ARMY MARKETING AND RESEARCH GROUP'S DRAFT REPORT

Pictured: The October 2017 review by the Army Auditing Agency, it determined the Army's Marketing and Rearch Group couldn't show its marketing investments provided a positive return

The Army marketing department spent $930 million between 2013 and 2016 'on marketing efforts that potentially didn't provide best value to support Army recruiting'President Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen complained to friends that he hadn't been reimbursed by Trump for a hush money payout he made to keep porn star Stormy Daniels from speaking about an alleged affair with the now-president.

The Wall Street Journal reported new details about the October 2016 transaction on Monday, including that the bank Cohen used to wire $130,000 to Daniels' lawyer for her silence labeled the transaction as suspicious. A year later, the receiving bank looked into the money transfer as well.

Daniels' lawyer received the payment on October 27, 12 days before the presidential election, as Cohen had missed two deadlines to pay the bill because he had trouble getting in touch with Trump in the crazed final days of the presidential campaign, a source told the Journal.

Now the Wall Street Journal is reporting that President Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen complained about not being paid back for the hush money that he sent to porn star Stormy Daniels' lawyer to keep her quiet about an alleged affair in 2006 with Trump

The payment given to Stormy Daniels' lawyer, for her decision to sign a non-disclosure agreement, was marked suspicious by Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's bank, which reported the transaction to the Treasury Department, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday

Daniels' representatives were threatening to walk away, a source told the paper, and so Cohen said he stopped trying to track down the Republican nominee and paid the bill to keep Daniels quiet himself.

Cohen told the paper the sources' accounts amounted to 'fake news.'

Previously, Cohen and White House representatives have denied Trump and Daniels had sexual relations.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked about the payment for the first time publicly at Monday's press briefing, as a reporter used Daniels' real name, Stephanie Clifford, to address the issue.

Huckabee Sanders was asked if candidate Trump was aware that such a payment was made.

'Not that I'm aware of,' the press secretary responded. 'I'd refer you to Michael on that,' she added, passing the ball back to Cohen.

Last month Cohen said he paid the $130,000  given to Daniels for her signing of a non-disclosure agreement  out of his own pocket, adding that it didn't break any laws.

That moved seemed to be a way for Cohen to help shield the president and the campaign from accusations of campaign funds abuse.

After the Wall Street Journal broke the original story exposing the hush money payment, the group Common Cause filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission and the Department of Justice arguing that the money represented an 'unreported in-kind contribution to Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.'

Cohen, according to the Journal's reporting, had formed the company Essential Consultants LLC to make the payment, with the money originating in First Republic bank and being sent to a client-trust account belonging to Daniels' lawyer Keith Davidson at the City National Bank in Los Angeles.

Neither First Republic nor Davidson would comment to the newspaper.

First Republican, the Wall Street Journal's sources said, flagged the transaction and alerted the Treasury Department.

The Treasury Department also wouldn't comment for the Journal's story.

City National Bank launched its own inquiry into the transaction a year after it occurred, which one of the Journal's sources said was an unusual move.

New information about the payment could have prompted a review, including a subpoena.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's spokesman declined to comment on the question of whether the Mueller probe, which is looking into Russian election meddling and whether there was Trump campaign collusion, sparked the bank's inquiry.

'As a matter of policy, we dont confirm or comment on inquiries from regulatory agencies or law enforcement, including subpoenas,' City National told the Journal.A strange case of theft took place at an undercover car park in Melbourne where a bowl of noodles going missing in the process.

Victoria Police released security footage of the crime where a man is seen walking out the front of an undercover car park on Fitzroy Street in St Kilda before disappearing inside on February 18.

Shortly after he comes rolling out on an allegedly stolen 2014 Piaggio motorised scooter, the Herald Sun reported.

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Port Phillip Crime Investigation Unit detectives released CCTV footage of this man allegedly stealing a three wheeled scooter from a car park in St Kilda, Melbourne, and want anyone with information to come forward

CCTV footage also shows the man with a bowl of noodles entering and inside the car park, but when he leaves they are nowhere to be found.

The 2017 Piaggio motorised scooter is a tri-bike, with two wheels on the front and a single wheel on the back, and are worth about AU$10,000 brand new.

According to figures from the Crime Statistics Agency theft is down in Victoria by 11.5 per cent in the last 24 months, from 154,447 to 136,752 recorded offences.

There has also been an overall crime rate drop of 7.8 per cent and 5.7 per cent in the North West and South Metro areas of Melbourne respectively.

However while crime rates in Melbourne are down a total of 8.6 per cent, Melbourne city still has the highest criminal incident rates in all of Victoria.

The unidentified man entered the parking structure with only noodles but came out with an allegedly stolen scooter and no noodles in the baffling incident

The incident happened about 7pm on February 18 and Port Phillip Crime Investigation Unit detectives are asking anyone with information to come forward

The rates are based on population rates recorded by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in the last census.

The incident happened about 7pm on February 18 and Port Phillip Crime Investigation Unit detectives are asking anyone with information to come forward.

People can contact Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.A Queensland father was arrested for allegedly molesting three children - two girls and one boy - as he forced one girl to watch a porn movie.

The man allegedly abused the girl who was related to him 'every single day' when she was aged six for about seven years.

The suspect was charged with eight counts of rape after a school nurse heard the horrific claims, according to The Queensland Times.

A Queensland father was arrested and charged with molesting three young children after a school nurse alerted police in 2016 (stock image)

The father also faced 11 other charges and pleaded not guilty.

The man allegedly forced the girl to watch a pornographic movie in a lounge room while he molested her.

The suspect allegedly sexually abused the other girl and boy and was arrested after a school nurse reported the man to police in 2016.

'(The girl) remembered that this happened a lot. It happened all the time,' Prosecutor Mel Wilson told Brisbane District Court.

One rape occurred in a motel and in Ipswich, south-west of Brisbane.

The jury trial is expected to be set at a future date.Greens leader Richard Di Natale wants ISIS fighters to be allowed back into Australia and described terrorists who had travelled to the Middle East as 'good people' who had been brainwashed.

The Victorian senator is opposed to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton's push to strip dual nationals of their Australian citizenship if they had engaged in terrorist atrocities overseas.

Senator Di Natale argued it was better to allow foreign fighters back into Australia so they could face trial in an Australian court and be locked up.

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Greens leader Richard Di Natale wants ISIS fighters to be allowed back into Australia and described terrorists who had travelled to the Middle East as 'good people'

'Ultimately, I'd rather that person be prosecuted here and be incarcerated,' he told the ABC's Q&A program on Monday night.

'Perhaps we learn a little more about how we prevent those activities happening rather than giving somebody licence to continue perpetrating those activities overseas and putting other people at risk.'

The former doctor described citizenship as a fundamental right and argued Muslim Australians who had joined ISIS had been manipulated by the Islamist group's effective propaganda.

'Good people make shocking decisions,' Senator Di Natale said.

'Somebody can effectively be brainwashed through the use of this propaganda.'

Senator Di Natale's call to allow foreign fighters back into Australia divided Twitter, with several people worried about returning terrorists.

Labor's deputy leader Tanya Plibersek questioned how a foreign fighter could be effectively prosecuted in Australia for terrorist acts committed in the Middle East

Senator Di Natale's call to allow foreign fighters back into Australia divided Twitter, with several people worried about returning terrorists

However, others supported the senator's call to bring foreign fighters back to Australia

'I'm a bit of a leftie, but I fear folk that would go off to fight a jihadist war and then seek to return. How are we ever supposed to trust them again?,' one man said.

Labor's deputy leader Tanya Plibersek questioned how a foreign fighter could be effectively prosecuted in Australia for terrorist acts committed in the Middle East.

'Hang on a minute. How are we gathering evidence in war zones?,' she said.

'How do we prove that people have committed the crimes that they've been accused of.

'It's a very difficult thing to expect our police and our intelligence services to be able to prove that.

'So there is a natural caution about anybody who has travelled overseas - they say they weren't there to fight. How do we know that?

'I frankly wouldn't shed a tear for any Australian who went to fight and lost their life.'

Khaled Sharrouf, an ISIS fighter from western Sydney, was reportedly killed in an airstrike last year after taking his sons to Syria in 2013 with his Australian wife

In August 2014, his seven-year old son was pictured holding a severed head of a Syrian soldier

Khaled Sharrouf, an ISIS fighter from western Sydney, was reportedly killed in an airstrike last year.

The jihadist had travelled to Syria in 2013 with his five sons and his Australian wife Tara Nettleton.

In August 2014, his seven-year old son was pictured holding a severed head of a Syrian soldier.

In another case, a three-year-old child and his mother returned to Australia last year after the child's terrorist father was killed fighting in the Middle East.

They had travelled there in 2015 with a man described by counter-terrorism police as a 'hard-core fighter'.

Last month, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton flagged strengthening 2015 laws which allowed the Australian government to strip dual nationals of their citizenship if they had been caught lying on their application.

'I'm concerned that legislation to strip Australian citizenship of dual nationals engaged in terrorism is not working as it should,' he told the National Press Club in Canberra.Aboriginal children with sexually transmitted diseases were not investigated by staff because of their 'normal' heavy drinking and risky behaviour.

Child protection workers also neglected to investigate known sex offenders living with vulnerable children, a Royal Commission report into the protection and detention of children found.

Heavy drinking, skipping school and risk-taking behaviour were all considered 'normal' lifestyle choices by staff at the Northern Territory Child Protection Agency.

Aboriginal children with sexually transmitted diseases were not investigated by staff because of their 'normal' heavy drinking and risky behaviour

Rates of sexually transmitted infections amongst children have soared over the past decade, the report revealed.

The report identified findings from The National Indigenous Intelligence Taskforce which found child sexual abuse in the region was chronically undisclosed and under reported.

The 2014 report noted that in some remote communities 'every person [was] reportedly  affected by child sexual abuse, as a victim, a perpetrator, or a relative of either.'

Sexual abuse of indigenous children in the Northern Territory was found to be chronically undisclosed and under reported, findings from The National Indigenous Intelligence Taskforce have revealed

Children with sexually transmitted diseases were also deemed 'normal' when no concerns about their parents or caregivers had been found or reported, The Australian reported.

'A key practice trend...was children/young people subject to allegations of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation were often only seen and spoken with once in the presence of parents or the alleged offender,' the publication reported.

'This is concerning because victims of sexual abuse or exploitation should be given the opportunity to safely tell someone about their abuse to make it stop.'

The sheer scale of neglect and under-reported sexual activity involving children in the Northern Territory is 'like a tsunami', child protection authorities have said.

Children playing cricket at the Titjikala Oval in outback Australia near the Finke desert, south-east of Alice Springs (file photo)

In particular, the indigenous community has been disproportionately affected by the rise in childhood STIs, according to data compiled by the royal commission.

'There remained a tacit acceptance of violence and child abuse in many communities,' the report said.

The marginalised, closed and insular nature of some communities was said to allow some child sexual abuse to go unchallenged and unreported.

The government organisation tasked with child protection Territory Families took just five sex abuse victims into temporary protective custody between 2012-13 and 2015-16 despite recording 232 abuse cases, according to data compiled by a royal commission.

Demonstrators are seen during a protest outside the child protection royal commission in Alice Springs in May, 2017

Northern Territory Families Minister Dale Wakefield said the Northern Territory Government has taken responsibility for the failures and 'supported the intent and direction of every recommendation' of the report since coming to office in 2016.

'We are moving forward to fix the system and make both short-term and long-term changes - an implementation plan will be available within the next month.'

'In Child Protection we have increased family support. We have focused on better practice.

We have changed the policies and practices that directly affect how we work with children and families.'

Former Northern Territory Children's Commissioner Dr Howard Bath said the data was extremely worrying.

'Neglect creates the conditions for sexual abuse to occur,' he said. 'It's not that there are any more nasty predators running around (in remote communities); it's that there's often easier access and less supervision,' he told The Australian.

Former Northern Territory Department of Health Minister John Elferink said he felt 'frankly, largely powerless' in the face of a 'tsunami' of under-reported and under-recognised child welfare problems

STI rates in Aboriginal males and females were significantly higher than for their non-Aboriginal counterparts, including for females under 12

The Northern Territory government regards any diagnosis of a STI or pregnancy in a child under 14-years-old to be the result of sexual abuse until proven otherwise.

The Royal Commission Report found there was a dramatic increase in the number of cases for all four types of STIs over the ten year period between 2006 to 2016.

Within the indigenous community there were 180 per cent more cases of trichomoniasis, a 60 per cent increase in cases of gonorrhoea and a 30 per cent increase in cases of chlamydia.

STI rates in Aboriginal males and females were significantly higher than for their non-Aboriginal counterparts, including for females under 12.

In the Northern Territory town of Tennant Creek, 500km north of Alice Springs, a two-year-old girl was allegedly raped

The final report stressed that the recorded cases represented only a proportion of the true number of cases and that the problem was likely to be much larger.

Aboriginal men, who often complain about being demonised, made up about two-thirds of all those charged with child sexual-assault offences over the past 10 years, according to the report. Aboriginal people comprise about one-third of the Territory's population.

The revelations follow the rape of a Northen Territory toddler in Tennant Creek last month.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Northern Territory Government for comment.A man is fighting for life in hospital and a young girl has been hurt after their bicycles and a car collided at Murray Bridge in Adelaide.

The 28-year-old man and the young girl, who is believed to be his daughter, were riding along Maurice Road, when the crash happened before 4.30pm on Monday.

The girl was treated at the scene for minor injuries and the man was flown to Royal Adelaide Hospital in a critical condition.

A 28-year-old man is fighting for life in hospital after his bike and a car collided while he was riding his bicycle down Maurice Road

A young girl, believed to be the man's daughter, was also injured but was treated for minor injuries at the scene

The driver of the car was also taken to hospital suffering from shock.

A Maurice Road resident, who did not wish to be named, spoke to The Advertiser and said a neighbour was the first on the scene after hearing a thud and performed CPR on the man.

'He was collecting his bin when he heard a thud and saw the girl wasn't hurt very badly, but the fella was in an out of consciousness and he performed CPR,' he said.

Another neighbour, Heidi Just, also spoke to The Advertiser and said she was sure it was the same father and daughter that go there every day.

A South Australia Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the crash was still being investigated and the man was still in hospital.

The driver of the car was also taken to hospital suffering from shock and police are still investigating the crash



Aussie Farmers Direct lost $80 million in profits before they turned back trucks in a tragic end to the company leaving hundreds without jobs.

Monday's closure of the fresh produce delivery company came as a shock after 260 employees lost their job, 100 companies were left without produce and 100,000 customers without food.

The company halted deliveries on Monday morning after they released a statement which claimed the domination of 'two major supermarkets and the 'influx of cheap imported food' ended them.

Aussie Farmers Direct has closed down after 13 years delivering Australian fresh produce

The company issued a statement claiming the two major supermarkets and cheap imports led to their closure

Australians were distraught with the news and claimed more notice should have been given about the company's closure.

The Aussie Farmers Direct Facebook page was filled with messages of support, sadness and anger about the abrupt news.

With one Facebook user posting 'A heads up to the franchisees would have been nice.'

'We are sad to announce that Aussie Farmers Direct is closing today,' they wrote on their Facebook page.

The fresh produce delivery company was turning away trucks and didn't know of the closure until Monday morning.

'The employees that I spoke to this morning at ten o'clock  they're without a job,' administrator Craig Shepherd told the ABC.

The company began delivering milk in 2005 in Victoria and quickly expanded nationally with all types of Australian produce

The company that supported Australian farmers began in 2005 with a milk run in Victoria.

It soon became national and transported fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, eggs and milk to Australian doorsteps.

Aussie Farmers Direct also fought for the fair distribution and the price of produce for Australian farmers.

Aussie Farmers Direct also fought for the fair distribution and the price of produce for Australian farmers

They also supported Australia's farming community through hardships such as droughts, floods and financial woes.

'We have worked with hundreds of farmers and local suppliers over the years, and we are proud to have played our part in getting farmers and Australian households a fair deal,' They posted on Facebook.

'Unfortunately, we will be unable to deliver any future orders to our wonderful customers. No-one will be charged for these orders.'

Aussie Farmers Direct thanked their customers and suppliers for the support and apologised for their closure.

Aussie Farmers Direct have changed their website to a full page message directed at their customers.

It read: 'From the team at Aussie Farmers Direct, thank you for your support we love you all and we are so sorry to be going away.'

'Eat well, love your family, look after your friends. Remember that dreams are fragile, and we all need each other.'Police have made an urgent appeal for public information about a man named Thommo who is wanted for the rape of a teenage girl.

Thommo is described as extremely obese, around 175 centimetres tall with a shaved head, stubble and distinctive bulging blue eyes, and aged in his 50s.

He is wanted over the rape of Peta Butler, who was lured to a motel room in Toowoomba, east of Brisbane, by her mother in 2005 aged just 16.

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Police have made an urgent appeal for public information about a man named Thommo (pictured is a police comfit image) who is wanted for the rape of a teenage girl

Thommo is wanted over the rape of Peta Butler (pictured), who was lured to a motel room in Toowoomba, east of Brisbane, by her mother in 2005 aged just 16

Therese Butler (pictured) was jailed in January but police are still hunting for her internet boyfriend Thommo

Detective Senior Constable Jodi Bell from the Wynnum Child Protection and Investigation Unit said anyone with any information at all should come forward.

'He may have done this to you,' she said, as it is likely he has hurt other women or girls.

'Come forward to us and provide that information so that we can identify him and he will be put before the courts.

'Don't be scared, we will help you. It takes a lot to come into a police station and speak to a complete stranger about being violated.'



Thommo was wearing an expensive suit and drove a car with cream coloured leather seats.

Police believe the man they are seeking was using an email address similar to thommo_thommo_thommo@hotmail.com.

Anyone who may recognise him, has knowledge of his movements or knows anything that may help identify him is urged to contact police.

Peta Butler said she can still remember the smell of her abuser and feel his stubble more than a decade on.

Peta Butler (pictured) was just 16 years old when she was raped in a Toowoomba motel room in 2005

After plying her with drinks Therese Butler left her daughter (pictured) to be raped by her boyfriend

She said she was tricked by her mum after she took her away on 'a girls trip' on a Friday night.





But all along it was a plan for Therese's internet boyfriend 'Thommo' to have sex with Peta, who she described as 'a younger version of herself'.

After plying her with drinks - four vodka cruisers and a bourbon mix - Therese Butler left her daughter alone in the hotel room.

Five minutes later Thommo arrived and opened the door.

But when Peta stood up to walk out of the bedroom, he blocked her getting out.

Peta (pictured) said her mother just sat outside the bedroom smoking while she was raped

Therese Butler (pictured) was jailed in January but is due to be released in October after serving 12 months of her four year sentence

'He raped me,' she told Tracy Grimshaw on Monday night's A Current Affair.

'It only lasted for a couple of minutes. But while he was raping me I had my head turned to the side and eyes closed while crying.

'I felt his face stubble against my face. I still remember feeling that and I still remember the smell of him.'

Peta described how her hands were held down and she could not move because Thommo was 'very big' and was on top of her.

Her mother was just a few metres away outside the door.

'I hoped she was going to come in and stop it,' Peta, who is now 27, said. 'She didn't once try, she sat outside smoking.

'She knew what was happening. She might as well have murdered me on that day. She took me to that place and premeditated the whole thing. That's not a mother.'

Immediately after she was raped Peta walked out of the bedroom and was hugged by her mum telling her everything was going to be okay.

'I felt his face stubble against my face. I still remember feeling that and I still remember the smell of him,' Peta (pictured) said

It was at that moment, Peta said she knew her mother was aware of what happened.

As if things could not get worse for the 16-year-old girl, Peta had to share the same motel room as her rapist and her mother that night.

They drove to the bus station the next morning all together in Thommo's car which Peta recalls was completely silent.

The vile mother, now aged 47, was sent to prison in January for four years and suspended after 12 months.

It took Peta, now a mother herself, nearly 10 years to muster the courage to come forward to police after suffering depression and dropping out of school less than a week after her rape.

Her mother is due to be released in October after Peta reported the crime just two years ago.

Therese confessed during a 30-minute phonecall to her daughter which was recorded and handed to police.

During the call, Therese attempts to defend what she had done saying: 'It was still rape but you were 16. I wouldn't let him touch you under 16, no way.'A yoga instructor employed at a women's prison was arrested after she was caught with a hidden stash of drugs inside the radio she was carrying.

Patricia Rossato, 68, was taken into custody Sunday at the Homestead Correctional Institution in South Florida during entry when a sergeant smelled a strong odor coming from the device, the arrest report read.

When the officer unwrapped the radio, he found 'five grams of suspected marijuana, 41 blue pills of suspected ecstasy and 55 pink pills of suspected ecstasy,' WPLG Local 10 reported.

Rossato told the officer the radio was borrowed and covered with black electrical tape because it was broken.

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South Florida prison yoga instructor Patricia Rossato, 68, has been accused of hiding marijuana and ecstasy pills inside radio

Rossato was taken into custody Sunday at the Homestead Correctional Institution in South Florida during entry

Rossato has been charged with three counts - possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and trafficking of ecstasy.

The yoga teacher was jailed at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

In Rossato's Monday court appearance, a colleague who worked with her defended her in a statement.

The fellow yoga teacher told the judge he believed inmates may have stashed the marijuana and ecstasy in the radio.

Rossato appeared in court Monday (pictured above with judge) She has been charged with three counts - possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and trafficking of ecstasy

'We take in a CD cassette player every week. We take the same player and, I think it was last month, I forgot to take the player out with me,' the man told the judge.

'It was left in the prison for a week and then we got it the following time, so that means that the inmates had access to the player,' he went on to say.

'We don't open the player all the time and look what's in it, so the only explanation I have is that the inmates were securing drugs within the player.'

The yoga instructor's Facebook page said she works at the Yoga And Mindfulness Outreach for the prison

Rossato's Facebook bio also said she manages The Butterfly Effect Center, an alternative and holistic health service in the Miami area

During her court hearing, the prosecutor acknowledged Rossato did not have any previous arrests in Miami-Dade County.

The yoga instructor's Facebook page explained that she works at the Yoga And Mindfulness Outreach for the prison.

The program's Facebook page said it empowers 'prisoners, at-risk youth and those in-need for Healing Trauma, for Stress Management, for Body/Mind Health and for developing one's Full Potential.'

Rossato's Facebook bio also said she manages The Butterfly Effect Center, an alternative and holistic health service in the Miami area.Popular clothing brand Vineyard Vines is taking an alleged copycat company to court for selling products they claim is too similar to its own.

Last week the Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts brand filed a federal complaint against clothing company Dazzle Up, claiming that the clothing label emulated Vineyard Vines' logos.

Dazzle Up, based in Greensboro, North Carolina, sells products that display the slogan 'Simply Southern' in the same lower-case font and similar color and style as that of Vineyard Vines.

This isn't the first time Vineyard Vines has sued a company for copying its fashion merchandise, popular for its T-shirts, colored shorts, and button down shirts.

Vineyard Vines (bottom left) is suing North Carolina brand Dazzle Up's 'Simply Southern' collection (top and bottom right)f or federal trade infringement and unfair competition

A federal complaint was filed last week and asks for jury trial, accusing Dazzle Up (left) of attempting to confuse or deceive the public into thinking they were buying Vineyard Vines (right) products

Vineyard Vines and Dazzle Up both sell T-shirts and hats with their logos and caricatures - Vineyard Vines a whale and Dazzle Up a turtle - and their merchandise bear resemblance in their format.

The legal battle is centered on the label splashed across the back of several Dazzle Up T-shirts in the 'Simply Southern' line.

The logos both appear on pink backdrops with white borders with text in the same serif font.

Charlotte, North Carolina attorney Larry Jones filed the complaint last week which accuses Dazzle Up of federal trade infringement, unfair competition, and violating North Carolina's Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices act.

The company also requested a jury trial for the complaint.

The complaint accuses Dazzle Up of attempting to 'confuse or deceive the public' into thinking that they are purchasing a Vineyard Vines brand product.

The complaint also asks courts to prevent Dazzle Up from using the alleged copycat label in future products and promotions and to turn over all disputed merchandise to be destroyed by Vineyard Vines.

Both of the brands have stores in North and South Carolina where they can both be seen in big malls.

Vineyard Vines, which was established in 1998 boasts 70 stores across the nation whereas Dazzle Up has just 12 in the Carolina states.

The two companies specialize in T-shirts which share similar formats of images on top of the company or collection brand names. Vineyard Vines left, Dazzle Up right.

Vineyard vines often display whales or fish on their merchandise, left, whereas Dazzle Up displays turtles as their go to image, right

But this isn't the first time Vineyard Vines has run into trouble with Dazzle Up before.

Jones admitted that Vineyard vines had 'previous grievances' with the North Carolina brand.

'There is absolutely no legitimate reason for Simply Southern or Dazzle Up to mimic the appearance of our label and then put it so prominently on their products,' Jones said to The Charlotte Observer.

He added that when other companies use images that mimic Vineyard Vines' logos 'you destroy the essence of branding merchandise'.

He went on to explain 'which is if I buy this product, I know where it comes from'.

Jones said he could not estimate Vineyard Vines' losses in this case adding, 'but if someone sticks his hands in your pocket, you're equally offended if he takes a couple of quarters or a couple of hundred dollar bills.'Florida teacher Dayanna Volitich, 25, who has been 'removed from the classroom' after she was unmasked as the voice of a white nationalist podcast has now released a statement through her attorney that does not deny it is her voice on the show

The Florida public school teacher who has been 'removed from the classroom' for being part of a white nationalist podcast insists it is political satire, and none of the racist views she shares are true.

Dayanna Volitich, 25, released a statement through her attorney saying that the show was employing 'political satire and exaggeration'.

The 25-year-old also claims that she wasn't being truthful when she was heard boasting about spreading racist views in the classroom under the pseudonym 'Tiana Dalichov.'

The Crystal River Middle School teacher was identified as the voice of the host of a white nationalist podcast called 'Unapologetic' on Saturday by HuffPost.

A statement from her lawyer defended the podcast, and admitted that the voice was her's

The statement obtained by NBC News went on to say: '[The show] employed political satire and exaggeration, mainly to the end of attracting listeners and followers, and generating conversation about the content discussed between myself and my guests.'

The social studies teacher is seen here in a photo shared to social media by Crystal River Middle School in Florida

'The views "Tiana Dalichov" espouses do not pervade my professional career,' the statement continued.

'As an adult, my decisions are my own, and my family has nothing whatsoever to do with my social media accounts or my podcast. From them, I humbly ask for forgiveness, as it was never my intention to cause them grief while engaging in a hobby on my personal time.'

Under the assumed named, Volitich also ran a coinciding Twitter account.

In her most recent episode, 'Tiana' discusses her white nationalist views and how she was careful about spreading them among the children she was teaching.

On social media, 'Tiana' tweeted that institutional racism and white privilege were 'bull****' concepts.

The School District said in its statement that it was 'made aware of a concerning podcast by a Huffington Post reporter' on Friday, March 2.

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Though Tiana deleted all of her social media accounts, her podcast is still live on iTunes

'The Human Resources department was notified and an investigation was initiated immediately,' the statement continued.

'The teacher has been removed from the classroom and the investigation is ongoing. Pursuant to Florida Statute an open investigation and materials related to it are exempt from public record and cannot be discussed until the investigation is complete.'

The 'Tiana' Twitter account has supported tweets about white supremacists including KKK figurehead David Duke, and is gushing in her praise of authors who others have been deemed anti-Semitic.

Volitich was linked to the podcast this week by The Huffington Post which published her tweets and social media photographs on Saturday before she deleted her Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Pictures which came from those accounts match her profile on the Crystal River Middle School Website.

The last 'Unapologetic' podcast featured guest subject Lana Lokteff, the host of Red Ice TV, a white nationalist internet YouTube channel based in Sweden.

In the podcast, 'Tiana' says she is 'getting more underhanded' in how she espouses her views to the children she teaches.

Regarding white supremacists becoming teachers in public schools, a guest said on the 'Unapologetic' show:

'They don't have to be vocal about their views, but get in there. Be more covert and just start taking over those places.'

To that, 'Tiana' replied: 'Right, Im absolutely one of them.'

A parent of one of Volitich's social studies students told NBC News that her daughter had told her of at least one bothersome incident in the classroom.

'They were talking about segregation in a civil rights type of capacity, and the teacher somewhat alluded that segregation might possibly be OK in her opinion,' Meredith Bleakley said.

After learning of that incident, Bleakley said she had a discussion with her daughter letting her know it's OK to speak up if she feels a teacher is saying something inappropriate.

'This is not what this community stands for,' the child's mother added. 'This is a small town, so it's very upsetting to find out that this is going on in our school system.'

On Twitter, 'Tiana ' spreads her views including her belief that institutional racism is 'not real'

Another tweet says, 'It isn't supremacist or hateful to prefer your own people over others'

She also references to the 'JQ,' an abbreviation for the anti-Semitic term, 'Jewish Question'

She has also argued with others who tried to separate Islam from terror

The 'Tiana' account asked Twitter user to 'prove to me that white privilege exists'

'Tiana' goaded Twitter about suspending her account for violating its terms of service

'Tiana' has praised author Kevin McDonald who has been widely criticized as anti-Semitic

The woman has also shared support for the KKK figurehead David Duke

Volitch is shown above in a photograph from one of the 'Tiana' social media accounts; She has not spoken out on these allegations

On social media, 'Tiana' had also referred to the 'JQ', a casual abbreviation for 'the Jewish Question' which refers to treatment of Jews in the 19th and 20th Century.

It's an anti-Semitic concept, used to refer to the 'issue' of Jewish people in society.

'Tiana' admitted during the podcast that one parent emailed the principal of the school where she worked, which was not named, to express concern about her political views.

'She emailed the principal over my head and basically told her: "I'm worried that your teacher is injecting her political bias into her teaching,"' the voice said.

'She came to me and said, "I'm not worried, should I be worried?". I was like "no" and she believed me and she backed off.

'I get it. If it were the other way around with leftists, I would be paranoid.'

Lokteff suggested they should start a private network of right-wing schools where they could teach children about Slavic traditions and Pagan and Christian beliefs.

'That's a good idea! Hit me up!' 'Tiana' replied.

They then discussed whether two children from Sweden and Nigeria would achieve the same IQ or grades.

Lokteff led that strand of conversation, saying:

'Grades are also tanking with our super diverse all inclusive society where the kid from Nigeria and the kid who came from Sweden are supposed to learn exactly the same and have exactly the same IQ because equality!

Florida's Crystal River Middle School where Volitich teaches said it was reviewing the material

'There's no differences at all between the ethnicity or the races, right? They're all expected to get the same grades and do the same but that's not the reality.'

The teacher replied: 'Oh it's not!'

On Saturday, after the woman's alias was unveiled and she deleted her accounts, Lokteff defended her online.

She said the teacher had been 'slandered' and that she was targeted by a 'leftist rag' which has 'never wanted diversity of thought/opinion.'

Crystal River School said it was investigating the tweets and the podcast on Saturday. They said the opinions expressed on the podcast and social media were not theirs.

Volitich did not reply to DailyMail.com's request for comment.He means business: The police officer known as Raptor 13 (seen at former Comanchero kingpin Mick Hawi's funeral) defected vehicles at Queen Street Customs and asked if a macaw had a permit, staff claimed

No-nonsense cop Raptor 13 has struck again, storming a car yard which supplied blinged-up vehicles to Salim Mehajer's huge wedding and bikie kingpin Mick Hawi's funeral.

Senior Constable Andrew Murphy has gained notoriety for his tough policing as a member of the NSW Police Force's bikie-busting Strike Force Raptor.

But he has earned the ire of thousands - and even vile threats - with 10,000 people signing an online petition calling for an inquiry into his conduct.

Daily Mail Australia has obtained exclusive CCTV footage of the controversial cop and squadmates executing a search warrant on Queen Street Customs in Sydney's south last Wednesday morning.

Police were there to seize paperwork for a car linked to the Rebels motorcycle gang that was repaired at the Revesby workshop almost two years ago.

But fuming business owner Mohamed Ibrahim said officers went well beyond that - defecting more than 20 cars at the property in a brazen enforcement spree.

Staff claimed the meticulous Raptor 13 even asked if they had a permit for their exotic pet macaw.

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The macaw: An incredulous Mohamed Ibrahim of Queen Street Customs claimed Raptor 13 asked him if he had a PERMIT for his exotic bird during the police search

'We're not doing anything shonky, we obey the law': Queen Street Customs owner Mohamed Ibrahim (pictured with his customary flash vehicles) slammed the defect notices

Police (top right) are seen crowding close to the macaw in question during last Wednesday's search

Police officers - believed to include Raptor 13 (centre) - are seen inside the business while executing the search warrant and conducting vehicle and business inspections

Video footage shows several officers crowding near the cage where the bird lives during the raid.

'Yeah (he asked) like, 'where's the permit for a macaw'?' Mr Ibrahim said. 'Deadset.'

Another staffer recalled Raptor 13 asking 'where's your permit to have this bird mate' - and said owners do not need a permit to own a macaw.

Mr Ibrahim said he was a law-abiding citizen who did not control his clients' lives.

'(The police) came in and defected a licensed workshop ... defected cars that were actually going through insurance.

'He's really affected my business. I had three customers pull their cars out of here.

'All the rest of the customers are going 'what's going on, what's going on,' I'm losing business,' he said.

He has been running the company - which has counted former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer and wife Aysha among his many car hire clients - since 1999.

'How dare 20 of them come for a simple USB stick they needed a file off,' he said. 'These guys can't appreciate we work hard.

'We're not doing nothing shonky, we obey the law ... they've got to get off their high horse.'

A defect notice inside the Queen Street Customs shop following the search warrant (pictured)

Footage recently published online showed Raptor 13 inspecting motorbikes for defects

Customers: Some of the more prominent patrons of Queen Street Group include Salim Mehajer and wife Aysha (left) and the family of slain bikie Mahmoud Mick Hawi (right)

A Queens Street Rolls Royce led Mick Hawi's shuttled some members of Mick Hawi's family from the funeral service to his burial a fortnight ago

The panelbeater and businessman said he had never been a member of a bikie club and has never faced criminal charges.

He has spoken to a barrister about the search warrant.

Meanwhile, over the past two years, officer Raptor 13 has caught attention for a series of incidents caught on camera by members of the public.

Included among them was a confrontation with a group of men travelling in limousines to slain Comanchero president Mick Hawi's funeral a fortnight ago.

Anti-gang enforcer 'Raptor 13' has become the target of vile online abuse after a petition was launched calling for an inquiry into the controversial policeman

He was praised on 2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley's program for doing an 'incredible job'.

But many people are more critical, pointing to other incidents. The petition launched on Sunday said: 'Officer Murphy has gone too far and something needs to be done'.

Mr Murphy has previously been seen on camera refusing to show a driver his speed radar and holding a metal pole to a man's head.

Crime author and former NSW police officer Duncan McNab said technology was making it harder for frontline officers to keep a low profile.

'It's a risk to consider when you're the public face of police taking on a mob like the outlaw bikers,' he said.

'Many of who aren't noted for making carefully considered, sensible decisions.'

Queen Street vehicles pictured - as Mehajer arrived near his wedding by helicopter

Raptor 13 seen outside former Comanchero boss Mick Hawi's funeral last month

A State Crime Command spokeswoman said the search warrant related to an investigation into the activities of the Burwood chapter of the Rebels bikie gang.

Officers have been conducting inquiries into the circumstances of a June 19, 2016 car crash and one of the vehicles was repaired at the Revesby smash repairer.

They executed the search warrant about 9am last Wednesday and seized documentation.

The spokeswoman said: 'Police also used their powers under the Motor Dealers and Repairers Act and s76 of the Road Transport Act 2013 to conduct a business inspection and vehicle inspections.

WHAT IS NEW SOUTH WALES POLICE STRIKE FORCE RAPTOR? Raptor 13 is a member of an elite, bikie-busting police Strike Force of the same name When bikies bludgeoned a man to death with a metal bollard at Sydney Airport in front of petrified plane passengers nearly a decade ago, worried NSW police officials made a resolution. The outlaw motorcycle gangs running amok throughout the state could never be allowed to do something so brazen again. Such was the genesis of Strike Force Raptor, an elite unit of specialised cops with the balls and legal brains to bust the bikie clubs. Founded in 2009, the unit has become known for using every available legal means to punish bikies and their associates, from arcane 1800s laws to road violations. It sounds familiar when you consider the case of 'Raptor 13', Senior Constable Andrew Murphy - regularly filmed defecting motorbikes and getting in peoples' faces. '(Strike Force Raptor's) entire motivation is to be as prominent as the bikies are and rattle their cages,' said former police officer and crime author Duncan McNab. 'What they've achieved is to destabilise the facade of the bikies and piss some of the serious players off'. But it's clear they've managed to irritate some punters outside the motorcycle gangs as well. Advertisement

'During the inspections, police issued an infringement for licensee fail to keep register in accordance with s100, and issued 22 defect notices, including four red major grounded defects, on vehicles at the location.

'Officers also seized four number plates, which included fraudulent plates, and expired plates not returned to Roads and Maritime Services.

'A Future Court Attendance Notice for four counts of possess unique identifier will be issued to a 41-year-old man.

'Following further investigations, Strike Force Raptor charged two men yesterday (Monday 5 March 2018), for allegedly submitting a fraudulent insurance claim following the June 2016 crash.

NSW Police did not answer questions directly about Raptor 13 and Mr Ibrahim's claims about the macaw.An evil mother plied her 16-year-old daughter with drinks so that her obese boyfriend could rape the teenager and the victim has now opened up on her horror.

Peta Butler was just 16 years old when she suffered the abuse in a motel room in Toowoomba, east of Brisbane, in 2005 - orchestrated by her own sick mum.

She says she was tricked by her mum after she took her away on 'a girls trip' on a Friday night.



But all along it was a plan for Therese's internet boyfriend to have sex with Peta, who she described as 'a younger version of herself'.



Peta says she can still remember the smell of her abuser, known only as Thommo, and feel his stubble more than a decade on.





Peta Butler was just 16 years old when she was raped in a Toowoomba motel room in 2005

After plying her with drinks Therese Butler left her daughter (pictured) to be raped by her boyfriend

Therese Butler was jailed in January but is due to be released in October after serving 12 months of her four year sentence

Police have now released a computer image of a suspect based on the description of Thommo

After plying her with drinks - four vodka cruisers and a bourbon mix - Therese Butler left her daughter alone in the hotel room.

Five minutes later Thommo arrived and opened the door.

But when Peta stood up to walk out of the bedroom, he blocked her getting out.

'He raped me,' she told Tracy Grimshaw on Monday night's A Current Affair.

'It only lasted for a couple of minutes. But while he was raping me I had my head turned to the side and eyes closed while crying.

'I felt his face stubble against my face. I still remember feeling that and I still remember the smell of him.'

'I felt his face stubble against my face. I still remember feeling that and I still remember the smell of him,' Peta (pictured) said

Peta describes how her hands were held down and she could not move because the man was so big

Therese Butler was jailed in January as Peta opens up to Tracy Grimshaw on A Current Affair

Peta described how her hands were held down and she could not move because Thommo was 'very big' and was on top of her.

Her mother was just a few metres away outside the door.

'I hoped she was going to come in and stop it,' Peta, who is now 27, said. 'She didn't once try, she sat outside smoking.

'She knew what was happening. She might as well have murdered me on that day. She took me to that place and premeditated the whole thing. That's not a mother.'

Immediately after she was raped Peta walked out of the bedroom and was hugged by her mum telling her everything was going to be okay.

It was at that moment, Peta said she knew her mother was aware of what happened.

As if things could not get worse for the 16-year-old girl, Peta had to share the same motel room as her rapist and her mother that night.

They drove to the bus station the next morning all together in Thommo's car which Peta recalls was completely silent.

The vile mother, now aged 47, was sent to prison in January for four years and suspended after 12 months.

It took Peta, now a mother herself, nearly 10 years to muster the courage to come forward to police after suffering depression and dropping out of school less than a week after her rape.

Her mother is due to be released in October after Peta reported the crime just two years ago.

Therese confessed during a 30-minute phonecall to her daughter which was recorded and handed to police.

During the call, Therese attempts to defend what she had done saying: 'It was still rape but you were 16. I wouldn't let him touch you under 16, no way.'

Peta (pictured) said her mother just sat outside the bedroom smoking while she was raped

But while her mother is behind bars, Thommo has never been caught.

Police have renewed the appeal to catch the man responsible for raping Peta.

A new image of has been released as part of the appeal by Queensland Police into the rape.

In a statement, the force said: 'The man is described as being in his mid-to-late 40s at the time, extremely obese, around 175 centimetres tall with a shaved head, stubble and distinctive bulging blue eyes.

'He was wearing an expensive suit and drove a car with cream coloured leather seats.

'He is known only as 'Thommo' and would now be aged in his 50s.

'It is believed the man also used an email address similar to thommo_thommo_thommo@hotmail.com.

'Anyone who may recognise him, has knowledge of his movements or knows anything that may help identify him is urged to contact Policelink, Crime Stoppers or their local police station.

'Police also believe it is likely the man has hurt other girls and women.

Police have now renewed an appeal to catch Peta's rapist, known only to officers as Thommo

Peta previously said she feared for her and her family's life after her mother and her new boyfriend threatened Peta as her mother was sentenced in court.

She told Daily Mail Australia: 'He's told me before he could have someone pulled in a heartbeat.

'She was threatening to kill my father and myself,' she said.

'I've got to protect myself, my partner and my children.'

While she's never been convinced of his alleged outlaw ties, Peta said she's not willing to take any risks and planned to ask authorities for 'massive protection'.A father went on a drunken rampage after a babysitter refused to give him his nine-year-old son back, a court has heard.

Wayne Chapman went to collect his young son but the babysitter believed he was 'too drunk' to care for his child, the hearing was told.

The 38-year-old caused chaos along the Queensland street when he threw two bricks at the babysitter and smashed her car window, the Sunshine Coast Daily reported.

A court heard Wayne Chapman (pictured) went to collect his young son but the babysitter believed he was 'too drunk' to care for his child

The hearing heard Chapman went to seek help from another babysitter up the road from his house in Mudjimba, Sunshine Coast, but the sitter refused.

It went on to hear that the father was drunk and violently attacked the house with a mailbox he ripped from the ground and then pulled the screen door off the house, lurching at the babysitter by his neck.

The court heard the violent rampage ended when the second babysitter's housemate arrived and neighbours called police.

Chapman was arrested and reportedly told Maroochydore Magistrate's Court he was too drunk to remember the destructive rampage.

The babysitter was praised for not returning the child to Chapman, according to the newspaper.

The father pleaded guilty and will remain behind bars until his parole release on April 3.Anti-gang enforcer 'Raptor 13' has become the target of vile online abuse after a petition was launched calling for a public inquiry into the controversial New South Wales policeman.

Senior Constable Andrew Murphy has previously been seen on camera appearing to throw a motorcyclist's licence on the ground, seemingly push away a woman, refusing to show a driver his speed radar and holding a metal pole to a man's head.

More recently, footage appeared to show him shove a motorcyclist, confront a group of men at the funeral of a slain bikie boss and allegedly place defect notices on every car inside an automotive workshop.

'Officer Murphy has gone too far and something needs to be done,' reads a petition that has amassed nearly 10,000 signatures since it was launched on Sunday.

Anti-gang enforcer 'Raptor 13' has become the target of vile online abuse after a petition was launched calling for a public inquiry into the controversial New South Wales policeman

The author of the petition highlighted footage that emerged over the weekend which showed Const Murphy involved in a tense roadside confrontation with a man wearing a Veterans Motorcycle Club vest

'Raptor 13', whose real name is Senior Constable Andrew Murphy, was filmed in the middle of the roadside confrontation

'Police should be protecting our civilians instead of harassing them. Please sign, nothing will be done unless we stand up in numbers.'

Among those to sign the petition were several who made horrific threats against the policeman on other social media platforms.

In some Instagram posts, which have been seen by Daily Mail Australia but are too graphic to publish, 'Raptor 13' was threatened to be killed and raped.

Hundreds who supported the petition labelled the senior constable a 'bully' who 'treats everyone with blatant disrespect'.

'Police officers shouldn't go out looking for trouble... Not all cops are like this, but this bloke has pushed the limits of his power,' one said.

In the video, 'Raptor 13' could be heard telling the grey-bearded man to 'move it', before adding: 'I'm not asking, I'm telling you. Move it'

The controversial policeman is part of an elite militarised police unit which tackles violent bikie gangs

'This man is not serving the people but himself,' another wrote.

The author of the petition highlighted footage that emerged over the weekend which showed Const Murphy involved in a tense roadside confrontation with a man wearing a Veterans Motorcycle Club vest.

'What really blew my whistle was seeing him Shoving a Veterans MC member on the Good As Gold Poker Run 2018 run which has just happened this Saturday,' the author wrote.

In the video, 'Raptor 13' can be heard telling the grey-bearded man to 'move it', before adding: 'I'm not asking, I'm telling you. Move it.'

The motorcyclist - seemingly angered by the demands - leaned towards the policeman, who reacted by shoving him away with both hands as several other officers flanked him.

'Hold on, I have not touched you,' the shocked motorcyclist said as the officers closed in around him. The man could also be heard telling Raptor 13 to not talk down to him.

The constable - who is part of an elite militarised police unit which tackles violent bikie gangs - said: 'I'm talking directly to your face, now move it.'

A day earlier, Const Murphy was seen pulling over two motorcyclists in Bankstown, in Sydney's west, and pointing out the non-compliant features of their modified bikes.

The senior constable was seen last week pulling over two motorcyclists in Bankstown

In the video uploaded to Facebook on Friday, 'Raptor' 13 pulled out a measuring tape and started sizing up the motorcycles' specifications

'What licence have you got mate... so you don't have a motorcycle licence?' he asked one of the men.

The man tells him he has 'nothing', before 'Raptor 13' pulled out a measuring tape and started sizing up the motorcycles' specifications.

'This mirror here is also not compliant - it's 13cm wide by the greatness of five... That's way too small,' the policeman told him.

He also said the after-market seats on both bikes weren't secured, and that proper Harley-Davidson seats 'actually attach to the motorbike properly'.

The constable is also alleged to have been responsible for defecting several cars inside a panel shop in the same week.

The constable is also allegedly responsible for defecting several cars inside a panel shop (pictured)

Another video posted to Facebook on Friday morning showed the business had been ravaged by defect notices, which a man claimed were placed on the cars after 'Raptor 13' 'rocked up with 25 officers'.

The man claimed police arrived a day earlier to discuss an unrelated incident before defecting the vehicles.

'Police came here yesterday, they wanted information about a customer from two years ago. And Murphy rocked up with 25 officers and they've put a defect notice on every single car,' the man claimed.

Last month, 'Raptor 13' was seen in video footage drawing his taser and shouting 'you're going to get searched' as tensions flared outside former Comanchero boss Mick Hawi's funeral.

'Raptor 13' was heard shouting 'You're going to get searched' as tensions flared outside Hawi's funeral

The men were driving to Rookwood Cemetery in western Sydney when their limousines were stopped by police on King Georges Road.

'Brother, there's 30 of us [and] there's two of you... show some respect' one of the men said as the policeman pushed the surging group out of his face.

'I don't care, you're going to be searched, stand against the fence all of you... you're all being searched for firearms and drugs,' he responded.

'Raptor 13' was joined by at least one other officer and issued warnings to some of the men before letting the group go.

In 2015, Const Murphy was filmed holding a metal pole to a driver's head during a routine traffic stop

The officer was seen checking out the luxury cars a number of attendees to Hawi's funeral arrived in

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting any of the people shown committed any crime, or that 'Raptor 13' misused his position of power in any way.

In 2015, Const Murphy was filmed holding a metal pole to a driver's head during a routine traffic stop.

In another incident, he pulled over a motorcyclist who was wearing a defective skull-shaped helmet after he allegedly ran a red light.The worlds fastest bird is making a comeback in Britain, after learning to nest on cathedrals and pylons.

Breeding numbers of peregrine falcons, which can dive at a speed faster than 200mph, have hit a record high, with particularly large increases in England.

The rise is not in upland areas, where numbers of falcons nesting on cliffs and rocky outcrops have sharply fallen.

Breeding numbers of peregrine falcons, which can dive at a speed faster than 200mph, have hit a record high, with particularly large increases in England

Instead the birds of prey are being lured to towns and cities, where they can feed on the large number of urban pigeons.

The British Trust for Ornithology says one in seven breeding attempts by falcons are now on manmade structures, mainly buildings such as churches, hospitals and office blocks, as well as communications masts.

This became news five years ago when people in Southampton were left without mobile phone signal but Vodafone was unable to immediately fix the fault because of a peregrine falcon nest.

It is illegal to go near a nest and any person who causes a falcon to desert their nest can face a 5,000 fine.

But the birds are also using bridges, quarries, dams and grain silos to raise their young, according to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

Five years ago people in Southampton were left without mobile phone signal but Vodafone was unable to immediately fix the fault because of a peregrine falcon nest

Its 2014 peregrine survey, which provides the most up-to-date population estimate, puts the breeding number at 1,769 pairs - an increase of almost a quarter from 2002.

Dr Mark Wilson, a research ecologist at BTO who is lead author of an analysis of the new figures, said: Peregrines use quarries and manmade structures in much the same way as they would use natural cliffs and outcrops, typically breeding on a suitably sheltered ledge.

He added: The UK holds a significant proportion of the European peregrine population, and the reverse in fortunes of this incredible bird since the lows of the 1960s is great news for conservation.

Numbers of peregrine falcons have fallen in Scotland and the Isle of Man, and the record population has been driven by increases in lowland areas, particularly in England.

Out of around 500 monitored pairs in England, just over a quarter were on buildings, pylons or other manmade sites.

The birds of prey are being lured to towns and cities, where they can feed on the large number of urban pigeons

Many were in areas where a lack of natural nesting ledges would once have seen a low number of falcons or none at all.

The number of breeding Peregrines estimated for England is almost twice that reported in 2002, whilst in Wales the population is stable.

But Dr Wilson said: Peregrines remain exposed to a wide range of factors that could impact their population, particularly at a regional level. Peregrines in many upland areas are now faring more poorly than their lowland counterparts. The lack of breeding waders and other ground-nesting birds leave falcons with less prey to feed on in upland areas, and illegal killing is also believed to be a threat by conservationists.

Eastern England has seen the largest increases within the UK. In East Anglia, the Peregrine population increased from no pairs to an estimated 44 pairs between the surveys in 2002 and 2014.

The Channel Islands were covered in this survey for the first time, with an estimated total of 16 breeding pairs found, probably covering the majority of breeding pairs on the islands.The Kangaroo meat industry is up in arms over a documentary that claims the native animals are a 'disappearing resource' in Australia, even comparing them to 'rhinos, tigers, cheetahs and whales'.

The documentary, currently making its way across Europe and the US, shows activists mourning the lives of kangaroos shot in the outback and asks 'how did we get so hoodwinked into believing it was OK to kill our national icon?'.

The documentary called Kangaroo: A Love-Hate Story, has enraged the peak body for kangaroo harvesters, with top researchers slamming it as 'dangerous' and a 'major disservice to Australia and the welfare of kangaroos'.

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Kangaroos line the front yard of a home in the South West Rocks on the coast of New South Wales

The documentary, which will premiere in Sydney next week, uses 'shock tactics' to ask if harvesting kangaroos is unethical.

The documentary gives voice to a range of people including animal rights activists who claim the industry is 'cloaked in secrecy' and 'local extinction and regional extinction has happened'.

What is the population of kangaroos? In 2016 there were almost 45 million kangaroos in Australia, almost double the human population

In 2010 there were about 27 million

In 2007 there were 23 million

Government data shows the population neared 50 million in 2017 Advertisement

These claims have been rubbished by ANU College of Science Dr George Wilson, who has worked on kangaroo management for 45 years.

'The film's full of beautiful looking red kangaroos and it pulls at the heartstrings. That affects me just as much as anyone else, but how it relates to population ecology I don't know,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday.

'A lot of these animals are killed every year, but it's not at all connected to whether they're threatened. There are 600 million chickens killed per year, are they seriously going to suggest chickens are in danger?'

ANU College of Science Dr George Wilson, who has worked on kangaroo management for 45 years, is seen radio tracking kangaroos in Canberra Parks

In 2016 there were almost 45 million kangaroos in Australia, almost double the human population

If the film gained traction, and brought the production of kangaroo meat to a halt, Dr Wilson (right) said it would have a devastating impact on the welfare of Australia's kangaroo population

If the film gained traction, and brought the production of kangaroo meat to a halt, Dr Wilson said it would have a devastating impact on the welfare of Australia's kangaroo population.

'If this animal rights mob shut it down, populations will get higher and higher to the point they starve to death, and die out during the drought,' he said.

'They're doing themselves, Australia and the kangaroos a major disservice.

'These people are really concerned about animals, so am I, but they're completely off the wall.'

Dr Wilson said the filmmakers were jeopardising the welfare of kangaroos, and hoped viewers could look past the 'shock factor' and 'emotion' of the documentary.

'It's hard to imagine a more animal friendly meat,' he said.

The documentary, currently making its way across Europe and the US, shows activists mourning the lives of kangaroos shot in the outback (pictured)

National Farmers Federation President Fiona Simson backed Dr Wilson and said the industry was one of the most humane

Not only could the film jeopardise the welfare of kangaroos, locals claim it could devastate outback towns and enterprises

National Farmers Federation President Fiona Simson backed Dr Wilson and said the industry was one of the most humane.

They're doing themselves, Australia and the kangaroos a major disservice

She said 'regulated culling' was detrimental.

'It is inconceivable to think that anybody would see the humanity in allowing hundreds, possibly thousands of kangaroos die a prolonged and painful death caused by starvation and dehydration, while rallying against a pain-free and instant option available via the controlled, regulated culling,' she told The Australian.

Not only could the film jeopardise the welfare of kangaroos, locals claim it could devastate outback towns and enterprises.

Brad Bales and Chantalle Allwood, who work at a Queensland processing factory, said 'it'd be a shock to the community if it shut down'.

'I've seen the industry through droughts, floods it's the non-professional shooters, the city people who think they can make money out of it, who ruin it for a lot of people,' Mr Bales told The Australian.

'We will use the evidence to show that kangaroos are in trouble,' Senator Rhiannon said in a statement on Monday

'(Near extinction) is a risk, and that's why we need to be responsible,' Senator Rhiannon said

Kangaroo meat funnels more than $10 million into Australia's economy

Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon travelled to Belgium on Monday to help promote the film in Europe, where Australia exports 1780 tonnes of kangaroo meat funnelling more than $10 million into Australia's economy.

'We will use the evidence to show that kangaroos are in trouble,' Senator Rhiannon said in a statement on Monday.

'There's a big question mark over the data the government uses I've called for kangaroo protection; what we want is accurate research.

'(Near extinction) is a risk, and that's why we need to be responsible.'

The documentary will premiere in Australia in Sydney next Tuesday.

Kangaroo: A Love-Hate Story will premiere in Australia in Sydney next Tuesday

When Daily Mail Australia contacted the filmmakers for further comment, director Michael Mcintyre urged Australians to judge the documentary for themselves.

'[We] spent 4 years interviewing many Australians - scientists, historians, politicians, industry, farmers, wild life carers, environmentalists, indigenous Australians and tourists,' Mr Mcintyre told Daily Mail Australia.

'[We] believe there are many questions Australians will ask about the treatment of our national icon after watching the film.

'[We] strongly urge every Australian to see the movie and decide for themselves.'In the faceless digital age of social media, many claim to have hundreds of friends and regard themselves as sociable.

But it seems in the real world, the nation has an issue.

A major poll has revealed that an astonishing four out of five of us would not know our neighbours if we were asked to pick them from a police line-up.

While most of us have a bond with colleagues at work, those who live next door are often strangers.

Not surprisingly, the biggest failures in the identification parade test are in London, where only one in ten would be able to recognise their neighbours.

A major poll has revealed that an astonishing four out of five of us would not know our neighbours if we were asked to pick them from a police line-up

However in Northern Ireland only one in 50 do not know their neighbours.

The isolation of millions of families and individuals was charted in a survey carried out by The Big Lunch, a lottery-funded project that aims to encourage people to socialise with their neighbours.

Big Lunch spokesman Peter Stewart said: The research shows how much potential there is for people to get to know their neighbours better, replacing anonymous neighbourhoods with closer ties and stronger communities.

While links between neighbours have always been weak in major cities, the gulf between people living next to each other may have widened as a result of the development of social media and new technology that lessens the need or incentive for people to talk to each other.

The findings, gathered from a YouGov poll of more than 4,000 people, found that overall 83 per cent say they would not be able to pick out their neighbours in a police station identification parade.

Instead the people they treat as neighbours are those they work with. Many people have a stronger sense of belonging to their workplace than to the street they live on, the researchers said. Six out of ten said they had a strong bond with colleagues against fewer than half, 45 per cent, who claimed a sense of belonging in the neighbourhood where they live.

The biggest failures in the identification parade test are in London, where only one in ten would be able to recognise their neighbours (Pictured: Two houses in Enfield)

The greatest sense of regional identity is found in Yorkshire, the poll found, where more than two thirds, 68 per cent, say that they have a strong sense of belonging. Loyalty to Yorkshire is greater than that found in Scotland, where only 66 per cent declared a strong sense of belonging.

Nevertheless, people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all feel a stronger connection to their own part of the country than to the UK as a whole, it said. Only in England is there a strong sense of belonging to the UK.

The researchers said the decline of neighbourliness is a result of changes in the political landscape which have caused divisions among the population. They also say digital media has contributed towards a breakdown in the quality of human interactions.

The Big Lunch project aims to get more than nine million people to sit down with neighbours for Sunday lunch on June 3.Drug dealers and users in some of Sydney's most sought-after suburbs will be kicked out of housing commission tower blocks.

Residents of apartments in inner-city suburbs including Surry Hills, Glebe, Redfern and Waterloo will be evicted if they have been charged or convicted of drug-related offences, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Critics of the plan say it will turn western Sydney into a 'dumping ground for drug dealers'.

One of the buildings on the list is the notorious Northcott building in Surry Hills, which has been dubbed suicide towers due to residents jumping off the roof amid reports of grizzly murders and rampant drug use inside.

Drug dealers will soon be banned from living in social housing in central Sydney

Residents of apartments in inner-city suburbs including Surry Hills, Glebe, Redfern and Waterloo will be evicted if they have been charged or convicted of drug-related offences

Critics of the plan say it will turn western Sydney into a 'dumping ground for drug dealers'

The Local Allocation Strategy has been introduced by the Department of Family and Community Services and is supported by New South Wales Police.

Would-be residents who fail to meet the requirements for housing are able to move to other areas, including western Sydney or other inner-city spots such as Pyrmont or Moore Park.

Social Housing Minister Pru Goward said banning drug dealers would reduce offences carried out inside the apartment buildings.

'We know that people with a history of drug dependency are more likely to fall back into dependency if there is a ready supply of drugs,' she said.

'What we're doing with this strategy is removing any temptation which will also reduce anti-social behaviour.'

'These particular sites we know have become honeypots for drug dealers,' Social Housing Minister Pru Goward told 2GB radio on Tuesday.

One of the buildings on the list is the notorious Northcott building in Surry Hills, which has been dubbed suicide towers due to residents jumping off the roof

The Local Allocation Strategy has been introduced by the Department of Family and Community Services and is supported by New South Wales Police

The policy is the latest in a string of measures introduced to combat issues within Sydney housing commission apartment blocks

'What we're trying to do is to break those down.'

The policy is the latest in a string of measures introduced to combat issues within Sydney housing commission apartment blocks.

In the last four years 46 tenancies in Redfern and Waterloo have been cancelled due to drug-related incidents, while 32 people have been banned from those areas.

One of the buildings on the list is the notorious Northcott building (pictured) in Surry Hills, which has been dubbed suicide towers due to residents jumping off the roof

Labor social housing spokeswoman Tania Mihailuk said the policy will simply move drug-dealers from inner-Sydney to the west.

'The government has no interest in fixing the problems of inner-city Sydney, but is quite happy to export them elsewhere.'

Emelia Palme, 78, has lived at the Northcott building in Surry Hills for 40 years, and said drugs were 'everywhere' in the apartment block.

In January, a knife-wielding man was caught on camera slashing at the walls of an elevator in the Northcott building.

Tenants in the building said their accommodation was like living in a slum.

Charmaine Jones has lived in the housing block for more than 20 years and said tenants felt they could trash it because it was in a poor condition as soon as they arrived.

Tony Pierce, another tenant, said drug paraphernalia was often left around and there were 'urine and feces problems'.

'There was loud noises, screams, carry on, anti-social behaviour,' he said.MPs who vote to back tighter Press regulation would be supporting Max Mosley and his abhorrent views, Jacob Rees-Mogg has said

MPs who vote to back tighter Press regulation would be supporting Max Mosley and his abhorrent views, Jacob Rees-Mogg said last night.

In an impassioned speech, the Tory MP said it was a scandal of our time that peers had passed a bill pushed by one of the most disreputable figures in British public life.

He said MPs who believed in freedom should vote to remove two clauses added into the Data Protection Bill in the House of Lords.

His comments  including a plea to MPs not to become snowflakes troubled by criticism in the Press  were made during a debate on the bill in the Commons.

Culture Secretary Matt Hancock said the ability of the Press to properly scrutinise should not be undermined by the peers vote for tighter regulation.

He argued for the removal of two amendments made by peers which seek to dragoon the Press into state-sponsored regulation and force the Government to launch yet another inquiry into Press standards.

Mr Hancock told MPs the legislation would introduce a right to be forgotten, whereby data must be deleted unless there are legitimate grounds for retaining it.

But Mr Rees-Mogg asked: Can we be certain that this right to be forgotten will not impede freedom of speech? Im thinking obviously currently of Max Mosley, and the information that came out of him, as to what he had to say in 1961, which is relevant and pertinent to current debates.

Mr Hancock replied: I wholeheartedly agree. And he might be aware of amendments that were made in the other place on exactly that issue which are supported by some in this House, notably some who are also supported by Max Mosley.

The debate came after a Mail investigation uncovered a racist pamphlet in Mr Mosleys name, saying coloured immigrants spread diseases.

Mr Mosley spent millions bankrolling the controversial Press regulator Impress, which has been shunned by all national newspapers, after his notorious German-themed orgy was exposed in the News of the World.

Mr Mosley spent millions bankrolling the controversial Press regulator Impress, which has been shunned by all national newspapers, after his notorious German-themed orgy was exposed in the News of the World

Mr Rees-Mogg said: A free Press is one that cannot be regulated by the state. And so quite understandably no serious newspaper of the Left or of the Right has been willing to bend the knee to Impress and nor should it.

He added; I say to members opposite: Any of you who go through the division lobbies at a later stage to vote in favour of those clauses are voting to support Max Mosley and his abhorrent views and his money.

Those of us who believe in freedom vote them down.

He said the Mail had exposed the murderers of Stephen Lawrence in a way that required them to say things about the murderers that until double jeopardy laws were changed could never be proved in a court.

What if this law had existed then? And those people we now know are guilty of murder had sued the Daily Mail for saying something that was true and [the Mail] had to pay the costs of murderers? That is what the noble Lordships have put into this bill.North Korea could be involved in the suspected poisoning of ex Russian spy Sergei Skripal, according to a secret agent who was also swapped with him to Britain.

Skripal, 66, remains critically ill in hospital after he was found unconscious in Salisbury following exposure to an unknown substance on Sunday.

The former Russian intelligence officer was found along with a 33-year-old woman, believed to be known to him, unconscious on a bench near a shopping centre.

Mr Skripal was convicted in 2006 of passing state secrets to MI6 before being given refuge in the UK as part of a spy swap eight years ago. But while he has lived a quiet life in Salisbury since then, Igor Sutyagin - who was freed in the same spy swap  now works as a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute think tank.

The 53-year-old, a nuclear arms expert convicted of treason by a Moscow court, said today that 'in theory, anyone can be behind' the incident in Salisbury, 'including North Korea' and highlighted the assassination of Kim Jong-un's half brother at Kuala Lumpur airport last year.

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Igor Sutyagin (left and right) who was convicted of spying for the West has said he doesn't feel afraid after it emerged his compatriot was fighting for his life in a suspected poisoning

He said today: 'If to suspect this was not an accident, but an intentional poisoning - and some intelligence services are involved - then a clear rational analysis shows that the timing for such an action is most inappropriate.

'The flow of the negative information in the last three to four weeks was so dense that one should be a blithering idiot to add such a "log" to the fire. In theory, anyone can be behind this, including North Korea.

'They did a very similar thing with Kim Jong-un brother at (Kuala Lumpur) airport. It looks very similar.'

The assassination of Kim Jong-nam occurred on February 13, 2017 when two women attacked him with VX nerve agent.

Sutyagin told Radio Svoboda that when he met Skripal, he found him a calm, nice, normal man, who was not likely to take any drugs.

He had not met Skripal in the UK after they flew together on a Russian plane to Vienna for the Cold War-style swap which involved Anna Chapman and a number of Russian sleeper agents in the US going back to Moscow.

They shared whisky together on this aircraft and a US plane that took them to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

Skripal had admitted his guilt in Russia to spying for MI6, and was amnestied to allow his swap to Britain.

Sutyagin - not seen by the West as a spy despite his conviction in Moscow - said he did not fear for his own security because 'we do not know what is going on'.

'The practice of shooting so-called traitors by special services, of course, exists, but now it seems premature to worry about it.'

'I feel OK, I am not concerned,' he told The Times.

Sergei Skripal (pictured) remained in intensive care in hospital a day after he was found unconscious in Salisbury following exposure to an unknown substance

'We have saying in Russian that if you keep thinking one day [something bad might happen] then that day will come.'

He also urged caution about laying the blame for Mr Skripal's illness on Russia.

'There are lots of former security officers that deserted to the West,' he told the Associated Press. 'It is necessary to balance this information.'

They were among four convicts who were given pardons in a deal between Russia and the United States that was said at the time to be the largest exchange since the Cold War.

Mr Sutyagin, 53, and Mr Skripal were debriefed at a small hotel before they were free to begin their new lives  but they knew they were still wanted men in their native land.

He has said he once received an email reading: 'Soon your time will come.'

Mr Sutyagin had been sentenced to 15 years in prison for passing secrets to Alternative Futures, a British security risks consultantcy allegedly used as a front for the CIA, according to the Times. He has always maintained he is innocent.

Salisbury District Hospital declared a major incident the morning after Mr Skripal and the woman were admitted and called in the fire service to decontaminate the A&E department.

The former Russian intelligence officer was found along with a 33-year-old woman, believed to be known to him, unconscious on a bench near a shopping centre on Sunday

The Castle Street branch of the chain restaurant Zizzi was 'secured as a precaution', police said

Officers in regular uniforms and plain clothes spoke to staff inside and worked in tents in the area the pair were found

But they told patients to attend appointments as normal unless advised otherwise.

Wiltshire Police said officers were as yet 'unable to ascertain' whether the pair, who are both in critical condition in intensive care, have been victims of a crime.

The Castle Street branch of the chain restaurant Zizzi was 'secured as a precaution', the force said.

They adding Public Health England believed there was no risk to the public.

Officers in regular uniforms and plain clothes spoke to staff inside and worked in tents in the area the pair were found.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden said: 'The pair, who we believe are known to each other, did not have any visible injuries and were taken to Salisbury District Hospital.

'This has not been declared as a counter terrorism incident and we would urge people not to speculate. However, I must emphasise that we retain an open mind and we will continue to review this position.'

Wiltshire Police said officers were as yet 'unable to ascertain' whether the pair, who are both in critical condition in intensive care, have been victims of a crime

Freya Church, who saw the couple on the bench, told the BBC they 'looked so out of it'.

She said: 'He was doing some strange hand movements, looking up to the sky.

'It looked like they had been taking something quite strong.'

A spokesman for Public Health England (PHE) said anyone exposed to the unknown substance had been decontaminated 'as is standard practice in situations like this'.

While the incident in Salisbury is shrouded in mystery, it comes at a time of major tension in UK-Russian relations.

A report from the Commons Foreign Affairs committee last year describing the relationship between the two countries as being at 'its most strained point since the end of the Cold War'.

And in evidence to the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee, MI6 described the Russian state as 'formidable adversaries'.

In 2006, Mr Litvinenko died in London after drinking tea laced with radioactive polonium-210.

A public inquiry concluded in 2016 that the killing of Mr Litvinenko, an outspoken critic of Putin, had 'probably' been carried out with the approval of the Russian president.Hungary last night broke ranks to heap praise on Theresa Mays Brexit vision and to warn Brussels it must drop any attempt to punish Britain in negotiations.

In a boost for the Prime Minister, the Eastern European member state rejected EU chief negotiator Michel Barniers claim that Mrs May is seeking to cherry pick with her demand for a bespoke deal.

Zoltan Kovacs, Hungarys Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, said Brussels needs to recognise its failings caused Brexit and that a good deal is in the EUs interests too.

Zoltan Kovacs (pictured), Hungarys Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, said Brussels needs to recognise its failings caused Brexit and that a good deal is in the EUs interests too

Speaking on a visit to London, Mr Kovacs said Hungary and the UK are on common ground over how Brexit negotiations should proceed in a pragmatic way

He also warned Mr Barnier and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker that EU member states hold the ultimate power in negotiations not Eurocrats in Brussels.

Speaking on a visit to London, Mr Kovacs said Hungary and the UK are on common ground over how Brexit negotiations should proceed in a pragmatic way.

He said: We really understand each other. We have always maintained that there will be different kinds of approaches to how Brexit negotiations should be done, but we believe a fair Brexit is the best solution that should come to everybodys minds. Dont think of punishing, especially if it is on behalf of Brussels.

A good deal is in the interests of everyone, we truly believe it is possible, and we are trying to provide those solid foundations for such a proposal.

Mr Barnier has repeatedly accused Mrs May of seeking to cherry pick with her demands for a Brexit deal, but Mr Kovacs said this was wrong.

He said: The British government has the right to do the best for its people. I dont believe it is cherry-picking.

In a boost for the Prime Minister, the Eastern European member state rejected EU chief negotiator Michel Barniers claim that Mrs May is seeking to cherry pick with her demand for a bespoke deal

When we are trying to achieve the best for our own country that is not cherry-picking, that is what everybody is doing.

Mr Kovacs also warned Mr Barnier and Mr Juncker they are not in charge of deciding the outcome of Brexit talks and are merely servants of the EU member states.

He said: We have to turn around the logic. It is not the member states for Brussels, but Brussels for the member states. So the mandate that Mr Barnier has is to represent the 27.

We do not believe there should be a Brussels perspective, it should be the 27s perspective. The mandate is given by the European Council and not by anyone else. We truly believe that the Council is the body that is representing the will of the 27.

Not the European Parliament, certainly not the Commission, they should be executing actually what the Council says.

Mr Kovacs warned Mr Barnier (pictured) he is not in charge of deciding the outcome of Brexit talks

He added: The referendum here was a clear sign of failed Brussels politics, mainly migration related but also going around the national sovereignty elements.

Mrs May used her landmark Brexit speech on Friday to hit back at the EUs refusal to offer Britain a bespoke deal after it leaves the bloc.

She stood firm in calling for a different relationship than Canada, Norway and Turkey have with the EU, declaring: If this is cherry picking, then every trade agreement is cherry picking.

The EU will today publish draft guidelines setting out the framework for Brexit talks with the UK over a future trade deal.

The document, which is expected to be signed off by EU leaders at a summit later this month, will only set out basic detail about the shape of a deal.

EU negotiators said that they had listened carefully to Mrs Mays Brexit speech last week.

The text however is unlikely to spell out the comprehensive agreement wanted by Mrs May.

Officials instead said that the parameters of the text were likely to change over time as the UK comes forward with concrete proposals.The USS Lexington, an American war ship sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea during WWII, has been discovered 3000m below the surface of the Coral Sea.

Billionaire Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Paul Allen funded the expedition which uncovered the lost wreckage 76 years after it was sunk on May 8, 1942, as the battle for the Pacific was raging on.

The wreckage was located 800km off the Australian coastline and was the first ever aircraft carrier to be sunk in WWII.

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The USS Lexington, an American war ship sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea during WWII, has been discovered 3000 metres below the surface of the Coral Sea

The planes that went down with the ship included Douglas TBD Devastators, Douglas SBD Dauntless' and a single Grumman F4F Wildcat

'(This is) to pay tribute to the USS Lexington and the brave men that served on her,' he told 9 News.

The wreckage lies in three sections, a far cry from the imposing figure it had as it cut through the ocean during WWII.

The ship was affectionately known as 'Lady Lex' and was sunk during the battle after it took damage from multiple torpedoes, with 216 of the 2735 crewman killed and all 35 planes on board sinking with it.

The ship was affectionately known as 'Lady Lex' and was sunk during the Battle of the Coral Sea after it took damage from multiple torpedoes

The planes that went down with the ship included Douglas TBD Devastators, Douglas SBD Dauntless' and a single Grumman F4F Wildcat.

The nearby USS Phelps was ordered to scuttle the ship after it was damaged in the battle in order to prevent the enemy capturing the advanced American ship.

Mr Allen said that as Americans, the expedition crew owed a lot to those who served and sacrificed with courage and honour.

He said finding the ship was a small token of that gratitude.

The ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee states that the Battle of the Coral Sea was fought in May 1942, between the 4th and the 8th, and was the first aircraft carrier battle ever fought.

The battle was significant for also being the first time during the WWII campaign that the Japanese were defeated in a major operation and it was the defeat that halted the Japanese advance on Port Moresby.

For many war historians it is considered to be the battle that 'saved Australia', although some historians dispute that Japan ever had intentions to invade Australia.

During the course of the five-day battle 966 servicemen lost their lives.

The USS Lexington burning during the Battle of the Coral Sea in May of 1942. The ship was damaged so badly that another American ship scuttled it and sent it to the bottomHeavily armed police have arrested a man who barricaded himself inside his home while talking to his lawyer on the phone.

Officers negotiated with the man, 25, for several hours at the apartment building on Waterdale Road in Heidelberg West, north-east Melbourne.

Police used OC spray during the arrest just after 12.30pm, and seven bystanders were treated for secondary exposure to the spray.

The man will be interviewed in relation to theft and deception incidents in Collingwood and Fitzroy, as well as assault-related offences.

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Heavily armed police (pictured) locked down a block of flats with a wanted man barricaded inside while talking to his lawyer

Streets nearby were shut down as police surrounded the building and the canine unit patrolled outside

Streets nearby were shut down as police surrounded the building and the canine unit patrolled outside.

The man remained holed up inside the unit block after police arrived at 8am to make a planned arrest.

Police told neighbours to lock their doors and stay inside while urging the man to surrender.

The man was holed up inside the unit block after police arrived at 8am to make a planned arrest

Police told neighbours to lock their doors and stay inside while urging the man to surrender

Negotiators tried using cigarettes and water to lure the man outside, as his water and power have both been cut and temperatures are set to hit 27 degrees.

'I think he must have weapons or something so they were asking him to come out naked earlier over their speakerphone,' a neighbour told Nine News.

Victoria Police said local residents were not at risk, and the man was believed to be the only person inside the property.Former City superwoman Nicola Horlick has slapped a High Court ban on her own partners

Former City superwoman Nicola Horlick has never been one to shy away from confrontation.

And just six years after setting up her latest business venture she seems to have dramatically fallen out with her colleagues.

I can reveal she has won a High Court injunction against three associates at her company, Rockpool Investments. As a result, they have been banned from holding a meeting at which they planned to change the deeds governing their limited liability partnership.

At the High Court hearing, Mr Justice Barling prevented her colleagues  managing partner Matt Taylor, head of investment Andrew Green and client services manager Elizabeth Orbell  from holding the meeting, which had been scheduled for February, until March 22.

The astonishing document has just become public and will fuel speculation about the future of Rockpool, which Horlick set up with Taylor and Gary Robins in 2012.

Mother-of-six Horlick started Rockpool to allow investments in private companies through tax-efficient vehicles.

More than 250 million has been invested in more than 50 companies, but Rockpool's website warns investors may lose their contributions.

She has won a High Court injunction against three associates at her company, Rockpool Investments

Horlick, right, was often held up as an example of a woman who 'had it all', with a family and a high-flying career.

She first hit the headlines in 1997 when investment bank Morgan Grenfell suspended her, believing she was planning to leave; she flew to Hamburg accompanied by a large group of journalists, demanding to hold on to her job.

Later, she worked for SG Warburg as she brought up her large brood of children. Her daughter Georgina, 12, tragically died from blood cancer in 1998.

She opened a restaurant named after Georgina, and set up Bramdean Alternatives fund which she ran until she lost control to former friend Vincent Tchenguiz.

He ousted her from the board after Bramdean lost $20 million of investors' money in a Ponzi scheme set up by fraudster Bernie Madoff in 2008.

Horlick's first marriage to husband Tim ended in divorce in 2005 and she is now married to journalist Martin Baker, and lives in Barnes, South London.

Last year I disclosed that new Victoria and Albert Museum boss Tristram Hunt had horrified some staff with his plans to allow the Beano comic to 'take over' the London landmark  with exhibits including a statue that breaks wind.

Now, the ex-Labour MP has come up with another innovation: an evening discussion on 'the future of dating'. The V&A says, alluringly: 'With dating apps ever increasing, finding love is now as much about an algorithm as physical attraction.' Who says romance is dead?

Despite his protestations that 'there's no money in politics', Brexit is proving good for Nigel Farage's finances.

Nigel Farage's company Thorn In The Side has seen it's assets double

His aptly named company, Thorn In The Side, has seen its assets more than double, from 78,000 to 158,000, in the year since the EU referendum.

While money he owes to creditors has risen considerably, the company's reserves have shot up by more than 50 per cent from 62,000 to 94,000. Former stockbroker Farage is vague about his company's function. At Companies House it is described confusingly as 'other professional, scientific and technical activities not elsewhere classified'.

But one certainty is that it has been on an upward spiral since it filed its first accounts in 2012, with reserves of just 3,000.

Last December, Farage bemoaned being '53, separated and skint' after splitting from his second wife, Kirsten.

WRITER PINTER'S ESTRANGED SON LEAPS TO LATE FATHER'S DEFENCE

Harold Pinter's son Daniel  who refused to speak to the playwright for 15 years prior to his death  has spoken up in defence of his late father's memory.

He takes issue with the suggestion that Pinter's house in Hanover Terrace, London, was a place of 'chilly grandeur'.

Styling himself as 'Daniel 'Last of the Line' Brand (for I am he)', he tells the Oldie magazine: 'Not so. 'Chilly' is one thing Hanover Terrace never was.' He also denies that Pinter senior was a member of the nouveau riche.

Pinter left more than 4.3 million in his will, including 300,000 to Daniel. The pair fell out after Pinter's acrimonious divorce from his first wife  and Daniel's mother  actress Vivien Merchant and Daniel did not attend his father's 2008 funeral.

Writer and musician Daniel changed his surname to Brand, his maternal grandmother's maiden name, when he left home.Robert Wayne Feldman, 53, was charged with first-degree murder last month in Denver

A husband whose wife died under suspicious circumstances is behind bars, after a Tinder tipster came forward to reveal that she'd alerted his wife to his two-timing ways the very day of her death.

Robert Wayne Feldman, 53, was charged with first-degree murder last month in the March 2015 death of his 44-year-old wife Stacy, who was found dead in the shower of their Denver home.

An arrest warrant affidavit released on Monday and reviewed by DailyMail.com reveals dramatic new details of the two-year investigation, including an anonymous letter to cops, a psychological evaluation of Feldman's 911 call, and the Tinder date who said she'd been duped into sleeping with the married Feldman.

The case began at around 3pm on March 1, when Feldman, a meat products wholesaler, called 911 in a panic, stating that his wife was unresponsive in the shower.

Stacy, who worked for the non-profit PSC Partners Seeking a Cure, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Feldman, 53, works as a meat products wholesaler, while his wife Stacy, 44, worked for a non-profit. They are seen together with their two children in a family photo

Cops were suspicious from the beginning. Feldman was vague about what position he'd found the body in. Firefighters who were the first at the scene said that he was acting 'odd' and 'over dramatic', the affidavit said.

Feldman's story was that Stacy had consumed marijuana edibles and smoked pot at a party the night before, which is legal in Colorado.

He said she wasn't feeling well when he'd left that morning around 8am to take the kids to school at a Jewish temple, and he didn't see her again until he found her dead at 3pm.

The medical examiner found no signs of THC in Stacy's system, proving she hadn't smoked pot. But the autopsy could not prove her death was a homicide - the cause and manner of death were undetermined.

Denver Police Detective Randal Denison didn't give up on the case, but for the time being the investigation was stalled.

Meanwhile, in June of 2015, Feldman collected $750,000 on a life insurance policy that he'd taken out on Stacy five years earlier.

Cops found Stacy dead in the upstairs bathroom of her family home (pictured). Firefighters who were the first at the scene said that Feldman was acting 'odd' and 'over dramatic'

Cops got an anonymous letter on March 24 saying that Stacy had been expected to pick up the couple's children at noon the day she'd died - contradicting Feldman's story.

Then, on June 11, a woman contacted the local Crime Stoppers hotline with crucial information.

She revealed that in February, she met Feldman through the dating app Tinder.

The two met for coffee on a first date, the woman said. He claimed to be divorced and was reluctant to give his last name. When pressed, he told her his name was 'Robert Wolfe', she said.

Suspicious, she looked him up online and discovered his last name was Feldman, and that he appeared to live with a woman named Stacy.

Feldman posed as divorced on Tinder, and gave a fake last name, a witness said

Outraged, she confronted him - but Feldman convinced her that he was really divorced, and that he just lived with his ex-wife for the children's sake.

The woman said that a few days later Feldman came over to her house for dinner, and they had sex.

The pair had plans to spend time together the following weekend, but she didn't hear from him. When she called him, he said he couldn't meet up - he was 'blowing her off', she believed.

The spurned lover found an email address for Stacy and contacted her on the morning of March 1 to ask if Feldman was really divorced. Phone records show that Stacy responded immediately, calling the woman at 8.52am the same day.

Stacy revealed that she was indeed married Feldman and the two women shared their fury at being deceived. Stacy told the woman that Feldman had cheated on her before and said that she was 'done with him', the woman recalled.

Hours later, Stacy was dead.

Police dug deeper into the case, reviewing the tapes of the 911 call. Detective Denison, trained in techniques for reviewing suspicious 911 calls, noted that while Feldman said he was performing CPR, there were no changes to his breathing during the call.

Denison also heard 'what sounds to be a toilet being flushed and possibly items being dropped' in the background, he wrote in the affidavit.

The detective and prosecutors called in a forensic expert who is nationally known as an authority in strangulation deaths.

The expert reviewed all of the crime scene and autopsy photos, as well as the reports from the initial autopsy.

In December of 2017, the expert delivered his full report: Stacy was killed by strangulation or suffocation. The manner of death was homicide.

Feldman was arrested and booked for first-degree murder on February 13 of this year.

Attorneys for Feldman could not be reached for comment. He is being held without bail at the Denver Downtown Detention Center, and is next due in court on March 22.Advertisement

Skyrocketing San Francisco real estate prices have resulted in some middle class workers enthusiastically seeking economic refuge by renting rooms in an adult dormitory.

Much like traditional college dormitories, development company Starcity's dorms are largely composed of individually-rented bedrooms, with shared bathrooms, common areas and kitchen spaces.

In San Francisco, renting a one-bedroom apartments would typically cost $3,300 per month, but a completely furnished room in a Starcity dorm can be had for the relative bargain of between $1,400 to $2,400 a month  including utilities and wi-fi, according to the New York Times.

Middle class renters in San Francisco are turning to Starcity's dormitory-style buildings as an affordable alternative to skyrocketing one-bedroom rent prices

Starcity residents typically rent fully-furnished bedrooms ranging from 130 to 220 square feet for up to $2,400 per month

For their money, a typical Starcity renter would get a bedroom ranging from 130 to 220 square feet and then share a bathroom with two or three other renters. Building amenities include a large kitchen, lounge space and laundry room. There are also community activities, including dinners and excursions, that residents can opt into.

Starcity co-founder and CEO Jon Dishotsky, 34, was inspired to create the dorm-style housing after years of watching his friends leaving San Francisco

Starcity also offers premium services for an additional fee, including $40 per month for laundry and $130 per week for room cleaning.

'We call them community homes and essentially that's a new product between housing and hotel,' Starcity co-founder and CEO Jon Dishotsky, 34, told KRON 4.

His goal for the dorms was to create affordable housing for people who would otherwise be priced out of the Bay Area.

'Restaurant workers, retail workers, the sort of backbone economy workers of San Francisco don't have a product being built for them,' Dishotsky said. 'There's low income housing, there's luxury housing, but there's nothing in between.'

Most of the dorm residents are said to be in their early 20s to early 50s in age, with annual incomes of $40,000 to $90,000.

So far, Starcity has three operating properties  in the Mission, West SOMA and North Beach  with 36 bedroom units in them.

Eight thousand people are said to be on the wait list for the nine additional properties that are currently being developed. Starcity is purchasing 12 more buildings and expects to have thousands of rentable units available by 2019.

Courtesy: KRON 4

This building (in grey) is one of three currently operating Starcity buildings. The property development company is currently developing nine more buildings and plans to purchase 12 additional buildings

The furnished, private bedrooms come with a queen or full-sized bed, high-end linens, nightstand, dresser and reading lamp

Most Starcity renters, who pay $1,400 to $2,400 for their rooms, then share a bathroom with two or three other renters

The Starcity developments are Dishotsky's brainchild. The son of two teachers and left-wing political activists from Palo Alto, California, Dishotsky began working at a commercial real estate firm after graduating from college.

In 2015, after 10 years on the job and watching his friends move away from San Francisco, he quit the commercial real estate business so he could work on building affordable housing for those who weren't cashing in on the tech boom.

When Dishotsky initially attempted to get a bank loan to build the Starcity dorms, he said that 40 lenders refused to give him the cash.

'They were like, "Who would live this way?' he told the NY Times. 'Were like, "Its everybody, its normal people you know.'

The renters share kitchens  receiving dedicated fridge space  and common room areas, which are cleaned twice weekly

Starcity rent includes utilities, wi-fi and access to communal spaces with furniture, appliances, HDTVs and connected devices

Aside from Starcity's housing amenities, renters can opt-in to bi-weekly communal dinners, road trips and even in-house yoga

Since then, Starcity has raised $18.9 million in venture capital.

Detractors of this dormitory-style housing fear that it is helping to increase gentrification of neighborhoods and contributing to homelessness by pushing out working class families who can't afford this kind of 'affordable' housing.

'We do not displace anyone, we have not and we don't ever intend on doing that,' Dishotsky told KRON 4.

'Our goal is to house people as low as the 55 per cent area median income, which gets down to the $30 to $40,000 a year salary.'Australia is heading towards it's coldest winter on record predicts David Taylor, who runs the Brisbane Weather and East Coast Weather Facebook pages.

If the prediction comes to fruition Australians could be facing winter temperatures chillier than those ever recorded.

Daily Mail Australia has compiled a map to show the lowest July temperatures ever recorded using the Government's Bureau of Meteorology climate data search function.

It shows Canberra could be headed for a freezing -8C.

A map showing the lowest July temperatures ever recorded for major cities, according to the Bureau of Meteorology

Australia is set for the coldest winter on record, an amateur weather forecaster has claimed. Pictured: Mount Buller, Victoria

David Taylor, who runs the Brisbane Weather and East Coast Weather Facebook pages, said that the icy conditions would impact huge areas of the country. Pictured: Falls Creek ski field

The forecast comes on the heels of a record-shattering winter in the northern hemisphere with temperatures along the east coast and mid-west United States reaching far below freezing.

In January this year the US was battered by a phenomenon described as a 'bomb cyclone' that brought heavy snowfall as far south as Florida as well as hurricane-force winds.

The United Kingdom also experienced an intense winter with heavy snowfall and temperatures regularly reaching -15C in a massive cold wave dubbed the 'Beast from the East.'

Mr Taylor said that weather systems were susceptible to 'butterfly effect' like scenarios where small changes can have far reaching results. Pictured: Falls Creek ski resort

Mr Taylor, who has correctly predicted major weather events in the past, said that the icy conditions would impact huge areas of Australia.

'It will be slightly cooler than normal in the north but the real cold will be in the southern states and southeast Queensland,' he told The Cairns Post.

'I wouldn't be surprised if there is snow in places where it hasn't snowed for a long time.'

Mr Taylor has explained that his forecast formula uses changes in sunspot activity, along with Global Forecast System modelling, and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast.

Mr Taylor said tracking sunspot activity has enabled him to successfully predict weather events in the past.

He was lauded for correctly predicting that 600mm of rain would fall in Townsville on February 28.

Mr Taylor was lauded for correctly predicting that 600mm of rain would fall in Townsville on February 28. Pictured: Falls Creek, Victoria

Mr Taylor also predicted a 'decent cyclone' would cross the Queensland coast between Cairns and Gladstone this week. Pictured: Stanthorpe under the snow

Mr Taylor said tracking sunspot activity has enabled him to successfully predict weather events in the past. Pictured: Stanthorpe under the snow

He said weather systems were susceptible to the 'butterfly effect' in which seemingly small changes can have vast and far reaching outcomes.

Mr Taylor made a prediction that a cyclone could form and cross the coast of north Queensland later this week.

The Bureau of Meteorology said Monday afternoon that the chance of a cyclone forming north of Queensland will increase from very low to low on Thursday as a monsoon trough is becoming more active in the Gulf of Carpentaria and a tropical low may lie within the trough.

Pictured: Drivers endure heavy rain and strong winds on Queensland's Sunshine Coast

A boy look over a snow-like blanket that covers a property in Stanthorpe, QueenslandA private school will shutdown for three days after it was plagued by a gastro virus outbreak in Queensland.

More than 400 students and teachers have been struck down by the vomiting virus over the past five weeks of the school term.

The South Port school on the Gold Coast will close its gates on Friday, March 23, three days ahead of holiday break in an attempt to cleanse the school with 'a thorough and complete anti-viral clean'

The Gold Coast private school (pictured) has been shut down for three days after it had been struck by Norovirus

The handling of the outbreak at the prestigious school has been handed over to the Gold Coast Public Health Unit to rid the school of the highly-contagious virus.

'The ongoing nature of the outbreak has been compounded by two different strains of Norovirus circulating and the presence of other illnesses including influenza, RSV and pertussis in the children,' Professor Paul Van Buynder from the Gold Coast Public Health Unit said.

Students were warned to stay home for up to 48 hours if they were thought to have the bug.

'Despite extra cleaning and excellent support from the boys in terms of hygiene, the airborne nature of the virus is making it extremely hard to contain,' Deputy Headmaster, Andrew Hawkins wrote on the school's website.

The Gold Coast boy's school will play host to international athletes for the Commonwealth Games in April.

The school grounds will be used for both training and housing the competitors from April 4 - 15.

The South Port school will be completely sanitized a head of the athletes arrival.

More than 400 students and teachers were hit by the gastro virus in the past five weeksA fire engulfed a Perth apartment block causing nearly $1 million damage on Monday night.

A birthday sparkler is believed to have started the blaze on the eighth floor of the unit block at 11.30pm in Mosman Park, west of Perth.

Fifty people were evacuated from the building and 60 firefighters fought the blaze.

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A fire engulfed a Perth apartment block (pictured) causing nearly $1 million damage

A birthday sparkler is believed to have started the blaze on the eighth floor of the Perth apartment (pictured)

A fire-fighter was reportedly injured but no residents inside the building got hurt.

Fire and Emergency Services modified the estimated damage bill to $750,000 after earlier reports $1 million damage was caused.

A fireman on duty Monday night told Seven News there was 'significant damage' not only to the apartment, but to other units below and next to the blaze.

A fire-fighter was reportedly injured but no residents inside the building got hurt

'The entire building has had to have the power shut down due to the damage and all the people have been relocated for the night,' he told the network.

A spokesperson said the fire was 'an accident' and at this stage there are no suspicious circumstances, however, fire investigators on site determining the cause.

Fire, smoke and water caused 'extreme damage' to the apartment, a police spokesperson said.

Residents returned to the building on Tuesday morning to collect their belongings.Donald Trumps threatened tariffs on imported steel and aluminium could lead to a deep recession, the World Trade Organisation warned yesterday.

WTO director general Roberto Azevedo said: An eye for an eye will leave us all blind, and the world in deep recession.

He said members of his organisation must make every effort to avoid the fall of the first dominoes. Mr Trump rocked global markets and drew threats of retaliation, even from allies such as Canada and the EU, after he said he wanted to impose a 25 per cent tariff on steel imports and a 10 per cent tax on aluminium.

On Thursday, President Trump announced tariffs on steel and aluminum, a decision that put Wall Street in a tailspin

World Trade Organisation director general Roberto Azevedo said: An eye for an eye will leave us all blind, and the world in deep recession

Mr Azevedos warning was echoed by French president Emanuel Macron, who said yesterday the planned tariffs amounted to economic nationalism and that all sides would lose.

He called on the EU to react swiftly and proportionately within the WTO.

The WTO requires that members treat all other members equally when it comes to trade, but the White House says the tariffs would apply to all countries with no exemptions.

World Trade Organisation director general Roberto Azevedo said: An eye for an eye will leave us all blind, and the world in deep recession

China has expressed 'grave concern' about a U.S. trade policy report that pledges to pressure Beijing but had no immediate response to President Donald Trump's plan to hike tariffs on steel and aluminum

Theresa Mays spokesman yesterday said Britain remained confident it can reach a post-Brexit trade deal with the US.

Mr Trump hopes the tariffs will protect domestic steel and aluminium industries, while also reducing Americas $800 billion (578 billion) annual trade deficit.

His trade adviser Peter Navarro shot down rumours that Mr Trump would exempt American allies, saying: There will be no country exclusions.Masked thugs invaded a talk organised by a university free speech society last night before setting off smoke bombs and attacking security guards.

The self-proclaimed 'antifascist' protesters forced their way into the King's College London lecture hall and grabbed the speakers' microphones before smashing windows and leaving notes threatening the moderator.

Several security guards were punched and had to go to hospital, according to the organisers, who were forced to evacuate the building and call the police.

Shocking footage showed fights breaking out between the protesters and members of the audience with several punches being thrown at the event at King's College London last night

Footage showed fights breaking out between the protesters and members of the audience with several punches being thrown.

An onlooker, who was waiting outside the hall when the gang vaulted the barriers, described the moment the mob launched an unprovoked attack on security guards.

'Ten to 15 people dressed all in black, with black hoods and black face masks, leapt over the barriers and instantly engaged in a fight with two or three security guards,' he said.

'They tried to stop them but they just started punching them in the face. One guard, a grey-haired gentleman who looked to be in around 60, received several punches.'

A protester raises his arm as he is restrained by a security guard

Last night's event was organised by the KCL Libertarian Society and featured Ayn Rand Institute director Dr Yaron Brook alongside controversial YouTube personality Sargon of Akkad, real name Carl Benjamin.

Mr Benjamin identifies as a 'classic liberal' but has been branded by critics as a member of the 'alt-right'.

War studies student Eberle Miller, 21, who watched the chaos unfold, told MailOnline: 'The protesters hospitalised several university security guards, smashed the window of a grade-one listen building and threw smoke bombs.

'It only proves they are incapable of persuading anyone to their side through reasoned discourse.'

KCL students' union ordered the Libertarian Society to reschedule last night's talk from March 4 because they claimed security could not be guaranteed on a weekend.

And on the night itself KCLSU officials prevented non-student members of the public who had previously booked tickets from entering for security reasons.

The Libertarian Society, which campaigns against the students' union's safe space policy as a threat to free speech, criticised the hard-Left protesters and student officials for the violence.

A damage door outside the lecture hall where masked thugs forced their way into a free speech event last night

'After refusing entry to ticketed members of the public for 'safety' reasons, the King's College London & KCLSU administration failed to prevent violent and masked activists storming the stage and the university at tonight's event,' it said in a statement.

'Windows were smashed and gas bombs lit outside campus. A number of KCL security guards were on their way to hospital after being assaulted.

'The event was cancelled and evacuated after threats to the moderator. This was an act of violence, clearly intended to silence Yaron and Sargon's planned debate, via a series of jackbooted totalitarian tactics that unfortunately proved successful tonight.'

A number of threatening notes were left by protesters, who waved an 'Antifa' [anti-Fascist] flag.

One read: 'The guy moderating the talk is on my course and he'll have a difficult time once the strike is over.'

The Metropolitan Police confirmed they had attended the event but said its officers had not heard of any injuries. Pictured: A protester holding an 'anti-Fascist' banner

The Metropolitan Police confirmed they had attended the event but said its officers had not heard of any injuries.

'Police were called at 6.50pm on Monday, 5 March to reports of a disruption at King's College, Westminster,' a spokesman said.

'A group of people are believed to have forced their way into a building and set off fire alarms and a smoke bomb.

'The group were had dispersed by the time police arrived. There have been no reported injuries. No arrests. Enquiries continue.'

Event chair Danny Al-Khafaji said: 'This was an explicit attempt by those opposed to the free exchange of ideas and rational debate, to undermine the principle of freedom of speech.

'We will not be deterred from fighting against the authoritarian nature of safe spaces and no-platform policies. We believe freedom will prevail.'

Momin Saqib, President of KCLSU said: 'I am appalled by the acts that were perpetrated in King's College London yesterday evening.

'I strongly respect and encourage the right to freedom of speech, the right to challenge each other and the right to peaceful protest.

'It is unfortunate that the event was marred by violence by people who took an extreme and an unacceptable approach.'

KCLSU was widely criticised last year after MailOnline revealed it pays 'safe space marshals' 12-per-hour to police talks deemed 'risky' by its officials.

They monitor any speaker thought likely to perpetrate a 'safe space breach', which included Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg - who was watched by a total of three marshals at a talk.

The officials are also required to put up posters saying, 'This is a Safe Space' and record any instances of offensive behaviour reported to them by members of the audience.A Baltimore woman who admitted to using heroin during her pregnancy has been given 30 years in prison after her son died at just nine days old.

Matthew Kirsch, Jr, died at Sinai Hospital in Maryland on October 20, 2015, just nine days after Anne Kirsch gave birth to him at a car mechanic's garage.

An autopsy revealed the child had suffered blunt force trauma to his head, and had hardly been fed during his time alive, when he was pronounced dead at approximately 10.30 am Eastern on that Tuesday.

He also likely suffered severe withdrawal symptoms and physical pain, as a result of his likely heroin addiction, authorities said.

Kirschs husband, Matthew Kirsich Sr, was also sentenced to 15 years of jail time for his role in baby Matthew's death.

Baltimore's Anne Kirsch (left), who admitted to using heroin during her pregnancy, has been sentenced to serve 30 years in prison for the homicide of her newborn son, who was likely born addicted to the narcotic in 2015; Her husband, Matthew Kirsch, Sr (right), was also sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in baby Matthew's death at just 9 days old

The child's mother admitted to using heroin during the early stages of her pregnancy, and also the night before her newborn child died, authorities said.

'As a mother, it is hard to understand how the maternal instinct to nurture and protect did not kick-in for this mother, and my heart breaks that this child suffered through nine days of heroin withdrawals, blunt force trauma, and starvation,' Baltimore City States Attorney Marilyn J Mosby said.

The child's death was ruled a homicide caused by both abuse and neglect by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the Maryland Department of Health.

The blunt force trauma the child suffered was consistent with having his head slammed against a flat surface, an autopsy showed. The blow caused a traumatic brain injury.

Medical examiners also found that baby Matthew's stomach was empty, except for gastric fluid, and no indication could be found of any form of nutrition in his digestive track.

'The child never received medical attention, and the medical examiner determined that the victim had only been fed sporadically during the short time he was alive,' the statement from Mosby's office said.

His mother's full sentenced imposed was for 75 years, with 45 years suspended.

She was convicted of manslaughter and child abuse resulting in death in a 2017 bench trial.

Kirschs husband pled guilty to child abuse resulting in death, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with 10 years suspended.

As a result, he'll now serve up to 15 years behind bars for his failure to take the child in for medical care after he was born.

'Both parents had an obligation to ensure the safety and well-being of the life they chose to bring into this world,' Mosby said.

'Now they will suffer the consequences of those deplorable choices.'

The Baltimore Police Homicide Division investigated the childs death and Special Victims Unit Chief Anne Colt Leitess prosecuted the case.

Matthew Kirsch, Jr, was boring on October 11, 2015, in the repair bay of an auto repair shop where his mother worked.A senior cabinet minister who was hit in the face by a flying dildo, sued by Eminem and ridiculed for an $11.7billion mistake has quit.

Steven Joyce announced on Tuesday he was stepping down as an MP in New Zealand.

Mr Joyce had served as Finance Minister and led the National Party's election campaign five times - but he is best known internationally as being on the receiving end of a flying dildo hurled by a protester.

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Steven Joyce announced on Tuesday he was stepping down as an MP in New Zealand

Mr Joyce had served as Finance Minister and led the National Party's election campaign five times - but he is best known internationally as being on the receiving end of a flying dildo hurled by a protester

Mr Joyce's resignation comes after he made a failed attempt at the leadership of the party, which was won by Simon Bridges.

'I have had a wonderful time in this place,' Mr Joyce said.

'With the recent change of National Party leadership I have had the opportunity to consider again what I would like to do over the next several years.'

Mr Joyce said he was offered a place on the Opposition frontbench with a 'choice of portfolio' by Mr Bridges, but decided it was 'time for [Mr Bridges] to get a new team around him to take National forward'.

Mr Joyce, then the Economic Development Minister, copped a sex toy on the chin after it was thrown at him by Christchurch nurse Josie Butler at Waitangi on February 5, 2016.

Ms Butler was protesting New Zealand's involvement in the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, which was due to be signed in Wellington.

Mr Joyce, then the Economic Development Minister, copped a sex toy on the chin after it was thrown at him by Christchurch nurse Josie Butler at Waitangi on February 5, 2016

Ms Butler was protesting New Zealand's involvement in the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, which was due to be signed in the coming days

She said the dildo toss was for a 'really good cause, and a good way of getting the community involved'.

Mr Joyce has been a frequent target for ridicule from Last Week Tonight host John Oliver.

Rapper Eminem had sued the National Party claiming they stole his song 'Lose Yourself' for a television advertisement during the 2014 election.

Asked how confident he was about the use of the song, campaign leader Mr Joyce said he felt it was 'pretty legal, I think these guys are just having a crack'.

Rapper Eminem had sued the National Party claiming they stole his song 'Lose Yourself' for a television advertisement during the 2014 election

The response drew bewilderment from Oliver, who said 'pretty legal' was 'not a concept that exists'.

'That is like being sort of dead. I want to see that man [Mr Joyce] as a defence lawyer.'

After Mr Joyce was hit in the face with the dildo, Oliver dedicated a whole segment on his show to the incident.

The clip climaxed with Lord of the Rings director Sir Peter Jackson flying a redesigned New Zealand flag featuring Mr Joyce being hit in the face by a dildo.

Ahead of the 2017 election Mr Joyce claimed the Labour party had a '$11.7billion hole' in their budget.

The claim was widely debunked, and Labour went on to form a government after the election.Convicted murderer David Sweat said he escaped Clinton Correctional Facility in 2015 in a bid to start a new life, but admits he was ignorant as he now lives in solitary confinement.

Sweat and fellow inmate, Richard Matt, sparked a three-week manhunt that captivated the country when they performed a Shawshank Redemption-style escape from the prison in Dannemora, New York back on June 6, 2015.

After three weeks on the run, Matt was eventually shot dead by authorities while Sweat was shot and captured a few days later near the Canadian border.

In the new book, Wild Escape, written by Chelsia Rose Marcius, Sweat sat down in his new home, Five Points Correctional Facility, to explain the pair's purpose for the prison break and share details about how he copes with his destiny of being detained.

'Who wants to spend their life in here? I didn't do it to be famous... I did it to get out of this madness. I wanted to start a new life,' Sweat said in the book seen by DailyMail.com.

David Sweat, the only living prisoner who took part in the 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility escape, has now shed light on their escape in a new book 'Wild Escape : The Prison Break from Dannemora and the Manhunt that Captured America'

Sweat, who was captured a few days after his escape in 2015, is now in prison again at Five Points Correctional Facility in Romulus, New York

Above shows an inside view of Five Points Correctional Facility where Sweat spoke about his life and the escape in the new book

Sweat and Richard Matt performed a Shawshank Redemption-style escape from the the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York back on June 6, 2015

The inmate added that while the plan was out of ignorance, he and Matt 'had a cause' and a 'purpose'.

He went on: 'This was about freedom... of course it was about the administration. But I was tired of living in prison. I gave them twelve years of my life. That was enough.'

Sweat said he now stays sane in his new cell with help of the beauty of nature and chirping birds outside his window at Five Points Correctional Facility in Romulus, New York.

The grounds are shared with Finger Lakes, a picturesque region that includes wineries, state parks, lodging and lake activities, its website reads.

Sweat especially spoke fondly of the birds.

'The other day, I heard the loudest sound, and after my heart came back into my chest, I realized it came from this little robin on the window. I couldn't believe how close he got.'

He added that he avoids dwelling too much on the negative day-to-day and focuses his energy on the good parts.

'I try not to think about it. It's better to think about now than to think about the future, like what I will eat for dinner. I can't wait until the doctor says I can work out. That will take up about two to three hours of the day.'

Details about the deviant 2015 prison escape were revealed earlier in the book.

The two inmates who spent three weeks on the run after breaking free had smoked a celebratory cigar in their cells after finalizing their elaborate escape route.

The convicted murderers spent weeks cutting through their prison cell walls (above) before leading authorities on a three week manhunt that captivated the country

Sweat spent about 85 nights climbing down into catwalks into the tunnels under the prison to explore possible escape routes.

He firstly had to cut through a steel wall in their cells using chisels, blades and power tools smuggled in by civilian employee Joyce Mitchell who ran the tailor shop where they worked.

Sweat also spent hours cutting through large steam pipes and the chain on the manhole cover that they eventually managed to escape through.

In an excerpt from the book initially published by the New York Daily News, Sweat detailed the lengthy process he went through to cut through the final metal steam pipe with a hacksaw blade - one inch an hour over several weeks.

He said he started the process in the May before his escape when the spring weather meant the prison had cooled its heating system, meaning Sweat could touch the pipe without scalding himself.

After successfully cutting the man-sized hole in the pipe, Sweat described walking in a passageway that ran along a two-block residential street Dannemora so he could inspect the various manholes above him.

After three weeks on the run, Matt was eventually shot dead by authorities and Sweat (pictured above on June 28) was shot and captured a few days later near the Canadian border

The men left a note (pictured above) for authorities to later find on one of the metal pipes they had cut through that said 'have a nice day' alongside a smiley face

The two men escaped under the prison and fled from this manhole on a residential street in Dannemora

The three-week manhunt that followed their escape enlisted the help of 1,300 law enforcement personnel

Sweat managed to saw off a chain with the blade and peaked out to check he was outside the prison walls.

'This will be perfect,' he said to himself.

Sweat said he then ran back to his cell, lit the cigar and woke Matt to celebrate.

Six months earlier when they started hatching their plan, they had promised they would smoke the cigar when the route was finally ready.

They escaped the prison that night.

The men left a note on one of the metal pipes they had cut through that said 'have a nice day' for authorities to later find.

They were discovered missing the following morning during an early inmate count. Sweat had made a makeshift dummy to look like he was still sleeping in his cell.

Sweat was serving a life sentence for killing a sheriff's deputy in 2002, while Matt was Matt was in prison for 25 years to life for kidnapping, killing and dismembering a man in 1997.

Pictured above are the chisels, punch, hacksaw blade pieces and unused drill bits were found left by Sweat inside the tunnel

They were discovered missing the following morning during an early inmate count. Sweat had made a makeshift dummy to look like he was still sleeping in his cell

The two men had enlisted the help of Mitchell, a married prison seamstress, to carry out their plan.

It later emerged that they had manipulated her into believing they would all settle together in a place on the beach in Mexico when they got out.

The pair both had sexual relations with the mother-of-one while in prison.

The three-week manhunt that followed their escape enlisted the help of 1,300 law enforcement personnel.

Matt was eventually shot dead by officers on June 26 in a wooded area 30 miles west of the prison. Sweat was shot and captured two days later near the Canadian border.

Sweat pleaded guilty to escape charges and was ordered to pay restitution for some of the $573,000 in repair costs.

Mitchell, the tailor shop employee, pleaded guilty to charges related to providing hacksaw blades and other tools to the inmates.

Wild Escape: The Prison Break from Dannemora and the Manhunt that Captured America, is available to purchase on Amazon.

David Sweat arrives for his arraignment at Clinton County court, in Plattsburgh, New York August 20, 2015Saudi Arabia's crown prince has vowed to help Britain thwart terror attacks in the future by sharing intelligence on jihadis.

Ahead of his visit to Britain this week, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman said he believes close co-operation between Riyadh and the UK's intelligence agencies would prevent attacks.

In an interview with the Telegraph, the heir to the Saudi throne, said: 'We want to fight terrorism and we want to fight extremism because we need to build stability in the Middle East.

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Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (pictured) has vowed to help Britain thwart terror attacks in the future by sharing intelligence on jihadis

'The British and Saudi people, along with the rest of the world, will be much safer if you have a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia.'

The Crown Prince, who effectively rules the Kingdom, said extremists and terrorists are linked through 'spreading their agenda.'

'We need to work together to promote moderate Islam,' he added.

The 32-year-old is set to meet with MI5 and MI6 when he arrives in Britain for a three-day visit on Wednesday before flying to the United States.

Prince Mohammad said he believes close co-operation between Riyadh and the UK's intelligence agencies would prevent attacks.

He was also been invited to attend a meeting of the National Security Council.

Prince Mohammad will also meet with Prime Minister Theresa May and other senior ministers, as well as members of the Royal Family.

He is currently in Egypt on his first public trip abroad since he became heir apparent last year.

It comes after a tumultuous year in which he consolidated power by sidelining rivals, vowed to modernise the country and stepped up its rivalry with Iran.A prison guard got a nasty surprise after trying to drink an energy drink she found in the jail staff-room only to find it was full of meth.

An investigation has been launched to pinpoint how the can stuffed with meth came to be in a staff-access-only fridge where prisoners are processed into a Brisbane jail.

The can was discovered at Brisbane Correctional Centre's prisoner reception store on February 23, the Brisbane Times reported.

A prison guard opened an energy drink from a staff fridge and found meth inside (stock picture)

The prohibited area processes prisoners in and out of the Wacol facility, in the citys west.

Queensland Correctives Services told Fairfax an employee found the can in the fridge and tried to drink it after it was not claimed by any of the other staff members.

A source said after struggling with the ring pull, she was eventually able to open the can with the help of her supervisor, when they found a container full of the drug ice inside.

The can was found at Brisbane Correctional Centre's prisoner reception store (stock picture)

A spokeswoman for the organisation refused to detail specifics or shed any light into how the can got into the staff-only fridge.

'It is not unusual for illicit substances and other illegal items to be confiscated from prisoners in this area before they enter the prison population, and there are procedures to securely dispose of them,' she said.

The QCS had a 'zero tolerance' approach to drugs coming into prisons and the Ethical standards Unit would conduct a full investigation, she said.Just half-an-hour the In-N-Out pop-up store in Melbourne opened people claim the store has run out, according to news.com.au.

People who weren't in line before 11.15am were reportedly told: 'Sorry, were out, but heres a sticker.'

Only two or three people were allowed to enter the store at a time.

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People took to social media to share their frustration at having missed out on a burger

People who weren't in line before 11.15am were reportedly told: 'Sorry, were out, but heres a sticker'

The pop-up shop was intended to be open from 11am until 3pm - or until the fast food restaurant runs out of stock.

The fast food restaurant's one day only pop-up store was located at bar Lover, on Chapel Street, in Windsor, Melbourne.

Previous In-N-Out Burger pop-ups in Australia have had to close before expected due to heavy crowds and selling out stock.

Images from outside of Lover on social media show this time was no different, with huge crowds snaked around the block for a chance to sample the best of the American burgers.

US burger chain In-N-Out has opened a pop-up in Melbourne for today and today only

Crowds have snaked around the block for a chance to try the American burger

The pop-up store has taken over Melbourne bar Lover for the day

Many were commiserating long before that they couldn't get to the pop-up due to other commitments like work.

One man commented on Facebook: 'Love a double-double! Theyve done a couple of these pop up stores in Australia before, Sydney definitely, not sure about Melbourne, had long queues, and sold out each time.

'Id love to go, but cant, so its a miss sadly.'

Some are celebrating and can't wait to sink their teeth into the burgers on offer

Many are already commiserating that they can't get to the pop-up due to work

On offer were the Double-Double burgers, Animal Style burger and bun-free Protein Style burgers, which is a burger wrapped in lettuce instead of bread.

The Double-Double burger on its own costs $5 - but adding a drink and crisps costs extra, bringing the combo meal cost to $7.

The eatery opened for a limited time in Sydney last year and in Melbourne in 2014 and pictures showed huge crowds.A North Carolina man captured video of a trio of black bears working together to attack a bird feeder by the side of a mountain road.

The short video filmed in North Carolina, begins with a black bear standing on its hind legs, using its front paws to carefully slide a red and white bird feeder down a spindly tree branch.

The bear's attempt to remove the bird feeder from the branch fails, but two other black bears  sensing the possibility of good eats  quickly come to its aid, helping to weigh down the branch.

A North Carolina man captured video of black bears attacking a roadside bird feeder. The bears can be seen working together to pull the bird feeder off a tree branch

In a clever display of partnership, one bear pulls the bird feeder while the other bear pushes it down the branch. Eventually, they appear to successfully

A wildlife expert identified the three bears who attacked the bird feeder as being cubs. The bear that ambled across the road was deemed to be their mother

In an impressive show of partnership, one bear pulls at the bird feeder while the other pushes it down the branch.

Then, they work together to take the feeder off the springy branch.

State wildlife and black bear expert Colleen Olfenbuttel told The Charlotte Observer that bears tangling with bird feeders is a common sight during the late winter in North Carolina.

Olfenbuttel identified the three bears that wrestled with the bird feeder as being cubs, each about one year old. The fourth bear  seen ambling across the road, as if keeping an eye out for danger  was their mother.

North Carolina's Wildlife Resources Commission has long warned people building homes in what was once prime bear territory, that bird feeders are turning into popular bear snack bars.

State officials have told people with homes in residential areas where bears have been spotted to remove bird feeders at night or suspend them at least 10 feet above ground to minimize human/bear encounters.

There has been an increase in reports of bear sightings in Charlotte, North Carolina, in recent years. Among the reports have been instances where bears have been hit by cars after being spotted roaming around residential neighborhoods.Children living in fear of violence in an alcohol-ravaged town are so desperate to avoid going home they are committing crimes to get arrested.

The revelations come from a document signed by Cindy Bravos, Director General of Licensing for the tiny Northern Territory town of Tennant Creek.

The document was used to support Ms Bravos' move to implement emergency seven-day alcohol restrictions, which are due to expire on Wednesday.

The revelations come from a document signed by Cindy Bravos (pictured), Director General of Licensing for the tiny Northern Territory town of Tennant Creek

Children living in fear of violence in an alcohol-ravaged town are so desperate to avoid going home they are committing crimes to get arrested (pictured is Tennant Creek)

Ms Bravos claimed she was told by police they 'regularly see children on the streets late at night,' the NT News reported.

Police were told the children 'do not want to go home due to the drinking and violence' waiting for them there.

Tennant Creek has been rocked by a spate of violence incidents, including the alleged rape of a two-year-old girl on February 15.

A 24-year-old Northern Territory man was arrested and charged over the incident, and was refused bail.

The document was used to support Ms Bravos' move to implement emergency seven-day alcohol restrictions, which are due to expire on Wednesday (pictured is Tennant Creek)

Tennant Creek has been rocked by a spate of violence incidents, including the alleged rape of a two-year-old girl (pictured) on February 15

According to the document, police described incidents 'involving men, women and children having received significant injuries inflicted by weapons such as metal poles, knives and rum bottles'.

Authorities are considering extending the temporary restrictions, which affect takeaway alcohol sales.

In the 21-day period to February 21 aggravated assaults involving alcohol rose 250 per cent, according to police data.

Breached of domestic violence orders in which alcohol was a factor went up 200 per cent compared to a year earlier, and there was a 38 per cent rise in police call outs.

In the 21-day period to February 21 aggravated assaults involving alcohol rose 250 per cent, according to police data (pictured is Tennant Creek)

Tennant Creek licencees claimed takeaway sales have fallen by 20 per cent over recent months, but alcohol sales data shows increases between 2015 and 2016.

The town of 3000 has only one supermarket, but 10 main alcohol retailers, including three clubs, two pubs, three bottle shops and two licensed motels.

Alcohol sales for 2013 were equivalent to 70,000 cans of full-strength beer a week - 23 cans for every resident, according to the Tennant Creek Alcohol Reference Group.

Tennant Creek is the fifth largest town in the Northern Territory with a population of 2991 at the 2016 Census. Slightly more than half its residents  1536 - are indigenous.

The town is on the Stuart Highway, about 1,000 kilometres south of Darwin and 500 kilometres north of Alice Springs.Two attorneys who represented Suge Knight have been indicted on charges that they tampered with witnesses during the music producer's murder trial.

Thaddeus Culpepper and Matthew Fletcher were charged on Monday with conspiracy and trying to pay people off to help Knight's defense for his murder trial, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Marion 'Suge' Knight, co-founder of hip-hop label Death Row Records, is awaiting trial on charges of running down two men with his truck in Compton near Los Angeles, California.

His attorneys allegedly told him it would take $20,000 to $25,000 of bribe money to help secure his freedom, prosecutors say.

Thaddeus Culpepper (left) is one of Marion 'Suge' Knight's (right) attorneys during his murder trial. Culpepper allegedly agreed to pay a man to falsely testify

Matthew Fletcher allegedly suggested to Knight that he should pay off one victim who survived when the music producer tried to run him over

Fletcher allegedly told Knight it might cost up to $25,000 and suggested paying off one of the surviving witnesses.

Additionally, Culpepper is being accused of agreeing to pay a man for a testimony 'that he was present at the time of the crime and (witnessed) evidence favorable to the defense'.

Suge Knight, 52, is accused of running over two men in his Ford F-150 truck. Knight said he was acting in self defense

This man was apparently an informant for the Sheriff's Department, which Culpepper did not know.

The two attorneys were charged on Monday. Prosecutors attempted to hold the men on bail but the judge released them.

Neither have entered a plea, but they have previously denied doing anything wrong during interviews.

If convicted, the two attorneys could face a maximum of three years in jail for tamporing with witnesses.

Knight has been in jail since January 2015 after he allegedly mowed over two people with his Ford F-150 truck.

The incident occurred in Compton at Tam's Burgers, which is a famous fast food stand in the Los Angeles area.

Terry Carter, 55, died of his injuries while Cle Sloan, 52, survived.

The 52-year-old has been in jail since January 2015 while he awaits trial. His murder trial should start next month

Knight's two attorneys could face up to three years of prison if they are found guilty of witness tampering

Knight pleaded not guilty to the charges and claims he was acting in self defense.

His attorneys have argued that either someone at the burger stand or one of the two witnesses had a gun, but no weapon was ever recovered.

His murder trial will start next month after more than two years of legal problems.

The 52-year-old music producer has cycled through at least five attorneys while preparing for the case.A wild and vicious brawl involving more than a dozen people has broken out in between two bars.

The massive fight broke out on Sunday night in Scarborough, Perth.

The melee began as a one-on-one fight but quickly spiralled out of control.

A wild and vicious brawl involving more than a dozen people has broken out inside a rowdy pub

The massive fight broke out on Sunday night at The Lookout pub in Scarborough, Perth

It only took a few seconds for the fight to explode from a small incident into an all-in rumble.

A spokesman for the Lookout bar said the fight happened 'in the corridor between El Grotto Bar and the Lookout'.

Security guards can be seen stepping in and attempting to stop the fight.

Their efforts are to no avail however as people continue to throw punches.

A man in a maroon top can be seen throwing punches at people and stomping them.

He also pushes another person to the ground.

A woman can been seen trying to get in between the man in the maroon top and the intended targets of his strikes.

The melee began as a one-on-one fight but quickly spiralled out of control

It is not known what caused the massive fight.

Western Australia Police said they are investigating the incident, but have yet to lay any charges.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted The Lookout for comment.A 57-year-old woman has been sentenced to life in prison after she was convicted of murdering her own mother and burying her body in the backyard of their home.

Perth woman Helen Levina, 57, was found guilty for the murder of her mother Ella Hromaya, 76, after facing the Supreme Court of Western Australia ABC News is reporting.

She will have to serve a minimum of 20 years in jail.

It was the daughter's dogs who discovered the body after she returned home one afternoon in March 2016.

Perth women Helen Levina, 57, was found guilty for the murder of her mother Ella Hromaya, 76, after facing the Supreme Court of Western Australia

She made the gruesome discovery when she noticed one of her dogs sifting around in the back of the yard.

When she went to investigate she found the dog licking the skull from the decomposing body of her grandmother.

The two women were living together with Levina's daughter in South Guildford, a suburb of Perth, when the murder took place.

It was the daughter's dogs who discovered the body in the back yard of their Perth home after she returned home one afternoon in March 2016

When police arrived on the scene they discovered the body of Ms Hromaya still partially buried behind the bins in the back yard.

It was also discovered that Levina had used her mother's concession, senior and bank cards.

CCTV footage captured Levina withdrawing $780 form her mother's bank account just days after her murder.A hunt is underway for a farm animal thief who has stolen 23 alpacas from a property near Victor Harbor.

The alpacas  five males and 18 females - are about three months old and a mix of colours.

Police believe they were rounded up into a paddock yard on Kenny Rd at Hindmarsh Valley sometime over the last week before being lifted into a trailer for transport.

The hunt is on for a farm animal thief who has stolen 23 alpacas from a property

An appeal has been made to the public in a bid to locate the furry animals.

Officers hope any new information could lead to identifying the thief and the return of the herd.

Anyone with information about the theft, or who saw anything unusual in the area, is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.In the photo, Tonganui Katipa (pictured) is seen wearing a black t-shirt with what appear to be hickeys covering the length of his neck

Police have released a questionable photo in their hunt to find a teenager who is wanted for a number of serious offences.

New Zealand man Tonganui Katipa, 17, is wanted for a string of offences including reckless driving, burglary, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and failing to stop for police.

Police released the somewhat unfortunate photo of Katipa on Tuesday, in the hope a member of the public would recognise, and help locate him.

In the photo, Katipa is seen wearing a black t-shirt with what appear to be hickeys covering the length of his neck.

Counties Manukau Police believe Katipa is actively avoiding capture and 'hiding out with friends and his girlfriend' near Auckland or Counties Manukau in New Zealand.

Counties Manukau Police took the opportunity to remind Katipa's friends that it was illegal to help someone evade the police and they could be charged.

Katipa was described as being 179cm tall and of solid build.

The police urged anyone with information to phone New Zealand CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or send the Counties Manukau Police Facebook page a private message.Drug dealers have been secretly selling ice and ecstasy through a disguised Facebook group with hundreds of members.

The group called Adelaide Street Pharmacy was created in December by South Australian drug dealers.

The secret online group had more than 300 members - who had to be invited to the group - and shared posts to sell or buy illegal drugs and weapons, according to The Advertiser.

Drug dealers have been secretly selling ice (pictured) and ecstasy through a secret Facebook group with hundreds of members

Adelaide Street Pharmacy was created in December by South Australian drug dealers (pictured) which had more than 300 members who had to be invited to the group

'Quality gear. Small amounts last through the night ... it's got maaaad (sic) legs, tastes great, melts well and gets that proper high, none of this cut crap, try it ... you'll be begging for more,' one post read.

Another post asked who was 'after actual methy crystals (drug ice)'.

'It's like the oldskool (sic) killer but shardy (sic) former, tastes unreal, jump on this for the deliciously smooth, everlasting meth. Inbox me,' the post continued.

One dealer reportedly offered to swap drugs for 'phones n weapons'.

Other members of the group shared posts asking for dealers to sell them drugs including up to 2.7kg of cannabis.

Strong pain killers including Endone were also being sold for $8 per tablet along with other addictive prescription drugs.

Strong pain killers including Endone were also being sold for $8 per tablet along with other addictive prescription drugs

The Adelaide Street Pharmacy group (pictured) was deleted after the publication reported its existence on Tuesday

SA Network of Drug and Alcohol Services CEO Michael White told News Corp it was 'absolutely logical' for drug deals to happen online because it was 'functional' and made those involved feel safe.

'In the old days somebody would have given you a phone number and you would've phoned up (to get drugs),' he said.

The Adelaide Street Pharmacy group was deleted after the publication reported its existence on Tuesday.The world's oldest message in a bottle has washed up on a beach in Australia 132 years after it was thrown overboard.

A 19th century gin bottle carried a message dated June 12, 1886, and it was thrown off the German sailing vessel Paula, 950km from the West Australia coast.

Tonya Illman was walking on the beach when she discovered the bottle - thought to have come from an experiment to better understand global ocean currents - sticking out from the sand.

It is thought it is now the new record holder for the oldest message in a bottle - eclipsing the previous record of 108 years.

The message itself appears to state the ship's voyage started in Cardiff, South Wales, before calling in Amsterdam and Makassar in Indonesia.

A new record for the oldest known message in a bottle has been set at 132 years after a 19th century gin bottle washed up on a West Australian beach

The rolled up message found by Tonia Illman on Wedge Island, some 108km north of Perth

Image enhanced to show inked handwritten details on the message slip showing the date and coordinates at the time the bottle was jettisoned, and name, voyage and home port of the bark Paula

Comparison of handwriting styles between Paulas message slip (left) and Paulas Meteorological Journal (right)

Map showing Paulas 1886-87 outward voyage route from Cardiff to Makassar, and return to Amsterdam . Note date and location of 12 June 1886 where bottle was jettisoned off the Western Australian coast (Deutscher Wetterdienst)

The bottle was found near Wedge Island, 180km north of Perth, as part of a 69-year experiment to better understand global ocean currents to affect more efficient shipping routes.

'It just looked like a lovely old bottle, so I picked it up thinking it might look good in my bookcase,' she told ABC News.

Mrs Illman told the Western Australian Museum: 'The note was damp, rolled tightly and wrapped with string,' she said.

'We took it home and dried it out, and when we opened it we saw it was a printed form, in German, with very faint German handwriting on it.'

The bottle was found near Wedge Island, 180km north of Perth, and researchers believe the bottle and message probably washed up there within a year of being jettisoned but lay buried in a layer of damp sand which helped preserve it, until a storm surge or similar weather event uncovered it more than a century later.

From 1864 until 1933, thousands of bottles were thrown into the sea from German ships logging the date it was dropped, co-ordinates, the name of the ship, its home port and travel route.

5 Page one of the message slip naming the ship Paula, the date, its journey and coordinates (Ross Anderson/ WA Museum)

Detail of bottle base showing glass pontil scar

Square case gin type bottle embossed DANIEL VISSER & ZONEN/ SCHIEDAM

The twine used to bind rolled up message slip which was found inside the bottle on Wedge Island

From 1864 until 1933, thousands of bottles were thrown into the sea from German ships logging the date it was dropped, co-ordinates, the name of the ship, its home port and travel route

On the back, it asked the finder to write when and where the bottle had been found and return it, either to the German Naval Observatory in Hamburg or the nearest German Consulate.

It is thought the bottle was part of a 69-year experiment to better understand global ocean currents to affect more efficient shipping routes.

To date, only 662 of those messages have been returned but none of the bottles, with the last one found in Denmark in 1934.

The Western Australian Museum assistant curator of maritime archaeology Ross Anderson was tasked with investigating the find.

He and colleagues compared the hand writing form the bottled message with captain entries to the log of Paula and determined the find to be authentic.

'Extraordinary finds need extraordinary evidence to support them,' he said.

'The handwriting is identical in terms of cursive style, slant, font, spacing, stroke emphasis, capitalisation and numbering style.'

The previous record holder was a bottle found 108 years after it had been dropped into the ocean.The father of a four-year-old girl faces a child abuse charge in Colorado after getting into a brutal bar fight while he was holding her in his arms.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office released a black and white video showing a bar fight between three men, which took place on January 25 at 10.10pm at Crossroads Pizza & Wings Bar in Pine, Colorado.

One of men is Richard Brown, 39, who was holding his daughter while he fought with the other two men, according to KDVR.

Richard Brown, 39 (center) was holding his four-year-old daughter and arguing with some men when a fight broke out in a Colorado bar on January 25

In the surveillance video, the men punched Brown in the head several times before someone pulled Brown's daughter out of his arms

In the video, Brown can be seen approaching a man while holding his daughter and aggressively talking to the man and pointing his finger at him. Then the punches start flying. Brown takes several punches to the head before someone finally pulls his daughter out of his arms. Then Brown is punched hard enough that he's knocked off his feet.

Once the ground, his two assailants repeatedly, brutally punch Brown in the back and stomach. They then knee and kick him in the face over and over, ripping the t-shirt off his back in the process. A woman stands nearby, ineffectively attempting to hold one of the assailants back.

Following the bar fight, Brown was airlifted to a nearby hospital and treated for serious bodily injuries, officials said. The four-year-old girl did not sustain any injuries during the fight.

Both of Brown's assailants had fled the scene by the time police arrived, 9News reported.

Once free of his child, the two assailants hit Brown multiple times, knocking him to the ground

The two assailants then kicked and punched Brown in the back and face and ripped his t-shirt

Police arrested one of Brown's assailants, Joel Michael Wilson, 31, who now faces multiple assault charges. Authorities are asking the public to help identify Brown's second assailant

One of Brown's assailants, Joel Michael Wilson, 31, was arrested and now faces charges of first degree assault  extreme indifference. He also faces second degree assault  serious bodily injury and child abuse.

Brown was issued a summons for misdemeanor child abuse.

Police are currently asking the public for information on the identity of the second man who attacked Brown.

He has been described as a thin, white male in his mid-20s. He is believed to be 5 feet 8 inches tall.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office tip line at (303) 271-5612 or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-STOP. The reference case number 18-2023.Taxpayer funds are going towards a group which wants to ban the word 'chairman' and argues sexist language is as harmful as sexual harassment.

The Diversity Council of Australia, whose clients include federal government departments and Qantas, has released a Words At Work document explaining 'why language matters'.

The Sydney-based advisory group, headed by former army chief David Morrison, advises workers to avoid using terms like 'chairman', arguing they marginalise women in the workplace.

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The Diversity Council of Australia, chaired by former army chief David Morrison, advises workers to avoid using the terms 'chairman'

Its Words at Work document argues that sexist language is as harmful as sexual harassment

'Frequent non-inclusive experiences at work have just as harmful effects as more intense but less frequent experiences (e.g. sexual coercion and harassment),' it says.

The Diversity Council is the same group which has compiled an information pack for Qantas which tells workers to avoid terms like 'mankind', 'fireman' and 'chairman'.

'Language can make groups of people invisible. For example, the use of the term chairman can reinforce the idea that leaders are always men,' it said.

'Imagine a world in which sexist language was replaced by racist language.

'People of colour would hear "all whites are created equal"  and be expected to feel included.'

The council's chief executive Lisa Annese said gender-neutral language was good for men.

'It's time we dispensed with the idea that gender inclusion initiatives only exist to benefit women at the expense of men,' she said.

The council's chief executive Lisa Annese said gender-neutral language was good for men

The Diversity Council of Australia equated words like 'chairman' with racist terms

However, Steve Purvinas, the federal secretary of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association which represents Qantas maintenance workers, said he was 'bloody disgusted' at the 'directive from management'.

'Wondering if they will be changing the name of the elite Chairman's Lounge,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday.

Mr Purvinas also took aim at Qantas for telling workers to avoid terms like 'mum and dad' and 'husband and wife' in a bid to avoid offending gay staff.

'This was always the concern of those who were not in favour of gay marriage,' he said.

Steve Purvinas, the federal secretary of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association which represents Qantas maintenance workers, wondered if the Chairman's Lounge would go

He also took aim at Qantas's gay chief executive Alan Joyce for the airline's new 'gender appropriate' terms policy.

'The CEO should not allow the airline to be used as a mouth piece for minority views that are seen by most Australians absurdly ridiculous,' he said.

But Sydney transgender activist Norrie backed the airline's new policy and advised workers to avoid the terms 'he' and 'she' if they didn't know someone's gender.

'I guess they could be more inclusive if they used "they" and "them",' the former Commonwealth public servant told Daily Mail Australia.

Federal government departments are among the Diversity Council of Australia's clients and include Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Fair Work Ombudsman and Home Affairs.A teenage boy has pulled in a 1.5m bull shark from a Gold Coast canal much to the disbelief of his father who thought it was just an urban myths that predators roamed the local waters.

After living in Burleigh Waters for eight years, David Hornsby's 13-year-old son Jamie hauled the bull shark in at 10pm on Monday night from the families backyard.

'I've always thought, is it an urban myth to keep people from drowning, because you never see anyone swimming in the canals,' Mr Hornsby told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

David Hornsby's 13-year-old son Jamie (pictured) hauled the bull shark in at 10pm on Monday night

'Where there's water, there's drownings, I thought it could have been a ploy by council to keep people out.'

But now he has spotted a few in the past week alone.

While braving the rain in the dark, the teenager was able land the metre-and-a-half shark and a 71cm trevally using a piece of mullet in Lake Heron.

The teenager landed the shark using a piece of mullet after a number of other sightings (pictured: Heath Simmons with a bull shark he caught at Burleigh Lake)

Once they snapped a picture with their prize catch, it was then released in 'perfect condition' back into the water.

Bond University biologist Dr Daryl McPhee said it was to be expected that each of the Gold Coast canals would be visited by at least one shark during the warmer months and estimated hundreds to be in the waters all together.

'These range from small to quite sizeable animals  a 1.5m shark is a good fish.'

QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT SHARK SAFETY TIPS Swim or surf only at patrolled beaches - between the flags and where shark safety equipment is in place Obey lifesavers' and lifeguards' advice, and heed all sign and safety warnings Leave the water immediately if a shark is sighted Do not swim or surf after dusk, at night, or before dawn when sharks become more active Do not swim or surf in murky or silt-laden waters Do not swim in, or at the mouth of, rivers, estuaries, artificial canals and lakes Never swim alone Never swim when bleeding Do not swim near schools of fish or where fish are being cleaned Do not swim near, or interfere with, shark control equipment Do not swim with animals Source: Queensland Government Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Advertisement



A Massachusetts family's home was saved from being crushed by a fallen tree on Friday thanks to a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Glenn Sharpe of Wareham inadvertently parked his vehicle in the path of the pine that was uprooted in the weekend's dangerous Nor'easter, stopping the tree from crashing into his mother's home.

Sharpe was grateful that his Sport Utility Vehicle took the blow instead, he told CBS News.

'If I had parked it anywhere else I thought I should have parked it, we would have had a different story for you,' Sharpe said.

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Deborah Watson's Massachusetts home was saved from being crushed under a fallen tree on Friday by her son's Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was parked in its path

Sharpe drove his vehicle to his mother's home in East Wareham before the winter weather system hit the East Coast on Friday.

His goal was to help his family get through the storm.

He didn't realize it at the time, but the moment he pulled into the driveway at the home where his mother and sister live, he did just that.

Glenn Sharpe drove his vehicle to his mother's home in East Wareham before a dangerous Nor'easter hit the East Coast on Friday

He inadvertently parked his vehicle in the path of a pine tree that would later uproot, which stopped the tree from crashing into his mother's home

A pine tree bordering the driveway on the opposite side as the house gave way, and came to rest over the hood of Sharpe's vehicle, instead of on the family's home.

'The noise was so loud it sounded like the whole house exploded,' his mother, Deborah Watson said.

At the time that the tree fell, both Watson and Sharpe's sister were in a bedroom at the corner of the house.

Had the Jeep not been parked in that spot, the two of them could have been right in the line of the tree's destructive path.

The tree uprooted during the dangerous Nor'easter that hit Massachusetts on Friday

Sharpe was grateful that his Sport Utility Vehicle took the blow instead

'Family members could have been seriously injured or killed,' Sharpe said.

Watson agreed, but was still able to find humor in the situation.

'If that wasn't there, I wouldn't be here,' she said with a chuckle, referring to her son's Jeep.

Despite the fact that the tree remains perched against Sharpe's SUV, and looms over her house, his mother is not worried.

'We feel good now,' she said. 'We have lights and we got our lives. So we're happy.'

Despite the fact that the tree remains perched against Sharpe's SUV, and looms over her house, his mother is not worried

Eventually, crews will have to come and figure out how to safely remove the uprooted pine.

Sharpe, who still hasn't been in contact with his insurance company, now hopes the damage will be limited to replacing his fender.

But if it's worse than that, it's still better than what the alternative would have been.

'I'm just grateful I parked there,' he said. 'I'm sure I can get another vehicle.'Ortega faces a minimum of 20 years imprisonment if she is convicted and could be jailed for life without parole

Prosecutors say Ortega was jealous of Krim and waited until the mother got home to stab herself so she could see the woman's anguish and devastation

She screamed at the former nanny: 'You're evil!' and yelled: 'Get me out of here!'

Krim erupted at Ortega on Friday after six hours of heart-wrenching testimony

The dead children were found by their mother, Marina Krim, in their apartment

Minihan claimed that Ortega, 55, was staring at him with 'the eyes of the devil'

Ortega then tried to kill herself and Minihan found her with her eyes bulging out

Yoselyn Ortega stabbed Lulu, six, and Leo Krim, two, to death in October 2012

A New York City superintendent recalled in court on Monday the moment he found the horrific scene where a nanny had killed two children.

Testifying in Manhattan Supreme Court, Michael Minihan offered a chilling account when he saw the eyes of nanny Yoselyn Ortega bulging out as she gasped for air and bled from a self-inflicted knife wound in her neck.

Minihan lived directly below the Krim family, whose kids Ortega nannied, and remembered rushing to apartment in October 2012 after hearing mom Marina Krim's blood-curdling cries.

Krim was on the mezzanine 'holding her middle child, Nessie, screaming incoherently,' Minihan said.

Ortega is currently on trial facing charges for the murders of two-year-old Leo Krim and six-year-old Lucia 'Lulu' Krim.

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New York City superintendent Michael Minihan (pictured) recalled in court on Monday the moment he found the horrific scene where nanny Yoselyn Ortega had killed two children in October 2012

Oretega stabbed six-year-old Lulu (left) and two-year-old Leo (right) multiple times in the neck and torso in the bathroom of their apartment. Minihan told the court that he avoided look in the direction of the bathroom where the mutilated bodies of Lulu and Leo were lying

Minihan lived directly below the Krim family, whose kids Ortega (pictured, Friday) nannied. When he entered the apartment, he first saw Ortega, 'staring...the eyes of the devil in my face,' he said. 'Her eyes were bulging'

Marina Krim (right) leaving court clutching her husband Kevin Krim's (left) hand. Marina erupted at Ortega on Friday after six hours of heart-wrenching testimony, She screamed at the former nanny: 'You're evil!' and yelled: 'Get me out of here!'

When Minihan entered the apartment, he said he first saw Ortega, 'staring...the eyes of the devil in my face,' he said. 'Her eyes were bulging.'

Ortega, 55, had stabbed herself in the neck in an attempted suicide after killing the two young children.

Minihan told the court that he avoided look in the direction of the bathroom where the mutilated bodies of Lulu and Leo were lying.

'I could see the tub and I could see a body or something. I tried as best as I could not to take my eyes off Ms Ortega but I could see there was a mess,' he said, fighting back tears. 'I just saw red, I just saw red.'

Prosecutors say Ortega grabbed two kitchen knives and butchered the two children while their mother was blocks away at the dance studio where Lulu was supposed to be.

They added that Ortega waited until Marina Krim found the children dead in the bathroom before plunging a knife into her own neck so that she could relish in the devastated womans pain and horror

She survived. Lulu suffered more than 30 wounds and Leo suffered bout five.

Prosecutors suggested that Ortega was jealous of Krim because she was financially stable and had a good relationship with her children.

Allegedly, Ortega and felt she deserved to work less and be paid more, but they have said there isn't a clear motive for the crime.

Ortega said she was angry that the Krims had asked her to clean the house in addition to looking after the children.

The nanny's attorney, Valerie Van Leer-Greenberg, said Ortega heard voices and saw hallucinations in unchecked disorders.

But New York has a high bar for the insanity defense, and it is rarely successful. To win, Ortega's lawyers will have to prove she didn't understand the consequences of her actions and didn't know right from wrong at the time.

On Friday, in court, Marina Krim stormed out of the courtroom, screaming at Ortega following a harrowing six hours of testifying over two days in

'You're evil and you love this! You like this!' she screamed, wailing: 'Get me out of here. Please, get me out of here. Get me out!' as she was escorted out of the courtroom by court officers for a short break.

The judge told jurors to disregard the outburst.

Ortega's lawyer, Valerie Van Leer-Greenberg (pictured), said Ortega heard voices and saw hallucinations in unchecked disorders. But New York has a high bar for the insanity defense, and it is rarely successful

Ortega (pictured, Friday) faces a minimum of 20 years imprisonment if she is convicted and could be jailed for life without parole

Ortega (pictured with Nessie and Lulu) said she was angry that the Krims had asked her to clean the house in addition to looking after the children

On that day in October 2012, Ortega was supposed to pick up Lulu from kindergarten and walk her to dance class then go home to put Leo down for nap (Pictured, from left to right: Nessie, Lulu and Leo)

Jurors on Friday watched on surveillance footage as mom Krim stood in the lobby of a dance studio discovering her six-year-old daughter, Lulu, was not at class.

Ortega was supposed to pick up Lulu from kindergarten and walk her to dance class then go home to put Leo down for nap. Krim would go to swimming with her other daughter, three-year-old Nessie, then and head home to meet Leo and Ortega.

Krim showed up to the studio shortly before 5pm, and panicked when Lulu wasn't there.

As she bends over her phone in the footage, Nessie plays in a bright pink coat in the lobby before Krim grabs her hand and walks out.

She frantically texted Ortega: 'Where's Lulu ... Donde Estas ... Where are you' but Oretga never answered.

In less than an hour, Krim would find Lulu and Leo, dead in the bathroom of her apartment.

Marina Krim (pictured with Leo) showed up to the dance studio where Lulu was supposed to be shortly before 5pm, and panicked when Lulu wasn't there. In less than an hour, Krim would find Lulu and Leo, dead in the bathroom of her apartment

Krim finished her heart-wrenching testimony after about six hours between Thursday and Friday on the stand in the murder trial

Prosecutors say Ortega (pictured, Thursday) waited until Krim found the children dead in the bathroom before plunging a knife into her own neck so that she could relish in the devastated womans pain and horror

Krim testified that Ortega had just been kicked out of her Bronx apartment at the time of the murders according to the New York Post.

'I would say she was distracted. She was more arrogant...She had that smug look to her, like she has right now. It's disgusting,' she recalled, leading up to her children's brutal murders.

Ortega's defense attorney asked Krim if she ever considered firing Ortega.

'There was nothing to fire her about at that point,' Krim testified. 'I was aware of her strange behaviors but nothing to fire her over.'

Krim finished her heart-wrenching testimony after about six hours between Thursday and Friday on the stand in the murder trial.

The children's father, Kevin Krim(above with Leo and Nessie), was working as a CNBC executive at the time of the murders. He now works at a start up

Prosecutors say Ortega (pictured in 2017) was jealous of Marina Krim because she was financially stable and had a close relationship with her children

The Krims use a Facebook page to post updates on how they are doing, writing about the arrival of two new children, Felix (left) born in 2013 and Linus (right) in 2016.

The couple started the Lulu and Leo Fund, which aims to support innovative art programs for children. Their daughter, Nessie (pictured), was three at the time of the killings. She is now seven or eight

Jurors also saw a booklet of photos Marina Krim made for Ortega after a trip they all took to see Ortega's family in the Dominican Republic.

The three children are beaming. In one photo, Ortega holds them, smiling.

Jurors also heard a doorman place a 911 call, and Krim's anguished screams in the background.

Ortega faces a minimum of 20 years imprisonment if she is convicted and could be jailed for life without parole.

Krim's husband, Kevin, was a CNBC executive at the time of the murders and now works at a startup.

The Krims use a Facebook page to post updates on how they are doing, writing about the arrival of two new children, Felix born in 2013 and Linus in 2016.

The couple started the Lulu and Leo Fund, which aims to support innovative art programs for children.

They recently posted a video message on Facebook asking that people mention the fund as their case becomes news again.A young entrepreneur has sold his home and possessions to take McDonald's to court after it scrapped his only cleaning contracts overnight.

Alex Batarseh says he's been left 'destroyed' after the fast food giant - who was his only client - allegedly pulled the plug on its eight-store contract with his Sydney cleaning company A2Z Property Maintenance in July 2016.

The decision left the 29-year-old's three full-time employees and 18 subcontractors instantly out of jobs, before the company went into liquidation last year.

Mr Batarseh has since also sold his $800,000 west Sydney home and most of his possessions to fund a 'David and Goliath' battle against McDonald's, news.com.au reported.

Alex Batarseh, 29, has sold his home and possessions to take McDonald's (stock image) to court after it scrapped his only cleaning contracts overnight

The decision left the 29-year-old's three full-time employees and 18 subcontractors instantly out of jobs, before the company went into liquidation last year (stock image)

'I sold everything. My house, my car, my hobbies, my personal stuff, my fishing gear. I literally have nothing. It's just completely destroyed me. I can't put it into words, to know the company I built from scratch just vanished,' Mr Batarseh told the publication.

Mr Batarseh sought $1.5million in damages for breaches of contract against McDonald's in April 2017, but the case stalled when his funds ran out.

Now liquidator Grant Thornton is set to decide whether to take up the case on Mr Batarseh's company's behalf, after it questions senior McDonald's employees under oath in the New South Wales Supreme Court this week.

Their answers will help the liquidators determine if the case has merit and if it wishes to take up the company's fight.

The cleaning business flourished five years ago after McDonald's approached Mr Batarseh - who was already doing maintenance and cleaning jobs for the company - to expand his role.

A lucrative eight-store deal was offered, including stores in Sydney's Castle Hill, Milperra, North Parramatta and Homebush.

Mr Batarseh has since sold his $800,000 west Sydney home (pictured) and most of his possessions to fund a 'David and Goliath' battle against McDonald's

Mr Batarseh says he's been left 'destroyed' after the fast food giant allegedly pulled the plug on its eight-store contract with his Sydney cleaning company A2Z Property Maintenance in July 2016 (pictured is the Sydney home he has now sold)

'My company became super-dependent on them and I invested all my time and effort. Two years ago, McDonalds decided to just terminate each and every contract for all external cleaners,' Mr Batarseh said.

He then received an email from a McDonald's executive in July 2016, saying the company was 'remodelling' its cleaning procedure and offering more people the chance to become McDonald's employees.

But Mr Batarseh claims he was told verbally that the decision was actually 'risk-management' in the wake of the 7-Eleven visa scandal.

He claims his contract had a 24-month clause due to the company's dependence on McDonald's, who he said told him 'don't send the guys tomorrow morning'.

Mr Batarseh sold his home (pictured) and took up his legal battle against McDonald's in 2017 while also looking after his mother, who has since died from cancer

'I sold everything. My house, my car, my hobbies, my personal stuff, my fishing gear. I literally have nothing,' Mr Batarseh said

Mr Batarseh then took up his legal battle against McDonald's in 2017 while also looking after his mother, who has since died from cancer.

He said: 'Its David and Goliath. You cannot go against McDonalds because theyre too big and too powerful.'

Mr Batarseh said he is now in $700,000 of debt as he owes money to the bank, the Australian Taxation Office, a subcontractor and the lawyers.

He also still has $500,000 of his mortgage to pay out, news.com.au reported.

The 29-year-old will now be forced to find a litigation funder if McDonald's choose to not settle.

McDonalds has previously rejected A2Zs claims and will 'vigorously' defend the claims made against it, according to the liquidators report filed with the corporate regulator in October.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted McDonald's for comment.Lawmakers in Rhode Island are proposing a new bill that would charge residents a fee of $20 if they want to access porn and other 'offensive content'.

Senators Frank Ciccone and Hanna Gallo of Rhode Island introduced a bill on Thursday that would require Internet providers to block 'sexual content and patently offensive material.'

Users would have the option to deactivate this block for a fee of $20.

The bill could be introduced later this year if it passes through the General Assembly this session.

Senator Fran Ciccone (left) and Senator Hanna Gallo (right) proposed a new bill on Thursday that would force Internet providers in Rhode Island to block porn and 'offensive material'

The money made from the deactivation fee would fund the operation of the Council of Human Trafficking.

Each quarter the internet providers would be required to hand over the money earned from the fee to go towards the operation of the new committee, the bill states.

Human trafficking is modern day slavery that occurs in the United States and across the world.

An estimated 4.5 million people across the globe are forced into sexual exploitation, according to the International Labor Organization.

The lawmakers haven't confirmed what the exact duties of the organization would be, but it would target the issues of human trafficking in the country.

The bill states that if online distributors of sexual content refused to comply with the bill, the attorney general or consumer could file a civil suit of up to $500 for every piece of content not blocked.

The winning party in the civil suit could also ask the losing party to pay for attorney fees.

Some have criticized the bill saying it conflates sex work with human trafficking.

It is unclear what is defined as 'offensive content' under the bill.Stuart Lymer, 45, (pictured) from Staffordshire, has been arrested by police in Perth, Scotland

A teenage girl whose throat was allegedly slashed in the back of a police van has been arrested along with a 45-year-old man she went missing with for three days.

The 17-year-old was in the vehicle with Stuart Lymer when a scuffle allegedly broke out as they were being taken to a police station in Perth, Scotland, on Monday.

She is reportedly fighting for her life after a weapon - believed to be a knife - was used and Mr Lymer is also undergoing treatment in hospital.

Police Scotland had earlier issued an appeal to locate the two, who have now been arrested and will appear in court once they have been released from hospital.

The teenager was last seen on Friday at 1pm getting into a van outside a Tesco supermarket in Cannock, Staffs.

On Monday, the pair were arrested 300 miles away in Perth, Scotland, but were injured following an incident in a police vehicle.

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) is also probing the way the girl and Mr Lymer - who quit his library assistant job last Tuesday - were arrested after they were injured.

The girl's father, 57, told The Sun: 'She tried to slit her throat. She's done this before. She's had problems with depression for many years now.

'My wife is in hospital with her. She is going to be all right.'

Assistant Chief Constable, John Hawkins, said: 'Following an incident yesterday within a police vehicle in Perth, a 45-year-old man and 17-year-old woman have been arrested.

'Both are currently undergoing treatment at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee as a result of injuries sustained during the incident at Perth.

'They are expected to appear at court from custody over the coming days, after being released from the hospital.

'Police Scotland has referred the matter to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner.'

It comes after the pair were taken to Perth Infirmary before the girl was transferred to Dundee's Ninewells Hospital.

A source told The Scottish Sun: 'They were both rushed to Perth Royal Infirmary and she was later taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.

The girl was being taken from Perth train station (pictured) to a local police station when the scuffle allegedly broke out

'She sustained a significant wound during the incident. He was also injured but not as badly.'

A police source told the Daily Record: 'The two people are critically ill in hospital. There was a struggle and both have ended up hurt.'

It has now emerged that Mr Lymer was a library assistant who quit his job six days before the alleged incident in the police van.

A Staffordshire County Council spokesman said: 'We can confirm Stuart Lymer is a former library assistant at Uttoxeter library who resigned on Tuesday, February 27.

'We are supporting Staffordshire Police in their enquiries. We are unable to comment further at this time.'

A Police Investigations and Review Commissioner spokesman said: 'We can confirm that we have received a referral from Police Scotland in relation to the serious injury of a 17-year-old woman and 45-year-old man who were being transferred in a police vehicle to Perth Police Office on 5 March, 2018.

'Our investigation is ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment further.'Kentucky's 'child bride' bill, which would put an end to underage marriages if passed, has been stalled for a second time.

Lawmakers reportedly expressed concerns about stripping parental rights if Senate Bill 48 is approved, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

The bill was initially put into place after Louisville Republican Julie Raque Adams learned the state had the third-highest child marriage rate in the nation, Tahirih Justice Center reported.

Currently, children aged 16 and 17 are legally allowed to wed given their parents' permission.

If a girl under the age of 16 is pregnant, she may legally marry only the father to her baby.

Kentucky's 'child bride' bill sponsor Senator Julie Raque Adams expressed her outrage over the second stalling to vote in a Thursday Twitter statement

The current law allows a boy of any age to legally marry anyone he has impregnated.

The Senate Bill 48 would make the legal marriage age 18, while 17-year-olds would be permitted to marry with permission from a district judge.

The age difference between the 17-year-old would need to be four years or less than other individual's, according to the Indy Star.

Bill sponsor Adams expressed her outrage over the second stalling to vote in a Thursday Twitter statement which appears to have since been deleted.

'SO disappointed! My SB 48 (outlaw child marriage) won't be called for a vote,' Louisville Republican sponsor Julie Raque Adams wrote to Twitter.

Supporter of the bill and a woman who was forced to marry her older perpetrator at 16, Donna Pollard, Donna Pollard is shown with Attorney General of Kentucky Andy Beshear in September 2017

Pollard, who has since divorced from her perpetrator, said the forced marriage left her feeling 'totally trapped'

'It is disgusting that lobbying organizations would embrace kids marrying adults. We see evidence of parents who are addicted, abusive, neglectful pushing their children into predatory arms. Appalling.'

Meanwhile, supporter of the bill and a woman who was forced to marry her older perpetrator at 16, Donna Pollard, said opponents of the bill include a group of conservative lawmakers who 'lobby lawmakers on social issues,' the newspaper reported.

Pollard, who has since divorced from her perpetrator, said the forced marriage left her feeling 'totally trapped'.

Executive director of the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs, Eileen Recktenwald, spoke out against the current law in place, calling it 'legalized rape of children'.

Boone County Republican Sen. John Schickel, said parents should have the right to make decisions for their child, not the court.

'I had some problems with the bill,' Schickel said in a Thursday statement. 'Decisions involving a minor child should be made by a parent, not the court.'

Adams said she is working with other lawmakers on a compromise bill she hopes all parties can agree on.

Twitter users after expressed their concern about the state's 'child bride' law.A Russian double agent thought to have been poisoned in a British town centre knew 'he would not be left alone' after getting out of Russia in a dramatic 'spy-swap', one of his relatives has revealed.

Sergei Skripal - who was previously caught by Russian authorities passing secrets to MI6 - and his daughter Yulia both remain in a critical condition after they were exposed to an 'unknown substance' in Salisbury on Sunday.

The incident - which has been compared to the 2006 poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko - has sparked a huge investigation by Scotland Yard. Counter-terror detectives have assumed control of the probe, which has taken on political and international significance, and led to a meeting of the National Security Council today.

Police in Salisbury have widened their cordon to the site where Mr Skripal and his daughter were taken ill, expanding it beyond the restaurant and pub which were initially closed off, while forensic teams continued to examine the scene.

Tests on the substance involved are being carried out at the defence research centre at Porton Down. Two police officers who were among the first to come into contact with Mr Skripal and his daughter on Sunday were also admitted to hospital after suffering itchy eyes, rashes and wheezing on Sunday. Up to 10 other people suffered symptoms including vomiting.

Mr Skripal was jailed in Moscow for selling Russian secrets more than a decade ago - but had set up home in the south of England after a Cold War-style 'spy swap' with Russian agents including Anna Chapman.

But a relative of Mr Skripal has said he knew he would not escape his past that easily, and told BBC Russia: 'From the first day he knew it would end badly, and that he would not be left alone'.

Sergei Skripal, 66, (left, in 2006) and his daughter Yulia, 33, (right) are critically ill in hospital after being exposed to an unknown substance

The police investigation centres on Salisbury's Zizzi restaurant, a nearby pub and the park where Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found on Sunday. CCTV shows a man and a woman walking between those two places shortly before 4pm. Witnesses say it is them

Mr Skripal is a former army colonel who was jailed in Russia for spying for MI6. His daughter is understood to be a 33-year-old businesswoman who has worked for Nike and Pepsico

Police in Salisbury have widened their cordon beyond the restaurant and pub which were initially closed off, while people in protective gear investigate the scene

The cordon in Salisbury was extended after a Zizzi restaurant and a pub called The Mill were closed, suggesting Mr Skripal and his daughter visited multiple locations

An NHS incident response unit ambulance is parked outside The Mill pub and hotel as a police cordon has been extended aground the area where Mr Skripal and his daughter were taken ill

Police tonight widened the police cordon and now have forensic teams entering the properties. Police have not confirmed the reason for extending the cordon

This CCTV is thought to show the movements of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his 33-year-old companion shortly before they were the victims of a suspected poisoning

'They both remain in a critical condition and our thoughts and best wishes remain with their families during this difficult time,' said Kier Pritchard, temporary chief constable of Wiltshire Police.

He said: 'Since Sunday, we have had access to a wide range of specialist resources and services that have been working alongside us.

'You will be aware that this afternoon, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed that, due to the unusual circumstances, the Counter Terrorism network will now be leading this investigation, as it has the specialist expertise to do so.

'It is important to reiterate that they have not declared it as a terrorist incident and at this stage they are keeping an open mind as to what happened.

'The advice from Public Health England remains that, based on the evidence to date, currently there doesn't appear to be any immediate risk to the public.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd will chair a meeting of the Government's emergency committee Cobra on Wednesday morning to discuss the on-going investigation into the incident in Salisbury, Number 10 said.

One member of emergency services remains in hospital and police have now sealed off a large pub in the city centre, as well as putting cordons around the park where the pair were discovered, an Italian restaurant and the victim's home.

A number of experts have said that Mr Skripal, who unmasked dozens of Russian agents, may have been the target of a revenge 'hit' by former colleagues in what was once the KGB.

Police have not revealed what kind of substance they suspect Mr Skripal was exposed to, but authorities have urged anyone who feels ill to contact 111 after the city's hospital was sealed off yesterday over contamination fears.

Police have also shut down a branch of the Italian restaurant chain Zizzi and a nearby Greene King pub called The Mill in connection with the incident, suggesting Mr Skripal and his daughter may have visited two premises.

Police seal off the back of The Mill, a Greene King pub, as the police cordon is extended in Salisbury

Fire crews in green hazmat suits sealed off the ambulance station that responded to the emergency call and attended to the Russian spy and his daughter.

Two fire engines and a mobile control uint were at the ambulance base at Solstice Park in Amesbury, about seven miles from Salisbury.

It is believed crews who attended the emergency call out on Sunday were among the first responders who later had hospital treatment after coming into contact with Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue have not made any comment.

Detectives are also examining CCTV of a man and woman walking through an alleyway shortly before the pair were found.

Witness Freya Church, 27, who later spotted the pair 'slumped' and 'passed out' on the bench, said the couple pictured in the CCTV images released today were '100%' the people she saw slumped on the bench on Sunday.

Another witness, Jamie Paine, told BBC News: 'Both her legs came together. Her eyes were just completely wide, they were wide open and frothing at the mouth, and then the man went stiff and his arms stopped moving and still looking dead straight.

'Then the man started throwing up, but it was weird, it wasn't like normally when someone throws up. You couldn't see that he was visually throwing up. His throat wasn't moving, vomit was just pouring out of his mouth.'

Freya Church, 27, who spotted the pair 'slumped' and 'passed out' on the bench told the Press Association the couple in the CCTV images were '100%' the people she saw on Sunday

Witness Freya Church walks with a policeman near the place in Salisbury where the two people were found unconscious

Police officers man a cordon near a forensic tent where Sergei Skripal, 66 and his daughter Yulia Skripal, in her 30s, were found unconscious in Salisbury town centre

Police officers are pictured with a vehicle outside the home of Sergei Skripal today

Wiltshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Kier Pritchard speaking at a press conference today, where he confirmed both patients remained in a critical condition

Kier Pritchard addressed reporters today at a press conference outside Wiltshire Police Headquarters in Devizes

Police stand outside an address believed to be the home of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury today

Mr Skripal, 66, was convicted in Russia of receiving 78,000 in exchange for taking huge risks to pass classified information to MI6. After being brought to England, he moved into a 350,000 house in Salisbury.

His daughter Yulia, 33, is a businesswoman who has worked for Nike and Pepsico in Russia, The Daily Telegraph reported. She is understood to make frequent visits to see her father in the UK.

Mr Skripal is understood to have suffered a double family tragedy after his son, Alexandr, died last year - five years after Mr Skripal's wife, Lyudmila, passed away from of cancer.

Mystery surrounds the cause of death for both, with his wife's death certificate claiming she died of cancer but neighbours saying it was in a car crash.

A police tent has been put up over the park bench where the pair appeared 'catatonic'

Police also threw a cordon around a nearby pub as they desperately trying to piece together where the father and daughter had been and who else might be affected

Police today sealed off the restaurant in relation to the suspected poisoning of a former Russian spy

A policeman stands outside The Mill pub in Salisbury today, which has been sealed off in connection with the incident

The inside and outside of The Mill pub in Salisbury are pictured today after it was sealed off by police

Mr Skripal's cleaner said: 'I had known his daughter was coming over to the UK from Russia because he had asked me to clean her room the week before but I never saw her.'

She said of Mr Skripal: 'He is a lovely, friendly and kind-hearted man and I was shocked when I found out it was him who was in hospital.

'I knew he was in the Russian army as we chatted a bit but he never said he was spy, but at the end of the day he was working for us so I don't care really.

'He's a great guy. He had friends and he loved music and he would go and talk to the neighbours sometimes but he mostly kept himself to himself.'

It was suggested last night that Vladimir Putin would never have forgiven Mr Skripal following his treason conviction. The Russian President once said: 'Traitors always end in a bad way. Usually from a drinking habit, or from drugs, right in the street.'

Police arrived at Skripal's home in Salisbury on Sunday evening and have remained there since

The entrance to the accident and emergency department at Salisbury District Hospital where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal was taken for treatment

A cordon around a police car near the entrance to the accident and emergency department at Salisbury District Hospital is pictured on Tuesday

It was suggested last night that Vladimir Putin (pictured today) would never have forgiven Mr Skripal following his treason conviction

Russian president Vladimir Putin (pictured today) once hinted at how his country deals with spies by insisting that 'traitors always end in a bad way'

'Poisoned' agent may have worked with 'Trump dossier' spy The Russian former double-agent now fighting for his life in hospital may have worked with Christopher Steele, the ex-MI6 spy who compiled a controversial dossier on Donald Trump, it emerged today. Sergei Skripal was accused by Russia of spying for MI6 before he was brought to Britain as part of a Cold War-style spy swap in Vienna in 2010. Christopher Steele, pictured above, was one of MI6's top Russia experts, having spent at least three years working in Moscow. During his years in the Russian capital, he had established personal contacts with KGB agents, and operatives of its successor agency the FSB. Mr Steele quit MI6 in 2009 to set up his own so-called 'spies-for-hire' firm, Orbis Business Intelligence. It was through this firm that he is understood to have worked on a dossier on President's Trump alleged links to Russia, which included explosive allegations including lurid sex claims and claims the Kremlin had sought to 'cultivate' Mr Trump. It is likely that during his time working in Russia, Steele would have got to know Skripal, The Times reported today. It is thought Mr Steele may be helping police with their investigation. Advertisement

Bill Browder, an anti-corruption campaigner, told the Press Association: 'We don't know much, but based on the headlines from yesterday, who the person was, his relationship with the Kremlin, and the circumstances of his collapse, the first operating assumption should be that this was an assassination attempt by the Kremlin against a traitor of Russia.'

Mr Browder, who was in Westminster today to give evidence to a parliamentary committee, added: 'It should be treated with the utmost seriousness in terms of law enforcement resources.'

But the Russian Embassy in London said this afternoon refuted what it called 'various speculations which ultimately lead to a vilification of Russia'.

Diplomats urged police to reveal more about the incident, adding: 'We believe that the British authorities and law enforcement bodies should step in immediately and inform the Embassy and the British society about the actual circumstances of this incident, so as to end the demonisation of Russia. With this in mind, the Embassy has turned to the Foreign Office for clarifications.'

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, on Tuesday dismissed Johnson's remarks about a possible Russian involvement as 'wild.'

'I think we have to remember that Russian exiles are not immortal,' Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Service's assistant commissioner for counterterrorism, told the BBC.

'They do all die and there can be a tendency for some conspiracy theories. But likewise we have to be alive to the fact of state threats, as illustrated by the Litvinenko case.'

Friends of Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned at a London hotel in 2006 with polonium-210, said it had the hallmarks of a Kremlin-backed attack.

Last night, Alexander Litvinenko's widow Marina told the Telegraph: 'It looks similar to what happened to my husband but we need more information. We need to know the substance. Was it radioactive?'

A decade ago, Mr Skripal was accused of passing secrets to MI6 officers through a James Bond-style fake rock hidden in a Moscow park.

Russian secret services exposed the rock in 2006, revealing how agents walked past it and transmitting data to the rock via a hidden handheld device.

He was sentenced to 13 years in a high-security prison in August 2006 before being freed in a 2010 deal which saw 10 Russian sleeper agents expelled from the United States.



Detectives are trying to work out if Skripal was given the mystery substance in the restaurant

The restaurant chain has promised to do all it can to assistant the huge police investigation

Police experts have scoured the restaurant in the centre of Salisbury during their investigation

While officials said there was 'no known risk' to public health from the incident, if anyone feels ill they should contact 111. Pictured, police inside the Zizzi restaurant

Last night police shut down a Zizzi Restaurant in Salisbury 'as a precaution' in connection with the incident

Boris Johnson says England could boycott the World Cup in Russia over suspected attempt to poison a former spy Britain could boycott the World Cup in Russia this summer if the Kremlin is shown to be responsible for a suspected assassination attempt of an ex-spy, Boris Johnson suggested today. The Foreign Secretary said UK representation at the tournament would be 'difficult to see' as he threatened a range of new sanctions over what is suspected to be a bid to kill Sergei Skripal, 66, in Salisbury on Sunday. Mr Johnson said: 'If things turn out to be as many members suspect that they are... I think we will have to have a serious conversation about our engagement with Russia. 'And for my part I think it will be difficult to see how, thinking ahead to the World Cup this summer, I think it would be difficult to imagine that UK representation at that event could go ahead in the normal way. 'We will certainly have to consider that.' Noting that the case has 'echoes' of the death of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian dissident who was fatally poisoned in London in 2006, Mr Johnson told MPs: 'While it would be wrong to prejudge the investigation, I can reassure the House that should evidence emerge that implies state responsibility, then Her Majesty's Government will respond appropriately and robustly.' Mr Johnson said it was clear that Russia is now 'in many respects a malign and disruptive force and the UK is in the lead across the world in trying to counteract that activity'. Sources close to Mr Johnson later insisted he was referring to officials and dignitaries attending the tournament and not footballers. The World Cup begins in Russia in June. England are the only UK team to have qualified to take part. The Russian Embassy posted a short response to Mr Johnson's address to MPs, saying ironically: 'We are impressed by the statement of the Foreign Secretary in Parliament today. The Foreign Secretary spoke in such a manner as if the investigation was already over and Russia was found responsible for what had happened in Salisbury.' The statement continued: 'We regret that instead of a proper official clarification on the issue the Foreign Secretary chose to threaten Russia with retribution. Looks like the script of yet another anti-Russian campaign has been already written.' Advertisement

Among the Russian agents deported from the US as part of the largest spy swap since the Cold War was Anna Chapman. The socialite and diplomat's daughter was married to a Briton and lived in London for several years.

Mr Skripal's wife Liudmila, died on October 23, 2012, aged 59, with her death certificate recording the cause of death as disseminated endometrial carcinoma.

Her daughter Yulia reported the death to Wiltshire Council's register office. When recording the death of her mother, Yulia told staff her spy father, who was convicted for passing secrets on Russian spies to MI6, was a retired local government planning officer.

Mr Skripal's son Alexandr died last year in St Petersburg although there are conflicting reports over the cause of death.

Salisbury MP John Glen said Skripal bought a house in the city in 2011 before tragedy befell his family.

'His wife died a year after he settled there and his son subsequently died last year,' Mr Glen said.

He tweeted later in the evening to say a 'terrible human tragedy' had taken place in Salisbury.

'My thoughts and prayers this evening are with my constituent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia,' he said.

'We still do not know all the facts but we do know that a terrible human tragedy took place on the streets of Salisbury on Sunday.'

Emergency services initially believed Mr Skripal and his daughter had taken fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is up to 100 times more potent than herion that has caused thousands of deaths among drug addicts worldwide.

A tiny dose of the synthetic opioid, which can be purchased online via the dark web, would prove fatal.

Health officials said there was no known risk to public health 'based on evidence to date' but advised anyone feeling ill to seek help.

Passers by and paramedics assumed the duo were high on fentanyl, a super strength painkiller causing thousands of deaths among drug addicts, but this was later linked to an unconnected incident involving another couple in the shopping centre.

Freya Church, who saw the couple on the bench, said they 'looked so out of it', adding the younger woman was leaning on the man.

She told the BBC: 'On the bench there was a couple, an older guy and a younger girl. She was sort of leaned in on him. It looked like she had passed out, maybe.'

'He was doing some strange hand movements, looking up to the sky,' she said.

'I felt anxious, I felt like I should step in, but to be honest they looked so out of it that I thought even if I did step in, I wasn't sure how I could help. So I just left them. But it looked like they'd been taking something quite strong.'

Another witness said of Mr Skripal: 'He looked very ill, he was being sick - he did not look well at all. He was conscious at the time.'

She said of his daughter: She was surrounded by paramedics and he was a few minutes after I arrived as well.'

Georgia Pridham, 25, also saw the couple slumped on the bench. She told The Telegraph: 'He was quite smartly dressed. He had his palms up to the sky as if he was shrugging and was staring at the building in front of him. He had a woman sat next to him on the bench who was slumped on his shoulder.'

She added: 'He was staring dead straight. He was conscious but it was like he was frozen and slightly rocking back and forward'.

The pair were taken to hospital after they collapsed inside The Maltings shopping centre after coming into contact with an unknown substance. Pictured, emergency crews at the centre

How investigation grew and turned into diplomatic incident 4.15pm, Sunday, March 4: Wiltshire Police receive a call from a member of the public who was concerned for the welfare of two people. Officers arrive to find a man and a woman unconscious on a bench. Monday, March 5: Salisbury District Hospital declares a major incident at around 11am on Monday and its A&E department is closed. Police say the pair are critically ill in intensive care being treated for suspected exposure to an unknown substance. 6pm: The man is named as Sergei Skripal, 66, an ex-military intelligence colonel who was convicted in Russia of passing state secrets to Britain. 7pm: Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden tells reporters it is not being treated as a counter-terror incident. Tuesday, March 6: 7.30am: The UK's top counter-terrorism officer, Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Mark Rowley, says his specialists were supporting the investigation. 8am: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calls Mr Skripal's illness a 'tragic situation' but says 'we don't have any information' and added Moscow was open to cooperation with investigators. Midday: Downing Street says that the Skripal case was not discussed at the regular weekly meeting of Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Theresa May at Number 10 and it was an 'operational matter' for police. 12:30pm: In the House of Commons, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson refuses to point fingers in his response to an urgent question, but he warns governments that 'no attempt to take innocent life on UK soil will go unsanctioned or unpunished' and labels Russia 'a malign and disruptive force'. 16:00pm: Russian Embassy releases statement slamming the 'vilification of Russia' and calling for police to release more information. Advertisement

A close friend of Mr Skripal's, Alexander Goldfarb, said he was 'not surprised' by the incident, saying the Kremlin had the 'opportunity, motive and a prior history'.

Mr Goldfarb said: 'Any reasonable person would think immediately that Russia had the opportunity, motive and a prior history of this kind of crime so it is reasonable to think it was involved in this attack. This is the Kremlin's modus operandi. There are plenty of precedents.

'What's interesting now is that this happens just before Russia's presidential election. Putin awarded Lugovoi a state honour and made him a national hero. He apparently sees positive electoral gain from this kind of activity.

'Russia is a nationalistic country where state-run propaganda portrays the UK as the enemy and people like Skripal as traitors.'

A British inquiry ruled in 2016 that Putin 'probably approved' the killing and identified two Russians, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun, as the prime suspects.

Igor Sutyagin, who was part of the same spy swap as Mr Skripal and now is a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, said he is not worried for his safety.

'I feel OK, I am not concerned,' he told The Times.

'We have saying in Russian that if you keep thinking one day [something bad might happen] then that day will come.'

He also said there was not enough evidence to point fingers in any direction.

'There are lots of former security officers that deserted to the West,' he said, urging caution until more is known. 'It is necessary to balance this information.'

He told the Guardian it would be the 'worst possible time' for such a move shortly before a Russian election, due on March 18.

But Keir Giles, the director of the Conflict Studies Research Center in Cambridge said he 'would be surprised if this were not linked back to Russia in some direct way.'

He said he could not rule out an overdose or some other kind of accidental poisoning - but found it hard to picture such a scenario 'that would lead to a full-scale decontamination of the street and the hospital.'

Giles also invoked a string of suspicious deaths of Russian government opponents in Britain since Litvinenko's slaying.

'It's not just Litvinenko,' he said. 'It's hard not to see a pattern of the attacks becoming more and more brazen.'

The woman, who was unconscious, was airlifted to hospital while Skripal was taken by ambulance

An eyewitness said Skripal and the woman thought to be his daughter seemed 'out of it' after she came across the pair slumped on the bench at the shopping centre. Top right: A police tent covers the spot where they were found

Neighbours at Mr Skripal's home in Salisbury say police arrived at the property at around 5pm on Sunday and have remained stationed there since.

Mr Skripal bought the Wiltshire property in 2011, a year before his wife Liudmila died.

'He lived there with his Russian son and his son's partner,' said Blake Stephens, a 24-year-old neighbour.

'We didn't speak to them much, I'm not sure what the family he did. He used to live with his wife but unfortunately she died a while ago.'

Mark Medhurst, 43, said the former spy drove a BMW and kept the house lights off, adding: 'He lived there with his son and a younger dark-haired girl.'

Another neighbour, James Puttock, 47, said that he didn't think Skripal looked like a spy, but could tell that he was Russian and that he stood out.

Mr Skripal was among of a group of top spies exchanged in Vienna in 2010 (left) for a group of Russian agents including the glamorous Anna Chapman (right)

This video shows the evidence used to convict Skripal of spying in Russia and his high-profile arrest in Moscow in 2004

When he moved into the property on Christie Miller Road, he invited his neighbours over for a housewarming party, he said.

'He said hello if he walked passed, and seemed like a nice chap,' Mr Puttock said.

'When he moved in he invited us all over for a housewarming party - I imagine he invited the whole street, as my neighbour told me about it. But I didn't go.'

He added: 'He had been here for quite a while, five years I should think. People came and went from the house you know but I didn't pay much attention.

'He was always walking past, but he did sometimes drive his BMW three series.'

Neighbour Mr Puttock added: 'He looked foreign but other than that, no, he didn't look like a spy. He never really looked smart, he looked very casual, he stood out because of that, it's hard to remember anything special about him.

'There were always people coming and going, there was definitely a younger boy living there, but I really didn't pay that much attention, you don't until something like this happens. It's crazy nothing ever happens here, it is always so quiet.'

The restaurant was deserted today as police examined the scene and Skripal's nearby home

Emergency services found Sergei Skripal and a woman, said to be his daughter Yulia, slumped over a bench at The Maltings shopping centre before they were transported to Salisbury District Hospital, where a major incident was declared on Monday

Officers were called to The Maltings by a member of the public on Sunday shortly after 4pm.

A major incident was declared at Salisbury District Hospital, but patients have been advised to attend appointments as normal unless advised otherwise.

Scotland Yard counter-terrorism officers take over 'poisoning' probe Head of terrorism policing Mark Rowley has revealed it has taken over investigations into an unknown substance which has left a former Russian double agent and his daughter fighting for their lives. In a statement, the Metropolitan Police, where the Counter Terrorism unit is based, said: 'Due to the unusual circumstances it has been decided that the Counter Terrorism Policing network will lead the investigation as it has the specialist expertise to do so. 'It has not been declared a terrorist incident and at this stage we are keeping an open mind as to what happened.' Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Mark Rowley said: 'Working alongside Wiltshire police and partner agencies, we are carrying out extensive inquiries today. 'The focus at this time is to establish what has caused these people to become critically ill. 'We would like to reassure members of the public that this incident is being taken extremely seriously and we currently do not believe there is any risk to the wider public. 'We continue to appeal to any members of the public who may have information in relation to this incident to contact police immediately on 999.' Temporary chief constable of Wiltshire Police Keir Pritchard added: 'I would like to reassure our local communities that the multi-agency response is ongoing. 'We will continue to work with our partners, including Public Health England, the local NHS trust, local authorities and emergency services.' Advertisement

In an update released at 11.30 today, police said: 'We can confirm that a small number of emergency services personnel were assessed immediately after the incident and all but one have been released from hospital.'

The statement said that a number of places - including the Zizzi restaurant and the Bishop's Mill pub in The Maltings - have been 'secured' as part of the investigation.

'At this time, we cannot confirm how long these cordons will remain in place,' the statement said.

A patient who came to the A&E department said the incident had caused 'chaos'.

The man, in his mid-20s who did not want to be named, said he had been taken to a boardroom in the hospital while the fire service decontaminated the scene.

He said: 'I had gone to the A&E department because I had busted two of my knuckles. The staff said something to me about chemicals and that it had all happened in front of the A&E entrance.

'It caused chaos inside the A&E department - I was taken to a boardroom where I had to wait while they dealt with it. There was a green tent set up in the drop-off area and people in forensics clothes were all walking around.

'From what I was told, the fire engine got to the hospital about 15 minutes before I arrived at 10.30am.'

On Sunday, emergency services had said they suspected fentanyl, a synthetic opiate up to 100 times more potent than heroin, may have been involved, the Salisbury Journal reports.

A spokesman for Public Health England (PHE) said anyone exposed to the unknown substance had been decontaminated 'as is standard practice in situations like this'.

He added: 'Scientists from PHE's Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, will continue to assist the response and review information as it becomes available.'

Police said the pair, named by media Mr Skripal and his daughter, had been 'exposed to an unknown substance'

Firefighters and police attended The Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury at around 4.15pm on Sunday afternoon

Police and paramedics discovered the two Russians in a critical condition on Sunday

The case is not being treated as terrorism, but officers have an open mind about its cause, Wiltshire police's Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden told reporters on Monday.

Mr Holden said: 'This has not been declared as a counter-terrorism incident and we would urge people not to speculate,' he said.

'However, I must emphasise that we retain an open mind, and that we continue to review this position.'

Police said a number of areas in Salisbury had been cordoned off in relation to their investigation.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden said yesterday: 'We would continue to appeal to any members of the public who may have information in relation to this incident to contact us immediately via 999.

'We would like to reassure members of the public that incidents of this nature are taken extremely seriously and we currently do not believe there is any risk to the wider public.

'We would like to take this opportunity to thank members of the public who have assisted us so far and respected the cordons which remain in place.'

Salisbury District Hospital, Wiltshire, declared the 'major incident' this morning, which involved a 'small number of casualties

Cara Charles-Barks, chief executive of Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust said yesterday: 'I can confirm that they are currently being treated here at Salisbury District Hospital and their condition does remain critical'.

One of the Russian spies exchanged for Skripal was Anna Chapman (pictured), who was greeted as a hero by the Kremlin

'We have declared a major incident today in response to the incident that took place yesterday.

'We have been advising people to continue to attend for their routine operations and routine appointments and we will continue to advise them to do so. We will contact any patients if we require them not to attend.'

Officers taped off an area around a bench where one of the pair had been sick after arriving at The Maltings shopping centre on Sunday.

A specialist chemical response unit removed the unknown substance from the area, wrapping it in several protective layers.

Police said the substance would be destroyed, along with the protective suits.

Dr Andrew Foxall, of the Henry Jackson Society security think-tank, said: 'MI5 believes that there are now more Russian spies in Britain than during the height of the Cold War.

'They will likely be experienced in all manner of activities. While it is too soon to attribute responsibility, it would be foolhardy if the authorities were not to explore the Russia connection in relation to Mr Skripal's illness.'

Mr Putin boasted yesterday that Moscow thwarted more than 400 foreign spies last year.

He also called on Russia's FSB spy agency to block further foreign attempts to obtain political, economic and military information.

A Russian Embassy spokesman said last night: 'Neither relatives nor legal representatives of the said person, nor the British authorities have addressed the embassy in this regard.'

The circumstances surrounding yesterday's incident were still murky but the case had immediate resonance in Britain; former Russian agent Alexander Litvenko died after drinking radioactive tea in a swanky London hotel.

The ex-KGB agent died after two agents slipped radioactive polonium 210 into his tea pot at a Mayfair hotel in 2006.

Salisbury District Hospital said it was dealing with a 'major incident' on Monday morning and called in the fire service and Incident Response team to decontaminate the area

Litvinenko, 43, an outspoken critic of Putin who fled Russia for Britain six years to the day before he was poisoned, died after drinking green tea laced with the rare and very potent radioactive isotope at the Millennium Hotel.

A public inquiry concluded in 2016 that the killing of Litvinenko, who previously worked for the FSB, had 'probably' been carried out with the approval of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

And Russian loathing for Mr Skripal is highlighted by claims from Russian secret services historian Nikolai Luzan.

Luzan says Mr Skripal was responsible for disclosing to MI6 the names of around 300 GRU staff members and other 'agents' including those working abroad.

Two Incident Response Unit ambulances and the fire service were called to the hospital, to treat the patients and decontaminate the A&E department

Some of these military intelligence assets were 'secretly arrested' and others 'vanished', he said.

Mr Luzan referred to Mr Skripal in a 2014 interview as 'this b*****d - I'm not scared to use this word'.

'Just imagine what muck this man did to other people - due to his treachery.'

There has been no official confirmation of the 300 figure from the GRU.

'Traitors always end in a bad way. Usually from drugs in the street': How ex-KGB chief Putin hinted at the way Russia deals with spies Russian president Vladimir Putin (pictured today) once said 'traitors always end in a bad way' Russian president Vladimir Putin once hinted at how his country deals with spies by insisting that 'traitors always end in a bad way'. The former KGB chief's words are all the more chilling as fears build over a poison plot in Wiltshire against Sergei Skripal, a Russian colonel who spied for MI6. Among the Russian agents exposed was the red-haired 'femme fatale' Anna Chapman, and Mr Putin said at the time: 'It is a result of betrayal. 'Traitors always end in a bad way. Usually from a drinking habit, or from drugs, right in the street.' Mr Skripal was sentenced to 13 years in a high-security prison in 2006, before being freed in a 2010 deal which saw ten Russian sleeper agents expelled from the US. Mr Skripal retired from military intelligence, often known by its Russian-language acronym GRU. He went on to work at the Foreign Ministry until 2003. He was arrested in 2004 in Moscow and admitted he was recruited by British intelligence in 1995 and had provided information about GRU agents in Europe, for which he was paid more than $100,000. Mr Skripal was one of four agents pardoned and released by Moscow in what was said at the time to be the biggest spy swap since the Cold War. He was flown to the UK with another of the men freed by Russia in the exchange - analyst Igor Sutyagin, who was serving a 14-year sentence for spying for the US. Russian spy Anna Chapman pictured on May 21, 2011 The spy swap took place on July 9, 2010 on the tarmac at Vienna's airport and a Boeing 767-200 carrying the four agents was understood to have later touched down at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The returning Russian spies were greeted as heroes in Moscow. Mr Putin, himself a former KGB officer who served in what was then East Germany, sang patriotic songs with them. But Mr Putin predicted a grim future for the man who had betrayed the Russian spies in the US, saying that he knew both his identity and location. He said that a 'Mercader has already been sent after him,' referring to Ramon Mercader, the assassin who was sent to kill Leon Trotsky in 1940 in Mexico. Mr Skripal was cast as a traitor by Moscow at the time of the spy swap. He is thought to have done serious damage to Russian spy networks in Britain and Europe. Advertisement

Cancer, car crash and liver failure: Mysterious deaths of family of Russian 'Spy with the Louis Vuitton Handbag'

He was jailed for passing on the identities of Russian secret agents in Europe to MI6

The former Russian double agent who is critically ill in hospital after a suspected poison plot was hit by a double family tragedy within five years, it has emerged.

Sergei Skripal, 66, is fighting for his life at Salisbury District Hospital after being found unconscious with his daughter Yulia, 33, in the city on Sunday.

And it was revealed today how Mr Skripal had suffered two bereavements within just five years when his wife Lyudmila died aged 59 in 2012, before his son Alexandr passed away aged 43 in 2017.

Mystery surrounds the cause of death for both, with his wife's death certificate claiming she died of cancer but neighbours saying it was in a car crash.

It has been recorded that Mrs Skripal, died on October 23, 2012, with her death certificate recording the cause of death as disseminated endometrial carcinoma.

Her daughter Yulia reported the death to Wiltshire Council's register office, but told staff that her father was a retired local government planning officer.

As for Mr Skripal's son, he is said to have been killed in a car crash in St Petersburg last year  but the family's cleaner said he had actually died from liver problems.

The Russian security service (FSB) allege that Col Skripal began to sell information in 1990's right up until 1999 - when he left the special services

In Moscow at the time of his arrest he was mocked as 'the spy with the Louis Vuitton bag' after grainy pictures showed him at an airport on route on one meeting with his handlers

The woman who cleans Mr Skripal's home in Salisbury, who asked not to be named, said today: 'I saw reports on the news that his wife had died in a car crash.

'That is not true, she died of cancer that she had when they moved to England. And his son died of liver problems, so I don't know where the car crash idea came from.'

Putin has 'hostile intent' towards Britain, warns Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson Vladimir Putin has 'hostile intent' towards Britain, the Defence Secretary said yesterday. Gavin Williamson called for the UK to wake up to the threat posed by Russia. He warned that the Kremlin had developed a much more aggressive posture towards the UK in the past 12 months and the country should not sit submissively by. With relations between Britain and Russia believed to be at an all-time low, Mr Williamson told MPs that the country needed to 'match what Putin is doing with Russian forces'. During defence questions in the Commons, he said: 'Putin has made it quite clear that he has hostile intent towards this country. 'We've been seeing the build-up of his forces across the Eastern Front and in terms of what they're doing over many years now  we have to wake up to that threat and we have to respond to it. 'And it is not just through nuclear weapons  our continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent is absolutely integral to maintaining the peace, but it is also through conventional armed forces. We have to match what Putin is doing with Russian forces.' His comments came after he was asked by Labour's Barry Sheerman about comments the Russian president had made in a state-of-the-nation speech last week. Mr Sheerman pointed out that Mr Putin had basically announced 'a new Cold War'. Mr Putin boasted in his speech that Russia had developed an arsenal of invincible nuclear weapons that are immune to enemy detection. Advertisement

However, his neighbour Blake Stephens, 21, said earlier of Mr Skripal: 'He used to live with his wife but unfortunately she died in a car accident a while ago.'

But the BBC claimed Alexandr died on holiday in Russia with his girlfriend after being taken to hospital with liver failure, and that his family was suspicious about his death.

Mr Skripal was dramatically exposed as having spied for the British in one of the biggest East-West scandals since the end of the Cold War.

He rose to rank of colonel in the Russian military before becoming a top intelligence officer in the chaotic days after the fall of communism.

But his reputation came crashing down in 2004 when he was accused of passing on the identities of Russian secret agents in Europe to MI6.

By this time he had retired from the military but was said to have used his old contacts to spy for the West.

He was jailed for 13 years in 2006 and was only released in the high-profile spy-swap which involved glamourous Russian agent Anna Chapman, who had been caught spying in the US.

After being debriefed by British security services, he was given a new life living in a 340,000 house in Wiltshire.

At the time of his arrest he was mocked as 'the spy with the Louis Vuitton bag' after grainy pictures showed him with an expensive looking bag at an airport en route on one meeting with his handlers.

The Russian security service (FSB) alleged that Mr Skripal began to sell information in 1990's right up until 1999 - when he left the special services. They say he was paid around $100,000 for his services into his secret account in Spain.

Mr Skripal was turned by British special service until when he was detained for giving the UK top secret information.

The former intelligence officer, now believed to be 66, was convicted of 'high treason in the form of espionage' for his crimes.

He was alleged to have passed intelligence to a so-called 'spy rock' in a Moscow park

Russian authorities claimed agents walked past it transmitting their data via a hand held device

He pleaded guilty at his trial and co-operated with investigators, reports said at the time.

He was stripped of his rank of colonel and his state medals and ordered to spend his prison term in a high-security penal camp.

Among the Russian agents deported from the US as part of the largest spy swap since the Cold War was Anna Chapman (pictured)

He was sentenced in 2006 and was later pardoned in 2010 when he was one of four prisoners Moscow swapped for spies in the US.

He was released together with the three other individuals serving time in Russian prisons in exchange for ten Russian spies arrested by the FBI.

A year after his release he is believed to have bought a house in Sailsbury.

Ms Chapman was arrested at a New York police department precinct when she turned in a fake passport an undercover FBI agent had given to her.

As the daughter of a Russian diplomat, she became the most recognisable of the ten agents.

Nicknamed 'the spy with the Louis Vuitton bag', Mr Skripal exposed a huge network of Russian military spies working across Europe taking extraordinary risks to pass secrets to MI6.

The FSB caught him passing his intelligence to the infamous MI6 James Bond-style 'spy rock' - a fake stone packed with receiving equipment - in a Moscow park.

Russian secret services exposed the rock in 2006, revealing how agents walked past it transmitting their data to the rock via a hidden hand held device.

One official said after his conviction: 'His activities caused a significant blow to Russia's external security.'

A still from footage of Mr Skripal spying for Britain which was used against him in Russia

Russian loathing for Mr Skripal is highlighted by claims from Russian secret services historian Nikolai Luzan that the double was responsible for disclosing to MI6 the names of around 300 GRU staff members and other 'agents' including those working abroad.

Luzan referred to him Mr Skripal in a 2014 interview as 'this bastard - I'm not scared to use this word'.

'Just imagine what muck this man did to other people' - due to his treachery.

There has been no official confirmation of the 300 figure from the GRU.

State-run TV in Russia even compared him to the legendary Cold War agent Soviet double agent Oleg Penkovsky, who spied for Britain and the United States during the height of the Cold War.

Following his release Col Skripal underwent a debriefing in London following his exchange in the historic spy swap involving femme fatale Anna Chapman

Penvosky was shot by a firing squad in 1963 and is regarded as one of the most effective spies of all time.

Mr Skripal and a woman were found slumped on a bench in a busy shopping centre in Salisbury on Sunday.

He is critically ill along with the woman, 33, after they were both found at The Maltings shopping centre in a case that immediately drew parallels to the poisoning of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko.

Before this he was believed to be living at an address on Christie Miller Road in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

He had been living at the address with his wife Liudmila until she died in recent years.

'It bears all the hallmarks of a Russian attack': Senior MP demands new sanctions to the Kremlin's 'soft war' on Britain after suspected spy attack

A senior MP today said a suspected attempt to kill a Russian ex-spy bears 'all the hallmarks' of a Kremlin attack.

Tom Tugendhat said if proven the possible poisoning of Sergei Skripal, 66, would be a new escalation in a 'soft war' by Russia against the UK.

The chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee said new sanctions should be imposed against Russia if it was proven the Kremlin ordered the attack.

Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat said if proven the possible poisoning of Sergei Skripal, 66, would a new escalation in a 'soft war' against the UK

Mr Tugendhat will demand answers from ministers in the Commons at around 12.30pm today after Commons Speaker John Bercow agreed to an emergency debate.

The warning comes after shadow defence secretary Diane Abbott warned ministers not to allow 'London and the Home Counties to become a kind of killing field for the Russian state'.

WHAT SANCTIONS COULD BE IMPOSED ON RUSSIA? Tory MP Tom Tugendhat today called for a new range of sanctions if it is proven Russia is behind a suspected assassination attempt in London. He revived calls for a 'Magnitsky List' to be set up in Britain. It would mirror US laws imposing travel bans on senior Kremlin officials responsible for the death of Russian accountant Sergei Magnitsky in a prison in 2009. UK ministers have repeatedly refused to pass a similar law, but has imposed financial sanctions on several senior Russian figures. Further sanctions could see UK assets owned by Kremlin officials seized and travel bans on more individuals imposed. The intent is to stop the ruling elite in Moscow travelling freely and keeping money abroad while Putin operates with little restraint. Advertisement

British relations with Russia have been chilly since President Vladimir Putin was suspected of personally ordering the attack on Litvinenko.

Former cabinet minister John Whittingdale said it was possible the existing sanctions were failing to deter Russia 'from carrying out further assassinations on British soil'.

The comments came as Boris Johnson pledged to speak with Home Secretary Amber Rudd after calls for a fresh police investigation into 14 deaths in the UK that have been linked to Russia.

Mr Whittingdale, the former culture secretary, told MPs: 'It is almost exactly four years since the annexation of the sovereign territory of Ukraine in Crimea by Russia.

'It is two years since the public inquiry concluded that President Putin almost certainly approved the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.

'Is it not clear, therefore, that existing sanctions are failing to deter Russia, possibly even from carrying out further assassinations on British soil.

'And that the time has come to impose far tougher sanctions against targeted individuals associated with President Putin's regime.'

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson yesterday repeated warnings of the military threat from Russia, warning Putin had 'hostile intent' toward Britain.

Skripal who had recently told police he feared for his life, was rushed to hospital after collapsing on a bench outside a shopping centre in Salisbury on Sunday.

He was found with a 33-year-old woman, who is also fighting for her life. She is thought to be a family member.

Health chiefs said the pair had been exposed to an 'unknown substance'.

Mr Tugendhat said that if Russian involvement was proved, the Skripal case would amount to a further salvo in a 'soft war against the UK' conducted by Mr Putin's administration.

'It is too early to say whether it is certain or not, but it certainly bears all the hallmarks of a Russian attack,' Mr Tugendhat said.

'If it is, then I am calling for a whole-of-Government response. Too much of this has been left to the Foreign Office or the Home Office separately.

'What needs to be done is for the whole Government to get involved in responding to what amounts to a soft war against the UK, taking in the cyber-hacking they have done and the various aggressions they have been involved in.'

Mr Tugendhat said that the eventual response to any Russian involvement in the Skripal case could include travel bans, sanctions and the imposition of Magnitsky Sanctions legislation allowing the assets of human rights violators to be frozen in the UK.

Diane Abbott (file image) today demanded answers from ministers about an apparent attack on a Russian spy she said had 'striking similarities' to the murder of Alexander Litvinenko

Ms Abbott told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: 'It's important not to speculate without knowing everything it but it does bear a striking similarity to the death of Litvinenko who was poisoned by the Russian state and before that Markov who was killed bizarrely by somebody stabbing him with an umbrella with poison on the tip.

'That was put to the Russian state and the problem with these things is sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.'

Ms Abbott added: 'I don't like defaulting to a red menace analysis but we can't allow London and the Home Counties to become a kind of killing field for the Russian state.'

Ms Abbott's intervention came as the Government remained tight lipped about the circumstances surrounding Skripal.

Julian Lewis, the chairman of the Commons defence committee, told MailOnline: 'If a second Russian former spy has been targeted in the UK, after the reckless use of polonium to kill Mr Litvinenko, it shows that the Kremlin has not the slightest interest in a positive relationship with the West and has learned nothing from the outrage caused by its previous public act of murder.'

Chairman of the Commons defence committee Julian Lewis (left) told MailOnline a proven second case of assassination on British soil would prove Russia had learned nothing from outrage at the Litvinenko murder, while Labour's Chris Bryant (right) called for a Government statement

Labour MP Chris Bryant, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Russia, called for a Government minister to come to the despatch box today to update the Commons on what is known about the Skripal case.

Mr Bryant said: 'We have got to be a little careful about establishing the facts - and I very much hope a Government minister will come to the chamber later today to explain what we do know - but we know Putin's record of using excessive violence.

'There is a long list of Putin opponents who have been bumped off around the world. The fact that this happens just before presidential elections, I would suspect, is not circumstantial.

'We can't be having Russian operatives bumping people off in the UK. I was very critical of both David Cameron and Theresa May in the 2010 Parliament because they kept refusing to allow a full investigation of the Litvinenko murder. It was years before Theresa May finally allowed one to happen.

'If something similar has occurred in this situation, then we shouldn't let the grass grow under our feet.'

'Poisoned spy case' echoes fate of Alexander Litvinenko - Putin critic killed by polonium-laced tea Relations between Britain and Russia have been strained since the murder of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006, a killing which a judge said was probably approved by President Vladimir Putin. The defector died after two agents slipped radioactive polonium 210 into his tea pot at a Mayfair hotel in central London, according to an inquiry headed by former high court judge Sir Robert Owen. The inquiry found two Russian men - Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun - had deliberately poisoned Litvinenko by putting polonium-210 into his drink at a London hotel, leading to an agonising death. Alexander Litvinenko died after two agents slipped radioactive polonium 210 into his tea It said the use of the radioactive substance - which could only have come from a nuclear reactor - was a 'strong indicator' of state involvement and that the two men had probably been acting under the direction of the FSB. Possible motives included Litvinenko's work for British intelligence agencies, his criticism of the FSB, and his association with other Russian dissidents, while it said there was also a 'personal dimension' to the antagonism between him and Putin. International arrest warrants issued for Mr Lugovoi and Mr Kovtun remain in force although Russia continues to refuse their extradition. The Millennium Hotel in Mayfair, where he is said to have been poisoned In a statement to mark the 10th anniversary of his death, Marina Litvinenko said her husband - who she called Sasha - had been an 'extraordinary man' whose courage in speaking out against the Russian security service, the FSB, had left an enduring legacy. While she acknowledged Mr Putin had refused to accept the inquiry's findings, she said it remained open for other world leaders to take action against the Russian state and that she hoped her struggle to find the truth had not been in vain. 'It has taken 10 long years for the truth to be established and for Sasha's dying words that President Putin was responsible for his death to be proved to be true,' she said. 'I know that Mr Putin's Russia does not accept the findings of the British public inquiry and will continue to deny the truth in the face of overwhelming evidence. 'But those findings are now part of history and the rest of the world understands the difference between truth and propaganda. And that is what matters to me. 'What action world leaders will take against the ever vengeful Russian state in these dramatic times remains to be seen. I hope and pray that my struggle has not been in vain.' Last year the scandal took a new twist when Scotland Yard detectives who investigated the Litvinenko case revealed they too had been poisoned by the Russians in an extraordinary attempt to thwart the inquiry. The inquiry found Andrei Lugovoi (left, in 2007) and Dmitri Kovtun (right, in 2006) - had deliberately poisoned Litvinenko Detective Inspector Brian Tarpey, who flew to Moscow to investigate, says: I remember one evening my officer [a colleague who travelled with him] was complaining of stomach cramp and not being very well. Next morning I accompanied him to the general prosecutors office. We were offered tea. I had no hesitation in accepting. After we left, I started to feel a little bit uncomfortable. Not wanting to put too fine a point on it, I had the s***s. I have no doubt in my mind that someone poisoned us with something like gastroenteritis. AdvertisementThe father of a girl told to commit suicide and to 'do what Dolly did' has been warned by police they may be unable to prosecute and catch bullies terrorising his daughter.

Katelyn Simpson was subjected to a barrage of online abuse via Snapchat after the tragic suicide of bullying victim Amy 'Dolly' Everett.

Her father Russell, from Darwin in the Northern Territory, has now claimed police say they are powerless to prevent her bullies or catch them.

Father Russell Simpson claimed police told him they were powerless to catch the culprits

Katelyn Simpson, 15, (pictured) was told to commit suicide like 'Dolly did' after tragic death of Dolly Everett

Amy 'Dolly' Everett was just 14-years-old when she killed herself following a long spell of bullying online

The Simpson family are friends with Dolly's family and vile messages were sent to 15-year-old Katelyn via the social media app's message platform.

'Why don't you just go cut your wrist until you bleed out, you'll do everyone a favour. Go do what Dolly did, it should've been you not her,' one of the horrific messages read.

Dolly, who was from Katherine in the Northern Territory, took her own life on January 3, after being 'overwhelmed' by cyber bullies.

But police have told Daily Mail Australia that Mr Simpson was told it would be 'difficult' for officers to track down who had actually sent the messages.

Vile messages were sent to 15-year-old Katelyn (right) over her appearance, wins on the rodeo circuit and other personal matters

A police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia no formal report had been lodged with detectives

A spokesman for NT Police said they had not been asked to carry out a formal investigation after Mr Simpson first met with police earlier this year.

They added: 'Records show that a formal police report [to investigate] was not made at the time that Mr Simpson contacted police.

'A formal police report has not been made since then.'



Mr Simpson believes the culprit targeting his daughter is someone jealous of his daughter's success as a national rodeo champion.

Police said a formal report had never been lodged by Mr Simpson meaning they could not investigate further (pictured is Katelyn Simpson, his daughter)

'We went to the police but there is actually nothing they can do,' Mr Simpsons told Nine News.

'The police they have been great. They sit you down and say this is where we are at. They say any good lawyer will get them off.

'So, you can't do anything. We can't even publicly shame them because then we will end up in trouble.'

Mr Simpson said police told him they would be unable to prove who had physically written the message making it difficult to get a conviction.

The horrific message which the faceless bullies sent to Katelyn as part of a prolonged campaign of abuse

NT Police told Daily Mail Australia it has specialist officers working to investigate online exploitation of children and cyber offending.

The force said: 'Social media offers challenges to Policing in a number of ways. This includes negating the physical isolation between a victim and offender as an impediment to ongoing interaction and offending.

'Social media offers a platform enabling an individual to rapidly spread their thoughts or opinions to a vast number of people.

'This has obvious implications with cyberbullying and related matters.'

One of the vile messages sent to Katelyn Simpson on the social media messaging app Snapchat

Even more worrying for the family, is that they think the messages could have been sent by the parents or grandparents of his daughter's bullies.

He thinks the language in the messages suggested it was written by an adult and friends have told him of other conversations they had with the family he believes to be responsible, he told Nine.

He said that made it 'even worse' and 'very sad' that adults were involved.

But although Mr Simpson thinks he knows who his daughter's tormentors are, he has not confronted them and since first going public about the issue, the bullying had stopped.

He said his daughter seemed to be coping well and was in a 'happy spot'.

Katelyn Simpson is a national rodeo champion and her father believes the bullying has stemmed from jealousy about her success

Father Russell Simpson (left) said he had to do something after he was told about the extent of the bullying

Mr Simpson revealed the extent of his daughter's bullying in a public post on Facebook in January.

She was subjected to bullying for three years but Mr Simpsons said he was only made aware when another parent phoned him.

He said Katelyn had kept things to herself and tried to deal with the bullies herself.

Mr Simpson previously told Daily Mail Australia he had been left

Other messages sent to Katelyn by the unknown 'fake account' made fun and attacked her appearance, called her rodeo victories 'flukes' and another said 'stop telling everyone your a virgin, because no one believes it'.

NT Police says there are many resources it uses to help parents address cyberbullying.

For more information visit the Office of the eSafety Commissioner at the Think U Know program and ACORN.This is the amazing moment a baby monkey is born via a caesarean section, minutes after its mother was killed in a car accident.

The pregnant monkey had been hit by a vehicle outside a temple in Nakhon Sawan, Thailand, and a witness rushed over and performed the surgery with a scalpel.

Padtama Kedkuerviriyanon, 36, successfully helped the monkey into the world, despite having no medical training.

Amazing: Padtama Kedkuerviriyanon, 36, performs a C-section on a pregnant monkey killed by a car at a temple in Thailand

Video shows Ms Kedkuerviriyanon carefully cutting the stomach of the dead adult monkey, and removing the baby from the womb.

At first, the newborn appears to have died along with its mother, but after a few tense moments of Ms Kedkuerviriyanon performing heart massage, the newborn starts to breathe.

The pregnant mother monkey was part of a troop of monkeys living at the temple who would be fed by visiting tourists.

Ms Kedkuerviriyanon makes a living selling monkey food to the tourists at the temple, and she witnessed the accident that killed the mother.

Rescue mission: The baby monkey does not breathe right after it has been born, so Ms Kedkuerviriyanon performs heart massage

Circle of life: After a few moments of carefully tapping away at the baby monkey's chest, the little newborn takes its first breath and opens its eyes

Miracle monkey: The baby monkey, seen in a photo posted by Ms Kedkuerviriyanon on social media, is doing well and will be released back into the troop once it is strong enough

Hero: Padtama Kedkuerviriyanon

She told Thai media that she has no veterinarian or medical training, and carried out the procedure from memory by thinking back to her own experience giving birth through a cesarean section several years ago.

'At that moment, I thought to myself the baby monkey would be dying inside its dead mother if I didn't do anything to help save it,' she told Bangkok Post.

Ms Kedkuerviriyanon told the newspaper that the little monkey is thriving in her care. She feeds it regularly via a syringe, and at night the baby monkey sleeps with her in her bed.

She added that she plans on raising it until it is strong enough to be released into the troop.Vinzent Tarantino (pictured) was accused of smothering Quanne Diec, 12, to death with a pillow after sexually assaulting her

Harrowing new details have emerged relating to the disappearance of 12-year-old Quanne Diec, who disappeared on her way to school nearly 20 years ago.

Vinzent Tarantino, 50, allegedly lured her into a van after randomly selecting her on July 27, 1998, before killing her inside his home, a Sydney Court was told Tuesday.

He was accused by police of driving her to his home, just 700 metres from where she lived, and sexually assaulting and murdering her on a mattress in his bedroom, Nine News reported.

The woman Tarantino was dating around the time of the disappearance, Laila Faily, said after questioning him about it, he admitted to smothering her with a pillow for being too loud.

'He said that she was making too much noise and that she was not supposed to make noise and that he had no choice but to kill her,' Ms Faily told the court.

She also alleged Tarantino had a 'fetish' and asked if she wanted to dress as a schoolgirl in the following weeks.

When they were having sex, she told the court he tried choking her with a pillow until she muscled her way free and told him she needed to leave.

Laila Faily, who was dating Tarantino at the time, alleged he told her he killed 12-year-old Quanne Diec (pictured) because she was being too loud

Ms Faily (pictured), who was involved with Tarantino for about two months, recalled being asked to drive with him to a national park in a van with a 'distinct smell'

'He was weird. He was very weird. His aura changed,' she said in evidence.

Ms Faily, who was involved with Tarantino for about two months, recalled being asked to drive with him to a national park in a van with a 'distinct smell'.

She told the court she heard a wheelie bin being removed from the vehicle and taken into the bush.

'I pretended I didn't know anything. I was just very quiet,' she said.

Geoff Maurer, a one-time friend of Tarantino, told a committal hearing Tarantino had also told him about how he killed Quanne.

'What I can remember is him saying that she was making a lot of noise and all he wanted to do was to quieten her and he f---ed up, that was all. He didn't mean to.'

Mr Maurer told the court he warned the man he knew Tarantino through, Daniel Soraurer, to stay away from him, but said his warnings were ignored.

She told the court she heard a wheelie bin being removed from the vehicle and taken into the bush

He said others looked up to Tarantino, who at the time was known as Victor Gerada, because of his positive aura.

His new name was believed to be in reference to the creator of cult film Pulp Fiction and the protagonist Vincent Vega.

Tarantino was charged with alleged murder in 2016.

He interrupted court proceedings a number of times on Thursday and was ordered to leave the court room following multiple warnings.

He was told the Magistrate found there was enough evidence for him to face trial in the Supreme Court in May 2016.

Tarantino led police to an area of dense bush in Bulli Tops, near Wollongong, in November 2016, but the 12-year-old's body was not found.

Quanne was last seen on her way to Strathfield Girls High School from her Granville home in July 1998.

Her school assumed she was at home sick and her parents thought she was at school, so she was not reported missing until that evening.

Tarantino was arrested after allegedly making admissions to the schoolgirl's murder during a visit to Surry Hills police station.A young mother who was filmed helping her 11-year-old son smoke his first cannabis bong has been jailed for just nine months.

The 29-year-old mother, from Whyalla west of Adelaide, was facing both a $1million fine and a life sentence for supplying her impressionable son with the drug.

In a video she took of her and her son using the drug she can be heard saying 'Alright, here we are recording ***** having his very first bong - go for it son. You wanted a cone, you got to have the whole lot.'

Scroll down for video

A 29-year-old South Australian mother who was filmed helping her son, 11, smoke his first cannabis bong has been sentenced to a minimum of two years in jail with a non parole period of nine months

'My boy is a stoner,' she said as she turned the camera on herself.

In the video the boy coughs and tries to hand the drug back to his mother.

'You have to put your finger on the hole, you have to put your finger on the back,' she instructs him as he lights the pipe.

The video was uploaded to social media and went viral in August last year.

Less than 24 hours after the video went online, police charged the 29-year-old woman with supplying drugs to a child .

The woman later pleaded guilty to having supplied a controlled substance to a child on April 17 and May 10, 2017.

The woman pleaded guilty to having supplied a controlled substance to a child on April 17 and May 10, 2017

In a letter to the court, the woman allegedly described the drugs as 'a harmless, natural and safe alternative to prescription medication.'

District Court Judge Geraldine Davison said in her sentencing remarks: 'You said that you received information (your son) was smoking cannabis and you committed this offence in a misguided attempt to put him off that'.

'I find that submission difficult to accept given the content of the video.

'It shows very little insight in relation to the dangers of smoking cannabis for you and your son and the dangers of exposing children to such substances at such a young age'.

A 29-year-old South Australian mother has been sentenced to jail after she pleaded guilty to supplying drugs to a child after a video of her young son smoking marijuana went viral last year

The woman recorded both incidents on her phone but alleged the footage had been stolen and put online without her permission.

It was also alleged the woman had began using the cannabis at the age of 11, had a dysfunctional childhood and was still smoking the drug.

The matter was regarded as serious and the woman's 'lack of insight' and affect of jail time on her son was taken into account.

Judge Davison jailed the woman for two years, one month and one week, with a nine-month non-parole period.

She will be eligible for parole in November.A secret group inside British intelligence could have been behind the 'poisoning' of Sergei Skripal as part of a plot to 'discredit' Moscow, according to Russia's largest newspaper.

The 66-year-old, who had recently told police he feared for his life, was rushed to hospital after collapsing on a bench outside a shopping centre in Salisbury on Sunday.

He was found with a 33-year-old woman, who is also fighting for her life. She is thought to be a family member. Health chiefs said the pair had been exposed to an 'unknown substance'.

This morning, the pro-Vladimir Putin media outlet Komsomolskaya Pravda claimed the incident will be used by Britain to 'discredit' Russia.

'The police do not yet have a clear version of the incident, but it is obvious - it will be used in the old tradition of accusations against Russia,' said KP.

A secret group inside British intelligence could have been behind the 'poisoning' of Sergei Skripal (pictured), according to Russia's largest newspaper

Last night police shut down a Zizzi Restaurant in Salisbury 'as a precaution' in connection with the incident

The area outside Maltings shopping centre where Mr Skripal and the unknown woman were found (highlighted top) is less than a 150-yard walk from Zizzi restaurant (highlighted bottom) where police were conducting searches last night

'It cannot be ruled out that separate groups within British intelligence services are involved in such operations against defectors, who are already entirely in the (control) of new their owners, in order to discredit the Russian Federation and prevent the normalisation of relations between Moscow and London.'

Rossiya 24 rolling news channel said the British media 'is actively hyping up the story'.

Russian publication Argument i Fakty reported: 'Whatever happened in reality, we need to admit that Skripal is a very convenient figure for promotion of another round of anti-Russian hysteria.

'If we do not soon get proof excluding a 'Russian trace', we can be sure that the Western propaganda will try to use this case in full.'

In Moscow, Skripal is viewed as one of Russia's most prominent traitors since the fall of Communism.

The pair were taken to hospital after they collapsed inside The Maltings shopping centre after coming into contact with an unknown substance. Pictured, emergency crews at the centre

Emergency services found Sergei Skripal and a woman slumped over a bench at The Maltings shopping centre before they were transported to Salisbury District Hospital, where a major incident was declared on Monday

He has been described as as 'b*****d' who should have been executed for spying for MI6.

He is believed to have spied for the British from the mid-1990s until his arrest in 2004.

One Russian spy expert said he divulged 300 identities of GRU agents and intelligence assets - with some 'secretly arrested' and others 'vanishing'.

The Russian embassy in London said it had not received any requests from relatives or legal representatives of Skripal.

Nor had diplomats been contacted by the British authorities on the poisoning of Skripal and a woman believed to be a family member.

Police and paramedics discovered a man and woman in a critical condition on Sunday

'No relatives, no legally authorised representatives of the (Skrpial) and no representatives of the UK authorities have contacted us on the issue,' said a spokesman.

Skripal, who lives in a 350,000 house in Salisbury, is thought to have suffered a double family tragedy after his son was killed in a car crash in Russia last year - five years after his wife suffered the same fate and was buried in Britain.

Officials said last night that anyone who feels ill should contact 111 as they desperately worked to identify the mystery substance.

Last night, police shut down a branch of the Italian restaurant chain Zizzi in the cathedral city 'as a precaution' in connection with the incident, suggesting one or both of them may have dined there before.

They also closed Salisbury Hospital's A&E unit to protect other patients and sealed off part of the city centre. Mr Skripal was previously known for allegedly receiving 78,000 in exchange for taking huge risks to pass classified information to MI6.

It was suggested last night that Vladimir Putin would never have forgiven Mr Skripal following his treason conviction. The Russian president once said: 'Traitors always end in a bad way. Usually from a drinking habit, or from drugs, right in the street.'

It is thought that Mr Skripal, who unmasked dozens of Russian agents, may have been the target of a revenge 'hit' by former colleagues. Police said it not been declared a terrorist incident.

However, friends of Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned at a London hotel in 2006 with polonium-210, said it had the hallmarks of a Kremlin-backed attack.

Last night Litvinenko's widow Marina told the Telegraph : 'It looks similar to what happened to my husband but we need more information. We need to know the substance. Was it radioactive?'

The inquiry found two Russian men - Andrei Lugovoi (pictured left at a Moscow press conference 2007) and Dmitri Kovtun (right, in Moscow, 2006) - had deliberately poisoned Litvinenko

An inquiry found two Russian men - Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun - had deliberately poisoned Litvinenko by putting polonium-210 into his drink, leading to an agonising death.

Both men have today had their say on Sunday's incident.

Mr Lugovoi said: 'I have a feeling that this is a kind of propagandist journalist's hoax or planned provocation, and I doubt that there is anything serious behind it.

'Skripal could not be interesting for the special services. Russia doesn't chase defectors.

'And he was not even a defector, he was exchanged. I cannot exclude that all this noise, unfolding now, will be used by forces which are not friendly to Russia.

'This kind of stupidity needs to be clarified by UK law enforcement, if there was any impact on Skripal's organism.

'Why poisoned? Maybe he has eaten something wrong. They immediately try to find some conspiracy trace.'

Dmitry Kovtun, also implicated in the Litvinenko poisoning, told Interfax today: 'If someone truly poisoned Skripal, if it's not an accident, then it is obviously a provocation of British special services aimed at discrediting, first of all, the Russian authorities before the presidential elections.'

At the same time he didn't rule out that 'developing an anti-Russian plot' might resemble investigation of the death of Litvinenko.

'According to the media, Skripal is now in reanimation. Anything can be found in his blood.

'If he dies, then the trace of "bloody Russians" will be developed. If he stays alive thanks to British doctors then "Russian trace" in an attempted murder will still remain.'

Litvinenko's widow Marina (pictured) questioned whether the mystery substance was radioactive and claimed there were similarities with her late husband's case

A decade ago, Mr Skripal was accused of passing secrets to MI6 officers through a James Bond-style fake rock hidden in a Moscow park.

Russian secret services exposed the rock in 2006, revealing how agents walked past it and transmitting data to the rock via a hidden handheld device.

He was sentenced to 13 years in a high-security prison in August 2006 before being freed in a 2010 deal which saw 10 Russian sleeper agents expelled from the United States.

The Kremlin said today it was ready to cooperate if Britain asks it for help investigating Sunday's incident.

'Nobody has approached us with such a request,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters, when asked if the British authorities had been in touch seeking help. 'Moscow is always open for cooperation.'

When asked to respond to British media speculation that Russia had poisoned Skripal, Peskov said: 'It didn't take them long.'

Calling the incident 'a tragic situation,' he said the Kremlin did not have information about what had happened.

'We don't have information about what the reason (for the incident) could be, what this person was doing, and what it could be linked to,' said Peskov.

He said he did not know whether Skripal was still formally a Russian national.



Russian president Vladimir Putin once hinted at how his country deals with spies by insisting that 'traitors always end in a bad way'.

The former KGB chief's words are all the more chilling as fears build over a poison plot in Wiltshire against Sergei Skripal, a Russian colonel who spied for MI6.

Mr Skripal, 66, was accused of working for MI6 over several years, in particular disclosing the names of several dozen Russian agents working in Europe.

Russian president Vladimir Putin once (left) said 'traitors always end in a bad way'. Fears are building over a poison plot in Wiltshire against former Russian spy Sergei Skripal (right)

Among the Russian agents exposed was the red-haired 'femme fatale' Anna Chapman, and Mr Putin said at the time: 'It is a result of betrayal.

'Traitors always end in a bad way. Usually from a drinking habit, or from drugs, right in the street.'

Mr Skripal was sentenced to 13 years in a high-security prison in 2006, before being freed in a 2010 deal which saw ten Russian sleeper agents expelled from the US.

Among the Russian agents exposed was the red-haired 'femme fatale' Anna Chapman

Mr Skripal retired from military intelligence, often known by its Russian-language acronym GRU. He went on to work at the Foreign Ministry until 2003.

He was arrested in 2004 in Moscow and admitted he was recruited by British intelligence in 1995 and had provided information about GRU agents in Europe, for which he was paid more than $100,000.

Mr Skripal was one of four agents pardoned and released by Moscow in what was said at the time to be the biggest spy swap since the Cold War.

He was flown to the UK with another of the men freed by Russia in the exchange - analyst Igor Sutyagin, who was serving a 14-year sentence for spying for the US.

The spy swap took place on July 9, 2010 on the tarmac at Vienna's airport and a Boeing 767-200 carrying the four agents was understood to have later touched down at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

The returning Russian spies were greeted as heroes in Moscow. Mr Putin, himself a former KGB officer who served in what was then East Germany, sang patriotic songs with them.

But Mr Putin predicted a grim future for the man who had betrayed the Russian spies in the US, saying that he knew both his identity and location.

A police tent covers the the spot in Salisbury, Wiltshire, where former Mr Skripal was found

He said that a 'Mercader has already been sent after him,' referring to Ramon Mercader, the assassin who was sent to kill Leon Trotsky in 1940 in Mexico.

Mr Skripal was cast as a traitor by Moscow at the time of the spy swap. He is thought to have done serious damage to Russian spy networks in Britain and Europe.

Behind the FSB, Russia's secretive security agency Russia's Federal Security Service arrested Sergei Skripal in 2004 on suspicion of betraying dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence. The intelligence and counter-terror operations organised by the FSB have gained the security agency notoriety. The agency, which was once run by Vladimir Putin, was set up in 1995 to fight perceived threats to Russia. It has fought separatist rebels from Chechnya in two wars, and aims to prevent pro-Western 'colour' uprisings in Russia such as Georgia's Rose Revolution of 2003 and Ukraine's Orange Revolution of 2004. But it was thrust into the global spotlight during the murder case involving former FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko who was poisoned at a hotel in London's Mayfair in 2006 after being branded a 'traitor' in Russia. A British inquiry found that the killers probably had approval from both Mr Putin and Nikolai Patrushev, the then FSB chief. But Russia denied this and made main suspect Andrei Lugovoi an MP and national hero. Advertisement

The Foreign Office refused to comment at the time on whether the men who arrived in Oxfordshire would remain in the UK.

But it appears Mr Skripal settled for a quieter life in Salisbury for several years until it emerged last night that he was critically ill in hospital.

The GRU spy service, created in 1918 under revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky, is controlled by the military general staff and reports directly to the president. It has spies spread across the world.

Dr Paul Flenley, an expert on Russian affairs who is based at the University of Portsmouth, said: 'It's all speculation at the moment, but there's a long tradition, since the 1920s, of Russia eliminating its enemies.

He added: 'The secret police, the KGB, are well trained - there's an assumption you can't escape, there's a code and if you break it, if you betray them, they will get you - it's part of their discipline.

'There's tendency to assume everything is orchestrated by Putin, and of course he likes that, it amplifies his power, but there are other possibilities. There are business groups and mafia-like groups who could be seeking revenge.'

A former associate of Alexander Litvinenko has alleged the incident in Salisbury bears the hallmarks of a state-ordered assassination.

Yuri Felshtinsky co-authored a book with Mr Litvinenko called Blowing Up Russia in 2001, years before he was poisoned in a plot suspected of being authorised by Mr Putin.

The historian had originally helped the murdered spy and his family escape from Russia, according to the official report into the death.

Police Community Support Officers stand outside the Salisbury home of Mr Skripal today

It was suggested last night that Vladimir Putin (pictured today) would never have forgiven Mr Skripal following his treason conviction

Russian president Vladimir Putin (pictured today) once hinted at how his country deals with spies by insisting that 'traitors always end in a bad way'

He said in a statement: 'Poisoning is the method of choice for the FSB. In the context of the Russian presidential election this has all hallmarks of a Putin assassination.

'He is warning anyone in the FSB never to defect as they'll be hunted down and killed. It is also a sharp warning to any political opponent not to pose a real challenge in any way to the president.

'The underlying atmosphere of terror in Russia, means that even mere speculation serves its purpose, even if there was a different cause here.

'As in this case Sergei Skripal was a colonel in the FSB like Alexander Litvinenko. The FSB always kills defectors as a loyalty warning to its agents.'

Former head of Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command Richard Walton said: 'The investigation must take its course but if this is state-sponsored terrorism and it looks entirely possible, then it will have grave consequences for UK Russia bi-lateral relations.

'Relations that are already at breaking point. The UK cannot and will not tolerate state-sponsored terrorism of any kind.'Pierce, 23, faces attempted homicide charge after stabbing woman in her home

Standingrock, 26, had his mother send for marriage papers November last year

Augustus Standingrock and Tiffanie Pierce plan to marry in Missoula County jail

A man and woman from western Montana accused of murdering a 15-year-old girl and 24-year-old woman before dissolving their bodies in acid have applied to get married in jail.

Augustus Standingrock, 26, and Tiffanie Pierce, 23, were charged with two counts of deliberate homicide after the dismembered bodies of Marilyn Pickett, a minor, and Jackson Wiles were found in tubs of chemicals in the basement of Pierce's home last August.

The pair have been held in Missoula County jail since their arrest. Their bail was set at $2 million respectively.

Augustus Standingrock, 26, (pictured in court) and Tiffanie Pierce, 23, who are accused of deliberate homicide, plan to marry in jail before they go to trial

Now the couple have sent off for marriage papers, the Independent Record reports.

But it remains unclear whether Standingrock and Pierce will be allowed to marry in jail.

A judge's order banned the couple from having contact with one another.

Chief Detention Officer Reese Richter, who has worked at the jail for 20 years, said he cannot recall a single incident where inmates have married.

'To my knowledge, it's never happened in my career,' he said. 'To be perfectly honest, I just don't know what we would do about that because I've never had to deal with it.'

In November, Standingrock's mother sent him the marriage paperwork.

He replied: 'Did you send them to [Tiffanie] as well? I hope you're ready to accept Tiffanie into the family.'

The pair have repeatedly asked family members to send them copies of the lyrics to the song Meat Cleaver by Brotha Lynch Hung, which references the killing and dismemberment of a woman.

Pierce sheds a tear at Missoula County jail. She is also charged with attempted homicide and assault with a weapon, after she allegedly broke into a Missoula home and stabbed a woman

The song's music video features an African-American woman in a basement with a bathtub.

One of the pair's victims was an African-American female who was dismembered with knives and an axe. In scenes reminiscent of the song's gruesome video she was placed in a bathtub in a basement.

At Montana State Prison, marriages between inmates do not happen, public information officer Amy Barton revealed.

Inmates have married people outside of the jail but the jail has never played any part in the marriage process.

The individual outside must fill out the paperwork for a marriage by proxy.

Grisly scene: Police discovered the bodies in plastic tubs filled with chemicals while searching this home in the 1900 block of Strand Avenue in Missoula

A loophole allows marriage ceremonies to take place in a jail visiting room at the couple's expense.

However, this requires a staff sponsor, which Standingrock has not yet acquired.

Pierce is also charged with attempted homicide and assault with a weapon, counts from a July incident in which she allegedly broke into a Missoula home before repeatedly stabbing a woman.

Standingrock is also charged with witness tampering after he allegedly called a witness in the homicide case and told him not to speak to detectives.

The couple will be tried separately. Standingrock will be tried on November 7 while Pierce will be tried on September 14.Theresa May's National Security Council met today to discuss a suspected attempt to assassinate a former Russian spy.

The council, thought to include the heads of the intelligence services and senior ministers alongside other officials, was updated on the investigation, which is now being led by counter terrorism police.

Downing Street refused to confirm further details on who was invited and exactly what was discussed or decided.

The meeting came after Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told MPs Britain would not hesitate to impose new punishment on Russia if it was found to be responsible for the suspected attack on Sergei Skripal, 66, in Salisbury on Sunday.

He suggested Britain could partially boycott the World Cup in Russia this summer by refusing to send officials or diplomats alongside players.

Mr Johnson said: 'If things turn out to be as many members suspect that they are... I think we will have to have a serious conversation about our engagement with Russia.

'And for my part I think it will be difficult to see how, thinking ahead to the World Cup this summer, I think it would be difficult to imagine that UK representation at that event could go ahead in the normal way.

'We will certainly have to consider that.'

Sources close to Mr Johnson later insisted he was referring to officials and dignitaries attending the tournament and not footballers.

The World Cup begins in Russia in June. England are the only UK team to have qualified to take part.

Boris Johnson (pictured in the Commons today) has vowed 'robust' action if it is proven Russia was behind a suspected poisoning attack on a former spy

The Foreign Secretary (pictured today responding to an urgent question) told MPs the Government would stand up for the 'lives, values and freedoms' of British people

Sergei Skripal is fighting for his life after being exposed to an unknown substance. He is a former colonel of Russia's military intelligence, was convicted in Russia in 2006 on charges of espionage for Britain's MI6 intelligence agency

Mr Johnson hinted at a range of new sanctions as he insisted any attempt to kill on British soil 'will not go unsanctioned or unpunished'.

The Foreign Secretary told MPs the Government would stand up for the 'lives, values and freedoms' of people in Britain.

He branded Russia a 'malign and disruptive' force in the global community and said Britain would continue to stand up against it, even if the nation is force to 'pay a price' for doing so.

Mr Johnson was summoned to the Commons after Tom Tugendhat, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, secured an emergency debate on Russia's 'soft war' against the West.

WHAT SANCTIONS COULD BE IMPOSED ON RUSSIA? Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson today hinted at a new range of sanctions if it is proven Russia is behind a suspected assassination attempt in London. The intervention came after Tory MP Tom Tugendhat revived calls for a 'Magnitsky List' to be set up in Britain. It would mirror US laws imposing travel bans on senior Kremlin officials responsible for the death of Russian accountant Sergei Magnitsky in a prison in 2009. UK ministers have repeatedly refused to pass a similar law, but has imposed financial sanctions on several senior Russian figures. Further sanctions could see UK assets owned by Kremlin officials seized and travel bans on more individuals imposed. The intent is to stop the ruling elite in Moscow travelling freely and keeping money abroad while Putin operates with little restraint. Advertisement

The warning comes after shadow defence secretary Diane Abbott warned ministers not to allow 'London and the Home Counties to become a kind of killing field for the Russian state'.

British relations with Russia have been chilly since President Vladimir Putin was suspected of personally ordering the attack on Litvinenko.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson yesterday repeated warnings of the military threat from Russia, warning Putin had 'hostile intent' toward Britain.

Downing Street today said all relevant departments, including No 10, were being updated on the police investigation.

Mr Johnson told the Commons: 'Police, together with partner agencies, are now investigating. MPs will note the echoes of the death of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006.

'And while it'd be wrong to prejudge the investigation, I can reassure the House that should evidence emerge that implies state responsibility, then Her Majesty's Government will respond appropriately and robustly.'

'It is too early to speculate as to the precise nature of the crime or attempted crime that has taken place in Salisbury.

'But I know members will have their suspicions.

Mr Johnson (pictured at the Despatch Box today) hinted at a range of new sanctions as he insisted any attempt to kill on British soil 'will not go unsanctioned or unpunished

'And what I will say to the House is that if those suspicions prove to be well-founded then this Government will take whatever measures we deem necessary to protect the lives of the people in this country, our values and our freedoms.

'Though I am not now pointing fingers, I say to governments around the world that no attempt to take innocent life on UK soil will go either unsanctioned or unpunished.'

Mr Johnson said it may be that the UK will 'continue to pay a price' for standing up to Russia, adding he hopes MPs from all parties will support the Government's approach.

He said: 'I'm afraid that the events in Salisbury may very well - and again we must be very careful in what we say because it is too early to prejudge the investigation - but if the suspicions that I know on both sides of the House prove to be well-founded then it may very well be that we are forced to look again at our regime, our sanctions regime and other measures that we may seek to put in place.'

It was suggested last night that Vladimir Putin (pictured today) would never have forgiven Mr Skripal following his treason conviction

Russian president Vladimir Putin (pictured today) once hinted at how his country deals with spies by insisting that 'traitors always end in a bad way'

Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat (file) said if proven the possible poisoning of Sergei Skripal, 66, would a new escalation in a 'soft war' against the UK'rob

Diane Abbott (file image) today demanded answers from ministers about an apparent attack on a Russian spy she said had 'striking similarities' to the murder of Alexander Litvinenko

The Russian Embassy posted a short response to Mr Johnson's address to MPs, saying ironically: 'We are impressed by the statement of the Foreign Secretary in Parliament today. The Foreign Secretary spoke in such a manner as if the investigation was already over and Russia was found responsible for what had happened in Salisbury.'

The statement continued: 'We regret that instead of a proper official clarification on the issue the Foreign Secretary chose to threaten Russia with retribution. Looks like the script of yet another anti-Russian campaign has been already written.'

Skripal who had recently told police he feared for his life, was rushed to hospital after collapsing on a bench outside a shopping centre in Salisbury on Sunday.

'Poisoned spy case' echoes fate of Alexander Litvinenko - Putin critic killed by polonium-laced tea Relations between Britain and Russia have been strained since the murder of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006, a killing which a judge said was probably approved by President Vladimir Putin. The defector died after two agents slipped radioactive polonium 210 into his tea pot at a Mayfair hotel in central London, according to an inquiry headed by former high court judge Sir Robert Owen. The inquiry found two Russian men - Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun - had deliberately poisoned Litvinenko by putting polonium-210 into his drink at a London hotel, leading to an agonising death. Alexander Litvinenko died after two agents slipped radioactive polonium 210 into his tea It said the use of the radioactive substance - which could only have come from a nuclear reactor - was a 'strong indicator' of state involvement and that the two men had probably been acting under the direction of the FSB. Possible motives included Litvinenko's work for British intelligence agencies, his criticism of the FSB, and his association with other Russian dissidents, while it said there was also a 'personal dimension' to the antagonism between him and Putin. International arrest warrants issued for Mr Lugovoi and Mr Kovtun remain in force although Russia continues to refuse their extradition. The Millennium Hotel in Mayfair, where he is said to have been poisoned In a statement to mark the 10th anniversary of his death, Marina Litvinenko said her husband - who she called Sasha - had been an 'extraordinary man' whose courage in speaking out against the Russian security service, the FSB, had left an enduring legacy. While she acknowledged Mr Putin had refused to accept the inquiry's findings, she said it remained open for other world leaders to take action against the Russian state and that she hoped her struggle to find the truth had not been in vain. 'It has taken 10 long years for the truth to be established and for Sasha's dying words that President Putin was responsible for his death to be proved to be true,' she said. 'I know that Mr Putin's Russia does not accept the findings of the British public inquiry and will continue to deny the truth in the face of overwhelming evidence. 'But those findings are now part of history and the rest of the world understands the difference between truth and propaganda. And that is what matters to me. 'What action world leaders will take against the ever vengeful Russian state in these dramatic times remains to be seen. I hope and pray that my struggle has not been in vain.' Last year the scandal took a new twist when Scotland Yard detectives who investigated the Litvinenko case revealed they too had been poisoned by the Russians in an extraordinary attempt to thwart the inquiry. The inquiry found Andrei Lugovoi (left, in 2007) and Dmitri Kovtun (right, in 2006) - had deliberately poisoned Litvinenko Detective Inspector Brian Tarpey, who flew to Moscow to investigate, says: I remember one evening my officer [a colleague who travelled with him] was complaining of stomach cramp and not being very well. Next morning I accompanied him to the general prosecutors office. We were offered tea. I had no hesitation in accepting. After we left, I started to feel a little bit uncomfortable. Not wanting to put too fine a point on it, I had the s***s. I have no doubt in my mind that someone poisoned us with something like gastroenteritis. Advertisement

He was found with a 33-year-old woman, who is also fighting for her life. She is thought to be a family member.

Health chiefs said the pair had been exposed to an 'unknown substance'.

Mr Tugendhat said that if Russian involvement was proved, the Skripal case would amount to a further salvo in a 'soft war against the UK' conducted by Mr Putin's administration.

'It is too early to say whether it is certain or not, but it certainly bears all the hallmarks of a Russian attack,' Mr Tugendhat said.

'If it is, then I am calling for a whole-of-Government response.

'Too much of this has been left to the Foreign Office or the Home Office separately.

'What needs to be done is for the whole Government to get involved in responding to what amounts to a soft war against the UK, taking in the cyber-hacking they have done and the various aggressions they have been involved in.'

Mr Tugendhat said that the eventual response to any Russian involvement in the Skripal case could include travel bans, sanctions and the imposition of Magnitsky Sanctions legislation allowing the assets of human rights violators to be frozen in the UK.

Theresa May's official spokesman referred questions about the incident to the police while officers 'establish the facts'.

The spokesman said: 'All relevant departments, including No 10, are being kept informed of developments as you'd expect.

'This is an ongoing investigation that's being led by the police and it's an operational matter for them.'

The Government's emergency 'Cobra' committee has not been convened to discuss the incident.

Ms Abbott told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: 'It's important not to speculate without knowing everything it but it does bear a striking similarity to the death of Litvinenko who was poisoned by the Russian state and before that Markov who was killed bizarrely by somebody stabbing him with an umbrella with poison on the tip.

'That was put to the Russian state and the problem with these things is sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.'

Ms Abbott highlighted a BuzzFeed investigation that named as many as 14 people who died in suspicious circumstances linked to Russia.

She said the cases did not need to be reopened but that the Home Secretary should reassure the public all of them were probed properly after they were exposed over the past two years.

Ms Abbott added: 'I will be writing to Amber Rudd to say if it does prove to be the case the Russian state is involved in thus latest death what assurances can she give about the rigour of the investigation and where we go from here.

'I don't like defaulting to a red menace analysis but we can't allow London and the Home Counties to become a kind of killing field for the Russian state.'

Ms Abbott's intervention came as the Government remained tight lipped about the circumstances surrounding Skripal.

Julian Lewis, the chairman of the Commons defence committee, told MailOnline: 'If a second Russian former spy has been targeted in the UK, after the reckless use of polonium to kill Mr Litvinenko, it shows that the Kremlin has not the slightest interest in a positive relationship with the West and has learned nothing from the outrage caused by its previous public act of murder.'

Labour MP Chris Bryant, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Russia, called for a Government minister to come to the despatch box today to update the Commons on what is known about the Skripal case.

Mr Bryant said: 'We have got to be a little careful about establishing the facts - and I very much hope a Government minister will come to the chamber later today to explain what we do know - but we know Putin's record of using excessive violence.

'There is a long list of Putin opponents who have been bumped off around the world. The fact that this happens just before presidential elections, I would suspect, is not circumstantial.

'We can't be having Russian operatives bumping people off in the UK. I was very critical of both David Cameron and Theresa May in the 2010 Parliament because they kept refusing to allow a full investigation of the Litvinenko murder. It was years before Theresa May finally allowed one to happen.

'If something similar has occurred in this situation, then we shouldn't let the grass grow under our feet.'

The pair were taken to hospital after they collapsed inside The Maltings shopping centre after coming into contact with an unknown substance. Pictured, emergency crews at the centre

Last night police shut down a Zizzi Restaurant in Salisbury 'as a precaution' in connection with the incident

Skripal, who lives in a 350,000 house in Salisbury, is thought to have suffered a double family tragedy after his son was killed in a car crash in Russia last year - five years after his wife suffered the same fate and was buried in Britain.

As police experts desperately attempt to find out what substance Mr Skripal was exposed to, authorities have urged anyone who feels ill to contact 111 .

Last night, police shut down a branch of the Italian restaurant chain Zizzi in the cathedral city 'as a precaution' in connection with the incident, suggesting one or both of them may have dined there before.

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They also closed Salisbury Hospital's A&E unit to protect other patients and sealed off part of the city centre.

Mr Skripal was previously known for allegedly receiving 78,000 in exchange for taking huge risks to pass classified information to MI6.

Defence Secretary Mr Williamson yesterday called for the UK to wake up to the threat posed by Russia.

He warned that the Kremlin had developed a much more aggressive posture towards the UK in the past 12 months and the country should not sit submissively by.

With relations between Britain and Russia believed to be at an all-time low, Mr Williamson told MPs that the country needed to 'match what Putin is doing with Russian forces'.

During defence questions in the Commons, he said: 'Putin has made it quite clear that he has hostile intent towards this country.

'We've been seeing the build-up of his forces across the Eastern Front and in terms of what they're doing over many years now  we have to wake up to that threat and we have to respond to it.

'And it is not just through nuclear weapons  our continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent is absolutely integral to maintaining the peace, but it is also through conventional armed forces. We have to match what Putin is doing with Russian forces.'

His comments came after he was asked by Labour's Barry Sheerman about comments the Russian president had made in a state-of-the-nation speech last week.

Mr Sheerman pointed out that Mr Putin had basically announced 'a new Cold War'.

Mr Putin boasted in his speech that Russia had developed an arsenal of invincible nuclear weapons that are immune to enemy detection.

On Sunday, emergency services had said they suspected fentanyl, a synthetic opiate up to 100 times more potent than heroin, may have been involved, the Salisbury Journal reports.

A spokesman for Public Health England (PHE) said anyone exposed to the unknown substance had been decontaminated 'as is standard practice in situations like this'.

He added: 'Scientists from PHE's Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, will continue to assist the response and review information as it becomes available.'

Chairman of the Commons defence committee Julian Lewis (left) told MailOnline a proven second case of assassination on British soil would prove Russia had learned nothing from outrage at the Litvinenko murder, while Labour's Chris Bryant (right) called for a Government statement

Yesterday, Constable Holden said: 'Yesterday afternoon, at approximately 4.15pm, Wiltshire Police received a call from a member of the public who was concerned for the welfare of two people.

'The two people - a man aged in his 60s and a woman aged in her 30s - were found unconscious on a bench in The Maltings in Salisbury.

'Police officers, as well as colleagues from the ambulance and fire services, attended the scene and cordons were put in place.

'The pair, who we believe are known to each other, did not have any visible injuries and were taken to Salisbury District Hospital.

'They are currently being treated for suspected exposure to an unknown substance. Both are currently in a critical condition in intensive care.

'Because we are still at the very early stages of the investigation, we are unable to ascertain whether or not a crime has taken place.

'A major incident has been declared today and a multi-agency response has been co-ordinated.

'Alongside our partner agencies, we are conducting some extensive inquiries to determine exactly what led to these two people falling unconscious and clarify whether or not any criminal activity has happened.The family of a couple who allegedly unlawfully imprisoned their 13 children in a House of Horrors today said they have been living a 'nightmare' and they want to 'vomit'.

Louise and David Turpin denied 37 charges of torture and false imprisonment against their children who were aged between two and 29 in court last month.

The pair are accused of forcing their children to endure years of abuse including starvation, being chained to beds and assaulted at their home in California.

And speaking on Good Morning Britain today, Mrs Turpin's sister Elizabeth Flores and her cousin Tricia Andreassen said they noticed her 'eyes change' when they looked through old family photos.

Mrs Turpin's sister Elizabeth Flores (right) and cousin Tricia Andreassen (left) spoke of their horror on Good Morning Britain today

The pair said that they had noticed Mrs Turpin's eye change in 1982 when they looked through old photo albums

David and Louise Turpin (pictured) appeared in court in Riverside, California, and denied 37 charges

The pair said that Mrs Turpin has not shown any signs of remorse and described her being in 'la la land' during her court appearance when they spoke from their home in North Carolina.

Ms Flores said of learning the news earlier this year: 'I actually didn't know anything. I haven't seen them since 2010.

'And even at that time I didn't see all the children. I had lost contact with Louise two years ago. I hadn't had any phone contact or anything for two years.

'I broke down. I fell apart. I didn't know how to respond actually, it was like I was living a nightmare and couldn't wake up.'

Ms Andreassen added: 'It was a nightmare. We couldn't believe what we were seeing. Especially because as children, the three of us played a lot together.

'Louise and I are only a year and a half apart, so we were really close growing up. We would all play board games and all that.

'It was a real shock because the times when I would talk to her on social media - we had gone our separate ways, I'd followed the business world, she was in a whole other world - but everything had looked normal.'

Asked what had gone wrong in that part of the family, Ms Flores said: 'I have no idea.

'We're searching for answers just like the rest of the world. We really don't know what happened. That's why we're seeking out answers just like you are.'

Her cousin added: 'It really makes us so angry. We really just want to vomit. We had to see them face-to-face and see if one is a psychopath. I don't even know.'

Ms Flores described what it was like seeing her sister in court and said she did not look remorseful.

She continued: 'Louise was really living in a la-la land that she didn't do nothing wrong and that she's going to get out and we're going to play board games again and just kind of like that attitude, where David was broken.

'He knew that he had messed up and he was broken. That's what we gathered.'

Ms Andreassen added: 'When we went and saw Louise, we walked out of there and we were like, 'Oh my gosh, what in the world are we seeing?'. Is she just totally insane? What in the world?

The married couple (pictured) allegedly locked their 13 children up and starved them in their home in California

The Turpins allegedly tortured their 13 children (pictured) and the news had made her family members feel sick

They are accused off forcing their 13 children (pictured) to endure years of abuse including starvation

'Then we went and saw David and he was just sobbing. He would sob like his shoulders would shake up and down. When mentioned about his parents and his brother and not seeing them.

'I said I don't know all the things you've done and he said, 'It will come out'.'

Of hearing the horrors of what they had committed, Tricia added: 'That makes my heart hurt. And that's why we're standing in the gap for these kids.'

Asked if Louise and David realise scale of what they've done, Elizabeth said: 'I don't think Louise does. I think David is starting to realise.'

Ms Andreassen said: 'We don't know, was he crying because he got caught, is he crying because he's remorseful, is he crying because he's separated from Louise we don't really know.

'Louise on the other hand, I hope to God they're going to give a psychological evaluation.'

Asked if they've been in contact with the children, her sister explained: 'We haven't had any contact with the kids. They're not letting anybody.

'We have tried since the news broke  I have tried to get visits, phone calls, something. They [the guardian attorney] do keep in touch with us letting us know how the children are, the children are doing great.'The man accused of poisoning Putin critic Alexander Litvinvenko has suggested ex Russian spy Sergei Skripal may have simply 'eaten something wrong' before he collapsed.

Skripal was rushed to hospital after being found on a bench outside a shopping centre in Salisbury on Sunday along with a 33-year-old woman, who is also fighting for her life.

The case of the former spy, who is critically ill after being exposed to an 'unknown substance', will invite comparisons to the fate of Litvinenko - a Putin critic who was killed by polonium-laced tea in a Mayfair hotel in 2006.

Andrei Lugovoi - one of the prime suspects in the Litvinvenko case who is now a Russian MP - today hit out at those 'trying to find some conspiracy trace' over Sunday's incident, adding: 'Why poisoned? Maybe he has eaten something wrong.'

But last night Litvinenko's widow Marina questioned whether the mystery substance was radioactive and claimed there were similarities with her late husband's case.

Alexander Litvinenko died after two agents slipped radioactive polonium 210 into his tea pot at a Mayfair hotel in central London. This photo, taken on November 20, 2006, shows Litvinenko three days before his death and was released by his family

Sergei Skripal was rushed to hospital after being found on a bench outside a shopping centre in Salisbury on Sunday along with a 33-year-old woman, who is also fighting for her life

Litvinenko's widow Marina (pictured) questioned whether the mystery substance was radioactive and claimed there were similarities with her late husband's case

Andrei Lugovoi (pictured) - one of the prime suspects in the Litvinvenko case who is now a Russian MP - today hit out at those 'trying to find some conspiracy trace', adding: 'Why poisoned? Maybe he has eaten something wrong.'

She told the Telegraph: 'It looks similar to what happened to my husband but we need more information. We need to know the substance. Was it radioactive?'

Marina Litvinenko also called for political asylum seekers to be 'completely safe' in Britain after Skripal, a former Russian double agent, was left critically ill in Sunday's incident.

Marina Litvinenko said the safety and security of people like Skripal had to be taken seriously.

Former KGB agent Mr Litvinenko died in London in 2006, three weeks after drinking tea laced with radioactive polonium-210.

A public inquiry concluded in 2016 that the killing of Mr Litvinenko, an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin, had 'probably' been carried out with the approval of the Russian president.

His widow told the BBC's World Tonight: 'We need to be sure people receiving political asylum here are completely safe.

'And the state which is providing this asylum needs to be more serious, particularly now, after what has happened to Sergei (Skripal)...But it just shows how we need to take it seriously, all of these people asking for security and for safety in the UK.'

An inquiry found two Russian men - Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun - had deliberately poisoned Litvinenko by putting polonium-210 into his drink, leading to an agonising death.

It said the use of the radioactive substance - which could only have come from a nuclear reactor - was a 'strong indicator' of state involvement and that the two men had probably been acting under the direction of the FSB.

The Millennium Hotel, Grovsvenor Square, London, where Litvinenko is though to have been poisoned. It is pictured in a file photo

Possible motives included Litvinenko's work for British intelligence agencies, his criticism of the FSB, and his association with other Russian dissidents, while it said there was also a 'personal dimension' to the antagonism between him and Putin.

International arrest warrants issued for Mr Lugovoi and Mr Kovtun remain in force although Russia continues to refuse their extradition.

Commenting on the Skripal case today, Mr Lugovoi said: 'I have a feeling that this is a kind of propagandist journalist's hoax or planned provocation, and I doubt that there is anything serious behind it.

'Skripal could not be interesting for the special services. Russia doesn't chase defectors.

'And he was not even a defector, he was exchanged. I cannot exclude that all this noise, unfolding now, will be used by forces which are not friendly to Russia.

'This kind of stupidity needs to be clarified by UK law enforcement, if there was any impact on Skripal's organism.

'Why poisoned? Maybe he has eaten something wrong. They immediately try to find some conspiracy trace.'

Dmitry Kovtun, also implicated in the Litvinenko poisoning, told Interfax today: 'If someone truly poisoned Skripal, if it's not an accident, then it is obviously a provocation of British special services aimed at discrediting, first of all, the Russian authorities before the presidential elections.'

At the same time he didn't rule out that 'developing an anti-Russian plot' might resemble investigation of the death of Litvinenko.

'According to the media, Skripal is now in reanimation. Anything can be found in his blood.

'If he dies, then the trace of "bloody Russians" will be developed. If he stays alive thanks to British doctors then "Russian trace" in an attempted murder will still remain.'

Police and paramedics discovered a man and woman in a critical condition in Salisbury on Sunday

The Kremlin said today it was ready to cooperate if Britain asks it for help investigating Sunday's incident.

'Nobody has approached us with such a request,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters, when asked if the British authorities had been in touch seeking help. 'Moscow is always open for cooperation.'

When asked to respond to British media speculation that Russia had poisoned Skripal, Peskov said: 'It didn't take them long.'

Calling the incident 'a tragic situation,' he said the Kremlin did not have information about what had happened.

'We don't have information about what the reason (for the incident) could be, what this person was doing, and what it could be linked to,' said Peskov.

He said he did not know whether Skripal was still formally a Russian national.

In a statement to mark the 10th anniversary of Litvinenko's death, his widow Marina said her husband - who she called Sasha - had been an 'extraordinary man' whose courage in speaking out against the Russian security service, the FSB, had left an enduring legacy.

While she acknowledged Mr Putin had refused to accept the inquiry's findings, she said it remained open for other world leaders to take action against the Russian state and that she hoped her struggle to find the truth had not been in vain.

The pair were taken to hospital after they collapsed inside The Maltings shopping centre after coming into contact with an unknown substance. Pictured, emergency crews at the centre

Emergency services found Sergei Skripal and a woman slumped over a bench at The Maltings shopping centre before they were transported to Salisbury District Hospital, where a major incident was declared on Monday

'It has taken 10 long years for the truth to be established and for Sasha's dying words that President Putin was responsible for his death to be proved to be true,' she said.

'I know that Mr Putin's Russia does not accept the findings of the British public inquiry and will continue to deny the truth in the face of overwhelming evidence.

'But those findings are now part of history and the rest of the world understands the difference between truth and propaganda. And that is what matters to me.

'What action world leaders will take against the ever vengeful Russian state in these dramatic times remains to be seen. I hope and pray that my struggle has not been in vain.'

Last year the scandal took a new twist when Scotland Yard detectives who investigated the Litvinenko case revealed they too had been poisoned by the Russians in an extraordinary attempt to thwart the inquiry.

The inquiry found two Russian men - Andrei Lugovoi (pictured left at a Moscow press conference 2007) and Dmitri Kovtun (right, in Moscow, 2006) - had deliberately poisoned Litvinenko

Detective Inspector Brian Tarpey, who flew to Moscow to investigate, says: 'I remember one evening my officer [a colleague who travelled with him] was complaining of stomach cramp and not being very well.

'Next morning I accompanied him to the general prosecutor's office. We were offered tea. I had no hesitation in accepting.

'After we left, I started to feel a little bit uncomfortable. Not wanting to put too fine a point on it, I had the s***s.

'I have no doubt in my mind that someone poisoned us with something like gastroenteritis.'A man who killed a 14-week-old baby whose skull 'cracked like an egg' can now be identified.

Surender Singh Mehrok, 21, was named after a court order was lifted on the ban revealing him as the man who murdered little Richard Royal Uddin in June 2016.

The baby boy was killed during an assault while Mehrok was babysitting at a house in Tauranga, New Zealand, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Little Richard Royal Uddin (pictured) was just 14-weeks-old when he was killed by his mother's partner

He suffered a cracked skull and multiple fractures as evidence presented to the High Court in Tauranga revealed the boy had injuries similar to being in a high speed car crash.

Forensic teams presented the court with evidence claiming the boy hit a carpeted floor 'with significant force', the New Zealand Herald reported.

Mehrok previously admitted causing the baby's death but denied intending to kill the boy and has launched an appeal against his life sentence.

But he must serve at least 14 and a half years of the life term after being found guilty by a jury in July 2017.

The judge, Justice Mary Peters, described the tragic death of baby Richard because he 'was a lovely little baby'.

She said the injuries told a powerful story even though she accepted Mehrok - who was only 19 at the time - killed Richard unintentionally.

Scan images revealed the multiple fractures in baby Richard's skull after he was killed by Surender Mehrok

But Justice Peters said he should have known assaulting the poor baby would potentially cause fatal injuries.

He was in a casual relationship with the little boy's mother but was supposed to be looking after the baby on the night he killed him.

Richard's mother said in a victim impact read to the court she was distraught she would never hear the boy tell him he loved her and hug together.

'This is every parent's dream, which as been taken away from me.' she said.

Three medical experts and doctors testified during Mehrok's trial in 2017 as he was convicted by a jury and sentenced to life in prison

'I feel Richard has been wiped out of our lives...and I fear the way he died, he must have been in pain which no child of any age should experience.'

Images published by The Herald on Tuesday revealed the medical evidence jurors were shown as part of Mehrok's trial last year.

CT scans showed dozens of fractures to Richard's head and brain injuries across a 13cm by 9.5cm wound.

The evidence presented to the court was backed up by testimonies from three doctors who explained the trauma was from significant force hitting a hard surface with severe trauma injuries and swelling and bleeding to the brain.US products such as Jack Daniels Whiskey could be hit with new tariffs in a transatlantic trade war

Europe is ready to impose tariffs on iconic US imports such as Levis jeans and American-made whiskey if Donald Trump launches a suspected trade war.

Brussels has made clear it would respond in kind to threatened moves to shelter the US economy from global changes.

US President Mr Trump has declared 'trade wars are good' and backed 25 per cent tariffs on steel imported to America.

The rapidly escalating dispute has alarmed Theresa May as she plots a free trading future for Britain after Brexit. The Prime Minister called the White House this week to try to calm tensions.

The European Commission has begun drawing up a list of more than a hundred American goods ranging from motorcycles to clothing, alcoholic drinks to cranberry juice and other farm products.

Cecilia Malmstrom, the European trade commissioner, said yesterday: 'First of all we need to see the final decision, which should be by the end of the week.

'We are looking at possibilities to retaliate, meaning that we will also put taxes or tariffs on US imports to the EU.'

Asked about the US move on Sunday, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker told German TV: 'We will put tariffs on Harley-Davidson, on bourbon and on blue jeans - Levis.

'We are here and they will get to know us.'

Downing Street insisted yesterday Mrs May remains confident she can strike a US trade deal despite Donald Trump's threats of massive new steel tariffs.

Following the renewed tensions, Mrs May's spokesman today said: 'I think both the prime minister and the president have been clear on the importance of reaching a bilateral, post-Brexit trade deal.

'The USA is our biggest trade partner, we invest over 500bn in each other's economies and over 1million Americans work for UK companies, so you would expect us to remain close partners and continue to work at the highest levels to make the case for UK industry to the US government.'

'We will put tariffs on Harley-Davidson, on bourbon and on blue jeans - Levis,' said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (pictured on Sunday in Hamburg)

President Donald Trump has doubled down on trade pressure, but Mrs May (pictured right in London today) urged him to think again about steel tariffs

The tit-for-tat began last week when Mr Trump called for 25 per cent tariffs on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminium to protect domestic producers.

The row has raised fresh fears about a major international meltdown over trade, as Mr Trump follows through on his pledge to stop America being exploited by other countries.

In a phone call with the US leader on Sunday night, Mrs May urged him to cool the row and back down on the steel tariffs.

'The Prime Minister raised our deep concern at the President's forthcoming announcement on steel and aluminium tariffs, noting that multilateral action was the only way to resolve the problem of global overcapacity in all parties' interests,' a No10 spokeswoman said.

But soon afterwards Mr Trump tweeted: 'We are on the losing side of almost all trade deals. Our friends and enemies have taken advantage of the US for many years.

'Our Steel and Aluminum industries are dead. Sorry, it's time for a change! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!'

The US president reiterated his determination to act overnight saying America had been 'taken advantage of' for 'many years' and it had to stop

In a series of tweets over the weekend, Mr Trump stoked the row by warning that the EU was taking the US 'for fools'.

'If the EU wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on US companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the US,' he said.

'They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance!' he continued.

Last year, the US ran a $151billion trade deficit with the EU, accounting for about one-fifth of America's $796billion global trade deficit.

'The United States has an $800 Billion Dollar Yearly Trade Deficit because of our 'very stupid' trade deals and policies,' Mr Trump said.

'Our jobs and wealth are being given to other countries that have taken advantage of us for years. They laugh at what fools our leaders have been. No more!'

In a series of tweets over the weekend, Mr Trump stoked the row by warning that the EU was taking the US 'for fools'

The latest escalation in tensions came after the EU announced plans on Friday to target key imports from the US.

It was responding to Mr Trump's threat of 25 per cent tariffs on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminium to protect domestic producers.

The move could be potentially devastating for UK and EU exporters.

Figures from European steel association Eurofer show the US was the destination of about 15 percent of Europe's steel exports in 2017.

Trade association UK Steel said the proposed measures would be an 'extremely blunt' reaction to a complex global problem.

Unite union national officer for steel Tony Brady said if the tariffs applied to the UK, they would be 'devastating'.

Cabinet Office minister David Lidington yesterday rebuked the US, saying a trade war was in nobody's interests.

Mr Lidington suggested the American authorities could overrule any tariffs, as they did in the case of aircraft manufacturer Bombardier when Mr Trump's administration threatened huge duties on its C-wing planes.

The minister said: 'We'll have to see what happens, I mean there was a lot of concerns recently about something comparable with regards aviation and the aircraft that were being produced in part by Bombardier in Belfast in Northern Ireland, and the American authorities at the end of the day struck that down, they said no that is not the way that we should be going.'

And he warned Mr Trump that Britain's experience showed his plan would not work.

'We tried in Britain in the 60s and 70s protecting our car industry from competition,' Mr Lidington said.

'It actually didn't work, it protected inefficiencies, we lost all our export markets because our competitors who were more competitive went out and gobbled those up from us, and the car industry had to go through a very, very painful restructuring to get to the success story it is now.'

A Downing Street spokesman said last week: 'We are engaging with the US on what this announcement means in practice.

'We are particularly concerned by any measures which would impact the UK steel and aluminium industries.

Downing Street said last week that Theresa May is 'concerned' by Mr Trump's threats about the steel industry

'Over-capacity remains a significant global issue and we believe multi-lateral action is the only way to resolve it in all parties' interests.'

The issue is particularly sensitive given the UK's hopes of striking a post-Brexit trade deal with Mr Trump's USA.

China has made clear it is ready to hit back if economic sanctions are brought forward against its interests.

'China doesn't want a trade war with the United States,' said a spokesman for the National People's Congress.

'But if the US takes actions that hurt Chinese interests, China will not sit idly by and will take necessary measures.'

Canada also has said it will retaliate against any US tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Australia's trade minister has spoken with his US counterpart to seek an exemption to Trump administration tariffs on steel and aluminium exports.

'Unfortunately, at this stage, it is not clear to me or to Australia whether or not we will be captured by the president's announcement,' Steve Ciobo told Sky News on Sunday, after speaking with US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross on Saturday.

Trump officially has until April 11 to announce his final decision on a steel tariff.

An analyst at Jefferies said they expected the final policy to be more nuanced than a blanket tariff, due to a mounting pushback from domestic steel consumers and foreign steel suppliers.EU adviser Stefaan De Rynck said UK's financial services unlikely be in any deal

Hopes for a Brexit deal inched closer today after Guy Verhofstadt praised Theresa May's 'realistic' Mansion House speech.

The senior MEP and arch Brexit critic held talks with the Prime Minister, David Davis and Amber Rudd in Downing Street today.

He emerged praising the Government's 'tone' on the looming departure - but demanded ore details on the rights of EU citizens after Brexit.

And he urged the UK to stick closely to rules and regulations drawn up in Brussels even after the country quits the bloc.

Senior MEP Guy Verhofstadt (pictured in Downing Street today) emerged from No10 praising the Government's 'tone' on the looming departure - but demanded ore details on the rights of EU citizens after Brexit

Guy Verhofstadt (pictured leaving No10 this afternoon) urged the UK to stick closely to rules and regulations drawn up in Brussels even after the country quits the bloc

Guy Verhofstadt (pictured in No10 with, from left to right, David Lidington, the PM, andDavid Davis) said he wants more details on how the 3.2million EU citizens living in the UK will have their rights secured after Brexit

He told reporters in Downing Street: 'The problem today is that there is no global architecture for the relationship.

'I was pleased with the last speech by the Prime Minister - the realistic tone of her intervention.'

DUP chief Arlene Foster slams draft EU treaty on Northern Ireland and calls for 'sensible' new solutions Arlene Foster (pictured second to the right) demanded talks on 'sensible solutions' for how to manage the Irish border DUP leader Arlene Foster today slammed a draft Brexit divorce treaty as neither 'faithful' or 'fair' to a political deal after talks in Brussels. Mrs Foster demanded talks on 'sensible solutions' for how to manage the Irish border after Brexit following a meeting with EU negotiator Michel Barnier. Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, Mrs Foster insisted she wanted to 'pragmatic' solutions that kept open the UK-EU border on the island of Ireland. She said the talks with Mr Barnier were 'constructive'. But Mrs Foster said:'We feel the current draft EU legal text was not a faithful or fair translation of the joint report from December. 'We feel that the current draft legal text has omissions in it. It also overreaches in other areas.' In his own tweet, Mr Barnier replied: 'Met with the DUP leader this morning after my meeting with Sinn Fein yesterday. Advertisement

But he said there is a much work to be done to thrash out the details of a new relationship.

His visit comes as Brexit negotiations gear up for a crucial stage as Brussels prepares to publish its negotiating guidelines for the final deal.

The EU is expected to publish its detailed negotiating position tomorrow which will then go to a vote of the European Parliament the week after.

Mr Verhofstadt said he wants more details on how the 3.2million EU citizens living in the UK will have their rights secured after Brexit.

In a sign that he believes the Government may make further concessions, he added: 'I think it is possible that in the coming days and coming weeks we make progress on this, we can conclude on this.'

And he also set out his vision for the future relationship between the UK and EU to be defined within an overall associate agreement rather than a Canada-style trade deal and a series of other pacts.

He said: 'If the UK stays very near to the rules of the European Union that will secure jobs in Britain. That will be the best way forward for the British economy.

'My preferential choice would be that Britain still is part of the single market, still is part of the customs union, then most problems would be solved.

'That is not the wish of the UK Government.'

A Downing Street spokesman said: 'This morning the Prime Minister met Guy Verhofstadt MEP at Downing Street, as part of ongoing engagement with representatives from the European Parliament.

'The Prime Minister and Mr Verhofstadt discussed the importance of citizens' rights, including the proposals the UK put forward last week regarding EU citizens arriving during the implementation period.

The MEP met with Brexit Secretary David Davis in London - the pair talked about plans for the next stage of negotiations

Foreign Secretary (pictured in Downing Street this morning) will also be at today's Cabinet meeting where Brexit is lilely be on the agenda

Cabinet ministers Andrea Leadsom (pictured left) and Liz Truss (pictured right) arrive at Cabinet today. Theresa May last week made a pitch to unblock Brexit talks by saying that the UK will not slash and burn regulation and wants 'mutual recognition' with the EU in many areas

Brexit Secretary David Davis (pictured arriving for Cabinet this morning) will sit down for talks with Mr Verhofstadt today to talk about the Brexit negotiations

'The Prime Minister reiterated that the expectations of those moving to the UK in this period will not be the same as those who arrived before our withdrawal.

'The Prime Minister restated her commitment to avoiding a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland and noted the importance of officials from the Irish government, the European Commission and the UK meeting to discuss practical solutions.

WHAT WERE THE KEY POINTS OF MAY'S MANSION HOUSE SPEECH Theresa May set out her vision for the future of the UK-EU relationship last week. She said: There are five tests for the success of the deal - implementing the referendum, creating an enduring deal, protecting security, a deal that is consistent with the kind of country Britain wants to be and strengthening the United Kingdom

The UK-EU free trade agreement should be biggest and most ambitious ever struck

May said the deal should be the first one ever to cover services, the lynchpin of the British economy

But she accepted publicly that the City of London would not get 'passporting rights' that allow financial services companies to trade directly in Europe

But the deal will also require cherry picking, in defiance of the EU's refusal to consider it. May said every trade deal amounts to cherry picking

The PM said 'life is going to be different' after Brexit and there were 'hard choices' on both sides - and neither the UK or EU will get everything they want

Trade across the Irish border should be a 'frictionless as possible' to avoid a hard border

A border down the Irish Sea would be just as bad as a hard border on the island of Ireland

Britain will not slash and burn regulations and hopes for 'mutual recognition' in many areas

The UK is prepared to pay for access to and follow the rules of European agencies covering medicine, chemicals and flights Advertisement

'They discussed the European Parliament's proposals for an institutional framework to support a close future relationship between the UK and the EU and the Prime Minister explained the vision for the future economic partnership set out in her Mansion House speech.'

The visit by Mr Verhofstadt - an arch critic of Britain's approach to Brexit - comes after Mrs May's bid to unblock talks and kick start trade negotiations received a setback from a senior Eurocrat.

Stefaan De Rynck, an adviser to the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier, warned Britain will struggle to get a free trade deal which includes the lucrative financial services sector.

Delivering her Mansion House speech last week the PM offered a 'pragmatic' vision of a Britain that trades closely with the EU - but is firmly outside the bloc.

She moved to appease the EU's complaints about 'cherry picking' by conceding that there will have to be compromises over access to the bloc's markets.

And she set out plans to for Britain and the EU to access each other's financial markets based on a commitment to maintaining the same 'regulatory outcomes'.

But Mr De Rynck said the EU has moved away from a system of 'mutual recognition' by member states of each others' rules to more centralised regulation following the 2008 financial crash.

Speaking at the London School of Economics last night he said: 'We have moved away from mutual recognition of national standards to a centralised approach with a single European Union rule book with common enforcement structures.

'If you are in a very integrated market but you don't have the joint enforcement structures then you can see the potential for all kinds of difficulties.'

Chancellor Philip Hammond (pictured arriving at Downing Street for Cabinet today) told MPs that a deal which did not include financial services would lack credibility

His comments came after Philip Hammond told MPs that a deal which did not include financial services would lack credibility.

The Chancellor warned the EU would find it impossible to replicate the financial 'eco-system' of the City of London it was excluded.

WHEN WILL BRITAIN BE OUT OF THE EU? Britain triggered Article 50 on March 29, 2017, starting a two year process for leaving the EU: March 2018: Outline transition deal agreed, running for about two years June 2018: EU summit that Brussels says should consider broad principles of a future trade deal. October 2018: Political agreement on the future partnership due to be reached Early 2019: Major votes in Westminster and Brussels to ratify the deal March 29, 2019: Article 50 expires, Britain leaves the EU. Transition is expected to keep everything the same for about two years December 31, 2020: Transition expected to come to an end and the new relationship - if it has been agreed - should kick in Advertisement

'I don't think it is credible. I don't think it reflects the real world in which we live,' he told the Commons European Scrutiny Committee.

'(Given) the scale of the UK-based financial services sector and the deep involvement it has in the operation of the real economy in the EU, I don't think it is in anybody's interest to sever that link in key areas.'

Meanwhile, Mr Barnier held talks with the DUP leader Arlene Foster in Brussels today.

While Cabinet ministers arrived in Number 10 for their weekly meeting this morning - where Brexit is likely to be on the agenda.

Mrs May is hoping that her keynote speech last week will win over enough support in Brussels for her visions of Brexit.

She moved to appease the EU's complaints about 'cherry picking' by conceding that there will have to be compromises over access to the bloc's markets.

'The reality is we all need to face up to some hard facts... In certain ways our access to each other's markets will be less than now,' she said.

She added: 'This is a negotiation. Neither of us can have exactly what we want.'Advertisement

A crying Syrian baby is forced to breathe through a gas mask and grasps the thumb of a nurse for support after an alleged chemical gas attack in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus in Syria.

Aid workers reported that 30 people, including 15 children, had to be evacuated from the Hamouriyah district of Eastern Ghouta following what is claimed to have been a chlorine gas attack carried out by President Bashar al-Assad's forces shortly before midnight on Monday.

Earlier in the day, an international convoy delivering desperately needed aid to the area was forced to cut short its mission when Syrian government forces began shelling the area while aid workers were still inside.

Victim: A baby receives medical treatment at the field hospital after an alleged chlorine gas attack in Hamouriyah district of Eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria

At least 68 civilians were killed in Eastern Ghouta yesterday, British-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, and another nine have died so far on Tuesday.

Some 19 of these died in Hamouriyah, although it is not known if any of these were victims of the alleged chemical gas attack.

The Observatory confirmed social media reports of civilians being hospitalised with breathing difficulties after a strike by a military aircraft in the area, but put the number of victims to 18.

Dozens of United Nations trucks reached the main town of Douma on Monday, the first aid convoy to arrive since a Russian-backed Syrian government assault began more than two weeks ago.

The UN's refugee agency UNHCR said the convoy of 46 aid trucks was in Douma for nearly nine hours before it cut short its mission.

'We delivered as much as we could amidst shelling,' UNHCR's Syria representative Sajjad Malik tweeted. 'Civilians are caught in a tragic situation.'

Innocent: These children were among the victims - reported to be between 18 and 30 people - rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties after what is said to have been a chemical gas attack carried out by the Assad regime

In need: Syrian children receive oxygen and medical treatment at a field hospital in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta just outside the capital city of Damascus

An AFP reporter in Douma said warplanes were flying overhead and explosions could be heard even as the aid was being unloaded.

Linda Tom, spokesperson for the UN's humanitarian coordination office OCHA in Syria, told AFP fighting and air strikes had continued during the convoy's deployment, 'including on Douma city while the convoy was offloading'.

Air strikes, and artillery and rocket fire on the last major rebel-held enclave near the capital Damascus have killed hundreds and devastated residential areas since they began on February 18.

The latest toll released by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights brings to around 760 the number of civilians killed since the assault began, including at least 170 children.

In the town of Kafr Batna, 15 civilians were killed and 70 wounded in strikes 'believed to be Russian', said the Britain-based monitor, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria.

The UN Human Rights Council on Monday ordered investigators to examine the latest violence and condemned 'the indiscriminate use of heavy weapons and aerial bombardments against civilians, and the alleged use of chemical weapons in Eastern Ghouta'.

Rushed to safety: Aid workers reported that 30 people, including 15 children, had to be evacuated from the Hamouriyah district of Eastern Ghouta after the alleged chlorine gas attack

At least 68 civilians were killed in Eastern Ghouta on Monday, including 19 in Hamouriyah , British-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, although it is not known if any of the casualties were a result of the gas attack

Regime troops and allied forces have advanced rapidly across farmland in the east of the enclave in recent days, the Observatory said.

By Monday evening they had retaken 40 per cent of the enclave, it added.

Armed groups there, one of them made up of fighters from Al-Qaeda's ex-affiliate, have been firing mortar rounds and rockets on adjacent neighbourhoods of Damascus, killing around 20 civilians in two weeks.

The offensive has sent hundreds of civilians fleeing from their homes away from the moving front line, compounding a humanitarian crisis and echoing the regime's devastating 2016 assault to retake second city Aleppo.

A stifling, years-long government siege has forced Eastern Ghouta's estimated 400,000 inhabitants to scrape by on smuggled goods, produce from local farms and rare aid deliveries.

War zone: Further air strikes cut short an international convoy's aid mission in Eastern Ghouta, forcing aid workers to leave the area due to government shelling

The International Committee for the Red Cross confirmed that its joint convoy with the United Nations had to leave before offloading all its supplies on account of the deteriorating security situation on Monday

Monday's convoy was delivering 'health and nutrition supplies, along with food for 27,500 people in need,' OCHA said.

Save the Children said the regime had removed surgical kits and insulin, exacerbating the acute lack of medical care in the enclave.

'Doctors say they have to reuse bandages and needles on multiple patients as there simply aren't enough to go round,' it said.

'Some 400,000 innocent civilians are trapped with no food, water or medicine. They must be protected,' said Sonia Khush, the group's Syria director.

'The items (removed) included trauma kits and other life-saving supplies,' Linda Tom told AFP, calling for a solution ahead of a planned Thursday aid delivery.

The United States on Sunday condemned the assault, accusing Moscow of killing 'innocent civilians' and ignoring a UN resolution calling for a 30-day cessation of hostilities.A group of 'Irish' mothers have been ripping off Brisbane restaurants by planting shards of glass in their food and refusing to pay for their meals.

Restaurateur Marie Yokoyama, 33, warned those in the hospitality industry to keep an eye out for the women after they allegedly pulled the scam at her Japanese bar last week and made off with around $200 worth of free food and alcohol.

'Warning to all restaurant owners in Brisbane,' Ms Yokoyama posted on Facebook.

'There are a group of fraudster Irish girls going around Brisbane claiming they find glass in their food and then demanding everything for free.'

A group of Irish mothers (pictured) have allegedly been ripping off Brisbane restaurants by planting shards of glass in their food and refusing to pay for their meals

Pictured is a shard of glass an Irish mother claimed to have found in her meal at Birds Nest Restaurant

Ms Yokoyama told Daily Mail Australia three women - holding designer Louis Vuitton handbags - walked into her Japanese restaurant with four children ten minutes before they finished lunch service at 2.50pm on February 26.

'We were about to shut when they [women] walked in the door. They ordered wine and went outside to smoke while their children ran around the restaurant,' she said.

Ms Yokoyama said while the women were eating, one spat her food out into a tissue.

'Half way through the meal one lady started screaming that there was glass in her meal and that her mouth was bleeding. I believed her and then asked to see the glass.'

After claiming to have found glass in their food, Ms Yokoyama said the women became aggressive.

'I was terrified,' she said.

Ms Yokoyama cleared their table and told the women they wouldn't have to pay for anything.

But then the group ordered another round of drinks.

'Two of them even poured lemonade into their wine and then said it tasted funny,' Ms Yokoyama said.

After the group refused to leave Ms Yokoyama had to call in help from the bar next door.

Owner of Birds Nest Restaurant (pictured) Marie Yokoyama, 33, has warned those in the hospitality industry to keep an eye out for the women

But Ms Yokoyama said the glass could not have come from her restaurant and at some point there was a 'switcheroo' between the woman who spat out her food and the woman who pulled out the glass.

On Tuesday she took to Facebook for answers.

'Upon inspection I knew that this had not come from our restaurant but they were relentless. We don't have any thick glass of this sort in the restaurant. I was so scared and terrified of them that I made their meals and drinks free,' she said.

She was then contacted by at least three restaurants in the area, claiming they were scammed by the same group.

'The same thing happened to us about a month ago. We were going crazy trying to understand how a piece of glass (which also had no resemblance to any of our glasses) could find its way into a pasta,' one restaurateur wrote.

'Then the girls say they have to go to hospital because she's pregnant and worried for the baby although she's had a bottle of wine to herself. So glad to have closure that it was completely a scam.'

At least three restaurants in the area, claim they were scammed by the same group

Other restaurant claims to have been scammed by the same group of Irish mothers

Another, who managed to get a picture of the women, said: 'These Irish girls came in, ordered oysters, steaks, prawns and then tried to make out they'd found glass in their meal and refused to pay.

'They had strong Irish accents and lots of makeup, revealing clothes and carried Louis Vuitton handbags.'

Ms Yokoyama informed police of the incident at Birds Nest Restaurant.

Queensland police confirmed they are investigating the matter.Qantas staff have been urged by their bosses not to call Britain's historical role in Australia a 'settlement' but to opt for 'invasion', 'colonisation' or 'occupation'.

The airline has found itself in the middle of a political correctness row after issuing instructions to employees to think about using 'gender appropriate' terms and avoid saying 'husband and wife' because it may offend the LGBTI community.

Qantas' People and Culture group executive Lesley Grant issued an online information booklet detailing how to make employees feel more comfortable at work in line with the airline's Spirit of Inclusion month.

One of the topics covered is the arrival of Europeans 230 years ago which the airline encouraged staff not to refer to as a settlement because it was a view of Australian history from an British perspective.

It is understood there is no change of policy from the airline, but that the materials were circulated to generate discussion.

The online document with the heading 'The courage to call it' which was circulated to staff

A second part of the online guide, urging staff to 'make people visible, but not too visible', 'stop stereotypes', 'lay off offensive labels', 'try not to trivialise' and 'keep calm and respond'

Australian airline Qantas has urged staff to use 'gender appropriate' terms and avoid saying 'husband and wife' because it may offend the LGBTI community (file image)

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce

The document, made available to staff on their personal portals, warns employees to think about their language when discussing the history of Australia, according to The Times.

Staff have been urged to 'recognise the reality' that 'Australia was not settled peacefully'.

The memo also asks employees to think when using words such as 'honey, darling and love' because they have the capacity to offend.

It also advises staff to use 'partner' instead of husband and wife, and 'parents' instead of mum and dad because it could exclude LGBTI families.

The pack asks Qantas workers to not use gender-inappropriate terms such as mankind or fireman.

Australian former prime minister Tony Abbott who has blasted the Qantas move

The information states: 'Language can make groups of people invisible. For example, the use of the term chairman can reinforce the idea that leaders are always men.'

'Words like love, honey or darling, even when used as terms of endearment, often offend. In the workplace, it is best to avoid these sorts of words.'

Ms Grant told staff she wants the work environment at Qantas to be a place 'everyone feels comfortable to bring their whole selves to work'.

But the country's former prime minister Tony Abbott is one of many critics of the move.

He blasted Qantas on 2GB, calling it 'political correctness thats gone way over the top'.

'Frankly if companies like Qantas want to give their customers a better deal,' Abbott said, 'they can scrap all these inclusion units, just scrap them, save the money because its just rubbish this idea that we need a corporate thought police.

'I mean really and truly it is a complete, absolute and utter waste of money.

'Ive been on hundreds of Qantas flights over many, many years now. Qantas staff are very good people. They are decent, sensitive people, theyve got to deal with just about every possible type of person, and they dont need this kind of nonsense, they really dont.

'Its an insult to them, quite apart from a great waste of money, but Im afraid these are the very weird and strange times in which we live.'

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce (centre) celebrates the 40th annual Mardi Gras festival in Sydney

Australian airline Qantas has told staff to use 'gender appropriate' terms

The material was produced by the Diversity Council of Australia, Qantas told The Daily Telegraph.

MailOnline contacted Qantas for a comment, but the airline decided not to issue a statement.

Diversity Council Australia said: 'Diversity Council Australia believes it's great that Qantas is using the WordsAtWork materials to encourage reflection and discussion at work about what respectful and inclusive language looks like.

'Many DCA member organisations are using the materials and it reflects well on these organisations that they are starting/creating/encouraging a conversation internally about what respectful and inclusive words could look like in 2018.

'Our WordsAtWork materials are not telling people what they can and cant say. We are simply asking people to put themselves in someone elses shoes and look at what they say from another perspective  and be open to changing what they have always thought is "normal", respectful and appropriate to say.

'We designed the materials so that they werent instruction manuals but rather offered up ideas for consideration.

'In fact, in the guide we note that language changes and so its important to revisit these ideas over time to see how community standards about words at work may be changing.

'We will never get universal consensus on what words or behaviours are or are not inclusive  but thats actually not the point, the point is to open up a respectful discussion about it.'Ben Needham (pictured) went missing from his grandparents' farmhouse on Kos in 1991

The family of Ben Needham finally have something to make them smile again after the missing boys sister gave birth to a baby girl.

Ben's 24-year-old sibling, Leighanna Needham, has told of her 'pure joy' after giving birth to little Aurora, named after a Disney princess in Sleeping Beauty.

Kerry Needham, 45, who last saw her 21-month-old son 26 years ago on the Greek island of Kos, said the family had been through hell and back over the last couple of years as the police reopened the search for her little ones remains.

Yet Aurora has given new joy to the family: We have something to make us smile again.

'We are totally delighted with the birth of the new addition to our family, Kerry told the Mirror.

Bens sister, Leighanna, of Sheffield, who is also mother to four-year-old Hermione, added: I have two princesses now and Hermione adores her.

Police believe Ben was crushed to death by digger driver Konstantinos 'Dino' Barkasin in a tragic accident close to the farmhouse where he was last seen in 1991 and where a sandal believed to belong to the toddler was found in 2012.

Leighanna Needham (left), has told of her 'pure joy' after giving birth to little Aurora and her mother, Kerry (right), said: 'We have something to make us smile again'

Police (pictured) reopened the search for the little ones remains over the last couple of years

The farmhouse was being renovated by his grandparents Christine and Eddie.

US experts are currently trying to find DNA from a toy car and a childs sandal found near the scene.

At the time of the discovery the anguished mother said she was convinced the new evidence pointed to an ongoing attempt to cover up her son's death.

Kerry added: 'I dont hold much hope. All we do is sit and wait and deal with the outcome.

It is stressful, but right now we have a little bundle of joy in our lives. We are going through a magical time but we never forget Ben.Advertisement

Britain is set for another blast of severe wintry weather this week as gale-force winds, hail, thunder and more snow barrel into the country from the Atlantic Ocean.

The low pressure system will sweep into the UK from the South West as the country continues to reel from water shortages brought by the 'Beast from the East' and Storm Emma that caused widespread chaos last week.

Cadbury and Jaguar Land Rover have had to halt production in the West Midlands because of shortages caused by burst pipes, while thousands of homeowners in South East England were also left without water supplies.

It comes as parts of Britain face up to six inches of snow and more than an inch of rain today with further Met Office severe weather warnings issued for Scotland and dozens of flood warnings in place for England.

Forecasters have warned of a low pressure system coming up across the Atlantic Ocean from the South West and heading towards Britain, which is set to bring some heavy rain, strong winds and further snow by the weekend.

Jonas Ershov clears the snow outside his house in Nenthead, Cumbria, today after being snowed in since last Wednesday

Residents clear roads and pavements of snow in Ladywell, West Lothian, today - a job which had been done in previous days

The wreckage of boats hit by Storm Emma last week is clear to see today at Holyhead Marina in Anglesey, North Wales

Firefighters respond to flooding in Lanchester, County Durham, today after rain and thawing snow caused travel disruption

Traffic on the M876 near Larbert, Falkirk, as snow falls again in Scotland this morning with up to six inches forecast

Fire engines and crews are helping to keep traffic moving following flooding this morning in Lanchester, County Durham

An Asda delivery driver working in snowy conditions in Dunipace, Falkirk, this morning as the snow continues in Scotland

Lorries and cars drive along the snowy M876 near Larbert in Falkirk today as more snow falls in parts of Scotland

Winter weather has not yet left Scotland as children walk through the snow to school this morning in Cranhill, Glasgow

Met Office forecaster Nicky Maxey said: 'At the moment there's great uncertainty about when it will actually arrive and how far north it will travel across the UK and where cold air meeting slightly warmer air will happen.'

She added that any snow is likely to fall in northern England and Scotland over higher ground, while the South will face rain and potentially gale force winds  and there could also be a little hail and thunder.

But the Met Office was keen to insist that the system was 'fairly typical' for the time of year and 'compares in no way shape or form to what we saw last week' when Storm Emma brought chaos to the country.

Temperatures could reach as high as 15C (59F) in the South East by the weekend depending on where the system sweeps through Britain, with the mercury expected to be closer to 10C (50F) or 11C (52F) elsewhere.

Jaguar Land Rover said it was stopping production at its Solihull plant from last night and its Castle Bromwich site from this morning, after being advised that they needed to limit water supply.

Severn Trent said it had been working closely with the company and that it had 'agreed to stop production to help us target our supply', adding that it had experienced an 'unprecedented' number of burst pipes.

Jaguar Land Rover, which has 10,000 employees at the Solihull site and 3,000 at Castle Bromwich at any one time, could not confirm when the plants would re-open but said it was 'closely monitoring the situation'.

Meanwhile Cadbury owner Mondelez had said it had limited water supply to its site in Bournville and some manufacturing was running. The company had earlier told workers to leave and work from home if possible.

The Met Office forecast for this morning shows how the North and Scotland are being hit by further severe conditions

Northern England and Scotland are facing heavy rain today, while there is also plenty of snow falling over higher ground

Thames Water said 5,000 properties were having issues, while Welsh Water said 4,500 customers were affected. Yesterday, four water companies all urged customers who do have running water only to use it where essential.

How Britain enjoyed its second sunniest February on record The UK has enjoyed its second sunniest February on record, provisional figures show. A total of 95.6 hours of sunshine were measured across the country last month, according to the Met Office. This is more than any February since current records began in 1929, save for February 2008. Western parts of the country fared best of all, with only the coast of Yorkshire having less than the full-month average. The cold snap at the end of February helped drive down the average temperature for the month to 2.4C (36F), the lowest February average since 2010 (1.9C, or 35F). The average UK temperature for February has dipped below 2.5C (37F) just four times in the past 25 years. You need to go back to 1986 to find a February cold enough for the average temperature to be below freezing (-1.2C, or 30F). The average minimum temperature in February 2018 is estimated to have been minus 0.6C (31F), the lowest for the month of February since 2010. The lowest ever was recorded in 1947, when the average was minus 4.2C (24F). Advertisement

Households are entitled to the money if a water company takes longer than 12 hours to restore any supply outage caused by a burst water main, or longer than 48 hours if it is a 'strategic' main pipe that has burst.

The minimum compensation is 20 for the first 24 hours without water and a further 10 for each extra 24 hours. People are also entitled to a further payment of 20 if the money does not arrive within 20 working days.

Today, around 5,000 homes in London are still without running water three days after a thaw followed icy temperatures. Initially 20,000 homes were affected but engineers got the water flowing to many by yesterday.

But this morning 5,000 homes were still without any water. Thames Water says it has fixed the water leaks in in Streatham and Balham in South London, but the pressure still needs to build in the system.

The company says engineers are increasing the amount of water being fed into the system, but they are still not seeing pressure build enough for water to return to resident's homes.

It is believed air is still trapped in the system and Thames Water is currently trying to bleed the air out as well as stopping a number of leaks in the area. Engineers have fixed 250 leaks per day with 147 technicians working on the damaged pipes.

A spokesman for Thames Water said: 'Demand during the busy period in the early morning was lower than expected and we are really grateful to our customers for helping out by using as little water as possible - we said it would really help and it has - and for their general understanding.

'We are sorry to all our customers who are still without water or have low pressure. We have been working flat out over the weekend and today to get things back to normal, with 138 repair gangs fixing more than 250 leaks per day and 147 technicians working around the clock on the network and moving water around to where it is needed.

'We were well prepared with ample supplies of bottled water and have had more than sixty office-based employees who volunteered to hand it out to our customers at six locations.

'They have also been delivering bottles to vulnerable customers who need help in collecting water. In total, we have now distributed almost a million litres. Although the situation is recovering we do still need to ask for help from our customers who do have water. If they could please continue to use water as carefully as possible it will help us get things back to normal as quickly as possible.'

Thames Water, South East Water, Southern Water, and Affinity Water - which cover London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex have all been affect. It is thought that about 26,000 have been affected nationally.

More heavy snowfall during rush hour in Livingston, West Lothian, causes problems for commuters this morning

Jonas Ershov clears the snow outside his house in Nenthead, Cumbria, today after nearly a week of being snowed in

A motorist drives a Vauxhall Corsa through flood water on the A1058 Coast Road at Heaton in Newcastle-upon-Tyne today

Cars try to make their way safely through the heavy snow falling during rush hour this morning in Livingston, West Lothian

Newcastle City Council workers clear flood water on the A1058 Coast Road at Heaton in Newcastle-upon-Tyne this morning

Children head to school through the snow in Cranhill, Glasgow, as Scotland faces a severe weather warning

A lorry makes its way along the M876 near Larbert in Falkirk as Scotland faces more severe weather warnings this morning

A local resident shovels snow from the pavement during snowy conditions this morning in Dunipace, Falkirk

Water company officials were quizzed by Kent councillors at a flood meeting yesterday afternoon with South East Water criticised for its handling of the situation.

Conservative Councillor Andrew Bowles said: 'If my calculations are correct, South East Water will take around 54 to 55 years to fix the backlog of leaks. The biggest complaint from those with their supply cut off is about getting information about what is going on. Communication needs to be improved.'

Liberal Democrat Councillor Ian Chittenden asked whether preparation was made ahead of time. Lee Dance, head of water resources at South East Water, told the councillors that water providers are working together to fix burst pipes and supply bottled water.

Mr Dance said: 'This was completely unprecedented situation that we found ourselves in. We anticipated that after the freeze there would be a thaw. Last week we put some preparation in place but what we have just seen is unprecedented and we walked the entire network and we have found very little leakage.'

Shane Green, 43, from Haywards Heath, West Sussex, with his wife Tracy, 42, and their five children, aged six to 19, said the company was 'a disgrace'. He said: 'Our water went on Saturday night. We have no drinking water whatsoever. We can't shower, wash our clothes or the plates and dishes.

'The biggest disgrace is South East Water telling me they will not be providing us with any water and have no plans to. We are having to rely on other people outside of the village. We have friends in Burgess Hill, so we have managed to get water from them. We also had some water in storage in the loft so we have used that.

'We have a rainwater tank too, so we have been using that to flush the toilet, as there is no other way. It's a crisis. Our youngest children haven't been able to go to school today due to the primary school being closed. Our eldest children, who go to Warden Park, haven't gone in today too, because they haven't been able to wash.

'The whole village is without water, it is a disgrace. Ardingly Reservoir had to be shut off on Sunday too due to a burst. South East Water is bringing water to people suffering elsewhere and there are water stations available in East Sussex, but why is nothing being done for us?'

Fire and rescue officers look over the A1058 Coast Road at Heaton in Newcastle-upon-Tyne this morning following flooding

Dog walkers make their way through the snow in Dunipace, Falkirk, today as the Met Office keeps Scotland under a warning

A car leaves a huge spray of muddy water behind it as it passes through flood water at Heaton in Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Emergency services respond to flooding in Lanchester, County Durham, this morning as the severe weather continues

A plan is being put together for a clean-up operation after Holyhead Marina in Anglesey was battered by Storm Emma

More heavy snow falls during rush hour this morning in Livingston, West Lothian, as commuters face further problems

While firms said they are doing their best to fix leaks and repair bursts amid milder conditions which followed the deep freeze of last week, the regulator has criticised some companies for an apparent planning failure.

Ofwat chief executive Rachel Fletcher said: 'While the recent severe freeze and thaw have undoubtedly had an impact on pipes and infrastructure, this weather was forecast in advance.

'A number of water companies appear to have fallen well short on their forward planning and the quality of support and communication they've been providing, leaving some customers high and dry.'

She added they may take action after supply is restored if firms are found not to have had 'the right structures and mechanisms in place to be resilient enough'.

It follows criticism from Environment Minister Michael Gove last week, who warned water firms to clean up their act or face tougher regulation. He told company bosses they had not been acting 'in the public interest'.

Meanwhile, the military was deployed to take emergency supplies - including food and fuel - to parts of Cumbria which have been left isolated following heavy snowfall that blocked roads.

Most parts of the UK are thawing out, the Met Office said, after the barrage of snow that hit the country last week. As temperatures rise above freezing elsewhere, eastern parts of Scotland remain subject to a snow warning.

Meteorologist Martin Bowles said the South East thaw has been quick, but the rapid temperature rise is not unusual, adding:'It's fairly quick but usually when you get a cold spell it will go up by 5C or 10C in one or two days.'

Volunteers clean up the beach today near Holyhead Marina, which is strewn with pieces of polystyrene from the moorings

People try to make their way along snowy roads this morning in Livingston, West Lothian, amid the severe weather

The Tornado 60163 steam locomotive is back on track this morning on the North Yorkshire Moors railway in Goathland after being cancelled last week due to the snow. It took 18 years to build following Arthur Peppercorn's design at a cost of 3million

Firms supplied bottled water at affected sites yesterday, including this one in Streatham Vale, South London

Range Rovers and Land Rovers are builtat the Jaguar Land Rover factory in Solihull in January 2014. Jaguar Land Rover said it was stopping production at its Solihull plant from last night after being advised that they needed to limit water supply

Cadbury owner Mondelez had said it had limited water supply to its site in Bournville (pictured in January 2014) and some manufacturing was running. The company had earlier told workers to leave and work from home if possible

The Environment Agency has imposed 27 flood alerts for England, mainly in the South West and West, along with two more serious flood warnings for the River Teme in the West Country.

Temperatures rose over the weekend after the Beast from the East and Storm Emma brought a deep cold snap last week, which saw the first day of spring. Some parts of Britain could reach 15C (59F) by the end of the week.

Following a low of -5.6C (22F) in London last week, the mercury hit 11.2C (52F) in the capital yesterday. However the warmest temperature recorded across Britain yesterday was 11.9C (53F) at Weybourne in Norfolk.

Today, fresh snowfall has brought more travel disruption to Scotland with delays on major roads. Met Office yellow warnings remain in place for almost all of Scotland today for a further 6in (15cm) of snow and 1.2in (30mm) of rain.

Congestion was reported across the central belt with the busy M8, M80, M74 and M77 motorways affected by sleet and snow during the morning rush hour while some schools are to open later than usual.

Most schools in Scotland reopened yesterday after three days of closure but Midlothian and South Lanarkshire councils said today that schools will open later than usual to allow more travel time in the snow.

Midlothian Council tweeted: 'Alert - due to snow this morning pupils should not attend for school until 11am, if possible, this morning. However, if already on your way, don't worry, there will be staff present.'

Trains have reported a near-normal operation but some services have been hit by flooding. Work is also continuing to clear roads in parts of Fife and Stirlingshire that were cut off by the snow.Harry Clarke, 13, from south London, was in the operating theatre for almost four hours at King's College Hospital after swallowing the balls

A 13-year-old boy had to have his intestines pulled out of his body through his belly button to remove magnetic balls he swallowed while using them as a fake 'tongue piercing'.

Harry Clarke, 13, from south London, was in the operating theatre for almost four hours at King's College Hospital after swallowing the balls.

He and his friend Laila Palmer were messing around with the magnets at school after Laila's mother bought them on eBay.

The pair ended up in hospital beds next to each other at the hospital and both ended up needing surgery.

Laila's surgery was first and they discovered the magnets in her small intestine. They made three incisions and eventually got them out.

But in Harry the magnets were stuck between his large and small intestine and the surgery was almost four hours long.

They could only get the magnets out by pulling his intestine through his belly button and searching for the small metal piece.

Both kids have been given a week off school. Harry was released from hospital on the Monday and is still in pain, while Laila, released on Sunday, has fared better.

Harry's mother Samantha Brinklow, 34, of Streatham, said: 'Leila was at school and she had swallowed them and had thought nothing of it.

'But she then saw Harry in the corridor and he'd swallowed them too and was panicking as he'd spoken to me and I knew it could be dangerous.'

Both parents dialled 111 and were told to report straight to A&E at Kings in nearby Denmark Hill.

'They thought they might just come out, but although I'd given Harry a laxative, that didn't happen,' Ms Brinklow said.

'X-rays showed where they were and then they started talking about surgery. It was scary.'

Harry and his friend Laila Palmer were messing around with the magnets at school after Laila's mother bought them on eBay

Picture showing the magnet balls purchased from the Ebay site by Laila's mother

Schools and hospitals have warned about the magnetic ball bearing craze after several other children were brought into A&E departments across the country having swallowed them.

At least two were left with significant internal damage, as if swallowed separately, the magnets pull through the delicate intestinal lining to get back together.

Children are using them on their tongues, their ears and lips to make it look like they have piercings.

They could only get the magnets out by pulling Harry's intestine through his belly button and searching for the small metal piece

Laila's mother Safiya Palmer, 32, said she had bought the magnets on ebay for less than 10 as she thought they were an educational toy.

There was a warning about not swallowing them, but she says she never thought they would end up near her daughter's mouth.

Now both parents want to see the magnetic balls - which are widely available online - banned.

Mrs Palmer, also of Streatham, said: 'People will have these around the house and not realise how dangerous they are.

'The magnets are so strong that they will literally shred your intestines.

'Rather than selling a product with a warning on, should they be selling it at all?'

Teaching assistant Ms Brinklow added: 'If I was teaching kids about magnets in science classes at school and saw these in a shop, I'd buy them.

'But after what's happened to Harry and Laila it seems absolutely mad that they are on sale at all.'

The problem is clearly affecting children across the country.

Picture of Safiya Palmer, 32, and Samantha Brinklow, 34, with Laila Palmer, 12, and Harry Clarke, 13

Laila's surgery was first and they discovered the magnets in her small intestine. They made three incisions and eventually got them out

Picture of the balls found in Harry Clarke, 13, from Streatham, in south London

Sanja Besarovic, a consultant paediatric surgeon at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, wrote to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents after she saw several children who needed treatment at Hull Royal Infirmary.

One four-year-old was left unharmed after swallowing them, but two others were admitted to hospital with significant internal damage.

Both underwent major surgery including a laparotomy and bowel resection.

Ms Besarovic said she had written to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) with her concerns.

She said: 'We have been able to save these children but I'm growing increasingly concerned that this is happening more often.

Swallowing magnets can cause serious internal damage Magnets have become a craze among kids who use them as pretend piercings, but don't think of the dangers. They put them in their noses, and even in their eyelids. Some put them inside their mouth and put the corresponding magnet outside it. The magnets continue to work even inside the body, because the force that draws them together is not disrupted by the thin, porous tissue in the body. Obviously, this can cause problems. Organ is soft and can be easily torn by the magnetic force of the bearings. This sort of damage can quickly lead to internal bleeding and sepsis, and can easily be fatal if not treated quickly and the source of the damage removed. Advertisement

'Both of the children recovered well after surgery but the next child may not be so lucky.

'We have seen three cases in the past three months alone and I am concerned about the growing incidence of this problem.

'Parents and schools should be aware of this craze so they can warn children of the life-threatening risks especially if swallowed at different times.'

A spokesman for ROSPA said that retailers are required under Toy Safety Regulations to display warnings on all toys that contain small magnets and those with small parts should be labelled not suitable for children under 36 months.

Magnets also need to be below certain strengths when they are sold.

He said: 'They can subsequently attach to each other within the digestive system, causing serious damage to the bowels and other organs.

'They can be bought in toy shops, and we understand that some schools may also have them in classrooms, where they may be used for creative activities.

'There is no immediate risk to children playing with magnetic toys in a normal or foreseeable way.

'However babies and toddlers learn by placing things in their mouth, so RoSPA's advice is that all toys with small parts should be kept out of reach of small children.

'We also encourage parents of older children to raise awareness of the dangers of accidentally swallowing the small magnets, and we want schools to be aware of the potential dangers presented by this new 'piercing' craze.'The heir to the throne of Saudi Arabia has vowed to help Britain fight terrorism as he heads to London for a controversial three day visit.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will meet Theresa May in Downing Street tomorrow, before seeing the Queen for a rare audience.

The visit is set to attract protests over human rights and the Prime Minister is expected to raise the contentious Saudi military action in Yemen.

It follows two high profile trips by Mrs May to Saudi Arabia since she became Prime Minister.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (file image) will meet Theresa May in Downing Street tomorrow, before seeing the Queen for a rare audience

The Crown Prince, 32, has been hailed by some as a relative moderate in Saudi Arabia after lifting restrictions on allowing women to drive.

He has also been close to the White House under Donald Trump.

Ahead of his visit to Britain, the Crown Prince told the Telegraph: 'We want to fight terrorism and we want to fight extremism because we need to build stability in the Middle East

'The British and Saudi people, along with the rest of the world, will be much safer if you have a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia.'

Any visit to the London Stock Exchange will be watched closely by investors because of the potentially lucrative Aramco listing expected later this year.

Planned talks with faith leaders in Britain including the Archbishop of Canterbury, the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, offer Prince Mohammed an opportunity to project a more tolerant image of Saudi Arabia, sources close to the trip told Reuters.

Under the reforms closely associated with the crown prince, social restrictions have been loosened, such as bans on cinemas and women driving. He has promised to promote a more moderate form of Islam.

It follows two high profile trips by Mrs May to Saudi Arabia since she became Prime Minister (pictured with King Salman in November last year)

Business deals are possible with British defence group BAE Systems and European weapons maker MBDA, and initial agreements could be concluded on gas exploration, petrochemicals and industry, according to British and Saudi sources. They gave no details of the potential deals.

Foreign minister Boris Johnson lauded security ties with 'one of Britain's oldest friends in the region' in a newspaper article last week and praised Prince Mohammed's reforms.

But rights groups and opposition lawmakers have criticised London's support for the prince, particularly over the licensing of 4.6billion worth of arms sales to Saudi Arabia since the start of the Yemen conflict.

Anti-war and human rights groups plan a protest outside May's Downing Street office on Wednesday.

'Theresa May should use this visit to announce the UK will no longer supply arms to Saudi Arabia while the devastating Saudi-led bombing of Yemen continues and make clear Britain's strong opposition to widespread human and civil rights abuses in Saudi Arabia,' opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn said.The dying wish of Finn O'Donovan, a seven-year-old boy (pictured) with a rare terminal disease, came true today when the New South Wales Police Force made him an honorary officer for the day

The dying wish of a seven-year-old boy with a rare terminal disease came true when the New South Wales Police Force made him an honorary officer for the day.

Finn O'Donovan was recently diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a degenerative, terminal disease which affects the breakdown of muscle in young boys.

Finn's wish is to be a police officer on a trail bike when he grows up. But for most DMD sufferers the life expectancy is around 25 years old.

New South Wales Police helped the young boy achieve his dream, asking him to help with a 'serious crime' and assist police in locating and arresting two 'bad guys' who had stolen Easter eggs from the Easter Bunny.

Scroll down for video

The day started when Finn was briefed by investigators at his school, Panania Public in Sydney's south-west.

Finn was fitted with a special tailor-made New South Wales Police Force uniform and State Crime Commander Assistant Commissioner Mal Lanyon gave him the task to track the stolen eggs and arrest the thieves.

The mission took Finn across Sydney with a host of police units involved.

A police helicopter took Finn to Gladesville and then a boat to King George Park in Rozelle where two men were spotted hiding in the bushes where they were caught and 'arrested'.

A police helicopter took Finn to Gladesville and then a boat to King George Park in Rozelle where two men were spotted hiding in the bushes where they were caught and 'arrested'

PolAir, Marine Area Command, the Dog Unit, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, State Crime Command, and Bankstown, Inner West, and Ryde Police Area Commands helped in the operation

New South Wales Police helped the seven-year-old achieve his dream, asking him to help with a 'serious crime' and assist police in locating and arresting two 'bad guys' who had stolen Easter eggs from the Easter Bunny

'Get onto the ground!' Finn yelled as he apprehended the men.

The mission ended when Finn took the 'criminals' to a police van where they were taken away with lights and sirens blaring.

PolAir, Marine Area Command, the Dog Unit, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, State Crime Command, and Bankstown, Inner West, and Ryde Police Area Commands helped in the operation.

The 'mission to save Easter' ended when the stolen eggs were recovered.

The 'mission to save Easter' ended when the stolen eggs were recovered

'Finn tires easily, it's hard to get him through a whole day,' his mother Rebecca O'Donovan told 9News

'Easter might have been very bleak but I'm very happy for all the boys and girls who will see this tonight will know well and truly that Finn saved the day and the Easter Bunny will be here for them on Easter,' Assistant Commissioner Lanyon of New South Wales Police said.

In a video uploaded by New South Wales Police, the effects of Finn's disease could be seen as the mission drew to a close. His limp became more noticeable as his legs started to weaken.

'Finn tires easily, it's hard to get him through a whole day,' his mother Rebecca O'Donovan told 9News.

'But today I felt he had this extra burst of energy. It was so good to see the smile on his face. Words can't explain how thrilled we are.'

Curious residents took to social media to understand what was causing the commotion. 'I figured something serious had happened when I heard PolAir flying over my house,' someone wrote on Facebook.

'Now I know Easter is saved! Great job Finn, you and all the officers involved are legends!'An apprentice tradesman who punched a teenage in the girl in the face during Schoolies celebrations has walked away with just a $600 fine.

Filip Manevski-Radin, 18, avoided a criminal conviction on Tuesday after a South Australian court heard he was too drunk to realise who he was punching during the event in Victor Harbor, 80kms south of Adelaide.

He claimed he didn't remember the November incident well and was 'horrified' to watch footage of him punching the girl in the side of the head, Nine News reported.

Scroll down for Video

Filip Manevski-Radin (pictured) avoided a criminal conviction on Tuesday after he punched a teenage in the girl in the face during Schoolies celebrations in Victor Harbor, 80kms south of Adelaide

Manevski-Radin claimed he didn't remember the November incident (pictured) well and was 'horrified' to watch footage of him punching the girl in the side of the head

His lawyer told the court he was excessively drunk when he stepped into the brawl, which started when another man tried to kiss the victim in front of her boyfriend.

Manevski-Radin then threw a left-handed punch at what he thought was the boyfriend, but turned out to be a female Schoolies-goer, the court heard.

The magistrate read two character references tendered by Manevski-Radin, and accepted his lawyer's explanation of events.

He added: 'If you throw a punch in a crowd, you might foresee it could hit somebody other than your intended victim.'

No conviction was recorded and he was ordered to pay court costs and a $600 fine.

Stopping men's violence against women ambassador Arman Abrahimzadeh was scathing of the soft-touch penalty, saying: 'I would like to see some referrals to some programs or maybe even doing some community work [in the sentence].

His lawyer told the court he was excessively drunk when he stepped into the brawl, which started when another man tried to kiss the victim in front of her boyfriend

No conviction was recorded and he was ordered to pay court costs and a $600 fine

'I don't think he's going to learn a lesson out of this.'

Manevski-Radin apologised in court in January for punching the girl in an attack which was caught on camera.

In the footage, a man can be seen hitting another reveller while the victim and another man attempt to break up the fight.

Manevski-Radin, wearing a white polo shirt with the collar turned up, can then be seen raising his fists and entering the brawl.

He then unleashes a punch and connects with the unsuspecting girl's head, sending her rocking backwards and holding her face.Alfie Evans has a 'relentless and progressive' neurological condition

The parents of brain-damaged Alfie Evans have lost their bid to overturn a ruling that doctors can switch off their son's life support.

A High Court judge has ruled that doctors can stop treating Alfie, 21 months, against the wishes of his parents Kate James and Tom Evans.

Three Court of Appeal judges upheld that decision on Tuesday.

Judges have heard that Alfie, who was born on May 9 2016, is in a 'semi-vegetative state' and has a degenerative neurological condition doctors had not definitively diagnosed.

Mr Justice Hayden had analysed the case at hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London and Liverpool.

Specialists at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool said life-support treatment could stop and the judge said he accepted medical evidence which showed that further treatment was futile.

Alfie's parents Tom Evans, 21, and Kate James, 20, challenged Mr Justice Hayden's ruling and asked the Court of Appeal to consider the case.

They were not at the appeal hearing in London today but listened via a telephone link from Liverpool.

Lord Justice McFarlane, Lord Justice McCombe and Lady Justice King, who had examined issues at a Court of Appeal hearing in London on Thursday, dismissed the couple's challenge.

Mrs Justice King said Alfie's parents were 'unable to accept what movements in Alfie they see are not positive responses'.

Mrs Justice King said medical evidence showed that Alfie was 'deeply comatose' and 'to all intents and purposes unaware of his surroundings'.

Lady Justice King said: 'I think, in fairness to the parents waiting anxiously on the other end of the telephone line, I should tell them immediately their applications for permission to appeal are refused.'

His parents had argued he should be taken abroad to continue the search for a diagnosis and cure.

Alfie's parents Tom Evans, 21, and Kate James, 20, claim their son has been 'sentenced to the death penalty'

Specialists at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool said continuing to provide life-support treatment was 'unkind, unfair and inhumane' and have asked judges to rule that life-support treatment could stop

Kate James and Tom Evans, parents of 21 month old Alfie Evans, arrive at the High Court, London, on February 20

They said the Bambino Gesu Hospital in Rome, Italy was willing to take him in.

The Italian hospital had proposed carrying out two surgical procedures, one placing a breathing tube into his throat and another placing a feeding tube into his stomach.

Barrister Stephen Knafler QC, who is leading Alfie's parents' legal team, said 'the State' had wrongly interfered with 'parental choice'.

Alfie's parents had argued he should be taken abroad to continue the search for a diagnosis and cure

He said Alfie's parents wanted to move him to the hospital in Italy but Mr Justice Hayden's ruling had prevented them from doing that.

Barrister Stephen Knafler QC, who is leading Alfie's parents' legal team, said 'the State' had wrongly interfered with 'parental choice'.

He said Alfie's parents wanted to move him to a hospital in Europe but Mr Justice Hayden's ruling had prevented them from doing that.

Earlier, Mr Justice Hayden said Matthias Hubner, who is based in Munich, Germany, had fallen below expected professional standards.

The judge said Dr Hubner had gone to the Alder Hey Hospital in a 'clandestine manner' - posing as a 'friend of the family' - claimed to have seen all of Alfie's files when he had not, and produced a 'travel plan' containing an inappropriate 'medical regime'.

'Dr Hubner gave evidence and was cross-examined,' said Mr Justice Hayden in his ruling on Alfie's case.

'He accepted that he had gone to the Alder Hey Hospital in a clandestine manner, posing as a friend of the family.

'He agreed... that he had deliberately withheld his professional status from the doctors and staff.

'He told me that he had never done that before. I am at least relieved to hear that.'

At the Family Division of the High Court in London, Mr Justice Hayden said Matthias Hubner, who is based in Munich, Germany, had fallen below expected professional standards

The judge said Dr Hubner had made an 'assertion' that he had 'seen all of Alfie's files'.

'He accepted in evidence that this was not the case,' said Mr Justice Hayden.

'In fact, he has seen very little.'

The judge added: 'Perhaps most alarmingly, Dr Hubner's travel plan for Alfie set out an anticonvulsant medical regime which, on the basis of Alder Hey's experience with Alfie, would have been ineffective and inappropriate.'

He went on: 'I am at a loss to know quite why Dr Hubner fell so far below the standards expected of his profession. I am constrained to say that he has failed the parents, the court but most importantly, Alfie.'

Mr Justice Hayden also complained about another medical expert Alfie's parents had asked to 'assist them' using 'inflammatory' language in a report.

The judge suggested that Professor Nikolaus Haas, who is also based in Munich, had used the case as a 'platform' for his own beliefs.

He highlighted a paragraph in Professor Haas's report, which read: 'Because of our history in Germany, we've learned that there are some things you just don't do with severely handicapped children.

'A society must be prepared to look after these severely handicapped children and not decide that life support has to be withdrawn against the will of the parents if there is uncertainty of the feelings of the child, as in this case.'

Mr Justice Hayden said it was 'inappropriate'.

'Professor Haas was instructed by these parents to assist them and the court on the basis of his experience and expertise, which is evidently considerable,' said the judge in his ruling.

'It is no part of his function however to utilise the case as a platform for his own personal beliefs.

'I found the... paragraph to be inflammatory and inappropriate, not least because the views expressed bear no relationship to and do not engage with the facts of this case.'

A video released by Alfie's aunt appears to show him responding to his mother

Ahead of a Court of Appeal hearing, Alfie's aunt Sarah Evans posted videos of the 21-month-old in his hospital bed, labelling him a 'truly special miracle'.

In the clips she claims he is responsive to his mother's touch and is able to suck a dummy and chew her finger.

Sarah Evans also claimed Alfie is able to move his stomach muscles as she said she was 'praying for justice'.

Last week a High Court judge ruled that doctors can stop treating Alfie, against the wishes of his parents.

Mr Justice Hayden, who analysed the case at hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London and Liverpool, said he accepted medical evidence which showed further treatment was futile.

Alfie's parents challenged Mr Justice Hayden's ruling and asked the Court of Appeal to consider the case.

Three appeal judges began analysing issues at a hearing in London on Thursday.

TIMELINE OF SERIOUSLY ILL ALFIE EVANS WHOSE PARENTS ARE BATTLING THE NHS TO KEEP HIM ALIVE Last week a High Court judge ruled that doctors can stop treating Alfie, against the wishes of his parents May 2016: Alfie Evans is born apparently perfectly healthy, but misses numerous developmental milestones in his first seven months December 2016: Alfie catches a chest infection causing seizures, and is taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool where he is put on life support. He has been there ever since July 2017: Father Tom Evans says he is seeking US treatment for his son and hopes Charlie Gard's supporters will help after he claimed doctors want to turn off Alfie's life support. December 17: Alfie's parents say they will begin mediation with the hospital in a bid to find a way forward without legal action December 19: Mr Evans claims the toddler is letting them know he wants to live February 1: The case goes to the High Court in Liverpool, where the hospital reveal the parents smuggled a German doctor into hospital in a bid to stop the life support from being switched off February 2: Consultant tells High Court that the child is unresponsive, not conscious of his surroundings and cannot be cured February 5: Parents are told by doctors there is 'no hope for recovery' for their boy who has suffered 'catastrophic degradation' to his brain from a 'relentless' condition February 7: Miss James tells a newspaper that she feels 'physical' pain at the thought of her son's death February 20: Mr Justice Hayden rules that doctors can stop providing treatment to Alfie. February 22: Alfie's father, Tom, 21, said he would appeal against the decision, saying 'doctors should take a step back.' March 1: Three appeal judges began analysing issues at a hearing in London. March 6: Court of Appeal hearing tomorrow will decide on whether doctors can stop Alfie's treatment. Advertisement

Alfie's parents, who believe that the little boy responds to them, wanted treatment to continue. His father is pictured here arriving at the Royal Courts of Justice

Barrister Stephen Knafler QC, who is leading Alfie's parents' legal team, told the appeal that he wanted to raise 'various points of law'.

Alfie's parents, who believe that he responds to them, want treatment to continue and hope to fly their son to the Vatican-linked Bambino Gesu Paediatric Hospital in Rome for treatment.

If that proved unsuccessful they hoped he could be taken for treatment in Hamburg before eventually being permitted to die at home.

Alfie's neurological condition is so rare that doctors have never seen it before. One even suggested it may eventually be named 'Alfie's Disease'.

Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust said in a statement: 'Today the Court of Appeal upheld the judgement from the High Court that continued active treatment is not in Alfies best interest.

'We understand that this is a very difficult time for Alfies family and we will continue to work with them to agree the most appropriate palliative care plan for Alfie.'A passenger tried to storm the cabin of an EgyptAir flight before being overpowered this morning, it has emerged.

The 'agitated' passenger is also believed to have attacked crew less than 30 minutes into the four-hour flight from Oman's capital Muscat to Cairo, Egypt.

Officials say the Boeing 737-800 carrying 78 passengers turned back for Muscat amid fears the situation would escalate.

But the Egyptian, who was not armed, was quickly overpowered and handed over to authorities on landing.

An 'agitated' passenger has sparked panic on board an EgyptAir flight after trying to storm the cabin, it has emerged (file picture)

The plane later left for Cairo, arriving four hours behind schedule.

Egyptian authorities have questioned the crew and the other passengers about the incident.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the incident was terrorism-related. EgyptAir issued a brief statement confirming the incident.

In 2016, 66 passengers were killed when EgyptAir flight MS804 from Paris to Cairo crashed into the Mediterranean.

French authorities last year ordered an investigation into whether it was brought down by a fire caused by overheating mobile devices.

The probe was set to focus on whether an Apple iPhone 6S and an iPad Mini 4 belonging to the first officer on board may have caught fire after being plugged into an incorrect socket.

The flight crashed into the Mediterranean en route from Paris to Cairo last May, killing 40 Egyptians, 15 French citizens, and at least three children.A bus was hit by a large metal rod that plunged 276 feet from a skyscraper in the busiest area of Shanghai, China, yesterday morning.

One passenger cheated death after the pole smashed through the vehicle just inches from him.

Shanghai police said the debris had fallen 28 storeys from the exterior wall of an office building on the windy day.

A bus is hit by a metal rod that fell off from a skyscrapers in downtown Shanghai on March 5

The rod hit onto the bus on the right side, damaging the bus windows, seats and the chassis

According to Kan Kan News, the bus no. 71 was passing under the Ocean Towers in downtown Shanghai around 6:30am on March 5 when a metal rod dropped from the 28th floor and hit the ground.

The bus was travelling from The Bund to Shenkun road bus terminal with one passenger onboard.

Surveillance camera footage shows a man is sitting on the right close to an exit. He was using his phone as the windows of the bus broke and debris flew all over in the carriage.

The bus driver switched off car engines immediately to avoid short circuit.

A male passenger can be seen using his phone while sitting near the exit door on the bus

CCTV captures the moment debris flying into the bus towards him when the rod falls on it

One street cleaner described the circular metal rod similar to a lightning rod, stated Xinmin Evening News.

There were no reports of any injuries, according to Shanghai traffic police.

Officers considered adverse weather condition could be one of the factors that caused the incident.

The bus was taken to a garage for policemen to inspect.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, however, a weather record from Shanghai Pudong Meteorological Bureau showed that a yellow gale alert had been issued at around 8:37pm the night before.

The bus is severely damaged when the rod dropped from 28th floor high and onto the groundA man had to have an eight-inch sex toy removed from his bladder after pushing it into his penis.

The unnamed patient, who is in his 30s, was admitted to hospital in south-western Taiwan having spent more than two days with the plastic object lodged inside him.

He claimed to have been trying to pleasure himself by means of what he described as 'urethral play', but when he noticed blood in his urine he rushed to the nearest hospital in Kaohsiung.

The eight-inch sex toy which the man had pushed so far into his penis it ended up in his bladder

Scans showing the plastic object in the man's urethra. He said he used the toy to help pleasure himself

The object as shown during a cystoscopy - an endoscopic procedure into the man's bladder - which was used to remove the rugged toy

Jiann Bang-bing, head of urology at Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, said the device measured 20 centimetres (7.87 inches) long and 1 centimetre (0.39 inches) wide.

The patient claimed he was pleasuring himself by means of 'urethral sounding' - also known as 'urethra play' - when he accidentally inserted the device into his bladder.

A routine cystoscopy - an endoscopic procedure into the man's bladder - helped remove the rugged toy, which had already caused inflammation and blood in his urine.

The patient was discharged from hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

Doctor Jiann reminded members of the public to properly sanitise sex toys and to make use of lubricants in order to avoid serious injury having received similar cases in the past with items such as ballpoint pens and cables.A woman who tried to open airplane door in mid-flight was tackled by a fellow passenger.

The incident happened onboard SkyWest flight 5449 from San Francisco to Boise and according to a witness, the woman began 'freaking out'.

In footage taken by passenger, a man can been seen hauling the woman over himself and then onto the floor of the cabin.

The woman is pinned to the ground by a passenger after trying to open the door in mid-air

The passenger who tried to open the door is hauled out of her seat by a male passenger

After being restrained on the cabin floor, her feet are tied together with restrainers

Passenger Danny Torres described to 7KTVB how his fellow passenger restrained the woman.

'He grabbed her and tried to restrain her but she kept freaking out over and over again and he had to actually throw her to the ground,' said Mr Torres.

'He then kinda put his knee on her back so she wouldn't get up.'

Another passenger, Scott T. Smith, from California, was sitting behind the woman and what appeared to be her travelling companion.

He said both women, who were sitting in the First-Class section, looked and sounded apprehensive.

'She wasn't acting right, or normal, from the very beginning [of the flight],' he told the Idaho Statesman.

'I read it as one of them is trying to get over the fear of flying. I could tell that one or both were uneasy with flying.'

A SkyWest Airlines spokesperson said the 'unruly customer' was restrained, and the flight was able to land safely at the Boise Airport.

All other passengers were able to safely deplane at the Boise Airport, and no one was hurt, the airline said.

The SkyWest plane was able to land safely at Boise airport (file picture)

Boise Police met the plane at the gate, and took the woman into custody.

Spokeswoman Haley Williams said the woman is being medically evaluated, and possible charges have been referred to the prosecutor's office.

Her name has not been released, and it's unclear why she attempted to open the aircraft door.

The FBI is also investigating the incident, added Williams.A British businessman who exposed corruption and looting among officials in Russia today revealed he fears he will be murdered on Vladimir Putin's orders.

Bill Browder ran an investment fund in Moscow but was kicked out of the country in 2005 and had his company seized after he lifted the lid on officials plundering money from businesses.

A young Russian lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, who he employed to try to protect his company was arrested, beaten and died in custody.

And Mr Browder told MPs today he knows the Russian authorities want him dead - but they have not yet found a convenient way to murder him yet.

His comments, made to the culture select committee inquiry into fake news, comes amid heightened alarm at Russian assassination-attempts in the UK.

Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal - who was brought to Britain in a 'spy-swap' after he was caught passing Russian secrets to MI6 - is battling for his life in hospital in a suspected poisoning.

Bill Browder (pictured, right, today in Parliament)told the culture select committee that Vladimir Putin wants him dead but has not worked out how to kill him without creating a fuss

Mr Browder, who was once Russia's largest foreign investor, told how he became Putin's 'number one enemy' after exposing corruption and looting in Russia

Mr Browder told MPs: 'I believe that they want to kill me but I believe that by killing me they want to kill me and get away with it.

'If they kill me in a very brazen way and don't get away with it there will be big repercussions.

Who is Bill Browder and what are his dealings with Russia and Putin? Bill Browder - who dubs himself 'Putin's enemy number one' formally fell foul of the Russian authorities in 2005. But his family is steeped in the history of the country. His grandfather was Earl Browder - the leader of the US Communist Party who twice ran for President. And his father Felix was a maths prodigy and graduate from MIT - but could not find work during the McCarthyite purges of the 1960s. Bill Browder was born in Chicago in 1964 and carved out a career in fund investments. He set up Hermitage Capital Management in Russia in 1996, when the country's markets were opening up to capitalist investment following the fall of Communism. He was once Russia's biggest foreign investor and earned hundreds of millions of pounds from his funds. But he fell foul of the Kremlin in 2005 and was black listed from Russia, while many of his assets were seized. He has spent the following decade exposing Russian officials for corruption and plundering many millions from Russian businesses. Browder chronicled his battle against Russian corruption in a book about his career titled Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice. And he has travelled the world pressing governments to pass the Magnitsky Act. The law is named after Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky who was jailed , beaten and died in custody after exposing corruption. It intends to punish the Russian officials responsible for his death. It was passed in the US but while some MPs support it Britain has not passed it. Advertisement

'They haven't figured out a way yet where they can kill me and get away with it.'

He said Russian Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev issued a thinly-veiled death threat by telling reporters at Davos: 'It's a shame Sergei Magnitsky is dead and Bill Browder is still alive.'

And Mr Browder said he has had kidnapping threats and been hounded by the Russian authorities who have issued police alerts to try to get him arrested in foreign countries and hauled back to Moscow.

He said: 'What the Russians would like to do with me more than anything is arrest me, get me back to Russia and then kill me in their own system', he said.

He added: 'I'm at high risk. I don't spend my life living in fear, but I am definitely at risk.'

Mr Browder, who was once Russia's largest foreign investor, told how he became Putin's 'number one enemy' after exposing corruption and looting in Russia.

He described how he decided to go public with his discoveries in a bid to prompt the authorities to take action.

He said: 'I ran a naming and shaming campaign. As you can imagine that did not end up being very popular with Vladimir Putin.'

He was kicked out of the country in 20005 and his fund, Hermitage Capital Management, was seized by Russian officials.

Mr Browder said he employed Mr Magnitsky to try to protect his assets in Russia but then the lawyer was arrested, thrown into jail, tortured and died in prison in 2009.

Since then he has launched a decade-long campaign to try to get the lawyer justice and fight the corruption in Russian, MPs heard.

But the Kremlin has hit back by launching a smear campaign against him which branded him 'a killer, a cheat and a swindler'.

Mr Browder's comments, made to the culture select committee inquiry into fake news, comes amid heightened alarm at Russian assassination-attempts in the UK

In recent years he has travelled the world pressing governments to pass the Magnitsky Act.

The law is named after Mr Magnitsky who wad jailed, beaten and died in custody for exposing corruption and intends to punish the Russian officials responsible for his death.

It was passed in the US but while some MPs support it Britain has not passed it.

His stark warning to MPs come just hours after news broke that Russian double-agent Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia are in hospital after suffering a suspected poisoning.

They were rushed to Salisbury District Hospital after being found slumped on a bench outside the town's shopping centre.

Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal (pictured being arrested by the Russian state police the FSB in 2004) - who was brought to Britain in a 'spy-swap' after he was caught passing Russian secrets to MI6 - is battling for his life in hospital in a suspected poisoning

Mr Skripal's daughter Yulia (pictured) is also in hospital fighting for her life after being caught up in the suspected poisoning on Sunday

The 66-year-old, who had recently told police he feared for his life, was found with his daughter Yulia, 33, who is also in a critical condition. Health chiefs said the pair had been exposed to an 'unknown substance'.

It emerged this morning that some of the brightest minds from Britain's top counter-terror agency have been pulled in to work on the investigation, which has taken on political and international significance.

Police are now examining CCTV of a man and woman walking through an alleyway shortly before the pair were found.

A number of experts have said that Mr Skripal, who unmasked dozens of Russian agents, may have been the target of a revenge 'hit' by former colleagues in what was once the KGB.Valentin Kryzyzyk, 27, from Battersea, is accused of raping the woman in his bedroom after a night out at celebrity haunt, Maddox Club, in Mayfair

A wealthy businessman allegedly raped a woman in her sleep at his luxury apartment after sharing a taxi home with her from an exclusive London nightclub.

Valentin Kryzyzyk, 27, from Battersea, is accused of raping the woman in his bedroom after a night out at celebrity haunt, Maddox Club, in Mayfair.

The woman claimed she fled from his flat without her bra or top, and told police: I just wanted to get out.

At Southwark Crown Court, Christopher Amis, prosecuting, said: This case concerns the rape of a young woman at this defendants home address after she left a nightclub in the West End of London with him in the early hours of the morning on the May 9 2015.

The complainant is a Romanian woman aged 27, she went out that night to the West End with two good friends of hers.

She went out with her friends first of all to a nightclub in or near Oxford Street where they remained until about one in the morning.

The group then left to go on to another venue known as the Maddox nightclub, also in the West End of London.

Mr Amis said the woman left the club, leaving her friends inside, at around 4am because she was feeling tired and wanted to go home.

He told jurors: Having walked out the nightclub she moves around outside the front of the club, you can see her going backwards and forwards on the street outside the nightclub.

Its apparent what she was doing was looking, without success, for a taxi. If you look at her quite carefully, you might conclude she is fairly wobbly on her feet.

The woman is then seen re-entering the club just after 4am.

The court heard she couldnt be seen leaving because CCTV cameras stopped recording after 5am.

Mr Amis said: We do know that she must have left that nightclub between about 5am and 5.15am because other CCTV footage pick her up at 5.33am.

By that time she was walking with the defendant towards the defendants home address in Battersea.

The pair were holding hands as they walked into the building, the court heard.

The Crown say its possible to conclude what the footage shows is this defendant leading a very drunk complainant by her hand towards his apartment block said Mr Amis.

The woman claims she went inside the flat with Kryzyzyk and had a cigarette on his balcony while he told her about his work which she believed to be managing or owned some restaurants.

She became overcome with tiredness and was shown into the bedroom by Kryzyzyk.

As he got into bed next to her, the woman said she told Kryzyzyk she was not interested in having sex with him.

The prosecutor added: She thought that the defendant didnt take that particularly well and remembers having to be rather emphatic with him that she didnt want sex with him.

She thinks she may have even pushed him away. Thats all she remembers before she fell into a deep sleep, on her back, in his bed.

The next thing that she remembers is waking up about an hour later. She was immediately aware of the fact her clothes were in a completely different state - her bra and her top had been taken off her, and her skirt had been pulled up over her midriff and pushed up towards the top half of her body.

Kryzyzyk claimed not to have ever met the complainant and said he believed he was out of the country at the time of the alleged incident

She ran out of the building and called police at the end of the road before hailing herself a taxi home, jurors heard.

The woman said in police interview she initially thought she was dressed in a different item of clothing when she woke up, as she hadnt realised the top of her long length skirt had been pulled up over her chest like a dress..

In the interview the woman tells an officer: My clothes werent on properly.

My top was off and my bra. My skirt was on me like a dress, it was pulled up. That really worried me, I was confused.

I just wanted to get out there. I had my hand bag and went out really quickly. At one point he was holding them and he was like do you not just want to take these.

I remember getting to the main road and I called 999. I was really shocked, couldnt believe it had happened to me.

Valentin Kryzyzyk, 27, from Battersea, is accused of raping the woman in his bedroom after a night out at celebrity haunt, Maddox Club, in Mayfair

The woman took a photo of one of the blocks in the apartment complex which police later used to identify the Howard Building in Queenstown Road, Battersea.

DNA swabs taken from the woman later that morning were matched to Kryzyzyks profile in February last year and he was arrested and charged.

Mr Amis said: A DNA specialist has said theres a one in a billion chance that the DNA came from someone other than and unrelated to the defendant.

In police interview Kryzyzyk said he did had not had a one night stand since 2012, and had been in a long term relationship with another woman since then.

He claimed he would not let a stranger into his home because he owned lots of valuable things, jurors heard.

Kryzyzyk claimed not to have ever met the complainant and said he believed he was out of the country at the time of the alleged incident.

Mr Amis added that he is now expected to claim that sex was consensual.

Kryzyzyk denies one count of rape. The trial continues.A newly unearthed US government propaganda film has revealed how Japanese-Americans were forced from their homes and moved to 'relocation centers' in remote parts of the country during World War Two.

Their worlds were turned upside down. But the propaganda video shows citizens happy in their work, embracing the challenge of starting anew.

The video was released in 1944 by the US War Relocation Authority.

Incredible footage reveals the moment a family-of-three walk into their humble temporary accommodation with just a bed and a window in sight, after being relocated from their homes.

A Japanese-American works with a lathe to build furniture for his now home in newly unearthed footage from the US War Relocation Authority

A mother reads her child a bedtime story. As many as 120,000 Japanese Americans were displaced from the Pacific Coast during World War Two

The film shows families apparently content with their new lives in camps spread across the interior of the US West Coast

The scenes show how forced evacuees worked to make their accommodation feel like home.

They sawed, put up curtains, and built toys for their children. Other shots include a mother reading her son a book.

Over 110,000 Japanese-Americans were displaced during World War II.

'More than a 100,000 men, women and children of all Japanese ancestries were removed from their homes in the Pacific Coast to wartime communities established in out-of-the-way-places,' the narrator says.

'Their evacuation does not imply individual disloyalty but was ordered to reduce a military hazard at a time when danger of invasions was great,' the voice explains.

Between 110,000 and 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, most of which lived on the Pacific Coast, were relocated to camps in the western interior of the country.

The relocation lasted between February 1942 and March 1946.

Many of them lost irreplaceable personal property because of restrictions that prevented them from taking more than they were allowed into the camps.

Japanese-Americans work the fields at a 'relocation center' - which were often military barracks, with barbed wire and guard towers

A displaced woman tries to make her temporary accommodation more homely. Some Japanese-Americans were kept in centers for as long as three years

In many centers they would eat in communal mess halls. Some view the relocation program as one of the US's greatest civil rights violations

Inhabitants of the camp lived in blocks of 300. The centers were guarded by US military personnel

'Cafeteria style, they eat off rough wooden tables' says the narrator in the two-minute-long clip

'Two-thirds of the evacuees are American citizens by right of birth, the rest are their Japanese-born parents and grandparents,' the narrator says.

'The people are not under suspicion; they are not prisoners, they are not internees, they are mainly dislocated people, the unwounded casualties of war.

'The time? Spring and summer of 1942. The place? Ten different relocation centers in unsettled parts of California, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arkansas.'

But scratch the surface and a more sinister picture emerges. These Japanese-Americans were forcefully moved to 'relocation centers' - centers set in military barracks, with barbed wire and guard towers.

The average time spent in such a facility was three years.

America's war with Japan prompted what is considered one of the biggest ever civil rights violations in the country's history.

Japanese-American's were confronted with bare rooms with just a wardrobe and bed. Many had to make their own furniture

Out in the fields: They had to work the land. Many were forced to leave their businesses behind when they were forcibly relocated

Two months after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt, as commander-in-chief, issued Executive Order 9066, which had the effect of relocating all persons of Japanese ancestry, both citizens and aliens inland - outside of the Pacific military zone.

The Executive order was designed to prevent espionage and to protect persons of Japanese descent from harm at the hands of Americans who had strong anti-Japanese attitudes, although the latter has been contested by prisoners.

Roosevelt's order affected some 117,000 people of Japanese descent, two-thirds of whom were native-born citizens of the United States.

The Colorado government claims even those of 1/16 Japanese origin were also forced in the camps.

A family take a first look at their accommodation. Many families remained in the centers until the end of the war

Family life: Normality continues in the video, where Japanese-Americans are seen relaxing in their temporary accomodation

The US military outfit that guarded the centers are only glimpsed briefly during the film

Relocation centers were situated many miles inland, often in remote and desolate locales.

In 1943 and 1944, the government assembled a combat unit of Japanese-Americans for the European theater.

It became the 442d Regimental Combat Team who fought in Europe against Nazi Germany and was highly decorated.

The Supreme Court upheld the legality of the relocation order in Hirabayashi v. United States in 1943 and Korematsu v. United States in 1944.

Early in 1945, Japanese-American citizens of undisputed loyalty were allowed to return to the West Coast, but not until March 1946 was the last camp closed.A factory worker at a plant making supplies for Coca-Cola, Carlsberg and Monster energy drinks was marched off the premises after urinating in a can.

Fellow employees watched on in disbelief as the man, thought to be in his early 40s, performed the disgusting act at the Ball Corporation centre in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

It is understood the man was a temporary worker who had been in the job for several months but has now been dismissed.

A worker urinated in a can at the Ball Corporation centre in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. The factory produces cans for the likes of Coca-Cola, Carlsberg and Monster

A source told the Milton Keynes Citizen: 'It was not only revolting but a real hygiene risk. Who would want pee all over their drinks can?

'As soon as it happened he was marched off the premises and has not been allowed back.

'It's just not acceptable behaviour. And nobody can understand why he did it. The workers are allowed breaks and if he needed the loo, all he had to do was ask.'

The plant is responsible for manufacturing cans for Coca-Cola, Carlsberg and energy drink Monster.

Some workers claim the company simply cleaned up the urine spillage area and allowed production to continue after the bizarre incident.

But Ball Corporation bosses said the affected can was not on the production line.

The plant in Milton Keynes - similar to the one pictured in Wakefield- produces thousands of cans. The worker has been dismissed for urinating in a container

Some workers claim the company simply cleaned up the urine spillage area and allowed production to continue after the bizarre incident. Pictured: Ball Corporation plant in Wakefield

A spokesman said: 'We can confirm that an incident took place at the Ball Milton Keynes can manufacturing plant yesterday.

'A temporary employee was found to have breached our hygiene processes and was dismissed from the company.

'We can also confirm that only one can was affected, and that the affected can was not on our production line. We submit our cans to stringent hygiene and quality tests before sending them to our customers.'

Ball Corporation's canning plant is only around 100 metres away from the massive Coca Cola bottling factory.

They have canning factories all over the world which produce eight billion empty aluminium cans every year for drinks companies.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.Victoria Derbyshire (pictured) is one of the presenters to sign the letter calling for action from the BBC corporation

BBC stars, such as Mariella Frostrup, Victoria Derbyshire and Dan Snow, are demanding the company reveal all salaries across the corporation in a bid to end the gender pay gap.

Nearly 250 staff members have signed an open letter which calls for 'full pay transparency' - including BBC Breakfast presenter, Naga Munchetty, and the company's former China Editor, Carrie Gracie.

The letter calls for greater transparency about what everyone earns at the BBC.

It asks for clarity 'about what everyone earns, about how pay is decided, and also about promotion and recruitment across all areas of the corporation'.

The open letter is also critical over the BBC's failure to include payments made to staff through branches such as BBC Studios, which creates programmes including Strictly Come Dancing, EastEnders, and Casualty.

However, the BBC said that, as BBC Studios and BBC Worldwide were not funded by the licence fee, 'it would be wrong to put them at a competitive disadvantage at a time we should be doing all we can to support British content against the global west coast giants'.

Last year, a list of the BBC's biggest earners, topped by Radio 2's Chris Evans on more than 2 million, revealed a gap in the pay-packets of its best-known male and female stars.

BBC stars, such as Mariella Frostrup (right) and Dan Snow (left) are demanding the company reveal all salaries across the corporation in a bid to end the gender pay gap

In response, BBC director general, Tony Hall, declared a a five-point plan in January to 'help create a fairer and more equal BBC' but it faced backlash after the review concluded that there was 'no evidence of gender bias in pay decision-making'.

The review by the PwC found a 6.8% gender pay gap, lower than the 9.3% BBC average found in October.

Critics say this is because the review didn't take into account the vast majority of on-air presenters, editors and senior managers and the BBC Women campaign group, which represents more than 170 presenters and producers, dismissed the report and its 'no gender bias' result.

Hall was also questioned by MPs about the pay imbalance after Carrie Gracie resigned as the BBC's China editor over unequal salaries.

She accused the corporation of having a 'secretive and illegal' pay culture.

all was also questioned by MPs about the pay imbalance after Carrie Gracie (pictured) resigned as the BBC's China editor over unequal salaries

In response to the letter, which was published in The Guardian, the BBC said: 'We already have a project planned to look at transparency at the BBC which will consider, among other things, whether all salaries from the licence fee should be published and what other measures are necessary that wouldn't put the BBC at a competitive disadvantage'.

It continued: 'The BBC already publishes more information about itself, its operations and its staff than any other broadcaster. We are already committed to going further and faster than any other organisation in closing our gender pay gap.'A premature baby who weighed just 1.7 pounds at birth has defied the odds to survive in China.

The boy, now four months old, was born at 24 weeks - just over two-thirds into a full-term pregnancy.

With a torso as tiny as an adult's palm, he has been billed as the 'palm-size baby' by Chinese media.

Happy together: Yuanmeng poses with his mother Yang Ruiying at nearly four months old

Little miracle: The boy's torso was as small as a palm after being born at 24 weeks in China

Meticulous care: A nurse at the Children's Hospital in Shanxi looks after Yuanmeng after he was born (left) and on March 5 (right). The baby is due to go home with his mother tomorrow

The baby has been named Yuanmeng, a homophone of 'realising a dream' in Mandarin.

After the hospital's meticulous care for 118 days, Yuanmeng now weighs 7.3 pounds and is ready to go home with his mother, according to local news site Yellow River News Network.

'The child is so precious, ' Dr Wei Huangyu from the Children's Hospital in Shanxi is quoted saying.

Dr Ji, the supervisor of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the hospital, told the reporter when Yuanmeng was born, his skin was as thin as a piece of paper and he couldn't breath on his own.

'His pulse felt weak and he couldn't urinate or excrete,' added Dr Ji.

Yuanmeng's mother, Yang Ruiying, was 31 years old when she gave birth to the boy on November 7 last year.

She told a reporter that she had had two miscarriages before carrying Yuanmeng.

 Slide me  Precious: Yuanmeng was extremely weak and weighed just 1.7 pounds when his mother delivered him last November (left); now he has grown to be a healthy boy at 7.3 pounds

Team effort: A nurse helps Yuanmeng's mother feed the baby boy at the hospital in Shanxi

'I wanted to save this baby no matter what': Ms Yang kisses her miracle son in the hospital

Apparently, Ms Yang went into labour all of sudden during a pregnancy check.

'I wanted to save this baby no matter what,' she told the reporter.

Ms Yang, who has a heart disease, suffered from post-natal complications and had to be treated at the hospital.

Apparently, her family has spent over 400,000 yuan (45,500) - half of which was borrowed - while trying to save the mother and the child.

But the baby's grandmother Zhang Xiangxiang said: 'As long as both of them are fine, we feel lucky enough.'

According to the hospital, Yuanmeng was deemed healthy during the latest physical exam and could breath properly by himself.

His grandmother Zhang said the baby cries particularly loud now.

A second family: After 118 days, doctors and nurses find it hard to say bye-bye to Yuanmeng

Good development: Yuanmeng was deemed healthy during the latest physical exam

According to London-based research website Tommys, the chance of survival for babies born at 24 weeks - the abortion time-limit in the UK - is 40 per cent.

Precious reports have suggested significant survival improvements among babies born at 24, 25 and 26 weeks in the UK.

However in China, saving such a baby has proved to be more difficult.

Yuanmeng's principal doctor Zhang Yong called Yuanmeng's treatment a 'huge challenge'.

Time to say good-bye! The medical team pose for a group picture with Yuanmeng on March 5

Nurses take care of Yuanmeng before he is due to go home with his mother on March 7

Dr Zhang said the hardest part was to ensure Yuanmeng's lungs would grow healthily.

The doctor said the medical team had also had to ensure Yuanmeng to receive enough nutrition and avoid any possible infections.

Dr Zhang said he and his colleagues were yet to notice any signs of long-term complications in Yuanmeng.

The miracle boy is due to leave the hospital tomorrow.Sergei Skripal begged not to be exchanged in a spy swap and asked to see out his prison term in Russia, a documentary claimed.

The former spy was rushed to hospital on Sunday after collapsing on a bench outside a shopping centre in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

The 66-year-old, who had recently told police he feared for his life, was found with his daughter Yulia, 33, who is also in a critical condition. Health chiefs said the pair had been exposed to an 'unknown substance'.

Mr Skripal had been brought to Britain in a Cold War-style spy swap in 2010 after he was caught passing Russian secrets to MI6.

But a 2014 TV documentary - called 'A Mole in the Aquarium', referring to the name given to GRU headquarters in Moscow - claimed that he had in fact begged not to be swapped.

Sergei Skripal (left, in 2006 and, right, during his time in the Russian military) is fighting for his life after being exposed to an unknown substance. He had been brought to Britain in a spy swap in 2010 after he was caught passing Russian secrets to MI6. But a documentary claimed that he had in fact begged not to be swapped.

A police tent has been put up over the park bench where Skripal and his daughter appeared 'catatonic'

Emergency services found Sergei Skripal and a woman, said to be his daughter Yulia, slumped over a bench at The Maltings shopping centre before they were transported to Salisbury District Hospital, where a major incident was declared on Monday

Instead, he wanted to remain in Russia and serve the rest of his sentence, hoping for early release, the documentary said.

'It is quite unbelievable, but Skripal was begging not to be exchanged and asked to be left in Russia,' said the film.

Andrey Sharov, counter intelligence veteran, said: 'His dossier and notes from his colleagues gave not a hint that he could grow into a traitor. He had good records at school and military college - and successfully started his military career.'

His GRU service started with a dream post in Malta, where he performed well and was seen as an 'energetic' officer with good potential.

He returned to the motherland in the 1990s; he served as a paratrooper in military conflict zones, working later in Spain - where he was recruited by MI6.

In 1997 he had to retire as an serving GRU officer.

Andrey Sharov added: 'He developed severe diabetes which he tried to cure for a long while; finally he was called to a medical commission which found him to be unfit for intelligence service.'

Mr Skripal was among of a group of top spies exchanged in Vienna in 2010 (left) for a group of Russian agents including the glamorous Anna Chapman (right)

After retirement Skripal had a down period when he tried to apply for several jobs and didn't keep any of them for a long while. Then suddenly a suspicious period - with regular visits abroad - began.

Sharov said: 'Why did Sergey Skripal go to Malta, or to Turkey in October when the tourist season was over? Why did he call his former colleagues out so often?

'I think this was the moment when he got under the radar of both counter intelligence and FSB.'

'Poisoned spy case' echoes fate of Alexander Litvinenko - Putin critic killed by polonium-laced tea Relations between Britain and Russia have been strained since the murder of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006, a killing which a judge said was probably approved by President Vladimir Putin. The defector died after two agents slipped radioactive polonium 210 into his tea pot at a Mayfair hotel in central London, according to an inquiry headed by former high court judge Sir Robert Owen. The inquiry found two Russian men - Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun - had deliberately poisoned Litvinenko by putting polonium-210 into his drink at a London hotel, leading to an agonising death. Alexander Litvinenko died after two agents slipped radioactive polonium 210 into his tea It said the use of the radioactive substance - which could only have come from a nuclear reactor - was a 'strong indicator' of state involvement and that the two men had probably been acting under the direction of the FSB. Possible motives included Litvinenko's work for British intelligence agencies, his criticism of the FSB, and his association with other Russian dissidents, while it said there was also a 'personal dimension' to the antagonism between him and Putin. International arrest warrants issued for Mr Lugovoi and Mr Kovtun remain in force although Russia continues to refuse their extradition. The Millennium Hotel in Mayfair, where he is said to have been poisoned In a statement to mark the 10th anniversary of his death, Marina Litvinenko said her husband - who she called Sasha - had been an 'extraordinary man' whose courage in speaking out against the Russian security service, the FSB, had left an enduring legacy. While she acknowledged Mr Putin had refused to accept the inquiry's findings, she said it remained open for other world leaders to take action against the Russian state and that she hoped her struggle to find the truth had not been in vain. 'It has taken 10 long years for the truth to be established and for Sasha's dying words that President Putin was responsible for his death to be proved to be true,' she said. 'I know that Mr Putin's Russia does not accept the findings of the British public inquiry and will continue to deny the truth in the face of overwhelming evidence. 'But those findings are now part of history and the rest of the world understands the difference between truth and propaganda. And that is what matters to me. 'What action world leaders will take against the ever vengeful Russian state in these dramatic times remains to be seen. I hope and pray that my struggle has not been in vain.' Last year the scandal took a new twist when Scotland Yard detectives who investigated the Litvinenko case revealed they too had been poisoned by the Russians in an extraordinary attempt to thwart the inquiry. The inquiry found Andrei Lugovoi (left, in 2007) and Dmitri Kovtun (right, in 2006) - had deliberately poisoned Litvinenko Detective Inspector Brian Tarpey, who flew to Moscow to investigate, says: I remember one evening my officer [a colleague who travelled with him] was complaining of stomach cramp and not being very well. Next morning I accompanied him to the general prosecutors office. We were offered tea. I had no hesitation in accepting. After we left, I started to feel a little bit uncomfortable. Not wanting to put too fine a point on it, I had the s***s. I have no doubt in my mind that someone poisoned us with something like gastroenteritis. Advertisement

Secret services historian Nikolay Luzan said: 'He was a pensioner with a very, very small pension.

'But he bought his son a flat in Moscow, which wasn't expensive, did an expensive repair in his flat, then he bought a dacha in Kaluga region, and a car.'

Sharov said: 'Counter intelligence got interested in his sources of income and found a bank account in Spain which received monthly payments of $3,000 USD, from an unrecognised source. This was an iron-cast sign of him being into spying.'

The FSB and military counter intelligence shut all his links to former colleagues, who one-by-one were either too busy to meet, or unavailable, or away, the documentary explains.

The group of FSB and counter intelligence has been working on GRU colonel for four years, watching his every step, recording and analysing his every call, according to the documentary.

Sharov said: 'When he got back to Russia at the beginning of the 1990s after the Soviet Union collapsed, the country was in pieces.

'And he, a veteran military, found himself to be at a salary level of a train engine driver's aide.'

In 1993, Skripal found himself to be an intelligence officer with two higher educations and a meagre salary.

Luzan said: 'At this time my salary was hardly enough to live for a month, and I think he was in exactly the same situation. I think this must have been the time when his metamorphosis began.'

In 1993 he struck lucky, as his chief took into account his spotless reputation and experience, and sent him to work in Spain.

Sharov said: 'I think he came to Spain being morally prepared for adventures, and his thirst for money has been spotted by MI6.'

He encountered a Spanish 'friend', an MI6 agent called Luis who offered a trade deal on importing Spanish wines into Russia.

They became friends in 1994, started business, got first deal in February 1995 by selling wine barrels. It brought them profit of $6,000 each.

'Luis' passed Skripal to another agent called Antonio Alvarez De Idalgo; he was asked to do an analytical note on Russia and its market, took a classified analytical data to create the report and passed it on to Idalgo.

This earned him a bonus of $10,000, and a mobile phone as a present.

Idalgo tried to get extra 'kompromat' on Skripal by taking him to a strip club, with a dedicated girl ready to have fun with him. But Skripal literally ran away from the strip club back to his wife, the documentary says.

A formal offer was made by Idalgo who said that his intelligence was ready to generously pay for information.

Luzan said: 'They discussed the conditions of the deal. 3,000 dollars to his bank account monthly.

'They made a point of saying let's not deal with cash, but have your account in one of the British banks.'

At first Skripal described all he knew about the GRU structure, like surnames and characteristics of undercover agents, the documentary says.

He was giving away everyone, his colleagues, his school mates, his subordinates and chiefs. Next he wrote down all foreign agents he knew about.

The damage he caused is hard to evaluate until now, said the documentary.

Andrey Sharov: 'In both intelligence and counter intelligence the sacred thing is security of agents, those people who trusted their life.'

After falling sick in 1997 he returned to Russia, where all those whom he betrayed actually helped him to get better, the documentary said. For a couple of years he lived quietly, spending money he earned earlier.

In 1999 he called Idalgo for new money again, but at this point he wasn't too interesting for MI6. Idalgo stopped working with Skripal and a much more junior person was assigned to him.

A new deal was made that for $10,000 a year, the documentary said.

After 1999 Skripal became very active with taking his family to Madrid and Malta, the documentary says. In October 2004 he also went to Izmir, Turkey.

There he met his MI6 curator, passed information and got his last fee of $20,000, the documentary says.Lucian Stinci, pictured, was jailed for life for the murder of teacher Florina Pastina

An obsessed hotel caretaker who battered a primary school teacher to death after watching sadistic pornography has been ordered to serve a minimum of 20 years in jail.

Lucian Stinci, 34, spent more than six hours viewing films of women being tortured, raped and killed before attacking housemate Florina Pastina, 36, as she got ready for work.

He hit her at least 18 times over the head with a hammer as she was making coffee in the kitchen of their home in Croydon, south London.

Stinci had become infatuated with his fellow Romanian after they started living together in 2012 and even filmed her in the shower with a secret camera in 2013.

Ms Pastina rejected his advances but wanted to remain friends and kept the birthday and Valentine's Day cards he sent in her bedroom.

One read: 'For the most beautiful creature from the Universe. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes tonight, Happy Birthday.'

Another read: 'As I got to know you better, and that's why maybe there been hard moments, I started to care about you more and more as a girlfriend.

'But your eyes, your messed mind, and nonetheless your smile... have magical powers... Happy Valentine's Day.'

Florina Pastina, left, was beaten repeatedly by Stinci who had spent several hours watching extreme pornography and taking cocaine and Viagra before launching the attack

Children from Ms Pastina's school made cards for their former teacher after her death

Prosecutor Sarah Whitehouse QC told the court: 'He was infatuated with Florina Pastina and had been for some time.

'One friend described him as having been obsessed by her, and always trying to please her.

'Another said that three or four years ago he tried asking her out and bought her presents. He told others that he loved her very much.'

Stinci, a heavy drinker, also had an interest in sado-masochism and said he would like to see Florina 'playing sexually' with her niece Claudia.

Examination of Stinci's computer revealed that Stinci watched extreme videos on a website between midnight and 6.07am on July 19 last year.

The same website was also used by killer Mujahid Arshid to develop his fantasies of raping a 17 year-old girl in the years before he murdered his niece Celine Dookhran.

Stinci, who had come to the UK from Romania 10 years ago, had taken six grams of cocaine and drunk seven cans of cider in the preceding hours and 'just snapped' when he saw Ms Pastina in the morning, who asked him what was wrong, he told the court.

Stinci, left, was obsessed with his housemate Ms Pastina, right. He admitted killing her following a cocaine and extreme porn binge. He also took Viagra before the murder

He went to his room to get the hammer, went down to the kitchen and struck Ms Pastina to the back of the head as she was making coffee.

She fell to the floor where Stinci continued his attack for about 30 seconds.

Stinci told the court: 'I felt a rage, like she had done something to me in the past.

'It happened very abruptly, she asked me if I am alright, what's wrong with me, I just snapped.

'I came from the lounge and in kitchen and that's when I hit her.'

Florina's nephew Nicholas Hellen, who had a bedroom on the ground floor, was disturbed by the noise and came out of his bedroom to investigate.

He saw Stinci leaving the kitchen sweaty and breathless and was told by the killer 'there's something wrong with Flo, you may need to check it out'.

As he walked into the kitchen, Stinci hit him on the back of the head with the hammer and tried to bite him and lick him as they struggled on the floor.

Niece Claudia Pastina, who lived in an upstairs bedroom, also tried to intervene but was pushed her against a chair and jabbed in the stomach with the pointed end of the hammer.

Ms Pastina was preparing a cup of coffee before going to school on the morning of her murder

She managed to grab hold of it and threw it out the door before fleeing outside to call the police.

Officers arrived to find Florina Pastina lying on her back in the kitchen fully clothed with a catastrophic injury to the left side of her head.

She also had scalding to her thighs and an empty kettle was standing on the kitchen worktop next to her.

The prosecution alleged Stinci had poured boiling water over her after she had fallen to the floor, but the judge found there was not sufficient evidence to prove this beyond a reasonable doubt.

A post-mortem revealed she Ms Pastina suffered 18 cuts to the head, multiple skull fractures and a scalding to her thighs and lower abdomen but no injuries of a sexual nature.

Several of the pupils identified Ms Pastina's love of cats in the cards

Ms Pastina died two days after the attack when medics turned off her life support system

Ms Pastina came to the UK in 2010 and worked as a primary school teacher in Thornton Heath

She died in hospital two days later after her life support machine was switched off once her brother arrived from Romania.

Mr Hellen suffered a 3cm cut to the side of the head requiring three stitches while Claudia Pastina had a bruise to her arm.

A toxicologist concluded Stinci had taken a 'substantial amount of cocaine' and a high therapeutic dose of Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra.

Stinci was arrested at the scene and told police in a prepared statement he had taken cocaine in the early hours of the morning and did not intend to kill anyone.

Police found a hard drive in the hallway containing seven videos and four screenshots of Florina Pastina in the shower at the property.

Stinci came to the UK around ten years ago and worked as a supervisor for Mayday Hotels in Croydon.

Ms Pastina came to the UK in 2010 and worked as a primary school teacher in Thornton Heath.

The Common Serjeant of London, Judge Richard Marks, sentenced Stinci to life with a minimum of 20 years in prison.

He said: 'During the night you had spent some hours accessing a large number of videos on a website which were of an extreme sadomasochistic nature showing females being tortured, raped, restrained and killed.

Victim's family: 'We have a void in our life' In a victim impact statement, Ms Pastina's brother Florin said: 'We have a void in our life. 'It is even more disturbing that she was only 36 when she was killed in a horrible way. 'We still ask every day why this happened. Life will never be the same. Everything is sadder now.' Advertisement

'It appears that during the previous day and up to around 11 o'clock that evening according to your account, you had seven or eight cans of cider and in addition that night you consumed a large quantity of cocaine.'

The judge said of Ms Pastina: 'She was an outstanding person who was greatly loved.

'You were very much attracted to her but it appears the sentiment was not reciprocated on her part.'

Stinci, wearing a red jumper and grey tracksuit bottoms, hung his bespectacled head in the dock as The Common Serjeant said the attack was 'utterly brutal.'.

The victim's brother Florin Pastina said in a victim impact statement: 'We have a void in our life. It is even more disturbing that she was only 36 when she was killed in a horrible way.

We still ask every day why this happened. Life will never be the same. Everything is sadder now.'

Stinci, from Croydon, admitted murder, unlawful wounding of Nicholas Hellen, actual bodily harm on Claudia Pastina and possession of a class A drug.

Children from Ms Pastina's school produced a series of heart wrenching cards after the teacher's murder, including one which said: 'Ms Pastina was very nice. She was beautiful at the same time.'

Speaking after Lucian Stinci was jailed for life for murdering Ms Pasitin, Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh, of the Homicide and Major Crime Command, led the investigation and said: 'Through this investigation we've got to know two people, Lucian Stinci an evil, wicked man.

'He was obsessed with Florina, but she had no interest in him. Having taken drugs and watched a significant amount of sado-masochistic videos and then subjected defenceless Florina to a sustained, savage attack. His actions have taken away shining star within the community.

'Florina will always be remembered by those who knew her as a truly amazing young woman, who had such a promising future. She was described as such a talented teacher, who positively shaped the futures of her pupils.'

Children and colleagues from Florina's school said: 'We were all extremely saddened to lose Florina in such a sudden and violent way last summer.

'At a time when we were all, including Florina, looking forward to the holidays, instead we received news of her death.

'This has had a significant impact on the children, families and staff at the school. I hope that now we can begin to remember her for the kind, caring teacher and person that she was.'Ex-Trump political aide Sam Nunberg will 'seek treatment for what ails him' after cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe, Fox Business Network reported Tuesday.

In the aftermath of Nunberg's flurry of television interviews, where he announced he planned to defy a subpoena asking him to appear before a grand jury and turn over campaign emails, Fox Business Network's Charlie Gasparino confirmed that the aide now plans to play ball.

Then he'll go get some help, said Gasparino, who described Nunberg as a 'friend.' 'Drinking I believe is a big part of it and that's what happened yesterday,' the Fox Business correspondent said.

That was what CNN's Erin Burnett guessed as well, saying while on live television with Nunberg that she could smell alcohol on his breath. Nunberg, in turn, was quick to deny that he'd been drinking.

Scroll down for video

Former Trump campaign aide is photographed leaving CNN's headquarters in New York City Monday night after appearing on Out Front with broadcaster Erin Burnett

Sam Nunberg is seen leaving CNN's New York studios after a marathon day of interviews in which he said he would not cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe

President Trump's ex-political aide Sam Nunberg went on a media blitz yesterday suggesting he planned to ignore Special Counsel Robert Mueller's subpoena to have him testify before a grand jury

Sam Nunberg (pictured) later changed his tune and suggested he would comply with the subpoena, but not before he attacked the White House Press Secretary and suggested that Trump associate Carter Page had 'colluded' with the Russians

One of the most eyebrow raising interviews of Sam Nunberg's (left) media blitz happened on the CNN show Erin Burnett (right) Out Front

NOT DRUNK: While CNN's Erin Burnett (right) confronted Sam Numberg (left) and said she could smell alcohol on his breath, the former Trump aide said he hadn't had a drink on Monday

Burnett asked the question as Nunberg made a number of eyebrow-raising statements throughout the marathon's worth of television and print interviews he gave on Monday.

On the CNN host's show, he quickly pounced on White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders calling her a 'fat slob.'

Earlier he called the subpoena to appear before a grand jury as part of the Mueller Russia probe 'ridiculous.'

During his first interview, in which he called into MSNBC, he said he had no interest spending hours combing through his emails to top campaign official to assist Mueller's effort.

His defiance could have led to contempt of court charges or jail time.

He said multiple times he doubted he would actually go to jail.

'What they send me was absolutely ridiculous. They wanted every email I had with Roger Stone and with Steve Bannon,' he said, referencing longtime informal adviser Stone and Trump's former chief White House strategist. 'Why should I hand them e-mails from November 1, 2015?' he added, revealing the timeline Mueller imposed.

'I was preparing it. Should I spend 50 hours going over all my emails with Roger and with Steve Bannon? And then they wanted emails that I had with [departing White House communications director] Hope Hicks, with [former campaign manager] Corey Lewandowski. Are you giving me a break? It's ridiculous,' he said.

He fumed: 'I'm not going to cooperate when they want me to have  when they want me to come in to a grand jury, for them to insinuate that Roger Stone was colluding with Julian Assange. Roger is my mentor. Roger is like family to me. I'm not going to do it,' he said it.

In a series of interview, although he said Trump was not guilty of collusion, Nunberg said Trump may indeed have 'done something'  and said one advisor, Carter Page, engaged in 'collusion' with the Russians.

Nunberg was referencing Twitter communications Stone had with WikiLeaks, which released hacked Democratic emails in the weeks before the election.

He said he spoke to Bannon, who has met with Mueller's team, recently.

'By the way, Steve Bannon  I spoke to Steve Bannon for the first time last week after I went in there and the first -- and I spoke to him and Steve and I were discussing about how we both feel, Katy, like I'm tell you, that Trump may have very well done something during the election. I don't know what it is. I could be wrong by the way,' he said.

In between his complaints, Nunberg revealed the extent of Mueller's inquiries, which ranged from all communications he had with Trump's former campaign manager, press secretary, and former foreign policy advisor Carter Page, who Nunberg said he considered a 'moron.'

'They asked for communications with Carter Page. Are you giving me a break? Do you think I would ever talk to that moron?' Nunberg told CNN.

He said of Stone: ''Roger quit because he was absolutely disgusted by the way I was treated, okay? I worked for Trump for four and a half years. I came up with the wall, I came up with the Muslim ban, I came up with everything to attack Jeb Bush, all that stuff, okay? Now Trump used it, Trump was the only one who could effectively do it. '

Watch: Ex-Trump campaign aide Sam Nunberg says he's refusing comply with Mueller subpoena:



"I'm not going to cooperate when they want me to come into a grand jury for them to insinuate that Roger Stone was colluding with Julian Assange. Roger is my mentor. Roger is like family." pic.twitter.com/jUtBCPNiDe  MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 5, 2018

Nunberg's comments seem to comport with an Axios report from Sunday that revealed all the email communications Mueller was seeking from an unnamed official.

It contained the same names of people as subjects of communications that were of interest.

Judges are not known to recognize the personal preferences of witnesses in deciding if they must appear, nor the inconvenience  however substantial  of complying. Others who have been sucked into congressional probes of the Russian interference have complained about piling up massive legal bills.

'They've already bankrupted people, Katy,' Nunberg said to the MSNBC host who covered the campaign. 'They've bankrupted other people with this. You know, [former White House press secretary Sean Spicer has big legal bills. [Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump press aide] Josh Raffel has big legal bills,' he said.

Nunberg, who got pushed out of the campaign, said Trump did not collude with the Russians.

'I'm not a fan of Donald Trump, as you well know,' he told host Katy Tur. 'I'm not a fan of his. hH treated Roger and me very badly and he screwed us over during the campaign. But you know, here, when I get a subpoena like this, Roger's right. It's a witch hunt  I mean, Mr. Trump's right, the president's right. It's a witch hunt,' he said.

'And I'm not going to cooperate! Why do I have to spend 80 hours going over my emails that I've had with Steve Bannon and with Roger Stone. Why does Bob Mueller need to see my emails when I send Roger and Steve clips and we talk about how much we hate people?' he said.

'Donald Trump did not collude with the Russians! It is the biggest joke to ever think Donald Trump colluded with the Russians. I can tell you, Donald Trump, when he was involved in conservative politics, did not halt his business, okay? Donald Trump did not want to attack Hillary Clinton early on in the campaign. He only wanted to attack Jeb Bush, because it wasn't going to be  it wasn't going to be good for him, and had he not won the primary, he was probably going to endorse Hillary Clinton,' Nunberg said.

He told the Washington Post in a separate interview: 'The Russians and Trump did not collude. Putin is too smart to collude with Donald Trump.'

Investigators are also interested in longtime Trump advisor Roger Stone's communications with WikiLeaks and his role advising Trump

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigators have been asking witnesses whether Donald Trump knew about the theft of Democratic emails that rocked the 2016 presidential campaign

The Atlantic published newly revealed private Twitter messages between Stone and WikiLeaks, an account thatfounds Julian Assange said is manned by staff.

A person familiar with the line of questioning told NBC investigators wanted to know if Stone had ever met Assange, and whether Stone was in fact working for Trump.

Stone wrote WikiLeaks Oct. 13, 2016: 'Since I was all over national TV, cable and print defending wikileaks and assange against the claim that you are Russian agents and debunking the false charges of sexual assault as trumped up bs you may want to rexamine the strategy of attacking me- cordially R.'

The Wikileaks account responded, according to screen shots published in the article: 'We appreciate that. However, the false claims of association are being used by the democrats to undermine the impact of our publications. Don't go there if you don't want us to correct you .'

The group also wrote Stone the day after Trump stunned the political world and won the election. ''Happy? We are now more free to communicate,' said the message.

Huckabee Sanders got asked about the stunning comments minutes after Nunberg made them.

'He hasn't worked at the White House, so I certainly cant speak to him or the lack of knowledge that he clearly has,' she said.

Nunberg acknowledged his behavior was unorthodox and risky.

And he urged others to join him in defying investigators.

'You know, Katy, maybe people should start snubbing their nose at it, because the way they are asking for communications that I had with Steve Bannon, with Roger Stone, to me is too much ... They want me to go in and they want me to testify against my mentor who did nothing. He did nothing wrong, Roger, okay?' he said.

At one point, Tur asked whether Nunberg believed investigators 'have something' on Trump.

'I think they may,' he said.

'I think he may have done something during the election. But I don't know that for sure,' he responded.

When pressed, he only said: 'I can't explain it unless you were in there.'

'By the way, I think my lawyer is going to dump me right now,' he said at one point, repeating a sentiment he told to the Washington Post.

Continuing his fast-paced media tour Monday, Nunberg told CNN: 'When I'm in there and they ask me to go to the grand jury after I sat there for close to five hours, Gloria, I'm not going back in,' he told host Gloria Borger.

By 4 pm on Monday, Nunberg had yet to have enough, and called in to Jake Tapper's show on CNN.

'I despise Corey. Why would I communicate with him? Hope Hicks, who was having an affair with Corey? And I would communicate? I should give them every email from November 1 of 2015 to perpetuity with Steve Bannon and Roger Stone? Why? Why do I have to give that to the government?'

'I am not a fan of Donald Trump. He treated me like crap, okay? He treated Roger like crap,' Nunberg told Tapper. '

'I should not have been fired. Roger should not have been treated the way he did. And Trump decided that he loved Corey more than us. That's fine. Okay. It's old business. But the idea that I was colluding with the Russians? That Roger was colluding with the Russians to help Trump? All we were doing was trying to get Corey fired!' he said.

He also revisited the issue of whether Mueller has obtained information that Trump did something wrong.

'They know something on him," Nunberg said. 'Perhaps I'm wrong, but he did something,' he said.

Even as he trashed the request for his information, Nunberg said Mueller was an honorable man  and slammed Trump for hosting Russia's former ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak into the Oval Office.

'I shouldn't have to go back down to a grand jury. I'm spending a lot of money on legal fees. A lot of other people are. And granted, because he decided to give an interview to Lester Holt the day after he fired James Comey, and then he decided to have to have the Russians in the Oval Office. You'll have to explain that one to me. I'll never understand it,' he said.

He also said he believed Carter Page 'colluded with the Russians,' but said he was just a minor figure in the campaign and is a 'weird dude' and a 'scumbag.'Campaigners today lost their High Court bid to force the Government to release their full studies into the possible economic impact of Brexit.

The 'secret' sectoral studies were drawn up by Whitehall last year and redacted versions have been published - but sensitive information was redacted from them.

Green MEP Molly Scott Cato and the Good Law Project want ministers to upload the full versions and were asking judges to give the green light to a judicial review to force No 10's hand.

They also wanted the release of a Treasury report comparing the possible costs of leaving the European Union with the potential benefits of striking new free trade agreements with other countries.

Campaigners today lost their High Court bid (court pictured) to force the Government to release their full studies into the possible economic impact of Brexit

A version of the report was leaked to the press last month but campaigners wanted the full version made public.

But today the judge threw out their bid, with Mr Justice Supperstone said: 'In my judgment, there is a suitable alternative remedy in this case.'

The challenge was brought against Chancellor Philip Hammond and Brexit Secretary David Davis.

Jolyon Maugham QC of Good Law Project, previously said: 'The Government's desperate desire to hide the reality of Brexit from its own people will not work.

'Our old-fashioned, home-grown common law gives us the right to see these documents - not just whatever's left after a minister, desperate for secrecy, has gone at them with a thick black marker pen.'

Government lawyers urged the court to refuse permission for a full judicial review, arguing there is an 'alternative remedy' available under the Freedom of Information Act.

Government officials have repeatedly said they do not want to disclose any material which would undermine the UK's negotiating position.

Senior MEP Guy Verhoftsadt arrived in London today to hold crunch talks with David Davis ahead of a crucial vote on Brexit in the European Parliament next week (pictured together today)

They resisted calls to publish the sectoral analysis but did give redacted versions to the Brexit select committee to look at.

The committee then decided to make this material public - but significant chunks have been crossed out as it is deemed commercially sensitive.

It comes as Brexit negotiations gear up for a crucial stage as Brussels prepares to publish its negotiating guidelines for the final deal.

The EU is expected to publish its detailed negotiating position tomorrow which will then go to a vote of the European Parliament the week after.

Senior MEP Guy Verhoftsadt arrived in London today to hold crunch talks with David Davis ahead of a crucial vote on Brexit in the European Parliament next week.

Mr Verhoftsadt, the Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator, will also meet with Theresa May and Home Secretary Amber Rudd in Downing Street today.An NHS trust has been accused of a 'cover up' over the killing of two patients - including Ken Godward (pictured) - in an attack on a hospital ward by a patient with paranoid schizophrenia, whose antipsychotic medication had been stopped despite warnings

An NHS trust has been accused of a 'cover up' following the deaths of two patients who died after being attacked on a ward by a patient with paranoid schizophrenia whose medication had been stopped despite the desperate warnings of his family.

Ken Godward, 76, and Roger Lamb, 79, were beaten with a walking stick by 70-year-old Harry Bosomworth at St James's University Hospital in Leeds and died days later.

Mr Bosomworth, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, had had his anti-psychotic medication stopped the month before, despite warnings from his family, reports the Health Service Journal.

And it has been claimed the attack, which happened on February 28 2015, has never been made public, leading to allegations of a cover up.

Mr Bosomworth had been sedated by staff due to aggressive behaviour and when he woke up launched his attack on his fellow patients.

Mr Godward, suffered several injuries including a fractured eye socket while Mr Lamb, who was kicked to the floor when he intervened, also sustained multiple injuries.

The incident happened at St James's University Hospital in Leeds. A review found the attack could not have been prevented

They both died days later while Mr Bosomworth died of oesophageal cancer four months later.

Now, the families of the victims have accused Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust of a cover up after their review - completed in March 2016 - found multiple failings but was not published.

In February 2017 NHS England commissioned a serious incident review that should have taken six months to complete - but work on it has only just begun.

Andrew Dixon, Mr Godward's stepson, slammed the Trust and aid the report was not enough.

He told the HSJ: 'We feel as though we have been taken for a ride. The report was basically about Harry - Ken and Roger were just initials. I felt they were just by-products.

'To not have an inquest after three years doesn't seem right at all. The trust is trying to forget about this. I think they are hoping this doesn't get out.'

The original, unpublished reports found multiple missed opportunities in regards to Mr Bosomworth.

But in concluded that despite the failings, the attack was neither preventable nor predictable.

But lawyers acting on behalf of Mr Godward's family have questioned the findings and they will be examined by the NHS England review.

Leeds Teaching Hospital says it has accepted the report's findings and apologised to the families.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman told MailOnline: 'There was a detailed investigation in to the incident after it was reported to police in February 2015 which found there was no criminal culpability on the part of the hospital.

'A file was passed to the coroner.'More than three decades investigators concluded a fire that killed a couple inside their Eckington rowhouse was an accident, however D.C. police said Monday the deaths have now been ruled a double homicide.

They initially thought the cause was a carelessly discarded cigarette.

D.C. police said are now investigating the deaths of Bessie Mae Dunkin and Roy Picott as homicides.

More than three decades investigators concluded a fire that killed a couple inside their Eckington rowhouse was an accident, however D.C. police said Monday the deaths have now been ruled a double homicide

Chief Peter Newsham says the case was revived after an inquiry received by the homicide unit's cold-case squad.

The Washington Post reported no arrests have been announced in the January 1985 deaths of Bessie, who was in her 40s, and her husband, Roy, 39, but police have a suspect, serial arsonist Thomas Sweatt, who is the prime focus of the investigation.

Authorities did admit that prosecuting a decades-old case could be difficult.

Sweatt, now 63, admitted setting a string of 45 fires in the D.C. region and pleaded guilty in 2005. He is serving a federal prison term of life with an additional 136 years.

The Washington City Paper reported in 2007 that Sweatt confessed to killing the couple.

The chief said the earlier media reports should have been an indication to look into Sweatt. 'He had said something to a reporter, saying he was involved,' Newsham said.

The Washington Post reported no arrests have been announced in the January 1985 deaths of Bessie, who was in her 40s, and her husband, Roy, 39, but police have a suspect, serial arsonist Thomas Sweatt (pictured), who is the prime focus of the investigation

D.C. police said are now investigating the deaths of Bessie Mae Dunkin and Roy Picott from 1985 as homicides

'It was years ago that information had become available, and I would suggest that, at that point, probably some additional follow-up should have been done  and it was not.'

Sweatts attorney with the Federal Public Defenders office in Maryland did not respond to inquiries.

The fire occurred January 11, 1985, in a house on Quincy Place NW, just off Florida Avenue.

Bessie's body was found in a second-floor bedroom while Roy escaped but died at a hospital on March 5.

Anyone with information that could aid detectives in their investigation was urged to call the Metropolitan Police Department at (202) 727-9099. Tipsters could be eligible for a reward of up to $25,000.A butcher in India has been arrested for chopping off his teenage son's hand after warning him to stop watching pornography, police said.

Mohammad Qayyum Qureshi, 45, had caught his son, 18-year-old Mohammad Khalid, in the act of watching porn on his smartphone and tried to grab the device out of hands.

But Khalid bit his father's hand after a scrap on Sunday and proceeded to leave the family home in Hyderabad.

Mohammad Qayyum Qureshi, 45, had caught his son, 18-year-old Mohammad Khalid, in the act of watching porn on his smartphone and tried to grab the device out of hands. Pictured: A stock image showing a man looking at a phone

When the young man returned on Monday, the father and son argued again about the pornography before Qayyum picked up a butcher's knife in a rage and hacked at his son's right hand, the Hindustan Times reports.

Qayyum then surrendered to police and admitted mutilating his son, who was rushed to a private hospital.

Police said Khalid, a cable television operator, had recently bought a smartphone and become addicted to pornography.

His father had repeatedly told him to stop watching the X-rated films but young Khalid refused to ditch the habit.

In a statement, police said the son's hand is '90 per cent severed' and stressed that hopes of restoring it are 'bleak'.

Qayyum, a father of four, has been charged with attempted murder.

When the young man returned on Monday, the father and son argued again about the pornography before Qayyum picked up a butcher's knife in a rage and hacked at his son's right hand. Pictured: A general view of Hyderabad, where the incident took place

Police explained in a statement: 'On Monday morning, both father and son quarrelled [over pornography] again.

'In a fit of anger, Qayyum picked up the butcher's knife and chopped off Khalid's right hand.

'Hearing the son's screams, the other family members came and immediately took him to a nearby hospital, where the doctors said the hand was 90 per cent severed and the chances of restoring it are bleak.'Kamran Malik, 50, is facing jail after scamming vulnerable migrants out of thousands of pounds by charging extortionate fees for bogus immigration advice

A Muslim political leader who tried to sue Donald Trump is facing jail after scamming vulnerable migrants out of thousands of pounds by charging extortionate fees for bogus immigration advice.

Kamran Malik, 50, ran KM Legal Ltd which provided unlawful advice and services to people at risk of being removed from the UK on a large scale commercial basis.

Malik conned half a dozen migrants out of more than 16,000 between November 2014 and October 2016.

They included a political refugee married to an EEA citizen seeking residency status for family dependents, a woman seeking asylum after fleeing Iran for her life and a man who was threatened by Malik after refusing to pay his fees: Ill deport you to Bangladesh.

His wife Humera Kamran, 41, was a director of the law company and was accused of permitting the corrupt practices by turning a blind eye.

But not guilty pleas were accepted on her behalf after her husband admitted his involvement.

Malik's wife, Humera Kamran, 41, was a director of the law company and was accused of permitting the corrupt practices by turning a blind eye. But not guilty pleas were accepted on her behalf after her husband admitted his involvement

Malik hit the headlines back in 2016 after his failed bid to sue US President Donald Trump over the politicians claim that parts of London are so radicalised that police fear for their lives.

The former Mayor of Newham candidate, who founded the Communities United Party in east London, promised migrants an excellent chance to secure work visas through KM Legal Advisory.

But the company was not registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner and Malik had absolutely no legal qualifications, despite passing himself off as a solicitor.

Southwark Crown Court heard he has a previous conviction for two offences of providing immigration advice and services when not being qualified to do so dating back to 2014.

Malik hit the headlines in 2016 after his failed bid to sue US President Donald Trump over the politicians claim that parts of London are so radicalised that police fear for their lives

He pleaded guilty to five similar counts with identical pleas entered on behalf of the company.

But he denied attempting to threaten one of the witnesses against him into making a false statement retracting his complaint to the police and no evidence was offered in relation to that charge.

Mrs Kamran denied five similar charges alleging she permitted the behaviour through her negligence and the charges were ordered to lie on file.

Judge Stephen Robbins bailed Malik ahead of sentence on 3 April, when the company will also be dealt with.

Malik, of St Clair Road, Plaistow, east London, was bailed to return to the same court on that date.

His wife, of the same address, walked free from court.Advertisement

Officers smashed their way into the home of a mother-of-two who was found stabbed to death, while the bodies of her husband and children were discovered 90 miles away.

Six police cars raced to the 625,000 three-bedroom home in Twickenham, South West London, just after 6pm yesterday and found the 47-year-old woman covered in blood after she suffered stab wounds.

Detectives tried to trace her husband, 57, and two sons, aged seven and ten, and were contacted by Sussex Police after the bodies of a man and two children were found at Birling Gap near Eastbourne an hour earlier at 4.55pm.

A family car was recovered near the 300ft cliff edge in East Sussex and forensic officers from Scotland Yard were at their home address trying to piece together the sequence of events this afternoon.

The London home - which neighbours believe was rented - remained sealed off with police tape and had a big police presence outside today. Officers in forensic uniforms were seen inspecting the front garden and bins.

Six police cars raced to the 625,000 home in Twickenham, South West London, just after 6pm yesterday (above: forensic officers search bins outside the property for clues)

A police officer can be seen standing outside the house where a search for evidence is underway after the killing

Neighbour Alycia Mead, 25, said: 'It was about 6pm and I saw lots of flashing lights and two fire engines parked on the road.

'Then about six police cars, some unmarked, came and the officers were smashing their way through the front door.

'They were struggling but managed to smash through some of the windows and climbed in through the door and then I heard them say 'she is on her own'.

'They were picking their way through the garden and the shed and when I saw forensics last night I thought it must have been murder.

'I haven't really seen them, I saw Christmas lights go up but that is about it, they were a very quiet family.'

The London home - which neighbours believe was rented - remains sealed off (above: an officer stands outside the home)

A police presence remains outside the three-bedroom property where forensic officers are scouring the area for vital evidence

A bus driver, who refused to be named, said he saw the family coming out the driveway occasionally.

He said: 'It is a shock, they were very nice people, pleasant.

'I saw them quite a few times and you could just tell they were very nice.'

Paul Warrington, 54, heard nothing from the family on on Monday evening and only heard about the killing when police knocked on his door.

The graphic designer and dad-of-two said he last saw them around ten days ago and regularly heard the children screaming and shouting as they played in the garden.

He said: 'They were a pleasant and quiet family. I often heard the kids playing in the garden, screaming and shouting.

'There was nothing untoward that would suggest anything like this would happen.

'They had lived there for about a year, they were very normal, you never imagined something like this would happen.'

A former owner of the home confirmed the house was sold in 2014 and is believed to have been rented out to the family, who are said to be Polish.

Forensic officers were desperately looking for clues when they arrived at the home today in Twickenham, South West London

Forensic officers in Twickenham where a murder investigation has been launched after the woman was found dead

Sussex Police have recovered the bodies of the woman's husband and their two children from Birling Gap (pictured today)

A police officer takes a photograph at Birling Gap near Eastbourne in East Sussex today after the investigation was launched

Detectives have today launched a murder investigation after a woman was found dead at her home in Twickenham (pictured)

Neighbours said they knew very little about the residents and believed they were new to the area. Alicia Mede, 25, a mother of two who lives two doors down, said: 'I'm totally shocked that something like this could happen practically next door.

'It was about 6pm and I saw lots of flashing lights and two fire engines parked on the road.

'Then about six police cars, some unmarked, came and the officers were smashing their way through the front door. They were struggling but managed to smash through some of the windows and climbed in through the door and then I heard them say 'she is on her own'.

'They were picking their way through the garden and the shed. When I saw forensics last night I thought it must have been murder. I haven't really seen them - I saw Christmas lights go up but that is about it. They were a very quiet family.'

Another neighbour, who identified himself only as Kevin, said he had been horrified by events.

He said: 'I heard sirens outside but there's s fire and ambulance station opposite so I thought nothing if it.

'But when I found out what had happened I was horrified.'

A bus driver said he saw the family coming out the driveway occasionally. He added: 'It is a shock, they were very nice people, pleasant. I saw them quite a few times and you could just tell they were very nice.'

No arrests have been made and officers are not looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation. A vehicle was recovered near the seafront scene and a crime scene remains in place at the Twickenham address.

Sussex Police added the bodies had not been found in the vehicle and had been discovered by a member of the public. Post-mortem examinations have yet to take place and next of kin have been informed.

A police scene of crime officer spent the afternoon at Birling Gap taking photographs of the spot, where hundreds of sightseers were admiring the scenery at the iconic white cliffs unaware of what had happened.

The remote area of coastline features only a cafe, where the manageress said: 'It is just heartbreaking. At 5pm on Monday the police and coastguards arrived and said there had been a major incident along the cliffs.

Forensic officers were carrying out a detailed search of the property after a murder investigation was launched by detectives

Officers had discovered that the woman had stab wounds and have sealed off their property in South West London

Met Police officers were photographed at the scene in Twickenham today, one day after the woman's body was found

Sussex Police officers found the bodies of a man and two children at the foot of cliffs at Birling Gap (pictured today)

Sussex Police said the bodies had not been found in the vehicle and had been discovered by a member of the public

Sussex Police said the deaths are being treated as suspicious and an investigation is underway. Birling Gap is pictured today

'We then heard about the three bodies on the beach. We all feel terribly sad - this is beautiful place but with Beachy Head so close we do hear some awful news at times. Our hearts go out to this poor family.'

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'A murder investigation has been launched after a woman was found dead at her home address in Twickenham, and her husband and two children died in East Sussex.

'Police were called at approximately 5.55pm on Monday to TW2 following concerns raised about the welfare of the occupants. Officers attended along with London Ambulance Service.

'A woman aged 47 was found dead at the scene with stab injuries. Detectives quickly sought to establish the welfare of her husband, aged 57, and two children aged seven and ten, and carried out a number of urgent enquires.

'Just before 5pm, the bodies of a man and two young boys were discovered at Birling Gap seafront, East Sussex. Sussex Police later contacted the Met. Whilst formal identification awaits, police believe that they are the deceased woman's immediate family.

'A vehicle was recovered nearby by Sussex Police. A crime scene remains in place at the Twickenham address. Officers from the Met's Homicide and Major Crime Command are leading the investigation, supported by colleagues in Sussex Police.

Officers closed off the property in Twickenham today as they continued to investigate the deaths of the four family members

Officers arrived at the 625,000 detached house in London after the murder investigation was launched by the Met Police

Metropolitan Police detectives are leading the investigation while officers from Sussex Police will assist them

Forensic officers were photographed examining recycling bins at the detached property in Twickenham this afternoon

Forensic officers were photographed leaving a house in Twickenham where the murder investigation has been launched

'Post-mortem examinations for all four individuals will take place in due course. Formal identification awaits. Next of kin have been informed. No arrests have been made. Enquiries continue.

'At this early stage, police are not looking for anyone else in connection with this investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Metropolitan Police on 0208 721 4005, or locally to Sussex Police on 101 quoting Operation Glasson. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.'

A Sussex Police spokesman said: 'At 4.55pm on Monday a member of the public (not the police) found three bodies on the beach at the foot of cliffs at Birling Gap, East Dean.

'Emergency services attended and although formal identification has not yet taken place it is believed that the bodies are those of a 57-year-old man and two boys, aged seven and 10.

'They are believed to be a father and his two sons from an address in Twickenham, west London, where the body of a woman was found on Monday afternoon.

'The deaths are being treated as suspicious and an investigation is under way, led by the Metropolitan Police with support from Sussex Police.'A young mother has given birth to a child 15 minutes after finding out she was pregnant.

Jayde Lawrence, 27, thought she had a burst appendix on Monday after she began feeling sharp pains in her stomach.

Ms Lawrence and her partner Kurt Stuart went to a Perth hospital where doctors told her she was actually pregnant with her second child, Nine News reported.

Jayde Lawrence (pictured with partner Kurt Stuart), 27, has given birth to a child 15 minutes after finding out she was pregnant

She thought she had a burst appendix on Monday, but doctors told her she was pregnant and after only 15 minutes and four pushes, she gave birth to a healthy boy Jax (pictured)

After only 15 minutes and four pushes, she gave birth to a healthy boy Jax.

His surprise birth came despite Ms Lawrence taking two negative pregnancy tests in the past few months and showing no significant pregnancy symptoms.

The couple said learning of the child was hard to comprehend, but they are now 'over the moon'.

Ms Lawrence said: 'I was crying to him (Kurt) saying there's something seriously wrong with me and he goes "your stomach is really swollen, I think you might have a burst appendix, you need to go to the hospital now."

'It's hard to process something when you have 15 minutes to go from being a normal person to laying in a bed being told you're about to give birth to a small human you had no idea you created.'

His surprise birth came despite Ms Lawrence taking two negative pregnancy tests in the past few months and showing no significant pregnancy symptoms

The birth was already against the odds, as Ms Lawrence has polycystic ovarian syndrome which reduces the likelihood of pregnancy.

The condition also means there are extra risks with carrying a child for the full term that need to be monitored.

Ms Lawrence and Mr Stuart took four years to start a family, and hadn't planned to try for a second child until next year.

But now their daughter, who is almost two-years-old, has a younger brother from out of the blue.A small dog was found being trapped few metres deep in a water well in southeast China.

Villagers believed the little pooch attempted to escape from other dogs' attack and 'jumped' into a well.

A firefighter carefully descended the well and grabbed the dog by its neck. The dog was carried back onto the ground without any injuries.

A white and brown dog is trapped in the shaft of a water well in a village in Fujian Province (left). One firefighter is sent down to the well to rescue the pooch carefully (right)

Villagers in Jinjiang, Fujian Province, reported to the police an incident regarding an animal rescue request on March 5.

However, they reminded the rescuers to be careful not to contaminate the water in the well.

'These are drinking water, try not to make it dirty,' said one villager to the firefighters.

Mobile phone footage, shared by Pear Video, shows one firefighter, secured by a safety rope, descending down the well as he stepped along the walls with care.

The small pooch, having half of its body soaked in the well water, was quietly waiting for rescue.

The firefighter avoids getting his feet into the water and grabs the dog by its neck carefully

Villagers believed the dog 'jumped' into the well to avoid being chased by another dog

One villager said the dog was being chased by other dogs.

'It got scared and jumped into the well,' he said.

It's not sure how long had the dog trapped in the well but it was not hurt.

The dog can be seen running around in the village soon after the rescue.President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that a 'very good dialogue' had opened up with North Korea as he cautiously approached Pyongyang's offer to freeze its nuclear tests while it holds talks with the United States.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the conversations had yielded progress, striking an optimistic tone.

'We're gonna see. We're gonna see,' he told a journalist asking about North Korea's commitment to ending its nuclear weapons program if it no longer felt threatened. 'They seem to be acting positively, but we're gonna see.'

The U.S. president said he wants to take the 'proper' pathway, which he suggested was diplomatic talks, 'But we are prepared to go either way.'

'And as I said, hopefully we'll go in the very, very peaceful, beautiful path. We're prepared to go whichever path is necessary,' he added. 'I think we're having very good dialogue, and you're gonna certainly find out very soon what's happening, but we have, we have made progress, there's no question about it.'

President Donald Trump cautiously approached North Korea's offer to freeze its nuclear program while it holds a 'candid dialogue' with the United States on Tuesday

First, Trump sent out a tweet on Tuesday morning that said, 'We will see what happens!'

Then he said that talks were 'possible' -- but they could also be a 'false hope' -- and the 'U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction'

This morning Trump warned North Korean despot Kim Jong-un, 'The U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!'

The U.S. president said then 'possible progress' toward talks had been made, but it could also be a 'false hope.'

On Saturday evening, Trump said that the North Koreans had reached out and his administration would be meeting with Kim's government.

'They, by the way, called up a couple of days ago and 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,' the president stated. 'But we will be meeting and we'll see if anything positive happens.'

South Korean news agency Yonhap said Monday that Trump was actually referring to a March 1 call with its president, Moon Jae-in, however, citing an official with the White House's National Security Council.

An NSC spokesman did not respond to DailyMail.com's request for clarification, and a senior official would not tell reporters during a call on Tuesday afternoon if talks were already under way.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven offered Tuesday during a joint press conference with Trump at the White House to mediate talks with the North Koreans, if that is what Trump wants.

His country maintains an embasssy in Pyongyang and serves at the United States' protectorate there.

Lofven said it's not up to Sweden to solve the dispute, however, he believes that the North Koreans trust his nation to act as arbiter.

'If the president decides, the key actors decide, if they want us to help out,' he said, 'we'll be there.'

A week ago, Trump signaled his openness to a conversation -- if it took place 'under the right conditions.'

'Otherwise, we're not talking,' Trump told United States governors.

He commented that Kim 'wants to talk, as of last night' and said 'we want to talk also.'

Trump went on to make a familiar complaint about his predecessors, blasting former President Bill Clinton and others for failing to keep North Korea in check.

'The Clinton administration spent billions and billions of dollars. They gave them billions. They built things for them. They went out of their way, and the day after the agreement was signed, they continued with nuclear research. It was horrible.'

Big step: Kim Jong Un,pictured meeting South Korean National Security Director Chung Eui-yong, in Pyongyang, has said he is ready to discuss de-nuclearization with the U.S.

Continuing, Trump said, 'The Bush administration did nothing  both. The Obama administration wanted to do something. He told me its the single biggest problem that this country has. But they didnt do anything.

'And it would have been much easier, in those days, than it is now. I think most people understand that. But weve been very tough with them.'

Trump's administration has led an international charge to cripple North Korea's economy and bring Kim to his knees. The advance will not cease, the U.S. has said, until the rogue dictator abandons his nuclear ambitions.

At his White House news conference on Tuesday, Trump said he believes that the North Koreans are sincere in their offer to halt nuclear and missile tests if the United States sits down for talks.

'But I think they're sincere also because the sanctions,' he assessed. 'The sanctions have been very, very strong and very biting. And we don't want that to happen. So I really believe they are sincere. I hope they're sincere. We're going to soon find out.'

Last month's Winter Olympics, held this year in Pyeongchang, provided a long-awaited opening for the kind of detente that could lead to substantive talks.

The two Koreas marched under one flag at the opening ceremony of the games, and Kim sent his sister, Kim Yo Jong, to the South to head the North's delegation.

A South Korean envoy lead by national security director Chung Eui-yong returned Tuesday to Seoul from a meeting with Kim in Pyongyang where the North Koreans are said to have offered to halt their nuclear tests for the time being if the United States agrees to talks.

Televisions being sold at an Onoden Co. electronics store display a broadcast of a news report on North Korea's Nov. 29 missile launch, showing footage captioned as the launch of the Hwasong-12 missile in September, in Tokyo, Japan

North Korea also expressed its willingness during the two-day summit to put a total moratorium on its nuclear program if the South backs off from military behavior it perceives to be a threat.

Chung said said that Kim promised not to use nuclear or conventional weapons against South Korea in the conversation where the two countries also agreed to open a hotline between their leaders 'to ease military tension and have close coordination' and meet for another round of talks in April.

The next summit is expected to take place in Panmunjom. It will be only the third inter-Korean set of talks ever held and the first in more than a decade.

The last time the rival countries held high-level talks was in 2007, when the North was under Kim's father's command. A summit in 2000 also took place while Kim Jong Il controlled the North. The elder Kim passed away in 2011, giving rise to Kim Jong-un's reign.

Special guests: Kim Jong Un sits next to his wife Ri Sol-Ju, with his sister Kim Yo-Jong sat to the right of one of the South Korean diplomats during a meal hosted by North Korea

Promises: Kim Jong Un, pictured during a meeting with members of South Korean delegation yesterday, said there would be no need for North Korea to keep its nuclear weapons arsenal 'if military threats against the country are resolved'

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets members of the special delegation of South Korea's President in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency

Chung said Tuesday that the younger Kim, 34, said he wants to 'write a new history of national reunification' during a four-hour dinner this week in Pyongyang.

As the Olympics unfolded in South Korea, the United States loudly warned the world that Kim was putting on a charm offensive.

Vice President Mike Pence, who led the U.S. delegation to the opening ceremony, urged the international community, and South Korea, not let up on the North until Kim fully capitulates when it comes to his building of nuclear weapons.

'The policy of the U.S. is the denuclearization of North Korea. The maximum pressure campaign is going to continue and intensify. All options are on the table,' a senior official said of Pence's message to Moon as he departed the peninsula.

Pence announced during the trip, and the United States followed up with, a rigorous set of sanctions that the Trump administration described as the largest and most aggressive to date.

Treasury blacklisted one person, 27 companies and 28 ships with the action it says was 'aimed at shutting down North Koreas illicit maritime smuggling activities to obtain oil and sell coal.' The sanctions hit entities in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and Singapore among others.

Steve Mnuchin, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, said that nearly all of North Korea's shipping sector had now been targeted. The total number of sanctions steps since 2005 has now hit 45 - with almost half of the actions coming since Trump took office.

At a press conference later in the day, Trump said he'd make preparations for 'phase two' if the punishing actions are not successful, the outcome of which could be 'very, very unfortunate for the world.'

'But hopefully the sanctions will work,' he said during remarks at a joint White House press conference with the Australian prime minister.

The North Korean dictator shakes hands with South Korea's national security director Chung Eui-yong as his sister looks on

No insight: Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government

Envoys for South Korea led by President Moon's national security director, Chung Eui-yong, are on a rare two-day visit to Pyongyang that's expected to focus on how to ease a standoff over North Korea's nuclear ambitions and restart talks between Pyongyang and Washington

A senior administration official told reporters, 'The president is clearly frustrated and rightly so over the efforts that have failed in the past and also over the uptick in testing and the advances weve seen in the North Korean program.'

In his Tuesday morning tweets on North Korea, Trump said, 'Possible progress being made in talks with North Korea. For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned.

'The World is watching and waiting!' he added. 'May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!'

His comment suggested that military action against North Korea is still in his back pocket, despite the thaw in tensions.

President Trump said Saturday evening during a roast at a dinner in Washington that's held off camera that he 'won't rule out direct talks' with Kim.

'As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, that's his problem, not mine,' he joked.

Trump went on to say that Kim 'must be a fine man' and that his hardline against North Korea saved the Winter Olympics.

'Without President Trump and his strong attitude they would have never called up and said, "Hey, we'd love to be in the Olympics together," ' he recalled South Korea's Moon as saying. 'It was heading for disaster and now we're talking.'

Diving off script in the 35-minute speech that was supposed to stay light and last approximately 10 minutes, Trump said, 'Maybe positive things are happening. I hope that's true, and I say that in all seriousness.

'But we will be meeting, and we'll see if anything positive happens. It's been a long time,' he said. 'It's a problem that should have been fixed a long time ago.'Advertisement

A rare book documenting James Bond-style gadgets that were invented by a real life 'Q' to help British prisoners of war escape has been revealed after a private collector decided to put it up for auction.

The top secret catalogue consists of photographs and descriptions of the ingenious covert equipment sent to the prisoners under the noses of their Germans captors.

The items included tiny compasses concealed in cufflinks, fountain pens, pipes and even gold teeth.

Silk escape maps of Nazi-occupied Europe were hidden in cigar holders and vinyl records, while small cameras were concealed in cigarette lighters.

The 76 page book also shows how dart boards sent to the captives contained an escape kit of compasses, files and dagger spikes.

The top secret catalogue, made to help the Americans replicate the gadgets sent to help British prisoners of war, consists of photographs and descriptions of the ingenious covert equipment sent under the noses of their Germans captors in WWII

The 76 page book also shows how dart boards sent to the captives contained an escape kit of compasses, files and dagger spikes. The inventions were the brainchild of Christopher Hutton who worked for the government's intelligence agency MI9 during the Second World War

Hutton (right) wrote that as of February 14, 1942 a staggering 209,000 secret maps and 214,000 other escape aids had been sent to prisoners of war and Special Operations Executive agents working for the Allies across Europe

The inventions were the brainchild of Christopher Hutton who worked for the government's intelligence agency MI9 during the Second World War.

Hutton created the instruction manual in 1942 so his secret inventions could be shared with US intelligence officers after America entered the war.

Around 100 of the manuals were printed and handed to members of the American delegation.

Hutton wrote that as of February 14, 1942 a staggering 209,000 secret maps and 214,000 other escape aids had been sent to prisoners of war and Special Operations Executive agents working for the Allies across Europe.

The extremely rare copy of the catalogue called 'Per Ardua Libertas' - Liberty Through Adversity - is being sold at auction, having been owned by a private collector for decades.

It has a pre-sale estimate of 4,000 and will be sold on Wednesday.

Silk escape maps (pictured left: instructions for the gadget) of Nazi-occupied Europe were hidden in cigar holders and vinyl records, while small cameras were concealed in cigarette lighters

MI9 was set up in 1939 and the British government quickly realised captives needed a compass, tools (like a reverse RAF suit pictured left) and maps (right) if they wanted to escape

Hutton's catalogue also includes photos of how an RAF uniform could be turned inside to form a regular grey suit (left) and photographs of a German parachutist 'foreign costume' in order to fool opposing soldiers

MI9 was set up in 1939 and the British government quickly realised captives needed a compass and a map if they wanted to escape.

In the book Hutton, a First World War veteran, disclosed that MI9 went under the guise of the Prisoners' Leisure Hours Fund to hoodwink the Germans.

The organisation based in Fleet Street, London, sent many covert items like the dart board escape kit to prisoners of war with a covering letter on official-looking headed notepaper.

Some of the other fascinating inventions Hutton created was a deck of 54 playing cards that peeled pack to reveal part of a map underneath.

When pieced together, the cards formed a large map of Germany and Europe.

His catalogue also includes photos of how an RAF uniform could be turned inside to form a regular grey suit.

The genius items also included tiny compasses concealed in cufflinks, fountain pens, pipes and even gold teeth. The book has a pre-sale estimate of 4,000 and will be sold on Wednesday

A letter detailing the objective of the book was placed inside the catalogue and wrote by Hutton (left) before being handed to the Americans. He created the instruction manual in 1942 so his secret inventions could be shared with US intelligence officers after they entered the war. About 100 of the manuals were printed and handed to members of the American delegation

In the book Hutton, a First World War veteran, disclosed that MI9 went under the guise of the Prisoners' Leisure Hours Fund to hoodwink the Germans. The organisation based in Fleet Street, London, sent many covert items like the dart board escape kit to prisoners of war with a covering letter on official-looking headed notepaper (left). Escapes aids also included special wireless receivers (right)

The extremely rare copy of the catalogue called 'Per Ardua Libertas' - Liberty Through Adversity - is being sold at auction, having been owned by a private collector for decades

The description for it reads 'turned inside-out, a perfect walking out suit is made.'

Bernard Pass, of auctioneers Bosleys of Marlow, Buckinghamshire, which is selling the book, said: 'MI9 was a new organisation in the war but when the USA came into it they wanted to get up to speed as soon as possible on espionage tactics because they needed these sorts of inventions for their own prisoners of war in the Far East.

'A group of Americans came over to visit MI9 HQ and these books were printed off especially for them.

'There were about 100 copies presented to each member of the delegation and some were retained by the British as well.

'Christopher Hutton designed most of the items in the book and you can imagine him being this Q-like character describing what each invention was and how it worked to the American visitors.

'The book gives a fascinating insight into the ingenuity employed to assist the war effort.

'It is super rare. We know of only one other that has previously been sold.'The 18-year-old male gymnast who has joined a civil suit against Larry Nassar after he was sexually assaulted by the disgraced doctor sat down for his first television interview on Tuesday.

Jacob Moore spoke with Today about his anger and disgust over what happened in April 2016 when he went to Nassar's home to receive treatment for a shoulder injury.

Court papers and his sister's own testimony state that Jacob was taken down to the basement and had his pants ripped down by Nassar who then stuck acupuncture needles in and around his genitals and pubic region.

This all occurred while a minor female gymnast, who has not been identified, sat in the room.

It also happened eight months after USA Gymnastics became aware of allegations that Nassar had sexually abused gymnasts Maggie Nichols, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney.

'I hope he rots in hell,' said Jacob of Nassar, who also abused his sister.

Scroll down for video

Speaking out: Jacob Moore (above on Today) was identified as the first male victim of Larry Nassar during his sister Kamerin's victim impact statement back in January

He has joined the federal civil suit that was filed in Michigan Western District Court by Rachael Denhollander in January 2017 (Jacob seen above competing for the University of Michigan)

Victims: Jacob and his sister Kamerin had lost their father just a few years prior to Nassar's abuse (siblings above)

I hope he rots in hell. Jacob Moore, first male Nassar victim, speaks out and files suit against disgraced doctor pic.twitter.com/QvLXQxE2pN  TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 6, 2018

'I wasn't a dumb kid. I knew kind of what medical practices were, and that one was out of the ordinary,' said Jacob during the interview.

He, like so many other victims, did not think too much into that, however, given Nassar's esteemed reputation - but admits he was 'uncomfortable.'

Then, when the allegations against Nassar began pouring in, he decided to do some research.

'Having found nothing, I kind of freaked out. It was just very shocking,' said Jacob, who is currently a competitive gymnast at the University of Michigan.

'So that's just really sickening to me that he would violate a trust like that and the things that he did were just awful.'

He later appeared on Megyn Kelly Today and was asked whether or not the fact that he was a young man made the already difficult decision to speak out even more of a challenge.

'When all this kind of started coming out, I didn't really think about myself as any different, you know. Just like how the other female victims kind of came out and told their story,' explained Jacob.

'It was - you know, I didn't see myself as any different.'

He then recounted the day he realized he was a victim while out to lunch with his sister, and how his research later confirmed his fears.

Jacob also reiterated how powerful Nassar was, and the impact he had on those around him in the gymnastics world.

'He had a strong, prevalent relationship with a lot of coaches in my gym and athletes, myself included,' said Jacob.

'He was good friends with my mom. When my sister retired from the sport, he was the only man that she called to make that decision, so he was very present in our lives.'

Panel: Jacob later appeared on Megyn Kelly Today (above) with former gymnast Jeanette Antolin (second right) and swimmer Ariana Kukors (second left)

Jacob is now one of the more than 150 plaintiffs who have joined the federal civil suit filed by Rachael Denhollander against Nassar, USA Gymnastics and Michigan State.

'Plaintiff Jacob Moore believes the conduct of Dr. Nassar was sexual assault, battery, abuse, molestation and harassment performed by Defendant Nassar for Defendant Nassar's sexual pleasure and gratification,' reads the amended complaint which was filed in Denhollander vs. Michigan State et al.

His specific allegations are then detailed in a few brief bullet points, which reveals that his mother had joined him on the day he received the treatment in question, but was not in the room.

Jacob's sister has also joined the federal suit.

Kamerin Moore revealed in January that her brother was a victim of Nassar.

She said during her victim impact statement that Jacob was abused when he was treated by Nassar after suffering a shoulder injury.

'I was there for one person and had to watch them process their confusion - my own brother,' Kamerin said in court.

'He's now a gymnast at the University of Michigan and when he realized what a monster you where I watched him frantically search the Internet trying to find some proof that the chi in his shoulder was related to his genitals.'

Kamerin then gave some more context to her story.

'Because when he had surgery on his shoulder you treated him. In your basement. You pulled his pants slightly down to expose him, in front of one of your other female victims actually who was in that basement as well. And you put acupuncture needles next to his genitals,' explained Moore.

'I'm not sure how my brother's shoulder is connected to his balls, but I guess chi works in weird ways.'

Brave young woman: Jacob's assault occurred eight months after USA Gymnastics learned of allegations that Nassar has sexually abused Maggie Nichols and Aly Raisman during treatment (Kamerin delivering her victim impact statement to Nassar)

Monster: In April 2016, Nassar took off Jacob's pants in front of a minor female and stuck acupuncture needles in and around his genitals and pubic region (Nassar above during his January sentencing hearing in Ingham Count)

Kamerin also described how Nassar actually asked if he could videotape himself performing a procedure on her, a request she denied at the time.

The mother-to-be said that she was apprehensive about speaking out, but knew she had to confront the man who had assaulted her while she was a member of the US junior national team.

'I didnt want this child Im carrying to be in the same room with a child molester,' said Kamerin.

She then spoke of her own late night appointments with Nassar, which no one blinked an eye at and began when she was just 10.

'You called me your guinea pig because you would always try out new techniques on me,' said Kamerin.

'I vividly remember the first time. I remember you told me I had to wear either my leotard or shorts. I remember how absolutely mortified I was when you asked me if I started my period yet, because you could not do the treatment if I had a tampon in.'

Kamerin then said that she blamed herself most of all for the assaults.

'Im mad at myself when I think about every time you put your fingers inside of me and I continued to trust you no matter how disgusted and embarrassed I was,' said the young woman.

She later told the court that Nassar's abuse got worse when she was 12, after the death of her father.

'You molested a little girl who had just lost her father,' said a devastated and disgusted Kamerin.

Kamerin previously described the moment Nassar asked if he could tape her in April of last year.

'To be very clear about what he was asking: he was asking as a 40-year-old man or however old he was, to videotape himself touching a 13-year-old girls naked private parts,' she explained in a video.

'And if nothing else, if he was a well-respected doctor still and he was a good person and they hadnt found thousands of images and videos of child pornography on his devices, this would still be wrong.'Retired Russian colonel Sergei Skripal was brought to Britain in a spy-swap after he was jailed in Russia for spying for MI6

The former Russian double agent who is critically ill in hospital after a suspected poison plot was hit by a double family tragedy within five years, it has emerged.

Sergei Skripal, 66, is fighting for his life at Salisbury District Hospital after being found unconscious with his daughter Yulia, 33, in the city on Sunday.

And it was revealed today how Mr Skripal had suffered two bereavements within just five years when his wife Lyudmila died aged 59 in 2012, before his son Alexandr passed away aged 43 in 2017.

Mystery surrounds the cause of death for both, with his wife's death certificate claiming she died of cancer but neighbours saying it was in a car crash.

It has been recorded that Mrs Skripal, died on October 23, 2012, with her death certificate recording the cause of death as disseminated endometrial carcinoma.

Her daughter Yulia reported the death to Wiltshire Council's register office, but told staff that her father was a retired local government planning officer.

As for Mr Skripal's son, he is said to have been killed in a car crash in St Petersburg last year  but the family's cleaner said he had actually died from liver problems.

Mr Skripal was accused of spying for Britain and sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006

Mr Skripal is believed to have been living at this address in Salisbury since he moved to the UK

The woman who cleans Mr Skripal's home in Salisbury, who asked not to be named, said today: 'I saw reports on the news that his wife had died in a car crash.

'That is not true, she died of cancer that she had when they moved to England. And his son died of liver problems, so I don't know where the car crash idea came from.'

However, his neighbour Blake Stephens, 21, said earlier of Mr Skripal: 'He used to live with his wife but unfortunately she died in a car accident a while ago.'

But the BBC claimed Alexandr died on holiday in Russia with his girlfriend after being taken to hospital with liver failure, and that his family was suspicious about his death.

Also today, one of Mr Skripal's relatives told BBC Russia that he had been having trouble contacting Yulia by phone. The report quoted him as saying that 'he knew from the first day that he may come out badly and that he would not be left alone'.

Mr Skripal was dramatically exposed as having spied for the British in one of the biggest East-West scandals since the end of the Cold War.

He rose to rank of colonel in the Russian military before becoming a top intelligence officer in the chaotic days after the fall of communism.

A still from footage of Mr Skripal spying for Britain which was used against him in Russia

Mr Skripal's daughter Yulia, 33, is also fighting for her life at Salisbury District Hospital today

But his reputation came crashing down in 2004 when he was accused of passing on the identities of Russian secret agents in Europe to MI6.

By this time he had retired from the military but was said to have used his old contacts to spy for the West.

He was jailed for 13 years in 2006 and was only released in the high-profile spy-swap which involved glamourous Russian agent Anna Chapman, who had been caught spying in the US.

After being debriefed by British security services, he was given a new life living in a 340,000 house in Wiltshire.

At the time of his arrest he was mocked as 'the spy with the Louis Vuitton bag' after grainy pictures showed him with an expensive looking bag at an airport en route on one meeting with his handlers.

The Russian security service (FSB) alleged that Col Skripal began to sell information in 1990's right up until 1999 - when he left the special services. They say he was paid around $100,000 for his services into his secret account in Spain.

After his release Col Skripal was given refuge in the UK following his exchange in the historic spy swap involving femme fatale Anna Chapman (pictured)

Col Skripal was turned by British special service until when he was detained for giving the UK top secret information.

The former intelligence officer, now believed to be 66, was convicted of 'high treason in the form of espionage' for his crimes.

Col Skripal pleaded guilty at his trial and co-operated with investigators, reports said at the time.

He was stripped of his rank of colonel and his state medals and ordered to spend his prison term in a high-security penal camp.

He was sentenced in 2006 and was later pardoned in 2010 when he was one of four prisoners Moscow swapped for spies in the US.

He was released together with the three other individuals serving time in Russian prisons in exchange for ten Russian spies arrested by the FBI.

He was jailed for passing on the identities of Russian secret agents in Europe to MI6

In Moscow at the time of his arrest he was mocked as 'the spy with the Louis Vuitton bag' after grainy pictures showed him at an airport on route on one meeting with his handlers

A year after his release he is believed to have bought a house in Sailsbury.

Ms Chapman was arrested at a New York police department precinct when she turned in a fake passport an undercover FBI agent had given to her.

As the daughter of a Russian diplomat, she became the most recognisable of the ten agents.

Nicknamed 'the spy with the Louis Vuitton bag', Skripal exposed a huge network of Russian military spies working across Europe taking extraordinary risks to pass secrets to MI6.

The FSB caught him passing his intelligence to the infamous MI6 James Bond-style 'spy rock' - a fake stone packed with receiving equipment - in a Moscow park.

Russian secret services exposed the rock in 2006, revealing how agents walked past it transmitting their data to the rock via a hidden hand held device.

Following his release Col Skripal underwent a debriefing in London following his exchange in the historic spy swap involving femme fatale Anna Chapman

The Russian security service (FSB) allege that Col Skripal began to sell information in 1990's right up until 1999 - when he left the special services. This image shows him being arrested

One official said after his conviction: 'His activities caused a significant blow to Russia's external security.'

Russian loathing for Skripal is highlighted by claims from Russian secret services historian Nikolai Luzan that the double was responsible for disclosing to MI6 the names of around 300 GRU staff members and other 'agents' including those working abroad.

Some of these military intelligence assets were 'secretly arrested' and others 'vanished', said Luzan.

Luzan referred to him Skripal in a 2014 interview as 'this bastard - I'm not scared to use this word'.

'Just imagine what muck this man did to other people' - due to his treachery.

There has been no official confirmation of the 300 figure from the GRU.

Skripal had been living at the address with his wife Liudmila until she died in recent years

Police at Skripal's property today following the incident at a busy shopping centre in Salisbury

State-run TV in Russia even compared him to the legendary Cold War agent Soviet double agent Oleg Penkovsky, who spied for Britain and the United States during the height of the Cold War.

Penvosky was shot by a firing squad in 1963 and is regarded as one of the most effective spies of all time.

Col Skripal and a woman were found slumped on a bench in a busy shopping centre in Salisbury on Sunday.

He is critically ill along with the woman, 33, after they were both found at The Maltings shopping centre in a case that immediately drew parallels to the poisoning of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko.

Before this he was believed to be living at an address on Christie Miller Road in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Skripal had been living at the address with his wife Liudmila until she died in recent years.

Russian agent Anna Chapman poses in swimwear in Thailand as she enjoys new life running fashion line while MI6 spy she was swapped for fights for his life after being 'poisoned'

By Charlotte Dean for MailOnline

As ex-spy Sergei Skripal fights for life, one of the spies he was swapped with in 2010 - flame-haired Russian agent Anna Chapman - shows off her figure on a beach in Thailand.

Since the exchange, while the ex-GRU colonel sought obscurity in Wiltshire, glamour SVR spy has become a multi-millionaire with her business ventures including her own fashion line and work as a TV presenter.

Undaunted by being stripped of her British passport by then Home Secretary Theresa May, Chapman's Instagram is currently boasting pictures of her relaxing on Phuket at Nai Harn Baan-Bua - a sumptuous jacuzzi villa complex where a minimum three night stay costs around 600.

Anna Chapman shows off her figure on a beach in Thailand amid the poisoning scandal embroiling the GRU spy she was swapped for

Chapman's Instagram is currently boasting pictures of her relaxing and posing in Phuket

Her latest manoeuvres including lazing on the Thai island's tropical Rawai Beach.

But she still found time to heap praise on Vladimir Putin, Russia's ex-spy president, who eight years ago welcomed her back home with a patriotic singsong when she was thrown out of the USA after being unmasked as a spy by the FBI.

'It is surely a sensation,' she wrote of the strongman's recent state of the nation speech in which he told the world he had new hypersonic nuclear weapons capable of dodging missile defences.

'The world has changed,' she announced.

'It won't be possible anymore to thumb your nose at Russia without punishment.'

Once married to a British former public schoolboy, the seductive spy is now a propagandist for the Kremlin

The glamour SVR spy has become a multi-millionaire with her business ventures including her own fashion line and TV presenter work

Once married to a British former public schoolboy, the seductive spy is now a propagandist for the Kremlin.

She has yet to comment specifically on the alleged poisoning of Skripal, a man who has been branded a 'traitor' and a 'bastard' on state TV in Russia.

He was blamed for handing over some 300 names of Russian GRU agents or intelligence assets to MI6 for whom he worked as a double agent before his 2004 arrest in Moscow.

In one recent blast, she said on her social media: 'Sergey Lavrov (foreign minister) has declared that USA was getting ready for a nuclear war with Russia.

'And just the day after, the president announced our modern strategic weapon  it means that our leadership is particularly serious about the threat of war with the USA.

Chapman, pictured taking a selfie on Instagram, has yet to comment specifically on the alleged poisoning of Skripal

Chapman stayed at Nai Harn Baan-Bua - a sumptuous jacuzzi villa complex where a minimum three night stay costs around 600

'Putin warned about what we have for a response.

'Cruise missiles and torpedoes with nuclear engines, supersonic and laser weapons  it is a true 'weapon of the future' which became modern thanks to our scientists.'

She warned her 108,000 followers: 'The USA in their new doctrine imply that nuclear weapons can be used in respond to any kind of threat.

'In Syria they are behaving with more and more cynicism and toughness, they started supplying flying weapons to Ukraine, and they plan to terminate the agreement on average and short distance missiles.

'In my opinion, comparing with nowadays situation, the Cold War of the 20th century was a child's game in the sandbox.'

She urged her followers to join the contest to name Putin's new nuke.

'Internet users are already voting for the variants. The top ones are: Givi, Silence, Ash, Cheburashka, American Dream, Muromets, Surprise, Orphan.

'How would you call this supermodern Russian weapon?'

The swap included Anna Chapman, who had worked several years in London including for Barclays Bank

In another picture back home in Russia, Chapman - who still uses her British ex-husband's surname - is seen at a gathering of Vladimir Putin's youth army or YunArmia.

This has been compared by critics to the Hitler Youth, while supporters insist it is nothing more than a a means of giving schoolchildren military training to keep them out of trouble.

The force has grown to almost 200,000 strong since starting from scratch in May 2016.

Chapman is a mother of one, giving birth to a son in summer 2015.

She has not disclosed the identity of the child's father.

Chapman has worked as a TV presenter on a show called Mysteries of the World for Ren-TV, a channel owned by National Media Group, headed by ex-Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, 34, rumoured to be Putin's secret girlfriend.

Chapman - who also runs her own label fashion boutiques in Moscow - is seen as having made a fortune since she was caught red handed operating as a spy in New York in 2010.

The Vienna spy swap which saw MI6 spy handed over to the UK by Putin's intelligence men in return for Anna Chapman and nine other Russian secret agents

Anna Chapman and nine other Russian secret agents were returned to Russia in exchange for four Western spies in a dramatic swap in 2010.

The exchange, described as the biggest spy swap since the Cold War and which saw Sergei Skripal returned to the West, saw two aircraft parked next to each other in Vienna as the 14 agents involved in the deal swapped planes.

The ten Russian 'sleeper' agents had been arrested in the United States, after pleading guilty to 'conspiracy to act as an unregistered agent of a foreign country'.

It was claimed they had lived double lives in the US, with fake passports and false identities, with some of them leaving families behind amid the swap.

Anna Chapman (pictured) and nine other Russian secret agents were returned to Russia in exchange for four Western spies in a dramatic swap in 2010

The exchange, described as the biggest spy swap since the Cold War and which saw Sergei Skripal returned to the West, saw two aircraft parked next to each other in Vienna

They included Anna Chapman, who had worked several years in London including for Barclays Bank, according to The Guardian.

The swap also included Sergei Skripal, who was granted refuge in Britain in the spy swap, the BBC reported.

Skripal received a jail term of 13 years for spying for Britain in 2006, as Russian authorities accused him of paying $100,000 (72,300 at today's rate) for intelligence.

The swap took place after US officials determined there was 'no significant national security benefit' in imprisoning the ten Russian agents.

In 2016 she appeared to back then-candidate Donald Trump for the White House, suggesting the tycoon would warm icy relations between the Cold War superpowers

The former Russian spy, the daughter of a senior KGB agent, also gave birth to her first child in 2015, it was reported

The Vienna exchange was carried out in July 2010, a month after then-President Barack Obama had been informed of the matter, it was reported, with planes sitting on the tarmac for over an hour.

None of the ten Russian spies had succeeded in passing on classified information and so were not charged with espionage, CNN reported at the time.

The other three spies handed over by Russia were Alexander Zaporozhsky, Igor Sutyagin and Gennady Vasilenko.

Sutgayin was a nuclear scientist who spied for the CIA, while Zaporozhsky worked for the foreign intelligence service and Vasilenko was jailed over illegal weapons.

The other three spies handed over by Russia were Alexander Zaporozhsky (left), Igor Sutyagin (right) and Gennady Vasilenko

Gennady Vasilenko, the fourth of the spies handed over by Russia in the 2010 swap deal

The swap took place after US officials determined there was 'no significant national security benefit' in imprisoning the ten Russian agents

The Vienna exchange was carried out in July 2010, a month after then-President Barack Obama had been informed of the matter, it was reported

They and Skripal four were allowed to go in the exchange after admitting crimes against the Russian state, a Russian official said.

Reports surfaced in 2014 alleging that Chapman had tried to seduce whistleblower Edward Snowden on orders from the Kremlin, according to a defector Boris Karpichkov, a former KGB agent.

The former Russian spy, the daughter of a senior KGB agent, also gave birth to her first child in 2015, it was reported.

The ex-spy was reportedly running an antique shop in a trendy district of Moscow and working as a TV host after her return to Russia.

In 2016 she appeared to back then-candidate Donald Trump for the White House, suggesting the tycoon would warm icy relations between the Cold War superpowers.Fox News Channel's Geraldo Rivera revealed that he spent Monday at the White House having 'tea' with Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, while the president was hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu downstairs.

'Ivanka and I did Celebrity Apprentice together so she reached out and said come on down and have some tea,' Rivera told Fox's Sean Hannity, explaining that he had hung out with the rest of the Trump family two weeks ago at Mar-a-Lago.

The playdate with the Fox News personality  which actually consisted of Rivera sipping coffee and Trump drinking water, with Kushner stopping by for a quick selfie  may help answer Chief of Staff John Kelly's reported query: what do 'Javanka' do all day?

Fox News Channel's Geraldo Rivera (center) posted a selfie on Twitter Monday showing that he had visited the White House and spent time with Jared Kushner (left) and Ivanka Trump (right)

Accompanying the selfie was a teaser for Geraldo Rivera's appearance on Sean Hannity's show, and also a smack at the 'nest of snitches, vipers and rats,' Rivera claimed had taken up residence in the West Wing

The Associated Press reported Monday that Kelly has been angered by the couple's 'freelancing.' He believes they're often responsible for changing the president's mine at the last minute.

Chief of Staff John Kelly has reportedly wondered what is was that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner do all day at the White House

And he also wonders how they fill their days at the White House, according to one White House official and an outside ally, the AP said.

CNN reported last week that Kelly also complained that Ivanka Trump was merely 'playing government' with her White House gig.

She serves as a senior adviser to her father, the president.

Kelly also mocked one of her favorite policy proposals to talk about  the child tax credit  as merely a 'pet project.'

Rivera, however, defended the first daughter, explaining how the two have been close since their Celebrity Apprentice days.

Hannity asked Rivera if he had discussed with the first daughter 'all the people in D.C. who were horrible,' adding the caveat that he didn't mean those serving in the administration.

'Absolutely,' Rivera replied. 'And she is so noble and she is efficient and so effective and she wants the best for our country, she wants the best for her dad, and I am 100 per cent behind her,' the Fox News talking head said.

After his trip to the White House, Rivera tweeted the photo he took with 'Javanka.'

'This is such a better selfie than I'm used to,' Hannity said.

Rivera also previewed his appearance on Hannity with the tweet.

'Spent a nice afternoon with #Ivanka & #JaredKushner two accomplished young people who only want the best for @realDonaldTrump & the country, but they work in a nest of snitches, vipers & rats AKA the #WestWing,' Rivera said. 'My story exclusively on @seanhannity live at 9 pm et.'Anthony Borges, 15 (pictured), is suing the Broward County sheriff's office, school district, and the principal and resource officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High

A 15-year-old who was grievously wounded in the Florida school shooting has filed notice that he will sue authorities to seek money to cover the cost of his recovery.

A lawyer for Anthony Borges and his family says the sheriff's office, the school resource officer, the Broward County school system and the principal at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School failed to protect students from the teen gunman who killed 17 people and wounded more than a dozen others on Valentine's Day.

'The failure of Broward County Public Schools, and of the principal and school resource officer to adequately protect students, and in particular our client, from life-threatening harm were unreasonable, callous and negligent,' attorney Alex Arreaza wrote in the lawsuit notice on Monday. 'Such action or inaction led to the personal injuries sustained by my client.'

The lawsuit is likely to be the first of many filed by survivors and victims' families.

Borges was shot five times using his body as a human shield to protect 20 other students fleeing the Parkland gunman. He's pictured above in his hospital room after the shooting, with Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel

Arreaza says Borges was hit five times, still can't walk and has 'a great deal of difficulty performing rudimentary tasks for himself.'

Areeaza says Borges has undergone several surgeries and is still a 'very long way' to recovery.

'By the grace of God he's not No. 18,' Borges' attorney Alex Arreaza said. 'But it's going to be a tough recovery  it's a miracle that we're even talking about recovery.'

Borges continues to recover from his injuries at Broward General Medical Center.

His attorney says his medical bills will definitely exceed $1million and that they will be suing for damages to be determined at a later date.

In his two-page notice filed Monday, Borges' attorney writes that the school district and sheriff's office could have done more to prevent the shooting. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is pictured above last week, as students returned to classes

'Unfortunately medical bills can bankrupt a family and it has to be addressed,' he said. 'There could have been a lot more done to prevent this tragedy.'

Borges was hailed as a hero in the attack, for using his body as a shield to protect 20 other students fleeing the gunman.

One of Borges' friends, Carlos Rodriguez, said that he wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for Borges.

He says they were running to hide in a locked room when the suspected gunman, Nikolas Cruz, opened fire on them.

Rodriguez said Borges used his body as a human shield to protect the 20 people fleeing the gunman.

Borges was struck twice in his right leg, once in his left leg and twice in his torso.

Arreaza says it was Borges training as a Boy Scout that helped save his life, since he knew how to create a tourniquet to stop the excessive bleeding.A Russian military plane has crashed in Syria killing 26 passengers and six crew members.

The transport plane came down 1,600ft from the runway at the Khmeimim air base, near the Syrian city of Latakia, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

Initial indications that a technical fault caused the crash and that it had not come under fire.

A Russian military plane has crashed in Syria killing 26 passengers and six crew members at the Khmeimim air base, near the Syrian city of Latakia (file picture)

The transport plane came down 1,600ft from the runway at the Khmeimim air base, near the Syrian city of Latakia, the Russian Defence Ministry said

A statement issued by the ministry said: 'Around 3pm, a Russian An-26 transport aircraft crashed while coming in for landing at the Khmeimim airbase. All those on board died.'

The plane crashed down 1,600ft from the landing strip, it said, and had not come under fire.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in his battle against rebels and jihadists in the country with Khmeimim one of the Kremlin's key bases in the war-torn country.

Putin, who is running for re-election later this month, ordered 'a significant part' of Moscow's military contingent there to start withdrawing in December, declaring their work largely done. But casualties continue to mount.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in his battle against rebels and jihadists in the country with Khmeimim one of the Kremlin's key bases in the war-torn country

In December 2016, a plane carrying a Russian military orchestra to Syria crashed in the Black Sea, killing all 92 people on board.

There have also been deaths and injuries among Russian forces in Syria. In one incident, in February this year, Syrian rebels shot down a Russian warplane and killed its pilot on the ground after he ejected.

About 300 men working for a Kremlin-linked Russian private military firm were either killed or injured in Syria last month when their column was attacked by U.S.-led coalition forces, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

Russian officials said a handful of Russian citizens may have been killed in that incident, but said they were not members of Russia's armed forces.An illegal immigrant has been arrested after he allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl in North Carolina.

Authorities said the girl was walking near her home in the Schenley Square mobile home park on January 25 around 9.30pm when Seledonio Martinez-Gonzalez, 52, approached her.

Raleigh police said Martinez-Gonzalez, of El Salvador, threatened the teen and forced her to get in his car.

Seledonio Martinez-Gonzalez (left in court and right), of El Salvador, was arrested in January for the alleged kidnapping and rape of a 13-year-old North Carolina girl. Police said Martinez-Gonzalez is in the US illegally

According to ABC 11, Martinez-Gonzalez then drove 30 miles to his mobile home near the Willow Spring community in Wake County.

One of the suspect's neighbors told the station that another neighbor found the child on their front porch in the early hours of January 26.

'She ran away from his mobile home, ended up at a neighbor's and he followed her and he was telling her, "Get in the car. Get in the car,"' the neighbor claimed.

The unidentified neighbor also said the woman who found the teen called 911 and and 'that's when they [police] came and took her'.

She told ABC the neighbor didn't initially let the girl inside her home because she thought she might have been set up.

Martinez-Gonzalez is accused of kidnapping, sexually assaulting the girl and keeping her in sexual servitude. According to court documents, a deportation order has been issued.All charges against father-of-two aged 35 from Ayrshire have now been dropped

Sergeant Blair Pettigrew was investigated by 30 officers for two years who ended up interviewing more than 200 witnesses

An inquiry into a policeman accused of rape and sexual assaults collapsed after an alleged victim said she may have mixed him up with 'someone else'.

Father-of-two Sergeant Blair Pettigrew, 35, was investigated by 30 officers for two years who ended up interviewing more than 200 witnesses.

He was due to face trial at Edinburgh High Court for allegedly raping two women - one while he was in his police uniform - in Glasgow and Ayrshire, but his case was thrown out.

All charges against him were dropped after a message from an alleged victim suggested she had made a mistake.

The 34-year-old woman, who cannot be named, claims to have only told Police Scotland officers what they wanted to hear and reportedly said in an email: 'I told you I didn't know him'.

A source told The Scottish Sun: 'This is a major embarrassment for police. This has been nothing short of a disaster. Heads may very well roll when the full details emerge.'

Sergeant Pettigrew, from Ayrshire, was accused of raping two women and sexually assaulting a third woman. He was also charged for allegedly gathering information on women after accessing the Scottish Intelligence Database.

Charges were dropped when Lord Advocate James Wolffe said there was insufficient evidence

The alleged offences were said to have taken place between 2005 and 2015, but the charges were dropped when Lord Advocate James Wolffe said there was insufficient evidence.

He is believed to have intervened after concerns were raised by Lady Scott at an Edinburgh High Court hearing.

A Police Scotland spokesman told MailOnline: 'We acknowledge the decision by COPFS (Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service). Any reports of crimes committed by police officers or staff are investigated thoroughly.

Lord Advocate Wolffe is believed to have intervened after concerns were raised by Lady Scott (pictured) at a court hearing

'As soon as the circumstances in this case were reported an investigation was conducted and a report was submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

'Police Scotland is absolutely committed to thoroughly investigating reports of sexual crime and providing the necessary support and advice to victims, irrespective of who the person suspected is or when the incident took place.

'A report will be submitted to the Assistant Chief Constable, Professionalism and Assurance for his consideration.'

A Crown Office spokesman added: 'It is the duty of the Crown to keep cases under review and after full and careful consideration of the facts and circumstances, including the admissible evidence currently available, Crown Counsel instructed there should be no further proceedings at this time.

'Should the evidential position change, the Crown reserve the right to re raise proceedings. The complainers in the case have been advised of the decision.'

Sergeant Pettigew faces an internal police inquiry and is still suspended by the force. He declined to comment when approached by The Scottish Sun.The police captain who told sheriff's deputies to 'stage' and form a perimeter outside Stoneman Douglas High School as students and teachers were shot inside on February 14 has been named and pictured.

Jan Jordan, 49, was in charge of deputies who responded to the first calls of the shooting in Parkland, Florida, last month, according to police sources.

The 27-year force veteran was issuing commands from her radio.

At 2.32pm, ten minutes after the first call to police that shots had been fired, the following command came from Jordan's radio: 'NEED PERIMETER'.

It was included in the police log from the day with her radio call sign, 17 Sierra 1.

Jan Jordan, 49, was in charge of deputies who responded to the first calls of the shooting in Parkland, Florida, last month, according to police sources

Jordan has not spoken out since the shooting to confirm that it was her who sent the signal and Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel will not speak of it either.

Sources cited however said it was indeed her who gave the command and that it may have cost lives.

The order goes against the sheriff's department's policy to immediately enter the site of a shooting until the suspect is in custody.

When questioned over the command, a Broward County Sheriff's spokesman claimed she was 'asking' if a perimeter had been set up and not ordering for one to be put in place.

They said the command came after gunman Nikolas Cruz had left the building but there is no evidence that she knew he was no longer inside at the time she sent it.

BSO policy says that law enforcement may enter the scene and pursue an active shooter without waiting to be given orders to do so, in order to save a life

Fifteen minutes after the staging command was given, the first SWAT teams entered the school and began evacuating students

'Captain Jordan asked if a perimeter had been established after the shooter left the building,' the spokesman told Fox News.

The SWAT team entered the school at 2.47pm, 15 minutes after the 'need perimeter' command was issued.

It was not until 3.02pm that the first mention of the gunman leaving the school was made.

'20 MIN DELAY FROM CAMERA HE EXITED THE BUILDING RUNNING SOUTH' it said.

Jordan, 49, has been with the Broward County Sheriff's Office since 2012

Jordan was hired by Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel when he was elected in 2012.

Beforehand, she spent decades working for police in Fort Lauderdale and she also worked briefly in Colorado.

She has not spoken about her involvement in the shooting.

When approached by an ABC reporter last week, she said: 'I dont have any comments. Sorry, sir.'

When it emerged last week that officers had been told not to go in immediately, one law enforcement source told Fox News the decision may have cost lives.

'Its atrocious. If deputies were staging it could have cost lives,' they said.

The Broward County Sheriff's Office has come under intense scrutiny over its handling of the massacre which killed 17 and left another 16 injured.

School resource officer Scot Peterson, who worked for the department, resigned last month after it was revealed that he stayed outside as other officers went in to find Cruz, 19.

Peterson's actions were slammed as cowardly by a wave of critics which included President Trump himself.

Last week, the House Public Integrity & Ethics Committee this week issued subpoenas to the Broward Sheriffs Office, the Broward School Board, Coral Springs and Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office for an investigation into the multi-agency response to the shooting.

Cruz fled the school in a crowd of students by pretending to be one of them. He was arrested laterFormer National Security Advisor Michael Flynn has put his Northern Virginia home on the market to offset the mounting legal fees associated with the Russia probe

Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn has put his Northern Virginia home on the market to fund legal fees associated with special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe.

The former national security adviser, who is seeking nearly $900,000 for the home, is increasingly concerned about the 'crippling legal costs', friends and family told ABC News.

Flynn's younger brother, Joe Flynn, told ABC News that the retired three-star general's legal entanglements have been a burden for the family.

'I'm not going to sugarcoat it, this has been a trying experience' for Flynn and his wife, Lori, Joe Flynn said.

'It has been a crucible and it's not over.'

Flynn, President Donald Trump 's former top aide, is increasingly concerned about the 'crippling legal costs' associated with the high-profile case. He is seen above leaving a federal court in Washington, DC on December 1, 2017

The decorated military officer is now selling the 2,118-square-foot home in Alexandria that he bought in November 2015 for $895,000.

The house is estimated now to be worth about $819,664, according to real estate agent Redfin.

The three story home was built in 2005 and sits in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, which is not far from Washington, D.C.

It comes complete with two-and-a-half bathrooms and three spacious bedrooms.

Flynn also owns a residence in Rhode Island.

Sources close to Flynn say the decorated military officer plans to sell the 2,118-square-foot home in Alexandria (above center) that he bought in November 2015 for $774,000

Joe Flynn says that a legal defense fund has been set up to help his brother. He says thousands of people have made individual donations, though he wouldn't specify how much has been raised so far.

Experts and analysts who have had experiences with high-profile federal investigations and prosecutions in Washington say that it is common for anyone caught up in these probes to have to shell out six-figure sums to pay for lawyers.

Sources close to Flynn said last year that he decided to plead guilty to lying to the FBI about his contact with Russian officials during the presidential transition because he felt abandoned by President Donald Trump.

Flynn is prepared to testify that Trump directed him to make contact with Russians when he was a presidential candidate, ABC News reported.

The house is estimated now to be worth about $820,000, according to real estate agent Redfin. Above the interior of the home is pictured before Flynn purchased it

The cozy three story home was built in 2005 and sits in the heart of Old Town Alexandria. Above the interior of the home is pictured before Flynn purchased it

It comes complete with granite counter-tops and hard wood floors throughout the main level of the residence

Flynn was the first member of Trumps administration to plead guilty to a crime uncovered by Muellers wide-ranging investigation into Russian attempts to influence the 2016 US election and potential collusion by Trump aides.

Russia has denied meddling in the campaign and Trump has denied any collusion took place.

Under a plea bargain deal, Flynn admitted in a Washington court that he lied when asked by FBI investigators about his conversations last December with Russias then-ambassador, Sergei Kislyak, just weeks before Trump took office.

Prosecutors said the two men discussed US sanctions against Russia and that Flynn also asked Kislyak to help delay a UN vote seen as damaging to Israel.

On both occasions, he appeared to be undermining the policies of outgoing President Barack Obama.

The residence also features a spacious master bedroom on the second level with white carpet throughout

A room on the third level of the home appears to be for a family room or could also be turned into an office space

They also said a 'very senior member' of Trumps transition team had told Flynn to contact Russia and other foreign governments to try to influence them ahead of the UN vote.

Sources told Reuters that the 'very senior' official was Kushner, a key member of Trumps transition team and now the presidents senior adviser.

Kushners lawyer, Abbe Lowell, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

He has previously said Kushner has voluntarily cooperated with all relevant inquiries and would continue to do so.

Flynns decision to cooperate with Muellers team marked a major escalation in a probe that has dogged the president since he took office in January 2017.

Muellers investigation arose in part from the findings of US intelligence agencies that Russia had meddled in the election and that its goals eventually included aiding Trump, who won a surprise victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Last month, Mueller charged 13 Russians and three Russian companies with taking part in a criminal and espionage conspiracy to tamper in the 2016 campaign to support Trump and disparage Clinton.

The indictment is silent on the question of whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin.More than 50 separate cases of cancer have plagued the lives of residents living on a five kilometre stretch of road inside a contaminated 'Red Zone' in rural New South Wales.

People in Williamtown, near Newcastle, were told in 2015 the local RAAF had been leaking dangerous chemicals into the town's water supply for 40 years - but authorities have kept them in the dark over the extent of the damage.

Despite notable catastrophic health implications, residents have been left to 'rot and die', with authorities not set to release information on the suspected carcinogenic contamination until 2020.

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More than 50 separate cases of cancer were recorded in a 'Red Zone' in the rural NSW town Williamtown, which had its water supply contaminated by the Defence Force for 40 years

Jenni Robertson, a homeowner on Cabbage Tree Road for 17 years, watched as both her neighbours were taken by cancer and has lived through several cancer scares herself.

She has become one of hundreds of residents furious at the Government's failure to act on the harrowing statistics - which has driven down property prices and left many feeling 'trapped'.

'We have another two years here of being guinea pigs and see whether we survive it?,' she told A Current Affair.

A NSW Health study gathered cancer statistics on 12,000 people in the area, but the majority of people surveyed lived outside of the affected 'Red Zone'.

Jenni Robertson (pictured) lost both of her neighbours to cancer and survived two scares herself

Data was drawn from people living up to 30km away from the contaminated area, and only focused on residents diagnosed with cancer between 2005 and 2014.

Ms Robinson was ruled out of the study, along with many others, because she was diagnosed in 2016.

People living inside the 'Red Zone' were instructed to stop using the town's water supply from 2015, but many feared irreversible damage may already have been done.

Jarrod Sansom made a lucky escape, having sold his family's Cabbage Tree Road property prior to the contamination revelation, but has still called on the Government to act urgently.

Former resident, Jarrod Sansom (pictured), called on the Government to act urgently

'The residents, the families, are being left here to rot and die. That's the truth,' he said.

'NSW Health's study indicates there's no cancer cluster. I don't see how that can be true considering the impact this has had on my family, along with the other 50 cases of cancer on Cabbage Tree Road in the past 18 years.'

'Regardless of if there are any proven health affects, these people are still suffering from financial stress. Their mental health, their businesses, their properties have gone downhill.'

Despite being told to avoid ingestion of bore, ground and surface water at all costs, residents have been assured a small amount of exposure to contamination was acceptable.

Residents were assured a small amount of exposure to contamination was acceptable

Community advocate Lindsey Clout likened the advice to telling someone they would be okay if they walked through fire, providing they did it quickly.

Mr Clout also slammed the health study as 'nonsense', saying the 30km radius couldn't have delivered accurate results.

'It's like carrying out a cancer cluster study in Bondi and sampling people from Campbelltown and Wollongong,' he said.

The Defence Force is set to face class action over the contamination in a 2019 trial.

Lindsey Clout (pictured) slammed the health study as 'nonsense', saying the 30km radius couldn't have delivered accurate resultsBritain is not 'remotely prepared' for the new era of 'deep' fake news which could see forged videos of political leaders and military chiefs trick soldiers into surrender, MPs were today told.

Security expert Edward Lucas said Britain's enemies like Russia and China could use new and far more sophisticated techniques to spread their propaganda.

He said that current incidents of fake news - including Russian bots pumping out false stories - is about to be eclipsed by far scarier tactics.

The culture select committee inquiry into fake news was also urged not to let firms like Facebook and Twitter 'mark their own homework' on fake news.

Security expert Edward Lucas (pictured in Parliament today) said Britain is not 'remotely prepared' for the new era of 'deep' fake news which could see forged videos of political leaders and military chiefs trick soldiers into surrender

MPs were told that social media firms has repeatedly tried to downplay the sheer scale of bots and false propaganda churned out on their sites.

But they must be held to account and be hit by stuff financial fines for peddling fake propaganda should be put in place, the committee was told.

Mr Lucas, the senior vice president of the Centre for European Policy Analysis, told MPs the world is about to enter an era of 'deep fakery'.

He said that a fake video apparently showing Barack Obama making a speech which was in fact given by his predecessor George Bush is an early sign of things to come.

He said: 'We are rapidly entering an era where Russia or any other adversary can create videos where our public figures can be made to say things.

'We are not remotely prepared for it.

'It is the sort of stuff we have only previously seen in cartoons is going to be playing in audio and video.

'It is going to look hugely convincing and is going to have huge scope.

'You could have an Army commander telling his soldiers to surrender.'

He also took a swipe at social media companies where people are free to post things behind a cloak of anonymity.

He said: 'We have to get away form anonymity being the default setting...we need a different method of identifying who it is on the internet.'

In the same hearing Bill Browder, a British businessman who was expelled from Russia after exposing corruption and says the Kremlin have waged a fake news smear campaign against him, also called for tougher action.

In the same hearing Bill Browder, a British businessman who was expelled from Russia after exposing corruption and says the Kremlin have waged a fake news smear campaign against him, also called for tougher action against fake news - and said the social media companies must not be allowed to mark their own homework

He said: 'You have to look at the financial motivations of these companies. So Twitter, Facebook make money by having lots of users and its not in their financial interests to self regulate.

'It is not in their financial self interest to give you a frank assessment.'

He said that in the US Twitter originally only owned up to having 200 accounts posting Russia propaganda when quizzed by Congress.

He added: 'When I saw that just laughed I could find 200 accounts in that last hour from Russia dealing with me.

'Eventually it went from 200 to 2,000 to 20,000, but the point is you cant have them mark their own homework.'

He added: 'We have a situation where Facebook, Twitter, google and other companies have been used by a rogue regime to create chaos in America and in other places and at the moment they bear no responsibility.'A man has filed for divorce just a week into his honeymoon after complaining that his wife refused to have sex with him and spent money 'extravagantly'.

The couple - who are Muslims from an Arab country - had flown to Europe to celebrate after being married in Dubai, but things quickly took a negative turn.

In an appeal to a sharia court in Dubai, the man said his new wife did not allow him to touch her or have sex with her during the honeymoon.

The couple - who are Muslims from an Arab country - had flown to Europe to celebrate after being married in Dubai, but things quickly took a negative turn. Pictured: A representational image showing an Islamic wedding

Meanwhile, the woman accused her husband of being 'tight-fisted and stingy in terms of spending money on her,' a source close to the case told Gulf News.

According to the site, the couple separated from one another as soon as their plane landed in Dubai, the husband wasting no time in heading to court.

They had reportedly been engaged for some time before marrying in the United Arab Emirates.

The husband's case was sent to a reconciliation department but the couple reportedly refused to resolve the dispute amicably.

In an appeal to a sharia court in Dubai (shown in a stock image), the man said his new wife did not allow him to touch her or have sex with her during the honeymoon

Now the case has been sent to a sharia court, where both husband and wife will be required to submit their cases.

'A hearing will be held soon,' the source told Gulf News.On Tuesday morning, President Trump mocked the low ratings this year's Academy Awards brought in  and gave a theory for why that is.

'Problem is, we dont have Stars anymore - except your President,' he tweeted, adding in parentheses, 'just kidding of course!'

Trump's Oscars tweet  'Lowest rated Oscars in HISTORY'  came as he was offering his opinion on a number of topics including the just-announced Korean talks, DACA and his view on whether the White House was in 'CHAOS.'

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President Trump (left) laughed at the low ratings the Academy Awards received this year as right-wing pundits mocked Jimmy Kimmel (right) for his embrace of feminism during Sunday night's show

President Trump tweeted Tuesday morning about the low ratings the Academy Awards received this year. The president's tweet came as the host of Fox & Friends discussed the ratings at the top of their Tuesday morning show

He argued that it was not. 'There is no Chaos, only great Energy!' the president argued.

As for the record-breaking turnover rate at his White House he insisted that, 'People will always come & go, and I want strong dialogue before making a final decision.

'I still have some people that I want to change (always seeking perfection),' he added.

A media narrative has taken hold that morale is low and there's infighting among his top advisers, including a rift between Chief of Staff John Kelly and his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.

The big story on Monday, however, was that Trump's former political aide Sam Nunberg appeared on television multiple times to announce he planned to ignore Special Counsel Robert Mueller's subpoena.

Through the course of the interviews, Nunberg suggested that Mueller had something on Trump, while accusing campaign associate Carter Page of colluding with the Russians.

Over on Fox, though, the president's favorite network, much of the coverage at the top of the programs was about the Oscars.

Sean Hannity kicked off his show by condemning host Jimmy Kimmel's embrace of feminism.

'Let's start with the sanctimonious, so-called comedian, host Jimmy Kimmel, now Democratic activist dedicating much of his opening speech to women's rights,' Hannity scoffed.

The Fox News host also tore into Meryl Streep, who was referenced in Best Actress award winner Frances McDormand's speech, for Streep having a previously cozy relationship with alleged sexual assaulter Harvey Weinstein, a one-time top Hollywood producer.

Not even 10 minutes into the Fox & Friends broadcast Tuesday morning, the trio of hosts were back to discussing the Oscars, which took place Sunday night.

'Congratulations, you broke a record ABC. It was officially the lowest-rated Oscars in history,' said co-host Steve Doocy. 'That's too bad.'

'The ratings are down double digits, almost 20 per cent over last year. The Oscars have never fallen below 32 million and they've fallen to just about 26.5 million,' he continued.

'What is going on? Why aren't people watching?' he mused.

His co-hosts Brian Kilmeade and Ainsley Earhardt floated a number of theories.

'I think it's a combination of things,' Kilmeade replied. 'There's no mega-stars. There used to be mega-stars, people couldn't wait to see what they acted like in real lief when you get them up to a microphone.'

This comment was likely the inspiration for Trump's tweet.

Kilmeade also noted how many of the movies nominated this year were 'low-profile.'

He added that the nearly four-hour show, 'just drones on and on.'

Doocy suggested that the overly political nature of the show has turned viewers off.

'Jimmy Kimmel made it clear in the first few minutes that he was going to be political, so half the country goes "click" I don't have to watch that,' Doocy said.

Earhardt agreed, though added that she thought some people didn't even turn the program on anymore.

Kilmeade also suggested that the humor was too adult.

'Should you be saying a crotch joke at 8:02? With every single family watching?' he asked. 'The Brady Bunch never used those words.'

Kimmel, in one of his opening bits, complimented the Oscar statue for being the best man in Hollywood.

'He keeps his hands where you can see them, never says a rude word, and literally doesn't have a penis,' Kimmel said. 'He is literally a statue of limitations.'Newsreel from the Cold War has resurfaced on the anniversary of the start of a case which ended with a married couple executed after being found guilty of espionage.

The video, taken from a news report about the outcome of the trial in early April 1951, shows husband and wife duo Julius and Ethel Rosenberg as they are led to and from a courtroom during their trial.

The clip also shows David Greenglass, the brother of Ethel Rosenberg who turned on his sister at the trial and became the state's key witness.

The Rosenbergs were executed in 1953, for running a spy ring that sent atomic bomb secrets to the Soviet Union

Greenglass, who was adjudged not to have played as great a role as the Rosenbergs and who agreed to testify on behalf of the government, was sentenced to just 15 years.

The Rosenberg spy case took America by storm in 1951, and was one of the most controversial episodes in the early years of the Cold War.

The case centred around Julius Rosenberg, a former U.S. Army Signal Corps engineer who had been fired from his role at Fort Monmouth in 1945 after his superiors discovered that he used to be member of an American communist group.

During his time at Fort Monmouth Rosenberg had assisted on classified research into aeronautics, missile controls and communication.

It is reported that Rosenberg was recruited by the USSR as early as 1942, supplying his handler with thousands of sensitive documents in the years up to when he was fired.

He was also said to be responsible for recruiting fellow sympathisers Joel Barr, Alfred Sarant, Morton Sobell and William Perl, the latter of whom supplied the USSR with detailed plans of the USA's first ever jet plane.

But Rosenberg, who was married to Ethel from 1939, gave his biggest contribution in the form of his brother-in-law, David Greenglass.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are shown in this 1951 file photo during their trial for espionage in New York

Rosenberg had discovered during the war that Greenglass had been working on the highly confidential Manhattan project, responsible for the development of the atomic bomb.

Rosenberg recruited Greenglass, and later another engineer on the project, with both being instrumental in passing on state secrets to the Soviets about development of the atomic bomb.

A little under four years after dropping the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki the USA was left in a state of bewilderment as the USSR successfully conducted their first nuclear test.

Rosenberg was tracked down following the arrest of British double-agent, Klaus Fuchs, in January 1950, with Fuchs confessing to passing information on to the Soviets while working on the Manhattan project.

The Rosenberg's married in 1939 and their case gripped America at a time when the Cold War war tensions were escalating

During their trial , both Julius and Ethel refused to give up any information on their operation or to answer any questions

He named his handler, Harry Gold, who in turn named Greenglass as an additional source. Greenglass was arrested in June of the same year and immediately turned in his sister and brother-in-law before turning expert witness for the prosecution.

Greenglass was instrumental in convicting his sister after changing his story to incriminate her despite relatively weak evidence against her.

Their trial began on March 6, 1951, and both Julius and Ethel refused to give up any information on their operation or to answer any questions, with a jury finding them both guilty of espionage on March 29.

Judge Irving Kaufman in New York, said when passing his sentence: 'I consider your crime worse than murder.

'Plain deliberate contemplated murder is dwarfed in magnitude by comparison with the crime you have committed. In committing the act of murder, the criminal kills only his victim.

'The immediate family is brought to grief and when justice is meted out the chapter is closed.

'But in your case, I believe your conduct in putting into the hands of the Russians the A-bomb years before our best scientists predicted Russia would perfect the bomb has already caused, in my opinion, the Communist aggression in Korea, with the resultant casualties exceeding 50,000 and who knows but that millions more of innocent people may pay the price of your treason.

'Indeed, by your betrayal you undoubtedly have altered the course of history to the disadvantage of our country.'

Despite clemency hearings and appeals, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed by electric chair on June 19 1953.Married Nashville Mayor Megan Barry beamed in her mugshot after she pleaded guilty to theft and resigned over her extramarital affair with her bodyguard, Sgt Robert Forrest.

The Metro Nashville Police Department released Barry's glamorous mugshot shortly after she resigned Tuesday morning, nearly five weeks after she admitted to the two-year affair with Forrest.

'I sincerely hope and believe my actions will not tarnish or otherwise detract from the work that they (city employees) do,' Barry said in her statement at the Metro courthouse on Public Square.

Barry said it has been her 'honor and privilege' to serve as mayor and urged the public to stand by her successor, Vice Mayor David Briley.

She praised Nashville's ability to get over any obstacle that it encounters, adding that it will in the years ahead 'continue its steady march toward the very top of the list of great American cities'.

'It's a continued climb that I will watch but I will watch as a private citizen. I love you Nashville,' she concluded.

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry (left) beamed in her mugshot after she pleaded guilty to theft and resigned over her extramarital affair with her bodyguard, Sgt Robert Forrest. Forrest also flashed a smile in his mugshot

Barry resigned nearly five weeks after she publicly admitted to having a two-year affair with Forrest

Barry appeared in criminal court early Tuesday morning where she pleaded guilty to felony theft of property over $10,000 related to the affair with Forrest (right)

Barry appeared in criminal court early Tuesday morning and pleaded guilty to felony theft of property over $10,000 related to the affair.

Dressed in all black, Barry told the judge that she agreed to reimburse the city $11,000 in restitution, and serve three years probation. Her resignation was part of a plea deal negotiated with District Attorney Glenn Funk.

She and Forrest attended 10 city-funded trips by themselves without other mayor's office staff present, including to conferences overseas in Paris and Greece and the two to Washington, according to an affidavit.

'Thank you judge,' Barry, appearing in a black dress, said, according to The Tennessean. 'I appreciate you.'

In court, Funk said that had the case gone to trial, witnesses would have testified that between March 2016 and February 2018 Barry caused over $10,000 and no less than $60,000 of Metro Nashville city funds to be expended unlawfully.

Barry's resignation comes just seven months after her and her husband Bruce announced the death of their 22-year-old Max, who died of a drug overdose.

Max had graduated in June from the University of Puget Sound a month before his death.

Dressed in all black, Barry (pictured in court) told the judge that she agreed to reimburse the city $11,000 in restitution, and serve three years probation. Her resignation was part of a plea deal negotiated with District Attorney Glenn Funk

In court, District Attorney Glenn Funk said that had the case gone to trial, witnesses would have testified that between March 2016 and February 2018 Barry caused over $10,000 and no less than $60,000 of Metro Nashville city funds to be expended unlawfully

Forrest (pictured heading to court) appeared in court shortly after Barry and pleaded guilty to theft of property. He was sentenced to three years of probation. He must reimburse the city for $45K in pay he received when he wasn't performing his duties as part of Barry's security detail

Barry said it has been her 'honor and privilege' to serve as mayor and urged the public to stand by her successor, Vice Mayor David Briley

Barry was sworn in as Nashvilles first female mayor in September 2015 with her husband and son by her side.

On January 31, Barry confessed to a two-year extramarital affair with Forrest, the city police officer in charge of her personal security.

Barry is married and so is Forrest, whose wife, Penny Forrest recently filed for a divorce.

Vice Mayor David Briley (pictured) will become acting mayor following her resignation

The affair had ended, she said at the time, and both were trying to mend their personal lives.

'I am embarrassed and I am sad, and I am so sorry for all the pain that I have caused my family and his family,' Barry said at the time.

The bombshell revelation of the affair derailed the first term of the mayor who was seen a rising star among Democrats.

She immediately began fighting for her political life amid three official investigations, and initially ruled out resigning.

Sergeant Forrest immediately retired from the city's police department.

The sergeant submitted his retirement papers on January 17 and stepped down on January 31, the same day Barry admitted to the affair.

He was the head of the police force in Nashville, Tennessee, for 31 years and served for three mayors, including Barry.

Forrest also pleaded guilty on Tuesday to theft of property shortly after Barry.

According to Funk, Forrest was sentenced to three years of probation. Forrest also must reimburse the city for $45,000 in pay he received for times he wasn't performing his duties as part of Barry's security detail.

Barry appeared in criminal court early Tuesday morning where she pleaded guilty to felony theft of property over $10,000 related to the affair

Forrest's wife Penny (pictured together) filed for divorce nearly two weeks ago after the affair was revealed. Forrest was sentenced to three years of probation and he must reimburse the city for $45,000 in pay he received

Nashville's former mayor, Karl Dean, responded to Barry's resignation on Twitter

Former mayor Megan Barry's travel records and staff trips for 2017-18 January 10, 2017: Fort Campbell, Kentucky Participants: Mayor Barry, Det Mike Dixon, Sgt Rob Forrest Purpose: Visit with 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Campbell January 16-19, 2017: Washington, DC Participants: Mayor Barry, Patrick Hamilton, Sgt Rob Forrest Purpose: 85th Winter Meeting of the US Conference of Mayors Megan Barry resigned from her position as mayor Tuesday morning shortly after pleading guilty to felony theft of property over $10,000 related to her affair with Sergeant Robert Forrest January 31- February 2, 2017: New York, New York Participants: Mayor Barry, Justine Avila, Matt Wiltshire, Sgt Rob Forrest Purpose: Economic development meetings with Nashville Chamber of Commerce February 2- February 4, 2017: Washington, DC Participants: Mayor Barry, Sgt Rob Forrest Purpose: Women in Government Leadership Program February 10, 2017: Columbus, Ohio Participants: Mayor Barry, Chief Steve Anderson, Det Mike Dixon, Det Kevin Akin, Sgt Rob Forrest, and various other Metro Nashville officers Purpose: Funeral services for Nashville officer Eric Mumaw February 25-26, 2017: Memphis, Tennessee Participants: Mayor Barry, Sgt Rob Forrest, Det Kevin Akin Purpose: Speech to Shelby County Young Democrats at Obama Day Dinner March 3, 2017: Franklin, Tennessee Participants: Mayor Barry, Sgt Rob Forrest, Det Kevin Akin Purpose: Lunch with Williamson County delegation March 5-6, 2017: Washington, DC Participants: Mayor Barry, Sgt Rob Forrest Purpose: International Association of Fire Fighters Legislative Conference March 12-13, 2017: Seattle, Washington Participants: Mayor Barry Purpose: Personal travel to visit Max May 3-5, 2017: Denver, Colorado Participants: Mayor Barry, Rich Riebeling, Debby Dale Mason, Erin Hafkenschiel, Sgt Rob Forrest Purpose: Leadership Study Mission with Nashville Chamber of Commerce May 12-15, 2017: Puget Sound, Washington Participants: Mayor Barry, Bruce Barry Purpose: Personal travel for Max's graduation May 15-17, 2017: Washington, DC Participants: Mayor Barry, Sgt Rob Forrest Purpose: Participation in Infrastructure Week May 28-31, 2017: San Francisco, California Participants: Mayor Barry, Sgt Rob Forrest Purpose: Participation in NewDEAL Ideas Summit June 16, 2017: Columbia, Tennessee Participants: Mayor Barry, Sgt Rob Forrest, Det Khanthasith Phothirath Purpose: Speech to Kiwanis of Columbia June 23, 2017: Fort Campbell, Kentucky Participants: Mayor Barry, Det Kevin Akin, Det Mike Dixon Purpose: US Army Garrison Fort Campbell Change of Command June 24- July 3, 2017: Florida Participants: Mayor Barry, Mayor's friends Purpose: Personal travel-Vacation July 6- 9, 2017: Park City, Utah Participants: Mayor Barry, Sgt Rob Forrest Purpose: Women in Government Summer Meeting July 16-20, 2017: New York, New York Participants: Mayor Barry, Sgt Rob Forrest Purpose: Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative July 20-23, 2017: Washington, DC Participants: Mayor Barry, Sgt Rob Forrest, Sean Braisted Purpose: Participation in the Barbara Lee Institute for Women Political Leaders Conference August 31- September 3, 2017: Kansas City, Missouri Participants: Mayor Barry, Sgt Rob Forrest Purpose: Tour of Children's Mercy Park, meeting with Kansas City Mayor, and tour of transit September 12-18, 2017: Athens, Greece Participants: Mayor Barry, Sgt Rob Forrest Purpose: Athens Democracy Forum & 100 RC City Leaders Advisory Committee Meeting September 22- 25, 2017: Denver, Colorado Participants: Mayor Barry, Bruce Barry Purpose: Personal travel October 3, 2017: Birmingham, AL Participants: Mayor Barry, Det Mike Dixon, Det Khanthasith Phothirath Purpose: Speech to the Birmingham Kiwanis Club October 18-19, 2017: Washington, DC Participants: Mayor Barry, Sgt Rob Forrest Purpose: Speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars and attending the 'Voices for Urban Growth: Women Leading the Nation' October 20-25, 2017: Paris, France Participants: Mayor Barry, Sgt Rob Forrest, Lonnell Matthews, Erin Hafkenschiel, Laura Moore Purpose: CityLab: Urban Solutions to Global Challenges November 15-17, 2017: Charlotte, North Carolina Participants: Mayor Barry, Ronnie Steine, Det Mike Dixon Purpose: NLC City Summit December 23-26, 2017: Chicago, Illinois Participants: Mayor Barry, Bruce Barry Purpose: Personal travel January 5-7, 2018: New Orleans, Louisiana Participants: Mayor Barry Purpose: Personal travel with friends January 11-14, 2018: Palm Springs, California Participants: Mayor Barry Purpose: Personal travel with friends January 23-26, 2018: Washington, DC Participants: Mayor Barry, Det Kevin Akin, Patrick Hamilton Purpose: 86th Winter Meeting of the US Conference of Mayors Source: Nashville Mayor's Office Advertisement

Barry will be the first Nashville mayor to leave office before the expiration of their term in nearly a century, according to the Tennessean.

Briley will become acting mayor following her resignation.

An election to replace Barry will occur in August, which is the next general election for Metropolitan Nashville.

Community leader and activist, Rev Enoch Fuzz, called Barry's decision to step down a 'blessing'.

Last month, Fuzz called for Barry's resignation, saying that if she stayed in office 'important issues are put at risk'.

'It needs to happen,' Fuzz told the Tennessean. 'Our city is in trouble and the mayor is the cause of that trouble.'

Nashville's former mayor, Karl Dean, responded to Barry's resignation on Twitter.

'It's a tough day for Davidson County. What's most important now is that we come together, and focus on our future and what is best for the constituents of this great city and state,' Dean, who is a candidate for governor of Tennessee.

'I am fully confident in David Briley's ability to lead in this time of transition,' he concluded.

Barry has apologized to her husband, Bruce (right), whom she said remains committed to their marriage

Barry's resignation comes just seven months after her and her husband Bruce announced the death of their 22-year-old Max (right), who died of a drug overdose

Max had graduated in June from the University of Puget Sound a month before his death. Barry was sworn in as Nashvilles first female mayor (pictured) in September 2015 with her husband and son by her side

Surveillance footage revealed two weeks ago that Forrest and Barry would meet in the early morning hours at the city cemetery during their love affair.

Footage showed Barry's white SUV entering the graveyard, usually after 7am, on several occasions during their two-year affair, before heading to the back of the site - sometimes re-emerging as little as 12 minutes later.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation subpoenaed Forrest's city-issued cellphone in February to investigate the affair.

State investigators found a nude photo and partially nude photo of a woman they believe were taken with Forrest's work cellphone.

Barry is the first female mayor of America's country music capital -- a liberal enclave in the southern state.

She presided over the city's economic growth, officiated its first same-sex wedding, and advocated for an ambitious $5.4 billion mass transit plan. The plan is up for voter approval in May.

'She was becoming increasingly visible on the national political stage,' said political science professor Joshua Clinton, of Nashville's Vanderbilt University.Every day hundreds of people visit Baltimores BelAir Edison Crossing Shopping Center to shop at discount stores including Dollar General and Food Depot -but most shoppers dont know they are walking across land where at least 5,000 forgotten bodies were left behind when an old cemetery was bulldozed in the 1950s.

Laurel Cemetery once served as the undisturbed resting place for all time to come for thousands of African-Americans after opening in 1852 as the citys first non-sectarian graveyard.

It was a popular burial ground for several decades until the cemetery fell into disrepair and neighboring residents began using it as a dump in the 1940s.

The owners of the property declared bankruptcy and sold the property in 1952 to a commercial developer who removed an estimated 300 bodies, despite relatives of those interred at Laurel Cemetery protesting against it.

It's estimated that at least 5,000 bodies were left behind on the 15-acre property that was quickly bulldozed and paved over to eventually create the BelAir Edison Crossing Shopping Center, where the current owners just became aware that it was a cemetery.

Laurel Cemetery once served as the undisturbed resting place for all time to come for thousands of African-Americans after opening in 1852 as the citys first non-sectarian graveyard. The map above from 1876 shows the cemetery being located in the top right area of Baltimore

But the cemetery fell into disrepair in the 1940s and the owners declared bankruptcy. It was sold in 1952 to a commercial developer who removed an estimated 300 bodies before leaving at least 5,000 bodies behind, experts say. The 15-acre property was photographed being bulldozed and paved over in 1958 (above) to create what is now the BelAir Edison Crossing Shopping Center

Now, more than 165 years since it opened, archaeologist and expert Ronald Castanzo discovered human remains on the area that hadnt been paved over after conducting an excavation. He captured the above image showing the top of a tombstone poking out from the earth on the property near pieces of trash

Twelve years before slavery was abolished, prominent businessman Thomas Burgan Jr. sold a piece of land on the then-Belle Air Avenue to several businessman in 1851. The group developed the land into a cemetery for colored people of the city and county of Baltimore.

The next year it was incorporated as Laurel Cemetery Co., becoming the largest and first non-sectarian cemetery in Baltimore for use by African-Americans.

For the first several decades, Laurel Cemetery was the most premier location for luminary blacks in Baltimore to be buried. It was called the citys most fashionable burying ground and the federal government even used a portion of land to bury an estimated 230 black Civil War veterans.

It even became a location where popular abolitionists would gather to host speeches, including social reformer, writer and statesman Frederick Douglass.

Ronald Castanzo, an archaeologist and assistant dean at the University of Baltimore, told DailyMail.com that by the 1910s and 20s, Laurel Cemetery started to lose its pristine reputation.

Money stopped coming into the cemetery and people stopped paying money to keep it up, he explained.

It just started falling into disrepair and people started dumping their garbage there reports at the time state. Trucks would literally go there and dump garbage there. It just got really bad and by the 1940s and 50s it just looked like a forest almost, completely overgrown.

And by the 1950s, residents wanted Laurel Cemetery removed because it had become a playground for neighborhood children and was an eyesore that presents an almost unbroken facade of riotous verdure, a report from The Baltimore Sun reads.

The cemeterys owners declared bankruptcy in 1952.

McKamer Realty Corporation became interested in the property, with board members Lloyd G. McAllister and Clement R. Mercaldo leading the efforts to obtain the land, according to author Jane B. Wilsons book, The Very Quiet Baltimoreans.

But the two men also worked for the city in condemnation proceedings and in the real estate division of the city Law Department and were well aware that in Maryland, cemeteries could be dissolved by state law.

Prior to being destroyed, a 1938 aerial view of the cemetery circled above shows the area being surrounded by houses in the BelAir neighborhood of the city. Castanzo said that by the 1950s, residents in the area wanted the cemetery removed because it had become an 'eyesore'

Families of those buried at Laurel Cemetery tried to put up a legal fight against the developers, but lost the case. The state declared the property to be a 'health hazard', allowing for it to be destroyed for new buildings to be built on top. Pictured above is a 2018 aerial photo where the circled portion shows where Laurel Cemetery once was located

There was a lot of political corruption involved with the sale of the property at the time, Castanzo said.

And of course, you have the fact that it was cemetery devoted to a minority group and a group that did not have much in the way of political power in the city at that time.

A bill was introduced, passed and signed into law in 1957 that declared Laurel Cemetery a health hazard allowing McKamer to buy the 15-acre property for $100. Shortly after, a second company purchased the land, which was valued at $229,660, despite the fact that thousands of remains were still buried on the property.

The company began to demolish the property, but a local NAACP chapter put a halt to the destruction after the relatives of the cemeterys occupants banded together, Castanzo explained.

Relatives of those interred at Laurel Cemetery tried to stop the property from being developed into commercial buildings by filing lawsuits.

But it wasnt enough and there were no laws in place to protect the individuals interred there and the development went forward.

A mortician was called in to officially move the cemetery where several thousand were buried. But only 300 remains were moved to another location, leaving the rest behind and closing the book on it essentially.

It was a time period where people were running roughshod over the fact that there was a cemetery there and there were burials there and not respecting that. And just erasing it, which is what they did.

Castanzo took several students to the area where they conducted an excavation on a portion of the property that was not paved over. During one of their digs, they discovered several casket handles and hinges (pictured above)

He said: We found two sets of remains, small pieces that were heavily eroded from the soil. Those findings led us to believe there were way more bodies still there.' The group is pictured above conducting an excavation on the property in Baltimore

Castanzo and other historians are now working to make sure the rich history of the cemetery is not forgotten. The group is pictured above conducting an excavation on the property

What once was a cemetery for black luminaries, is now a parking lot and home to discount stores. As years went on, the memory of Laurel Cemetery disappeared as many dont know it existed.

That included Castanzo who explained that he only discovered it after seeing an old map of Baltimore that showed its location near the university.

Since it was close, I decided to drive over to where it was supposed to be on the map to see if it was still there and discovered that it was a parking lot, he said.

There was a small area where grass had been planted, so I thought this would be interesting to see if I can find remains.

Castanzo asked the company who owns the site for permission to excavate in the grass area, and in 2015 he started a small dig with some of his students.

We found two sets of remains, small pieces that were heavily eroded from the soil. We also found lots of hardware from caskets, like hinges and handles, Castanzo stated.

Castanzo and other historians are working to have the area formally recognized with a historic marker. He said, 'It's an important piece of history'. Pictured above is a present day photo showing the retail stores and parking lot that were built on top of Laurel Cemetery

Those findings led us to believe there were way more bodies still there. So then we conducted ground penetrating radar in the grassy area and the lanes in the parking lot.

'The radar showed that theres a lot of graves still there and intact, thousands of them.

Castanzo and other historians are now working to make sure the rich history of the cemetery is not forgotten.

From the archaeologist perspective you cant justify digging up burials. The burials are there, they should stay there, Castanzo said.

We would like to have it recognized formally and have a historic marker put there. Its an important piece of history.Alyssa Edwards, 27, has been arrested after her son, 8, shot his sister, 4, while she was at work

An Ohio boy, 8, allegedly repeatedly shot his sister, 4, with a small caliber rifle at their home while their mother was at work.

Alyssa Edwards, 27, apparently left work to attend to her daughter's injuries, cleaned up a bloody bed cover and then returned to work, leaving the children alone again.

She has been jailed on child endangerment charges related to the Saturday shooting in Hayesville, southwest of Cleveland.

Her assigned attorney, Donald Wick, said Tuesday that he had just received the case and couldn't yet comment.

An arraignment is scheduled Wednesday for Edwards.

She tearfully appeared for court Monday via video and said that there was no information that a magistrate needed to consider before he set her bond at $30,000, The Ashland Times-Gazette reported.

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She has been jailed on child endangerment charges related to the Saturday shooting in Hayesville, southwest of Cleveland, that involved her two young children

Ashland County Prosecutor Christopher Tunnell said Edwards took the girl to a hospital hours after the shooting because she had a leaking wound, and the hospital contacted police.

The young girl who was shot was in stable condition Monday at a children's hospital in Cleveland after being shot several times, including once in the stomach area.

Ashland County sheriff's Chief Deputy Carl Richert said the girl's injuries weren't considered life-threatening. No other details about the injuries have been released.

'God was with her that day,' Richert said. 'Thank God she will be OK,' KTLA 5 reported.

She tearfully appeared for court Monday via video and said that there was no information that a magistrate needed to consider before he set her bond at $30,000. She's pictured here with an unknown male

The boys stepfather, who was working when the shooting happened, told authorities he thought Edwards was at home with the children.

The young boy was in the custody of children's services. He is not expected to be charged because he is so young, authorities said.

Tunnell said the rifle used in the shooting was kept in a gun locker with other firearms, and the boy knew how to open the locker if it was locked.

Edwards could face two charges of child endangering, authorities said.A home with a mouldy pool and fire ravaged bedrooms in Melbourne's most exclusive suburb has sold for $40 million.

A Hong Kong-based medical professional took ownership of the Toorak mansion, 7 news reported.

For $40 million they inherited a pool full of grime, exposed floorboards and smashed windows.

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The property has been vacant for years after a cleaner dropped coals into a wheelie bin, setting fire to the back half of the home.

RT Edgar director Oliver Booth, who sold the property, described it as 'eerie' and 'spooky'.

The new owner has said the front half of the property will be renovated.

As for the fire-damaged back part of the home, it will be demolished.

Mr Booth said the Hong-Kong based owner will have to pay about $12 million in stamp duties and foreign taxes.

With renovations estimated to cost about $10 million, the property will set back the buyer about $70 million in total.

The property was purchased 23 years ago for $4.9 million.

Its recent $40 million sale makes it the most expensive home in Toorak.Matthew Begaye was Tasered after he smashed a police car with a hammer

Police dashcam shows a man from Farmington, New Mexico attacking a police vehicle with a roofing hammer before being Tasered by a cop.

Matthew Begaye allegedly swung the hammer at the patrol vehicle on Tuesday night.

Video shows Begaye aggressively storm towards the car and start smashing the windshield, NBC reported.

An officer can be seen approaching Begaye from behind before bringing him to the ground with a Taser.

The police report estimates the damage to the car to be around $100, but it will likely cost more to repair.

Before attacking the vehicle Begaye was at a Home Depot in Farmington and began wrecking the store's restroom with a hammer.

The video shows Begaye aggressively storm towards the car as he starts smashing the windshield (pictured here)

Apparently an extensive amount of damage was caused, with a reported $2,000 worth of mess.

He was then chased outside by store employees and police, which is when he went to attack the car.

He was taken to the hospital for medical attention.

Begaye is facing criminal assault charges for charging at the officers, as well charges for property damage and shoplifting.

An officer can be seen approaching the man from behind before bringing Begaye to the ground with Tasers (pictured above)House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday called for a 'surgical' response to dumping of cheap foreign steel on the market, highlighting 'abuse' he said was real but hoping to head-off sweeping tariffs President Trump has called for.

'There is clearly abuse occurring,' Ryan told reporters. 'Clearly there is over capacity, dumping, and trans-shipping of steel and aluminum by some countries, particularly China. But I think the smarter way to go is to make it more surgical and more targeted,' Ryan told reporters.

Ryan's pronouncement among industry and traders that Trump's planned 25 per cent tariff on imported steel could set off a trade war.

'A proper approach is a more surgical approach so we do not have unintended consequences,' Ryan said.

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Speaker Paul Ryan wants a 'targeted' approach to steel abuses  in remarks that pushed back against President Trump's proposed 25 per cent tariff on imports

In repeated deference to Trump, Ryan repeatedly said the president was justified in calling out what Ryan termed 'abuse,' calling it a 'legitimate problem.'

He said Trump's method  relying on a Section 232 national security action to counter products that harm U.S. national security  was 'a little too broad' and 'more prone to retaliation.'

He wouldn't characterize 'private' conversations with Trump on the topic, but said: 'We've had multiple conversations about this. He knows our view.'

Industries that are heavily dependent on steel imports are getting the chance to make their case against new tariffs in an internal lobbying push meant to head off or blunt the plans President Trump has announced.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., joined from left by, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., meets with reporters following a closed-door Republican strategy session on Capitol Hill, as they face how to deal with President Donald Trump's impending trade tariffs, in Washington, Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Trump's chief economic advisor Gary Cohn is planning a Thursday meeting to try push back on the tariffs. Trump announced the tariffs  which opponents are labeling a tax  at a surprise meeting last week while press TV cameras were rolling.

Now, Cohn  who longtime friends had hinted might decide to leave the White House over the decision after it first came down  is helping orchestrate the pushback effort, which includes pleas by lobbyists and strong public statements by establishment officials including House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) depart after speaking to the media after a House Republican conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 6, 2018

Gary Cohn, White House Economic Advisor (L) plans to bring to the White House industry leaders affected by steel tariffs proposed by President Trump

'Every now and again we're just going to have a different approach on how we should tackle these problems. It should be acknowledged that there is a problem that needs to be addressed here. We just want to be sure that it's done in a prudent way that's more surgical so that we can limit unintended consequences,' Ryan said.

Trump has repeatedly said U.S. steel manufacturing was getting 'killed' by cheap overseas imports, and has stressed bringing back jobs to the 'dying' industry. The meeting will feature the other side of the trade coin: U.S. industries that count on steel to make their product, and would likely pass on any hikes to consumers.

Two officials confirmed the Cohn meeting, Politico reported.

It is expected to include auto as well as beverage companies.

Jim McGreevy, CEO of The Beer Institute, told the Fox Business Network on Monday the proposed 10 per cent tariff on Aluminum would hurt his industry.

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly (L) and Director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn walk across the South Lawn upon return to the White House on February 1, 2018 in Washington

'I saw a report earlier today upwards of 140,000 jobs could be lost in this country. We think the estimate for beer is about 20,000, that's brewers, brewery workers, waitresses, bartenders [and] truck drivers,' he said.

'Well our biggest complaint really is that tariffs are taxes. For the beer industry, potentially $347 million a year in taxes and we're very concerned that tariffson aluminum will lead to higher prices on America's brewers and beer importers,' McGreevy said.

Director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn and Senior Advisor Jared Kushner take part in a meeting with US President Donald Trump and members of Congress on trade in the Cabinet Room of the White House on February 13, 2018 in Washington, DC.

MillerCoors said it was 'disappointed' by the move, which it said 'is likely to lead to job losses across the beer industry.'

Automobile dealers and manufacturers said car and truck prices would rise and leave U.S. firms at a disadvantage.

House Speaker Paul Ryan trashed the idea of the tariffs Monday, saying through a spokeswoman he was 'extremely worried' about the consequences.

'We are extremely worried about the consequences of a trade war and are urging the White House to not advance with this plan,' Ryan spokeswoman Ashlee Strong said in a statement.

'The new tax reform law has boosted the economy and we certainly don't want to jeopardize those gains.'

The public pressure from Ryan  a key Trump ally who has marshaled parts of his agenda through Congress  prompted immediate questions about whether Trump would yield to pressure from within his own party.

'No, we're not backing down,' Trump said. But he also linked the tariff issue to ongoing NAFTA talks, introducing a possible way out.

'Weve had a very bad deal with Mexico. A very bad deal with Canada. Its called NAFTA,' Trump said.

'We are renegotiating NAFTA, as I said I would. And if we dont make a deal Ill terminate NAFTA.'

The former Goldman Sachs exec was on the side arguing against measures deemed protectionist that critics fear could provoke a trade war.David Misch, 57, has been charged with the 1986 murders of two women. He is pictured in his mugshot from Monday

A convicted murderer has been charged in the cold case killings of two best friends who were found naked, shot and stabbed in 1986 after police matched his DNA to the scene.

David Misch, 57, was charged on Monday with the murders of Michelle Xavier, 18, and Jennifer Duey, 20, who were murdered in Fremont, California, in 1986.

Misch was already in custody for the murder of a different woman who he killed two years later.

His arrest is the result of a revival of the investigation into the Freemont murders. Detectives who were new to the 30-year-old case looked again at the files and found his name included.

He was a suspect because he was a known burglar at the time but he had no link to either woman.

DNA found under one of the women's fingernails was however recently tested and was a match for Misch.

Michelle Xavier (left) and Jennifer Duey (right) were murdered after attending a birthday dinner in Fremont, California, in 1986. Their bodies were found naked, stabbed and shot by a road and Xavier's car was found six miles away but the killings remained unsolved for 31 years

Xavier and Duey had been at a birthday dinner and were last seen together in a convenience store on the night of their murders.

Their bodies were later found on a road. They had been shot and stabbed.

Xavier's car was found six miles away in the parking lot of a mall but no other clues were given and police, despite compiling files naming suspects including Misch, had no strong enough leads.

Misch was already serving an 18-year sentence for the 1989 murder of another woman when he was charged this week. He is pictured in his undated mugshot for his first killing

In 1989, Misch stabbed 36-year-old Margaret N. Ball to death in her home in Hayward, a town 12 miles away.

It is not clear how long he has been incarcerated for that murder but he was serving an 18 year sentence when he was charged with the two new killings this week.

Detectives celebrated the new development.

'It's the closure of it that feels nice. Not just for the family, but for the citizens of Fremont, too. Ive been in this position for the past four years, and I get three to four calls a week just on this case.

'To be able to tell them we have a resolution feels really good,' lead investigator and cold-case Detective Jacob Blass told The East Bay Times.

The women's families also issued a statement to thank police for their continued efforts.

Misch was being held in a medical facility but will now be transported to Santa Clara jail ahead of his first court appearance.

Police have not revealed what they believe his motive was for either the 1989 killing or the 1986 attacks.A Spanish tourist has died and his friend is in a critical condition after a suspected carbon monoxide leak at a four-star London hotel.

Marcos Servera Menendez, 34, was found dead at the scene, while his friend Esteban Garcia, 37, is in an induced coma.

The pair - both Spaniards - had travelled to London for a short break and were staying at the Mayflower Hotel in Kensington.

Marcos Servera Menendez is believed to have died from a suspected carbon monoxide leak at a four-star London hotel

The duo planned to see the popular hip-hop West End musical Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre before the tragedy happened.

Metropolitan Police have confirmed they were called to an incident at a hotel in the area on Monday which was evacuated and said initial tests have showed a 'high level' of carbon monoxide in the room the two men were sharing.

Marcos was born in the Majorcan capital Palma but moved to Madrid because of his passion for cinema.

He was a television producer, cameraman and video technician. From 2010 to 2012 he worked in the interactive media department of Spanish state broadcaster TVE as a filmmaker, editor and camera operator.

His work during those years involved traveling to cover major local and international festivals and events.

Other companies he worked for included Warner, Kiss TV and Nova Televisao.

Esteban Garcia, a civil engineer, of Madrid, is understood to be in an induced coma in intensive care at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

It is believed the two tourists - with one in a critical condition - were staying at the Mayflower Hotel in Kensington

Metropolitan Police have confirmed they were called to an incident at a hotel in the area on Monday which was evacuated and said initial tests have showed a 'high level' of carbon monoxide in the room the two men were sharing

A Met Police spokesman said: 'Police were called at 13:48hrs on Monday, March 5 to a hotel in Trebovir Road, Kensington following reports of a male found deceased and another person taken ill.

'Officers attended with London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade colleagues also in attendance.

'A male was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers are working to inform next of kin. A post-mortem will be held in due course. At this early stage the death is being treated as unexplained.

'Another male aged in his 30s has been taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

'An investigation is being undertaken by Kensington & Chelsea CID in conjunction with the Health and Safety Executive.

'Initial tests indicated a high reading of carbon monoxide, though the investigation has not yet concluded.

Esteban Garcia, of Madrid, is understood to be in an induced coma in intensive care at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

'The hotel was evacuated and remains closed while the investigation continues. A cordon is in place and the scene has been made safe.'

A friend of Marcos', appealed on Facebook before reports of his death emerged, for help finding him: 'We are trying to find our friend Marcos Servera Menendez.

'He arrived in London on Saturday and we have been told there was a carbon monoxide leak at the hotel where he was staying.

'The person he was traveling with has been admitted to Chelsea Westminster Hospital.

'Friends from London, we need to get information. We are very worried. Thank you very much.'

The hotel could not be reached for comment at the time.David Cameron has been slapped with an 'extended lobbying ban' after taking a new job advising a genetics firm.

The ex-Prime Minister was ordered not to approach current members of the Government in his new post at California-based Illumina.

Mr Cameron has taken on the post after praising the firm's 'incredible' work and reflecting on how it would have helped his late son Ivan, who suffered from a rare neurological disorder.

While PM, Mr Cameron set up Genomics England, a government-owned company tasked with mapping 100,000 whole genomes from patients with rare disorders.

David Cameron (pictured last week at a Young Epilepsy charity event) has been slapped with an 'extended lobbying ban' after taking a new job advising a genetics firm

Genomics England has a 77million partnership with Illumina and the close ties have meant the Whitehall watchdog charged with managing ex-ministers conflicts of interest ordered Mr Cameron to stay under strict rules until he had been out of office for two years.

In an article in The Times newspaper, Mr Cameron hailed the firm's 'incredible' work while also describing the impact of his late son Ivan's diagnosis with a rare neurological disorder.

He said: 'We were bowled over by the heroic attempts of doctors and nurses to treat and care for Ivan, but we were also reminded of how little we know about conditions such as epilepsy and some of its rare syndromes.'

In a response to Mr Cameron's request for advice on his position with Illumina, the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) said neither the Cabinet Office or Department for Health have any concerns about the 'propriety of this appointment'.

The ex-Prime Minister was ordered not to approach current members of the Government in his new post at California-based Illumina, a firm which tracks the human genome (pictured is the company's website)

ACOBA also noted how the Department of Health found no evidence Mr Cameron had any involvement in the award of the Government contract to Illumina or held any direct meetings with the firm while in office.

Mr Cameron assured the body that his role, which takes two to three days of his time per month, would not see him take part in contract negotiations between the firm and Genomics England.

He also said he would not lobby ministers on the company's behalf.

However, explaining their reasons for his 'extended lobbying ban', ACOBA judged Mr Cameron's 'status and influence' as a former prime minister meant it would 'not be appropriate' for him to instigate engagement with ministers and government officials.

Current ministers would be allowed to invite him to make a contribution.A hardline Islamic school in Bangladesh confiscated hundreds of mobile phones and torched them in a bonfire because they were supposedly distracting students from their learning.

Pupils in southeast Bangladesh were ordered to hand over their phones Sunday to school administrators who then tossed the devices en masse into a fire in a nearby field.

Azizul Hoque, a spokesman for the Darul Ulum Moinul Islam madrassa Islamic seminary, said: 'These devices are ruining their character. The students use internet (on their phones) throughout the night and then doze during classes the next morning. Their parents are concerned.'

Hoque said the school - a 123-year-old institution with 14,000 registered students - was not against technology 'but the negative results of mobile phones far outweigh its positives'.

The bonfire of mobile phones after school administrators burned the stash of devices in a field near the school

The spokesman added: 'We are flooded with letters seeking fatwas (Islamic edicts) from Muslims against the use of mobile phones, as many complained that the gadgets were frequently used for extramarital affairs.'

Muslim-majority Bangladesh is officially secular but Muslim clerics are hugely influential, particularly in the more socially conservative rural areas of the country.

The madrassa in Hathazari, outside the port city of Chittagong, is headed by Ahmad Shafi, the head of hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam.

The movement has evolved into a political force in recent years agitating for Islamic rule in the country of 160 million.

The campaign has brought it into conflict with Bangladesh's secular government.

Hundreds of thousands of Hefazat supporters marched to the capital Dhaka in 2013 demanding implementation of religious laws including criminalising blasphemy and segregating genders in the workplace.

The protests triggered widespread violence and left nearly 50 people dead as police evicted demonstrators from Dhaka's commercial centre.

The movement has more recently struck an accord with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which has agreed to recognise academic qualifications from hardline seminaries, allowing their students to apply for government jobs.A former police officer had her tiny gun necklace confiscated at airport security because it was 'too dangerous' and passengers might think it was real.

Claire Sharp, who used to work for special branch, had the piece of jewellery taken off her as she was travelling to Perugia in Italy from Stansted on Friday.

The charm had sentimental value as it was a present from her husband Nigel Greenwood, who died suddenly in 2001, aged just 32 from a heart attack, because of their shared love of shooting and membership of a gundog club.

Claire Sharp, pictured, centre with husband Lee, right, and daughter Faye, 12, left, was about to board a flight to Perugia, Italy from Stansted when security officials told her she could not fly with her necklace which features an inch-long shotgun

The necklace was a present from Ms Sharp's first husband, police officer Nigel Greenwood who died of a heart attack in 2001 aged 32

It is around an inch long and Claire wears it everyday in memory of her late husband who she described at the time as her 'best friend'.

Claire was travelling with her current husband, Lee, who is also a sergeant in the Met Police, and their 12-year-old daughter, Faye, when airport security staff told her she would not be able to take the necklace on the plane.

The 46-year-old was then told it could either be posted to her at her expense or kept by security until she returned three days later.

When she returned Claire was discovered she would be charged 8 for 'lost property services' despite being told it would be free.

The mum-of-three, who is now a company director for her own dog food company, says she has travelled through other airports in the UK, abroad and even Stansted in the past, and not had the gold pendant removed.

She said: 'I was being searched by a female security officer and she saw my necklace and said 'this might be a problem'.

Nigel Greenwood and Ms Sharp were enthusiastic members of a gun club and following his death the necklace gained additional sentimental value

'She then called over a male officer who asked me to take it off so he could look at it.

'I explained it was just a charm, that it had been bought for me by my late husband and that it had been through airport security on loads of occasions - including Stansted - without issue.

'He then took it off to ask his supervisor and came back saying it would need to be confiscated as it was an imitation firearm.

'He said it could either be posted to me at a charge or kept at the airport until I returned to the UK. I opted for the latter. However, when we returned, I was charged 8 to get it back.

'As an aside from flying, I've worn that necklace having gone through security at Westminster Abbey to go to the Metropolitan Police Christmas carol service and have been there alongside dignitaries, high ranking police officers and the Home Secretary... with no problem whatsoever.

'The lack of common sense displayed at Stansted was astounding. To be charged 8 for the privilege of their idiocy just added insult to injury. My fingers underneath my jumper pointed at someone looks more like a real gun than my necklace.

'I told the security officer that the necklace had huge sentimental value and why but they didn't care.

'We were travelling with our 12-year-old daughter who was distressed because I was crying. It was an awful start to what was supposed to be a nice weekend away visiting friends.'

Claire, from Swanley, Kent, says the incident was even more traumatic because of the emotional attachment to the necklace.

She added: 'I was widowed in 2001, I woke up and found my 32-year-old husband dead in bed next to me. Which was traumatic. So jewellery I have from him is particularly important to me. I'm angry now but in the airport, it made me cry to have it confiscated.

'I was in special branch for seven years so I'm fully aware of how airport security works. My police sergeant husband just couldn't believe what was happening.

'Last week I flew from Gatwick to Iceland wearing it, with no issue. I'd been to Moscow in November where they're mad on security and they had no issue with my necklace.'

Stansted apologised but said anything that could be mistaken for a weapon could not be taken on a plane.

A spokesman said: 'Apologies for the inconvenience caused. However, under CAA regulations any novelty items, replicas and imitation firearms capable of being mistaken for real weapons will be deemed unsuitable for carriage and reasonably would be confiscated at our security.

'We understand that security is not one of the most pleasant parts of your journey, however for the safety of everyone, this is our top priority and all regulations must to be adhered to.'

The CAA rules state 'any item that resembles a firearm in any way, whether capable of firing a projectile or not, is prohibited' and cannot even be taken in cabin luggage.

A spokesman for the CAA confirmed it was up to the individual security officers' to decide whether to confiscate an object they deemed potentially dangerous.A nude model who posed wearing only stockings and heels at a suburban strip mall in Pennsylvania last year and the man who photographed her have been spared jail time.

Court documents show 22-year-old Chelsea Guerra and 64-year-old Michael Warnock pleaded guilty to counts of disorderly conduct on Monday and were ordered to pay a $300 fine.

Police say Guerra wore nothing but thigh-high black stockings and stilettos while posing in front of businesses at Miracle Mile shopping Center in Pittsburgh, including a store selling children's clothing, at around 11am on April 8, 2017.

Photo fail: Chelsea Guerra, 22, and photographer Michael Warnock, 64, have pleaded guilty to counts of disorderly conduct stemming from a nude photo-shoot at a strip mall

Photos taken at the scene captured the almost entirely naked woman being questioned by police, with curious passers-by looking on.

Guerra, who goes by the modeling pseudonym 'Fox Jane,' later told WTAE-TV she did not mean to offend anyone. She said she had been modeling nude since the age of 18 to help pay for her college tuition at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she majors in public relations and image management.

Paying her dues: Guerra said she had been modeling nude since the age of 18 to help pay for her college tuition

The model described her X-rated work as 'art' and said that she and the photographer were going for an 'urban feel' during the April photo-shoot at the busy shopping center filled with families with children.

Guerra said that in retrospect, she probably should have picked a more discreet, less public location for the shoot.

Warnock originally faced charges of criminal solicitation and conspiracy, which were waved to county court, reported Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Additional counts of disorderly conduct and possession of controlled substances - the latter stemming from the discovery of unprescribed sedatives in the man's pocket at the time of his arrest - were dropped as part of the plea deal.

The 64-year-old said the photo session was 'an art project' and that it was just a 'one-time thing' for him.

According to police, Warnock hired Guerra to pose for him in her birthday suit after she answered his ad on Craigslist seeking a nude model and got paid $300 for the job.Another strong earthquake has shaken a remote Papua New Guinea region that was badly damaged by a powerful tremor last week.

The earthquake measured magnitude 6.7 and was centred 370 miles northwest of the capital Port Moresby at a fairly shallow at a depth of 14.3 miles.

It was followed by two others measuring magnitude 5.0 and 5.1. Strong quakes also hit earlier in the day, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The region is remote and sparsely populated, making information about possible damage and injuries hard to confirm.

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake on February 26 killed at least 15 people, injured dozens and brought work to a halt at four oil and gas fields.

Another strong earthquake has shaken a remote Papua New Guinea region that was badly damaged by a powerful tremor last week. Pictures show some of the damage from the quake on February 26

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake on February 26 killed at least 15 people, injured dozens and brought work to a halt at four oil and gas fields. That quake triggered landslides (pictured) that blocked rivers, which then flooded small villages

The quake triggered landslides that blocked rivers, which then flooded small villages.

Aid workers were struggling to reach remote areas of Papua New Guinea's rugged highlands today in the wake of the aftershocks.

The constant shaking driving people from their homes to makeshift shelters for fear of landslides.

There were no immediate reports of damage from the magnitude 6.7 tremor, which struck shortly after midnight, Wednesday morning, local time.

Local media outlets on Tuesday reported the death toll from recent tremors had grown to 75, after government officials said previously that 55 people had been killed.

James Komengi, a United Church project officer, speaking from Tari, the capital of quake-affected Hela province, said his church's assessment and response centre had counted up to 67 deaths in that province alone.

Aid workers were struggling to reach remote areas of Papua New Guinea's rugged highlands today in the wake of the aftershocks. Pictures show cracks in the ground after last week's tremors

'Mothers and children are so traumatised. Even my own children are refusing to sleep in our house. Every little movement scares them,' said Komengi.

Concerns were also growing about access to safe drinking water after the shaking destroyed many water tanks, while land slips had poured mud into natural water sources.

'Because of the landslides ... it's very dirty water,' said Udaya Regmi, Director the International Red Cross in Papua New Guinea. Provincial health officials and Red Cross volunteers were urgently trying to improve sanitation systems and carry out hygeine training to avoid an outbreak of dystentry, Regmi said.

Local hospitals had seen a number of people with stomach conditions, but it was not yet confirmed whether these were due to contaminated water, he added.

Aid agencies were struggling to get aid by helicopter to all of the nearly 150,000 people who remained in urgent need of emergency supplies.

Concerns were also growing about access to safe drinking water after the shaking destroyed many water tanks, while land slips had poured mud into natural water sources

'The logistics are still a massive problem,' said Anna Bryan, an aid worker for CARE Australia based in the capital Port Moresby.

Australia, New Zealand and the Red Cross have all pledged aid, although reaching the remote area has proved difficult as forbidding terrain and bad weather, as well as damaged roads and runways, have delayed aid efforts.

'Right now the main challenge in the affected areas is accessibility by roads. There are big cracks along the roads and even roads completely cut off. So that's making it quite difficult to get water, food and medicine to the remote areas,' said Milton Kwaipo, Caritas Australia's disaster response and management officer in Papua New Guinea.

The quake has also been felt on global gas markets, with ExxonMobil Corp declaring force majeure on exports from Papua New Guinea, according to an industry source, pushing up Asian spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices.

The company declined to comment on the force majeure, but said it would take about eight weeks to restore production.A 65-year-old man has been arrested for sexually abusing a minor, just a week after his pastor son, 33, was arrested on three counts of sexual assault of a child.

Larry Allen Winn was arrested on Thursday on one count of sexual assault of a child and was released from the Dallas County jail Monday after posting $25,000 bond.

On February 22 Winn's son, Steven Aaron Winn an assistant youth pastor at the church, was arrested on three counts of sexual assault of a child in Texas.

Larry Allen Winn, 65, has been arrested for sexually abusing a minor, just a week after his son, Steven Aaron Winn 33, was arrested on three counts of sexual assault of a child

Winn ran the bus ministry at Open Door Baptist Church on South Belt Line Road in Dallas.

The church provides children with rides to and from services and Sunday school and according to Mesquite police, a church member said Winn raped her three years ago, when she was 16.

The church's website no longer lists Winn as a member of staff. The church did not return calls seeking comment.

Police have suggested there may be more victims given Winn's position at the church gave his access to children for several years.

Because Winn's position at the church allowed him access to children for a number of years, police think there may be more victims.

Pictured here is the Mesquite Baptist church where both Larry Allen Winn, 65, and his son Steven Aaron Winn, 33, worked

Winn's son Steven allegedly had a sexual relationship with a female student at the church's Christian academy for more than a year, when she was just 15-years-old.

Steven also faces three counts of sexual assault of a child in Kaufman County.

He remained at the Dallas County jail Monday, with total bail set at $375,000.

He worked in Mesquite's public works department for 14 years until he was fired last month before his arrest.

Anyone with information about Winn and his son Crandall are asked to call police at 972-285-6336.Hartmann, a perpetrator of domestic abuse, had convictions from 2001 and 2016, and had previously broken a no-contact order

Autopsy revealed Hartmann, 49, had alcohol and methamphetamine in system

Sera Alexander, 29, stands trial for killing Anthony Hartmann after years of abuse

A young woman killed her physically abusive stepfather after he dared her to shoot him in the basement of her home.

Sera Alexander shot and killed Anthony Hartmann after years of abuse, a court heard.

Montgomery Brown, defending, told the court 'terrified' Alexander had confronted her 49-year-old stepfather with a gun after she discovered him in the basement of her home in Des Moines, Iowa.

She told him she would shoot if he didn't get out.

'Fine, shoot me,' he responded.

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Sera Alexander (pictured right in her mugshot) allegedly shot and killed her stepfather, Anthony Hartmann (pictured left))

Alexander, 29, was charged with second-degree murder. She is seen above in court

Alexander, 29, was charged with second-degree murder on May 8, 2017 and faces up to 50 years in prison, reports the Des Moine Register.

Her lawyers argue the shooting was justified by self defence.

Hartmann, a perpetrator of domestic abuse, had convictions from 2001 and 2016.

Just six days before the killing, a no-contact order prohibiting him from going near her home had been lifted. Alexander was unaware of this fact.

Twenty-nine-year-old Alexander (pictured) confronted her stepfather in the basement of her home

She faces up to 50 years in jail but argues her actions are justified by self defense

Just six days before the killing, a no-contact order prohibiting him from going near her home (pictured) had been lifted. Alexander was unaware of this fact

An autopsy revealed Hartmann had alcohol and methamphetamine in his system at the time of the shooting, Brown said.

She added Alexander and the rest of the family had been left terrified after Hartmann broke into the basement in a previous violation of a no-contact order.

He was arrested and the family had enjoyed 'six months of peace'.

It was after this incident that Alexander told her mother she would kill Hartmann if he returned to the house. Defence said this had been meant as a joke.

Other witnesses described how Hartmann once struck his stepson on the head with a putty knife, leaving a scar.

On another occasion, he broke his wife's hand with a screwdriver.

Alexander's boyfriend Eric McDonald also testified, describing how he regularly saw Hartmann screaming, yelling and throwing things around the house.

Police are pictured above at the scene of the shooting. Alexander's boyfriend Eric McDonald also testified, describing how he regularly saw Hartmann screaming, yelling and throwing things around the house

Alexander's brother, Addison Hartmann (pictured), testified before court, saying Anthony Hartmann often used household tools as weapons

In one incident Anthony Hartmann attacked the family with a chainsaw, the defendant's brother told the court

Alexander's brother, Addison Hartmann, told the court his father would often use household tools as weapons.

'There wasn't a specific category of tools that he would use,' Addison Hartmann said.

'It was more a matter of availability at the time. He has come after us with everything from a precision screwdriver to a chainsaw.'

His mother regularly slept at her office or in her car because she felt unsafe at home, he said.

Both McDonald and Addison Hartmann live at home with Alexander, her mother and a renter.

Addison Hartmann was upstairs at the time of the shooting.

His mother called to say his stepfather was coming over and that she would call him 20 minutes before he arrived.

Shannon Archer (pictured), prosecuting, argued that Alexander's attack had been premeditated

She told him Anthony Hartmann should be allowed inside to retrieve his tools so he could fix her car.

He heard his sister confront Anthony Hartmann in the basement and promptly went downstairs.

He told the court his view of the shooting was obscured from where he was standing at the top of the stairs.

Assistant Polk County Attorney Shannon Archer, prosecuting, argued Alexander had already decided to shoot Hartmann before she found him at her house.

He described how she pulled the trigger 'again and again until the gun jams and she can't fire anymore.'

She added the defendant had a 'lingering grudge' and had been waiting for the right moment to kill him.

Alexander's lawyers had previously argued she should be able to use Iowa's stand your ground law, whereby a defendant can use force to stand their ground in the face of a violent attack

However, a judge ruled the law, which took effect July last year, should not apply retroactively.

Alexander opted for a bench trial, where a judge will decide her case, as opposed to a jury.

The trial continues.A stalker has been banned from contacting the Doctor Who actress after harassing her between December last year and February

A man has been banned from contacting actress Billie Piper after admitting stalking her between for three months.

Philip Andrew Jerome admitted harassing the Doctor Who actress by sending letters through her post box and showing up at her home unannounced.

The 40-year-old was charged at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court last Wednesday after pleading guilty to the offence.

A magistrate told him that he 'pursued a course of conduct which amounted to the stalking of Billie Piper and which you knew or ought to have known amounted to the harassment of her, in that you attended her home address and posted cards through her door, and sent letters by post to her home address'.

At the hearing, magistrates banned Jerome, of Eastleigh, Hampshire, from contacting the 35-year-old or going to the area where she lives in north London.

He was also ordered to carry out 180 hours of community service and to pay 170 in court costs and fees.

This is not the first time the stage and screen actress has experienced 'stalker hell'.

In 2008, a female stalker threatened to 'cut her head off' and 'burn her body to cinders' during a barrage of horrifying phone calls.

The string of calls, made during the night to Ms Piper, came after 32-year-old Juliette Peters appeared on an episode of Channel Five's Pepsi Chart show as a member of the audience.

She complained that Billie, who co-hosted the program, gave her a 'sly, dirty look' in the lead up to a commercial break.

Billie told the jury that she was left 'terrified' by the ordeal.

The Doctor Who actress outside the Radio 2 studios last month. The actress has experienced 'stalker hell' before in 2008 when she received death threats

However, the actress was not called to give evidence on Wednesday's trial because the man accused pleaded guilty.

Ms Piper is set to be reprising her role in the acclaimed play Yerma, in which she plays the title role, on Broadway this year. The stage and screen stalwart won rave reviews for the role at the Young Vic last year.

At the Olivier awards last year. The stage and screen star has spoken out on social media about the 'Metoo' and 'Time's up' movements

The actress has recently made headlines after speaking out on social media about the 'Metoo' and 'Time's up' movements saying: 'Let's say I know a lot of headstrong actors and actresses wanting to get something who wouldn't say they're victims of this'.

The mother-of-two said she had reservations about the 'whole sisterhood thing', arguing that the 'oversexed' images posted by women on social media 'doesn't feel like feminism' to her.

The actress, who shot to stardom when she was just 15, has been divorced twice. She was married to TV and radio presenter Chris Evans actor for three years before her marriage to actor Laurence Fox ended after they were granted a 'quickie divorce' after eight years.A married couple has been accused of sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl, regularly whipping her with a belt and telling her she would 'lose her guardian angels' if she did not cooperate.

The allegations against Jennifer and Michael Stevens, from Waterville, Maine, were made public Monday, 30 days after the woman's first court appearance.

The complaint says the abuse started on October 24, 2010, when the victim was nine years old, and continued on through October 25, 2014.

The judge who presided at that appearance initially sealed the affidavit because it involved very deviant conduct with very young children,' according to the Portland Press Herald.

In setting the bail, the judge also called the case 'one of the most disturbing cases I've seen in a long, long time.'

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Jennifer and Michael Stevens, from Waterville, Maine, are accused of sexually abusing a girl younger than 12 years old in what the judge called 'one of the most disturbing cases I've seen in a long, long time'

The judge who presided at that appearance initially sealed the affidavit with details about the case for 30 days because it involved very deviant conduct with very young children,' according to the Portland Press Herald

Jennifer and Michael, 35 and 36 respectively, have each been charged with one count of gross sexual assault. It's not clear how the Stevens were connected to the victim or if there was any relation.

The victim, whose name has not been released due to her age and the nature of the alleged abuse, said Michael whipped her and other girls with a belt.

She also said food was limited at their home.

The couple was arrested on February 1 and have since been held at the Kennebec County Jail in Augusta because they could not pay the $250,000 cash bail.

Waterville Detective Kyle McDonald lead the case against the Stevens', and wrote that he had been referred via child protective services.

The victim, who is now 16, told a caseworker about the alleged abuse and said it started when she was nine years old.

She said both adults sexually assaulted her for four years, and claims Michael 'would beat her with a belt' or be told 'she should go clean the house.'

The girl claims the abuse happened during the day and at night in residences in Waterville and Fairfield, and only stopped when she started living in a homeless shelter in Waterville.

She also told McDonald that Michael threatened to kill himself and regularly told her she would 'lose her guardian angels,' if she ever told police.

The girl also said the abuse often made her so sick she vomited, but that when she did so Michael forced her to swallow it.

McDonald also wrote in court papers that the girl told him Michael may have taken pictures of some of the alleged assaults, and that he 'made her swear on her guardian angels that she wouldn't tell anyone about it.'

Video courtesy of WABI 5

Jennifer and Michael, 35 and 36 respectively, have each been charged with one count of gross sexual assault Michael is pictured at his first court appearance in February

She claims she was told if she lied to a guardian angel 'that would allow demons to enter you and you would eventually go to hell.'

The victim claims she was forced to watch movies about exorcisms.

At Jennifer Stevens' court hearing on February 2 her temporary lawyer Elizabeth Gray spoke about 'ongoing court proceedings.'

She also spoke about 'Ms Stevens' heroin addiction,' though neither she nor her husband are currently facing drug charges.

Jennifer is set to appear in court again on April 5. The charge against her carries a maximum prison term of 30 years.

At Michael Stevens' initial court appearance his temporary attorney, William Baghodoyan, asked for a lower bail because the allegations are between four and eight years old.

He also said Michael is currently looking for work and receiving unemployment benefits and that if he remains in jail he will likely lose his rented home and a truck he recently bought.

Michael is due in court again on April 12.The suspected poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal has once again thrown the spotlight on the chilling methods used in assassinations linked to Russia.

Deadly and potentially undetectable, the use of poisons appeals to hit men and is believed to have been behind a number of killings in the past.

Cops are continuing to probe the collapse of double agent Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia after they were exposed to an 'unknown substance.'

The most high profile case of fatal poisoning is that of former Russian secret agent Alexander Litvinenko.

Alexnader Litvinenko who was poisoned with a dose of rare radioactive isotope polonium-210

He died in a London hospital in November 2006 from a fatal dose of the extremely rare radioactive isotope polonium-210. It was slipped into his drink at a London hotel.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has refused to extradite the prime suspects in the murder, businessman Andrei Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun. They insist they are innocent.

In 2016, a public inquiry concluded that the killing of Mr Litvinenko has 'probably' been carried out with the approval of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Alexander Perepilichnyy, who ate his favourite sorrel soup before he collapsed out jogging in 2012

Bankrupt property tycoon Scot Young was another member of a close circle of friends to die in unusual circumstances.

The 52-year-old suffered fatal injuries after falling from a window on to railings after being hounded over debts by Russian mafia members.

They had previously dangled him out of a window at the Dorchester Hotel, in Park Lane, threatening to drop him next time if he did not pay up, his close friend alleged.

Mr Young, who was once worth an estimated 400m, claimed to have lost his fortune when a vast Russian property deal, known as Project Moscow, collapsed in 2006.

Another case is that of Russian whistleblower Alexander Perepilichnyy, 44, who had eaten his favourite sorrel soup prepared by his wife before he collapsed and died while out jogging near his home in Weybridge, Surrey in November 2012.

He was due to give evidence into an alleged 150million fraud and Russian money-laundering operation.

An inquest heard an experienced assassin could have poisoned the Russian whistleblower.

Traces of a plant-based poison were found in his stomach, though tests could not identify the substance.

The Old Bailey heard that he vomited a 'greeny-yellow' liquid and was found making a 'choking' noise in the road.

Peter Skelton QC, counsel for the coroner, suggested some poisons were 'impossible to detect' and could be deployed by an 'experienced assassin'.

The inquest is due to resume in April, and a coroner is yet to make a ruling.

Bill Browder, the London-based human rights campaigner and professed 'number one enemy' of Mr Putin, said Mr Perepilichnyy had told him he had been receiving death threats, 'making it reasonably likely that a Russian assassin was on the loose in the UK'.

Boris Berezovsky was found dead in his in Berkshire bathroom with a ligature round his neck in March 2013 but the coroner recorded an open verdict

Boris Berezovsky, was found dead in his in Berkshire bathroom with a ligature round his neck in March 2013.

His friends in the secret service say he planned to give Putin evidence of a plot involving oligarchs to topple the strongman in a coup.

Theory has it that the exiled Russian tycoon was slain by Western secret services linked to the plan to overthrow the Kremlin leader.

A coroner recorded an open verdict saying he either took his own life or he was killed and the scene was staged to look self-inflicted.

In September 1978, Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov was assassinated in London from a poison-loaded umbrella.

The murder involved a minuscule dose of ricin, a toxin produced naturally by the castor bean plant.

KGB agents and senior members of Bulgaria's secret police were suspected of being involved in the killing, but the communist defector's killers have never been brought to justice.

Doctors treating the Bulgarian dissident were initially baffled by his symptoms and suspected he had an especially serious case of blood poisoning.

Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov was assassinated in London from a poison-loaded umbrella. The tiny bullet (right) which was fired was found to contain ricin

Radiation expert Matthew Puncher, who investigated the 'assassination' of Alexander Litvinenko, was found dead in a mysterious suicide in May 2016

Bankrupt property tycoon Scot Young (pictured right) suffered fatal injuries after falling from a window on to railings after being hounded over debts by Russian mafia members

Radiation expert Matthew Puncher, 46, bled to death at his home from multiple stab wounds inflicted by two knives in his home in Drayton, Oxfordshire in May 2016.

A pathologist said he could not 'exclude' the possibility that someone else was involved in the death - but concluded the injuries were self-inflicted.

Yuri Felshtinsky, a former associate of Litvinenko, said: 'Poisoning is the method of choice for the FSB.

'In the context of the Russian presidential election, this has all the hallmarks of a Putin assassination.

'He is warning anyone in the FSB never to defect as they'll be hunted down and killed.'

He added: 'The underlying atmosphere of terror in Russia means that even mere speculation serves its purpose - even if there was a different cause here.

Ricin is derived from the beans of the castor oil plant (pictured)

'As in this case Sergei Skripal was a colonel in the FSB, like Alexander Litvinenko. The FSB always kills defectors as a loyalty warning to its agents.

Russian president Putin once hinted at how his country deals with spies by insisting that 'traitors always end in a bad way.'

Among the Russian agents exposed was the red-haired 'femme fatale' Anna Chapman, and Mr Putin said at the time: 'It is a result of betrayal.

'Traitors always end in a bad way. Usually from a drinking habit, or from drugs, right in the street.'

Meanwhile in 2012, German Gorbuntsov survived despite being shot several times with a sub-machine gun on the Isle of Dogs in East London.

The Russian banker allegedly had evidence relevant to the attempted murder of Russian billionaire Alexander Antonov.

In 2016, former Russian double agent Colonel Alexander Poteyev, who exposed glamour spy Anna Chapman, died in the US.

Mr Poteyev had overseen the Russian sleeper agents in the US as a deputy head of the 'S' department of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service.Surgeon Emmanuel Towuaghanste, known as Mr Towu, showed no 'regret, contrition or insight' following the 'risky and unnecessary' operation he carried out on baby Paul

The death of a two-day-old baby was 'avoidable' after a locum surgeon operated on his abdomen, a senior colleague of the medic told an inquest.

Baby Paul Mitchelhill died in his mother's arms after his health deteriorated following surgery at the Great North Children's Hospital in Newcastle in October 2013.

But surgeon Emmanuel Towuaghanste, known as Mr Towu, showed no 'regret, contrition or insight' following the 'risky and unnecessary' operation he carried out and instead sought to blame intensive care staff, the inquest at Newcastle's Civic Centre heard.

Having undertaken the procedure as an emergency when none existed, Dr Towu, 62, then failed to take adequate steps to prevent the little boy's condition deteriorating so badly that his bowel was found to be black and dead, it is alleged.

By the time his anxious colleagues had raised the alarm, baby Paul was in a 'catastrophic' condition.

The only option left was to lay him in the arms of his mother, Irene, to die.

Paul's father, a lawyer also named Paul, from Carlisle, Cumbria, wiped away tears as the hearing was told of his son's final moments.

Baby Paul was born with a rare defect known as exomphalos major - a weakness in the abdominal wall where the umbilical cord joins the body.

It is usually treated by carrying out a 'conservative' or 'staged' abdominal procedure to rectify the problem.

However Dr Towu decided on a 'primary abdominal closure' which was carried out when Paul was less than 24 hours old.

Following the emergency surgery Paul developed abdominal compartment syndrome, where increased pressure reduces blood flow to the organs.

The next day Paul's bowel was found to have died and the baby from Carlisle could not be saved.

Baby Paul Mitchelhill (pictured) died after the locum surgeon operated on his abdomen

Baby Paul spent the last moments of his life in the arms of his mother, Irene. Paul's father, a lawyer also named Paul, from Carlisle, Cumbria, wiped away tears as the hearing was told of his son's final moments. (Pictured together the baby Paul's mother and father)

Paediatric surgeon Bruce Jeffray, who now heads the department, told the hearing he had seen just six cases of exomphalos major in his 20 years experience.

Mr Jeffray said he would have treated the condition 'conservatively' and would not have elected to perform emergency surgery on the new-born child.

Instead, he would have wrapped the defect in bandages and handed the baby to his mother as he was at no immediate risk, the inquest heard.

He added: 'I think this was an avoidable death.'

Mr Jeffray described compartment syndromes as 'disastrous', adding: 'You have converted a stable situation into uncontrolled chaos.'

Paediatric surgeon, Bruce Jeffray, said: 'I think this was an avoidable death'

He only became involved in treating Paul towards the end of the baby's life, he said, when he was showing a prospective new colleague around the intensive care unit.

Three intensive care medics saw him and expressed their concerns about what had happened to Paul the previous evening.

Mr Jeffray felt it would be 'wholly inappropriate' for Mr Towu to carry out a planned operation on another patient that afternoon, given what he had heard.

Later, as he prepared to go in to theatre to operate on Paul, Mr Jeffray said the locum approached him.

He said: 'What really concerned me was that Mr Towu did not appear to have any inkling as to what had happened with this baby and his role in the events of the previous night.

'He seemed to be evading his role and his responsibility and to be seen to pass the blame for what happened to other intensive care staff.

'I told him I would take over and he should go home.'

After sending Dr Towu home, Mr Jaffray examined baby Paul before his surgery.

He said: 'His bowel was black, it was entirely dead, there was no bowel alive.

'I made the decision at that point that it was not survivable. The only thing was to put the baby in his mother's arms and allow the baby to die.'

Paul died at the Great North Children's Hospital (pictured) in Newcastle in October 2013

Mr Jeffray expressed his amazement at Mr Towu's reaction to the initial operation.

He said: 'There was no suggestion he had done anything out of the ordinary, that he was in any way at fault, or regretted his actions.

'I hope if that was me I would have been devastated, shown some insight. I hope I would have the integrity to admit my faults.

'I found none of that with Mr Towu.'

Mr Jeffray said the events had left a mental scar, adding there was now a change of policy regarding using locums.

He said: 'We have not had someone operating with us who we don't know personally.'

Three paediatric consultants told the hearing they would not have elected to do the primary or emergency measure on baby Paul.

A paediatrician, Khizer Mansoor, who was Dr Towu's assistant during the operation, also said that based on his training and experience he would not have carried out the operation either and would have opted for a 'conservative' or 'staged' solution.

Dr Towu started his medical training at the University of Benin, West Africa, in the 1970s.

The inquest continues.Adam Turner of Lewisham, south east London, pictured is one three men facing 12 weapons charges, pictured outside Maidstone Crown Court today

Three men accused of 'dealing' or owning illegal weapons including anti-tank rocket launchers and assault rifles have appeared in court.

George Flisher, 34, Dominic Virjee, 45, and 35-year-old Adam Turner face a total of 12 offences in relation to both guns and ammunition.

They were charged after a bomb disposal unit was called to a house in Maidstone, Kent, on November 24, 2016.

Flisher from Maidstone is accused of three offences of selling or transferring a prohibited weapon and two of possessing a prohibited weapon in relation to firearms designed or adapted to discharge two or more missiles successively without repeated trigger pressure.

These include SA-80 and AK-47 assault rifles.

He also faces two offences of possessing a rocket launcher for a projecting stabilised missile, and two of possessing ammunition, namely four .357 Magnum rounds and two .38 Special rounds, without a firearms certificate.

Virjee from Maidstone, is accused of one offence of selling or transferring a prohibited SA80 rifle.

Turner from Lewisham, south east London, is charged with possessing or transferring a prohibited SA-80, and possessing a prohibited Argentinian rifle.

All the offences are alleged to have been committed between June 1 and November 30, 2016.

The three men were expected to enter pleas today at Maidstone Crown Court, Kent, but the case was adjourned due to what was described as the 'detailed and technical nature' of the firearms involved.

George Fisher, left, and Virjee Dominc, right, also appeared in court today in connection with the cache of weapons allegedly recovered from a house in Maidstone Kent

Fisher and Dominic, both pictured, were released on unconditional bail along with their co-accused to reappear at Maidstone Crown Court in May, although the two-week trial is expected to start on January 7 next year

Prosecutor Ian Foinette told the court that an expert's report was awaited by the defence before the charges could be put to the defendants.

He added: 'This is obviously a rather detailed and in some respects a technical case because of the nature of decommissioning and whether that decommissioning has been effective or otherwise.'

The plea and trial preparation hearing was therefore adjourned until May 17.

However, the two-week trial was fixed by Judge Philip St.John-Stevens to start on January 7 next year.

Flisher, Virjee and Turner were released on unconditional bail until their next court appearance in May.

Among the weapons recovered were an SA80, file photo, used by the British ArmyThe Scaramuccis are speaking out for the first time about their shocking divorce and surprise reconciliation on Dr. Phil.

The couple, who married in 2014, also discuss Anthony's 10-day stint as White House Communications Director, a position he accepted while his wife Deidre Ball was nine-months pregnant.

That move was one of the reasons Deidre filed for divorce, explaining that she was kept in the dark about her husband's new role.

'No, we actually never really talked about it. So, obviously he was campaigning with him. And then one thing led to another, kind of like spiraled out of control and the next thing we knew, Donald Trump was the President,' says Deidre in a clip obtained by DailyMail.com.

'And, Anthony was, you know, signed up to be with him.'

Anthony also talks about his old boss' habit of ranting Twitter, saying: 'I think the president has good intentions, but I do think he goes off the rails.'

He then looks at Dr Phil and adds: 'Maybe you could have an intervention with him, maybe bring you to the Oval Office and have an intervention.'

Scroll down for video

Mrs. Mooch: Anthony Scaramucci and his wife Deidre (above) will appear on Dr Phil Tuesday, check local listings for time

Split in half: This is Deidre's first television interview, and in it she reveals that she filed for divorce after Anthony took a White House job without telling her (couple above)

Birthing plan: Deidre filed papers in July just days before giving birth to a son James, with Anthony away at the White House for that momentous occasion (The couple with the Trumps prior to the election)

Anthony is quick to admit he now realizes the error of his ways, but thought at the time he was doing the right thing.

'I thought shed be okay with it because I flipped it around, Dr. Phil. I was like, okay, this is going to be good for my family and it wasnt,' explains Anthony.

'It was good for me maybe. It maybe wasnt even good for me, frankly, but it was a drive that I had. And if something is glittering at you and youre going at it like a fly, you may get zapped by it not fully understanding what youre going towards and that frankly happened to me.'

He then adds: 'Ill tell you right now, itll never happen to me again as it relates to this relationship but I do know that Im a risk-taker.'

Anthony later says in the interview that because he was making money he believed that he was doing good by his family, as that would ensure their well being for years to come.

He says now that this too was a mistake.

Deidre, who filed for divorce in July before giving birth to the couple's first child later that month, eventually withdrew the papers just days after Thanksgiving.

So, obviously he was campaigning with him. And then one thing led to another, kind of like spiraled out of control and the next thing we knew, Donald Trump was the President. -Deidre Scaramucci

When asked why she made this decision, she responds: 'First of all any relationship is a work in progress, right. and I love him and the whole time we were apart I was like, what the heck happened. So, I, I just wanted my family back and I loved him and I wanted my kids to have their dad and were working on it and its how it should be.'

In addition to his infant son James, whose birth he was not home for, Deidre and Anthony also have a son Nicholas.

Anthony also has a daughter Amelia, 21, and two sons, 18-year-old Anthony Jr and Alexander, 24, from his first marriage.

The Wall Street financier, 54, married Ball in 2014, but it is unclear when the two began dating.

Ball, 38, left her job as a vice president in investor relations for SkyBridge Capital after Scaramucci sold the firm.

She and Scaramucci live in the Long Island town of Manhasset, which is also home to Bill O'Reilly and Jose Reyes.

Scaramucci was previously married to Lisa Miranda, who is the mother of Amelia.

Eating crow: Anthony now says he realizes the error of his ways and should have pout his family first, which he believed he was doing at the time by making money

Kids incorporated: Anthony has three children from his first marriage (l to r: Anthony Jr, Amelia and Alexander) and two young sons with Deidre

Over and out: Anthony divorced his first wife Lisa Miranda (above with their daughter Amelia) just before marrying Deidre

Miranda appears to have far different political leanings than her ex-husband, having supported Hillary Clinton in the recent election.

She also proved to be very calm and collected in the wake of President Trump's surprise election win, writing on Facebook: 'Congratulations to those who chose to support Donald Trump; I sincerely hope that he proves to be all u hoped for.'

She then said to her fellow Clinton supporters: 'What seems like a set-back is just a set-up for a future of true equality.'

Ball has managed to keep a low profile throughout her husband's bombastic campaign to land a position at the White House on President Trump's staff.

She also seemed to be supportive of her husband's political ambitions as she appeared with him at events and even posed alongside him as he flaunted his 'Make America Great Again' cap.

Soon after he sold Skybridge, Scaramucci was named Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs and an assistant to President Trump.

'Anthony is focusing on his children, his work for the president and the American people. There is nothing more important to him,' said a source close to the moneyman.

'I dont know who Deidre thought she was marrying but anyone who knows Anthony knows hes an ambitious man.'

Scaramucci got his start in the world of finance at Goldman Sachs, working at the firm for 17 years after graduating from law school in 1989.

He then left in 1996 to start his own firm, Oscar Capital Management, which in 2001 sold to Neuberger Berman.

It was in 2005 that he created Sky Capital, which became his biggest success and pushed his fortune over the billion-dollar mark.

One of the myth-like stories told about Scaramucci is the one about how he was hired, fired and then rehired by Goldman in the span of just one year.

That polarizing characteristics that could make such a situation seem plausible were certainly on display during his brief stint as Communications Director when Scaramucci delivered a foul-mouthed tirade to former New Yorker reporter Ryan Lizza that he did not say was off the record.

While Scaramucci chalked up his comments in the interview as 'colorful language', he cancelled his appearances in thd days after and was soon out of a iob.

His ousting came just two weeks after President Trump elected to part with Scaramucci's nemesis, the former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, rather than his new right-hand man.

Scaramucci has also hosted the Fox Business Network's Wall Street Week in 2015 after he pitched the idea of a revival to Roger Ailes.A Russian oligarch at the centre of Britain's costliest divorce has had his 300m super yacht seized after his former wife won a court order to seize his assets.

Bailiffs acting for the High Court in London took control of the 115m yacht Luna owned by oil and gas tycoon Farkhad Akhmedov when it docked in Dubai.

The 50-man crew have not been allowed to leave the United Arab Emirates and are believed to be staying on the yacht since it was seized on Valentine's Day.

The Luna  which boasts the largest swimming pool on any of the world's super yachts  is considered one of the prize assets of 61-year-old Akhmedov.

Two years ago his ex-wife Tatiana was awarded 453m by a divorce judge making the split the most expensive ever in Britain.

Russian oligarch Farkhad Akhmedov, who is at the centre of Britain's costliest divorce, has had his 300m super yacht Luna seized after his former wife won a court order to seize his assets

Bailiffs acting for the High Court in London took control of the 115m yacht named Luna (pictured), which is owned by oil and gas tycoon Mr Akhmedov when it docked in Dubai

Luna's 50-man crew, who live on board (pictured) have not been allowed to leave the UAE and are believed to be staying on the yacht since it was seized on Valentine's Day

The Luna  which boasts the largest swimming pool on any of the world's super yachts  is considered one of the prize assets of 61-year-old Akhmedov's 900million fortune

Divorce: Billionaire Akhmedov (left) has been ordered to pay his ex-wife Tatiana (right) 453m by a divorce judge making the split the most expensive ever in Britain

Lawyers for Tatiana earlier this year complained that Akhmedov has failed to hand over the huge settlement leading to a judge to order his worldwide assets be frozen.

Agents acting for the High Court have been tracking the yacht, which was originally built by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovitch and sold to his friend Akhmedov three years ago, for several months.

A source in Dubai said: 'The yacht was seized when it docked in Dubai and has remained there since February 14th. The crew have not been allowed to leave.'

Billionaire Akhmedov spent more than 50m on a refit for the vessel, which boasts nine decks and has two helipads as well as 10 VIP rooms.

Having been seized agents acting for the High Court will be able to sell the yacht if the businessman fails to meet the obligations of the divorce settlement.

His 41-year-old wife has already received the contents of the couple's former family home in Surrey  worth almost 2.5 million  his 350,000 Aston Martin and the 90 million art collection.

Akhmedov was ordered to pay his ex a 350m lump sum from his 900m fortune.

Gas and oil tycoon Akhmedov bought the yacht called Luna (pictured) from his close friend Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in 2014

The tycoon spent more than 50m on a refit for the vessel, which boasts nine decks and has two helipads as well as 10 VIP rooms and sumptuous bedrooms (pictured)

The boat boasts a huge swimming pool, which is the largest on any of the world's super yachts

But Mrs Akhmedova said she has 'to date received nothing from the husband save for some de minimis assets in the UK.'

She had managed to lay her hands on 'some sporting guns and a valuable motor car' and her lawyers had 'arrested' his helicopter and plane.

The tycoon has previously complained about British courts having jurisdiction over his marriage.

He said he had received 'no justice' after his lawyer was forced to disclose full details of his multi-billion pound fortune.

Akhmedov was ordered to pay his ex-wife a 350m lump sum from his 900m fortune

Mr Akhmedov's legal team are said to be 'furious' that the divorce hearing was held in an English court when both parties are Russian citizens who married in 1993, moved to the UK and whose marriage ended in 2000.

A source close to him said: ''The British courts should never have sought to interfere in a former marriage which took place in Russia, between two Russian citizens and which had long been dissolved in that country with generous provision for my ex-wife.

'In seeking a new settlement of that marriage both my ex-wife, for whose lavish lifestyle I have always provided, used the British courts in an opportunistic bid for financial gain.

A legal source continued: 'They're upset that the High Court made it clear from the outset that it wasn't interested in Russian family law or the decisions of Russian judges.'

A spokesman for Mr Akhmedov was uncontactable.

During their marriage, the couple enjoyed a glitteringly lavish lifestyle, with a 20 million mansion in Surrey, as well as a 27.8 million holiday pad.

Mr Akhmedov, who bought the yacht from his close friend Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in 2014, split from the mother of his two children after 20 years of marriage.

The yacht is being held in Dubai as part of Akhmedov's ongoing divorce battle with his ex-wife

During their marriage, the couple enjoyed a glitteringly lavish lifestyle, sailing around the world on Luna, with a 20 million mansion in Surrey, as well as a 27.8 million holiday pad

The High Court heard that Mrs Akhmedova was just 17 when she met her ex, and 21 and pregnant when they married in 1993 and moved to England.

'Mr Akhmedov had nothing like the wealth now enjoyed by him - substantively their wealth was made during the marriage,' Mr Malek said.

The billionaire - who started out selling sable furs - made his fortune when he sold shares in Russian company, ZAO Northgas, in 2012 for $1.375 billion.

Since the marriage ended in 2014, Mr Malek claimed Mr Akhmedov had 'embarked on a deliberate campaign of trying to defeat the wife's claims by any means possible.'

He had shifted almost all of his wealth offshore and 'stripped cash' out of Britain to stop his wife getting hold of it, added the QC.

Since the divorce, Mrs Akhmedova's lawyers have been trawling the globe in search of her ex-husband's assets, and Sir James Munby's ruling today delivered an important boost to their campaign.Council worker Megan Hessian (pictured) said Msokeri couldn't remember her flat number

A divorcee accused of claiming to be a Grenfell survivor told a council worker she had 'absolutely no idea which flat she lived in', a court heard.

Joyce Msokeri, 47, allegedly claimed cash, food, accommodation, clothing and electronic devices meant for survivors of the tower block fire that killed 71 people.

Megan Hessian, who was working as a night manager at the Westway Centre, in Kensington, London, where survivors took refuge in the aftermath of the tragedy, said Msokeri had a complete and total inability to know where she lived.

Giving evidence Miss Hessian told Southwark Crown Court: She had absolutely no idea what flat she lived in in Grenfell. She was asked constantly.

She could recall some specific details like the birth date of her partner but couldnt remember where they got married, what neighbourhood. She couldnt tell me what her nursing school was - she said she was a nursing student.

Miss Hessian said she also noticed Msokeris preference for new clothing, and said the woman had initially refused to take donations in the first few days after the fire.

She said: She didnt want old, used things. In the beginning everything but the undergarments were second hand. She didnt want second hand, she wanted new.

I purchased undergarments for her with my money because we didnt have her size.

Miss Hessian said her suspicions were also raised when she saw Msokeri two weeks later with a new haircut, new clothing and a new handbag when she arrived at the Westway Centre on 30 June, just two weeks after the tragedy.

She was bussed in by the hotel for an unauthorised meeting at the Westway and I thought she looked very well turned out, particularly in comparison to other survivors. She had her hair done, she had new clothing, a new handbag.

Joyce Msokeri, 47, allegedly claimed cash, food, accommodation, clothing and electronic devices meant for survivors of the tower block blaze that killed 71 people

Her entire demeanour changed as if nothing had happened. Im not a social scientist of psychologist or anything but I thought that was a little bit interesting that she was able to flip.

She agreed the centre had given her one suitcase to help carry donations but was unsure where the other nine suitcases found at the Hilton stuffed with clothing came from.

The trial proceeded in Msokeris absence today after she told Southwark Crown Court she was not well enough to attend.

Judge Michael Grieve QC told the jury: There have been ongoing difficulties with progressing this trial, but we are now reasonably confident that those difficulties have been overcome and that we now will be able to make smooth progress with the trial.

Another thing that I can reassure you about is that everyone involved is confident that the trial will be concluded on time,

You will notice that the defendant is not here in court today. That is her choice and the reason she says shes not coming to court is because shes not well enough.

Msokeri had a new haircut, new clothing and a new handbag when she arrived at a centre for survivors just two weeks after the tragedy, it is alleged

But thats a matter for her. As you have already been told she has already pleaded not guilty to all the counts against her and her counsel Ms Meek will be in court to represent her interests.'

A doctor who assessed Msokeri told jurors he believed she was 'malingering', after not finding any medical basis for her illnesses.

During an assessment last month Msokeri allegedly gave seemingly random answers to basic questions about her life and background.

Dr Ian Cumming, a consultant forensic psychiatrist, told jurors: 'I would ask about her family - she would say "my mother is there my house is there".

When he asked her where she was from she replied: 'Too many buses coming to Sutton.'

'She didn't know where she was born, she looked in the corner of the room.

Dr Cumming said Msokeri was significantly different from the way she had been in police interviews.

'There's a big change from being able to engage quite well, to understand questions and answer them.

'With me there are completely nonsensical replies. We would ask a question and wouldn't get anything useful back.'

The trial proceeded in Msokeris absence today after she told Southwark Crown Court she was not well enough to attend. A doctor who assessed Msokeri told jurors he believed she was 'malingering', after not finding any medical basis for her illnesses

Delivering his conclusion that Msokeri was deliberately making up symptoms to frustrate the court process, he said: 'Everything about Ms Msokeri suggests malingering to me. It has all the hallmarks of somebody who is malingering.

'The landscape of symptoms is constantly changing. it seems deliberate. There's no evidence of clinical pathology.'

He continued: 'If you look at the allegations against her - there are allegations about deceit and in some respects this is potenitially another example of someone using deceit.'

David Jeremy QC, prosecuting, told the court that Msokeri had told prison and medical staff about a range of symptoms including not being able to eat, being dehydrated and not being able to speak or swallow.

She even claimed she had suffered a stroke while in custody.

The prosecutor said she would complain of symptoms, such as not being able to move the right side of her body, and not being able to sit up, but would be seen by witnesses to do so.

Food scraps, including orange peels and half empty containers were found in a bin in her room despite her claims she could not eat or swallow, the court heard.

In his report, Dr Cummings found that there hadn't 'been any evidence of any pathological or medical reason to account for these symptoms.'

Msokeri was sent to hospital from HMP Bronzefeld on two occasions for 'extensive examinations' including blood tests and brain scans but no illness was found.

The experienced doctor said Msokeri had stopped taking prescribed medication from an underlying medical condition.

He said: 'A tablet would touch her lip and she would begin coughing. It wasn't in her throat before the symptoms would begin. By not taking proscribed drugs for her underlying medical condition she was courting a risk.'

The court also heard a doctor ordered by Msokeri's defence team to examine her initially diagnosed her with 'conversion disorder'.

But he amended his conclusion after seeing prison records that note Msokeri's 'inconsistent' symptoms.

Medical records from a GP surgery in Sutton, south London, where Msokeri was known to be living at the time of the fire said she had attended in April 2017 and complained of pain in her lower back.

Msokeri had been a security guard but had not been working since December, was in financial difficulties and feeling depressed.

The notes show she was prescribed an anti-depressant and came back on 5 June, 10 days before the fire and reported feeling better.

The trial continues.Detective Constable Jonathan Davies-Brewin, 50, set up a profile with the display name 'Older4Youngerx' to contact the teenager online

A disgraced former detective who used the dating app Grindr to groom a 15-year-old boy has been found guilty of gross misconduct.

Detective Constable Jonathan Davies-Brewin, 50, set up a profile with the display name 'Older4Youngerx' to contact the teenager online.

He arranged to meet the boy in a Tesco car park, not knowing he had been snared by a paedophile hunter who was posing as a child.

But when he arrived, Davies-Brewin was confronted by his own colleagues who found a bag of sex toys in his car.

In January, Davies-Brewin was handed a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting arranging to meet a boy following grooming.

He resigned from the force in January before he was sentenced having been suspended from duty following his arrest in June.

Under previous guidelines, his notice would not have been accepted but a change in the law brought in last year meant he was able to leave his post.

However, Essex Police held a special case hearing where Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh decided Davies-Brewin was guilty of gross misconduct and would have definitely lost his job had he not already resigned.

Following the hearing, Chief Constable Kavanagh said: 'I demand the highest level of conduct from my officers and Jonathan Davies-Brewin's actions have fallen well below what I expect.

'I have no doubt in my mind he went to Braintree with the premeditated intention to abuse a young person.

'The role police officers play in society to protect the most vulnerable is a responsibility which must be taken with the utmost seriousness and is a fundamental pillar in public confidence in policing.

'Jonathan Davies-Brewin's conduct had the potential to undermine the faith of children and young people in police officers and their intentions and I have no hesitation in handing down this sanction.

In January, Davies-Brewin was handed a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting arranging to meet a boy following grooming

'I believe I have some of the best officers in the country here in Essex and Davies-Brewin's behaviour is not, and should not, be a reflection on them.

'He may have already resigned but it was important this misconduct process took place.

'The outcome and sanction we have agreed on means he will be placed on the barred list and won't be able to work for another force anywhere in the country.'

Mr Kavanagh said he was certain Davies-Brewin was guilty of gross misconduct.

The former officer did not attend the hearing at Chelmsford Civic Centre on Monday, despite having been made aware of it by his union representatives and having been served with papers at his home.

The hearing heard Davies-Brewin had been a police officer in Essex since May 1994 and his latest performance reviews showed he had been meeting expectations. In 2003 he was given a commendation.

Mr Kavanagh ordered he is added to the barred list - a publicly searchable database of officers guilty of gross misconduct.

Davies-Brewin, of Colchester, Essex, resigned from the force in January before he was sentenced having been suspended from duty following his arrest in June

The shamed officer, whose career spanned 25 years in the force, had earlier tried to make out he was part of a sting.

Chelmsford Crown Court was told how he sent clothed photos of his chest and face with sunglasses over Grindr and pictures in boxers showing his groin area.

He then arranged to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old boy at Tesco in Braintree over messaging service Whatsapp, where Davies-Brewin was arrested.

A search of his car uncovered sex toys and a liquid form of party drug poppers.

At the scene he told officers he was glad to be caught and said colleagues had done him a favour by arresting him.

Davies-Brewin, of Colchester, Essex, was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for ten years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order.Dr Lucinda Shaw sued Camden salon, Posh Hair and Beauty, when her hair 'came out in chunks' in the shower following a s= treatment

A GP whose 'luxuriant locks' fell out in clumps after a salon treatment before a friend's wedding has won 1,200 in compensation for her ordeal.

Dr Lucinda Shaw sued Camden salon, Posh Hair and Beauty, when her hair 'came out in chunks' in the shower following a straightening treatment she'd had at the salon in October 2016.

Although her hair is now growing back, Dr Shaw, who practices in Hertfordshire, told Central London County Court that the episode left her 'embarrassed' and 'cast a shadow over her wedding party celebrations'.

Auburn-haired Dr Shaw, 31, researched straightening treatments on the web before visiting the salon.

The 150 keratin hair treatment is supposed to lock the hair straight by using product and locking it in with a hot flat iron.

Doctor Shaw, who now has more than eight times her money back said: 'I thought they were doing a Japanese Yuko treatment.

'But, towards the end, I noticed it was smelling a lot and they told me it was a L'Oreal treatment for straightening hair.'

The hairdresser at the Camden salon assured her it was a 'better product because it protected the hair', she added.

The process lasted 'several hours', but the GP claimed the hairdresser never gave her a patch test to check whether she might react to the chemicals used.

'She said that, if I had undergone patch tests before, there was no need to to do it,' said the GP.

Posh Hair and beauty in Camden has denied the claims that Dr Shaw was not given a patch test

The effects of her treatment became obvious when 'clumps of hair' began falling out in the shower a few days after the appointment, leaving her hair much shorter than she liked.

Almost 18 months on, her hair is growing back at a rate of one centimetre per month, she explained.

She added: 'There's a patch of my scalp which isstill affected. It used to all be long.'

Salon manager, Moni Raad, denied liability on behalf of Posh Hair and Beauty, also insisting that Dr Shaw had received a patch test before treatment.

He challenged her claims by querying how she could have attended her friend's wedding or returned to work so quickly if she was suffering from emotional distress.

To which she replied that as a doctor it would be completely unacceptable if she could not attend work because her hair was damaged.

After the hearing, Shaw said that the amount of compensation wasn't important, and that she just wanted to highlight what went wrong.This is the amazing moment a baby girl was rescued from a huge pile of rubble in the bombarded Syrian enclave of eastern Ghouta.

The debris and the rubble are so thick that it's almost impossible to believe anybody can be extracted alive.

But a tweet posted by Syrian Defence Force rescuer Ismail Alabdullah shows the miraculous moment the baby is rescued.

Rescuers say the baby was completely submerged beneath the rubble

The baby is reported to be in a stable condition following the dramatic rescue

Much of Eastern Ghouta has been flattened by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad

The girl is reported to be in a stable condition apart from a few minor injuries.

An official with the International Committee for the Red Cross says aid workers who were recently on a humanitarian mission inside eastern Ghouta saw rescuers trying to pull corpses from the rubble of buildings.

Pawel Krzysiek, head of communications at ICRC Syria, says the situation in the opposition-held Damascus suburb is 'desperate'.

Innocent: These children were among the victims - reported to be between 18 and 30 people - rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties after what is said to have been a chemical gas attack carried out by the Assad regime

The International Committee for the Red Cross confirmed that its joint convoy with the United Nations had to leave before offloading all its supplies on account of the deteriorating security situation on Monday

At least 68 civilians were killed in Eastern Ghouta on Monday, including 19 in Hamouriyah , British-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, although it is not known if any of the casualties were a result of the gas attack

War zone: Further air strikes cut short an international convoy's aid mission in Eastern Ghouta, forcing aid workers to leave the area due to government shelling

Speaking on Tuesday, a day after a rare humanitarian mission to eastern Ghouta that was cut short because of the shelling, he says schools have stopped and some children have not seen daylight for 15 days. Many residents are hungry.

'We left with heavy hearts,' Krzysiek said in a video distributed by the ICRC.

He appealed for a sustainable solution to the security situation in eastern Ghouta so that more aid could be brought in.

The first aid delivery in weeks to reach the besieged eastern suburbs of Damascus was cut short after Syrian government forces began shelling the area while aid workers were still inside, a local council said.

Mondays shipment was the first to enter eastern Ghouta amid weeks of a crippling siege and a government assault that has killed hundreds of civilians since February 18.

The ICRC confirmed that its joint convoy with the United Nations had to leave before offloading all its supplies on account of the deteriorating security situation.

Ingy Sedky, the ICRC spokeswoman in Syria, said most of the aid from a 46-truck convoy was delivered to the town of Douma in eastern Ghouta but the mission was cut short before the rest of the supplies could be unloaded.President Donald Trump slapped down reports on Tuesday of 'chaos' in the White House --- but he did admit there's some aides he wouldn't mind replacing.

Trump wouldn't say who they were at a news conference, waving off a reporter who tried to solicit their names.

Instead he said, 'They all want a piece of that Oval Office. They all want a piece of that West Wing.'

'Everybody wants to be there, and they love this White House because we have energy like rarely before,' Trump declared at a joint press conference with the prime minister of Sweden.

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'They all want a piece of that Oval Office. They all want a piece of that West Wing,' President Trump told a reporter on Tuesday in a joint news conference

This morning Trump set off speculation about who he might be looking to fire when he tweeted about 'some people that I want to change.'

'The new Fake News narrative is that there is CHAOS in the White House. Wrong!' he tweeted. 'People will always come & go, and I want strong dialogue before making a final decision.'

He added, 'I still have some people that I want to change (always seeking perfection). There is no Chaos, only great Energy!'

At a news conference that his national economic director and son-in-law - both of whom were believed to be on the rack - did not attend, Trump was asked to name names.

'I don't really want to talk about that. I just said that the White House has tremendous energy. It has tremendous spirit. It is a great place to be working. Many, many people want every single job,' he replied.

Expanding on the tweet, Trump said, 'You know, I read where, "Oh, gee, maybe people don't want to work for Trump." And believe me, everybody wants to work in the White House.

'And not only in terms of, it looks great on their resume, it's just a great place to work. It's got tremendous energy. It's tough,' he added. 'The White House has a tremendous energy and we have tremendous talent. Yeah, there'll be people, I'm not going to be specific, but there'll be people that change. They always change. Sometimes they want to go out and do something else.'

Less than two hours later, news broke that Gary Cohn, Trump's top economic adviser, was on his way out. He'll be departing the White House in the next few weeks.

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT TO GO? Rumors abounded last week that Gary Cohn, the president's national economic director (LEFT) would be out the door soon after President Trump defied his advice on introducing steel and aluminum tariffs. Trump is also looking to replace National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster (RIGHT), it's been said

Trump's closest allies have offered varied opinions on whether the cut-throat atmosphere that the president encourages in his White House has been effective. Some have also complained about Chief of Staff John Kelly's iron-fisted management style

The president's son-in-law was not at the East Room press conference on Tuesday. Neither was Cohn. This picture of Kushner was taken on Monday am. Kushner is in Vegas for work. It's not known where Cohn was this afternoon

Trump's remarks about staff turnover came on the heels of a Washington Post report detailing the 'pure madness' and 'dark days' clouding over Trump's presidency.

The president's closest allies have offered varied opinions on whether the cut-throat atmosphere that the president encourages in his White House has been effective. Some have complained about Chief of Staff John Kelly's iron-fisted rule.

Two senior communications aides resigned last week and rumor had it that two top-level policy aides, including Cohn who was notably absent from Trump's presser on Tuesday, could follow.

At his news conference, Trump defended his management style, which has reminded observers of the way he conducted his reality television program, 'The Apprentice.'

'I like conflict. I like having two people with different points of view  and I certainly have that  and then I make a decision,' he said. 'But I like watching it, I like seeing it, and I think it's the best way to go. I like different points of view.'

Without being specific, Trump said there will always be personnel changes, sometimes because his employees want to work somewhere else.

'But they all want to be in the White House. So many people want to come in. I have a choice of anybody. I could take any position in the White House, and I'll have a choice of the 10 top people having to do with that position,' he said.

Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci claimed last week that morale was 'terrible' under Trump's current chief of staff, nicknaming the retired Marine who fired him 'General Jackass.'

The Skybridge Capital founder told Bloomberg he was making the rounds to draw Trump's attention to how 'horrible' conditions are under Kelly for current White House staffers.

Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor and head of Trump's transition team, also made note of what he saw as staff failures that centered on Kelly and his handling of the Rob Porter wife-beating scandal when he appeared on ABC News' 'This Week' on Sunday.

NOTHING TO SEE HERE FOLKS - YET! Trump didn't say who he wants to get rid of on Tuesday, but if recent tweets are any indication, he could also be talking about his Attorney General Jeff Sessions

Communications Director Hope Hicks' then-boyfriend Rob Porter (right) was forced out of the White House following ex-wives' allegations of spousal abuse. Last week Hicks said she is leaving the White House, too

Porter was dating White House Communications Director Hope Hicks at the time of the revelations that two of his ex-wives had told the authorities that they were victims of domestic violence.

Hicks suddenly announced her resignation from the White House last week after a day spent on Capitol Hill under the scrutiny of a congressional committee investigating allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.

Before the commotion over Hicks' surprise departure quieted down, Trump made a surprise announcement on trade that threatened to shove another one of his top aides out the front door.

The president on Thursday morning announced blanket steel and aluminum tariffs on some of the United States' key partners against the advice of his National Economic Council director Gary Cohn.

Trump sided with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and adviser Peter Navarro over Cohn, leading to speculation that the former Goldman Sachs executive would be the next Trump aide to say enough is enough.

Rumors were also flying last week that the president was trying to get rid of H.R. McMaster, his second national security adviser since he took office less than 14 months ago.

Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, was also thought to be on the ropes after Kelly downgraded his security clearance until his background check is fully adjudicated.

Trump didn't say who he wants to get rid of on Tuesday, but if recent tweets are any indication, he could also be talking about his Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Sessions has done a 'disgraceful' checking the department on alleged FISA abuse, the president said Wednesday am just before he was due to see Sessions at a memorial service for Billy Graham.

The president has been seething at Sessions almost since the beginning of his term over the attorney general's recusal from the Russia probe. He's none-too-happy that Sessions' deputy Rod Rosenstein appointed a special counsel to look into election meddling, either.

On Saturday evening at a dinner both men attended, an upbeat Trump jovially said he'd offered Sessions a ride and the attorney general recused himself.

The president also made a pointed a joke about his administration running like a 'fine-tuned machine.'

He'd made the claim in his first solo press conference as president a year before. It came back to haunt him last weekend as the Post dropped its article providing a mind's eye into his recent mood swings.

As far as Kelly is concerned, he remains the right person to lead the White House, despite the recent turmoil, Republicans like Lindsey Graham said on Sunday morning news programs.

That opinion is not shared by of Trump's allies, however, with Scaramucci vocally calling on the retired Marine general to throw in the towel.

The president's spokeswoman laughed off a claim on Monday that morale at the White House is at an all-time-low because of Kelly, telling a reporter who asked about Scarammuci's claims, 'I definitely would not agree.

'We're in a great place,' Sarah Sanders said at her daily briefing. 'We have an incredible story to tell. It's been a historic first year.'

The president's spokeswoman laughed off a claim on Monday that morale at the White House is at an all-time-low because of John Kelly's iron-fisted rule. 'We're in a great place,' Sarah Sanders said

Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci had bashed Chief of Staff John Kelly on Thursday, saying his iron-first management style will drive top aides out of the West Wing  and branding the retired U.S. Marine 'General Jackass' and calling on him to quit

Kelly has brought order to chaotic Trumpworld, but Scaramucci says 'fear and intimidation' have paralyzed the president's inner circle and he called White House morale 'horrible'

Sanders, the White House press secretary, unequivocally asserted that Trump's team was as grounded as ever.

'We're continuing to focus on the things President Trump campaigned on. We're excited about what we've done and where we're going and we're going to continue working hard for the American people,' she said.

Scaramucci had blasted Kelly last Thursday, saying he runs the White House by 'fear and intimidation.'

In the morning interview on the 'New Day' program, Scaramucci predicted more White House departures, placing blame squarely in Kelly's lap.

Host Chris Cuomo asked Scaramucci if Kelly had succeeded in bringing order to the White House after months of internal chaos.

'There's a martial order and then there's order where there is, like, good harmony,' he replied, speaking of the retired Marine general's management style. 'There are two different types of order. There's lots of different ways you can describe order. But sometimes order is actually not a good word.'

Corey Lewandowski, a former Trump campaign manager who was fired by the president but still enjoys access to him in the White House, said in a Monday morning television appearance that complaints about low morale are overblown.

'What I don't understand is, there was chaos seven months ago when it was freewheeling, everyone had access to the White House, to the president, and now it's chaos because everything is controlled, buttoned-up and there's a process,' Lewandowski said.

'So I don't you can have it both ways,' he pointed out.

The former top campaign official suggested that the grumbling was generally coming from staffers who are angry that they have to go through Kelly to get to the president.

Kelly, meanwhile, signaled regrets last week about taking the job in the first place.

'The last thing I wanted to do was walk away from one of the great honors of my life, being the secretary of Homeland Security,' he said Thursday at an event marking the agency's 15th anniversary.

'But I did something wrong and God punished me, I guess.'

On Friday morning, in an informal chat with reporters he vigorously mounted an on-the-record defense of the way he publicly praised the president's staff secretary, Porter, even after DailyMail.com published pictures of the alleged domestic abuse.

The pushback on adversaries like Scaramucci who want him to resign suggested that Kelly intends to stay put in his position, at least for now.Ryanair's chief executive has threatened to ground planes after Brexit in a bid to force Britain to 'rethink' its decision to leave the EU.

Michael O'Leary - a vocal Remainer - said he is considering carrying out the stunt to show voters they were 'lied to' during the 2016 campaign.

He said the tactic would hammer home to Britons that cheap holidays will become more expensive after Britain quits the Brussels club.

But Tory MP and Brexiteer Peter Bone slammed the 'politically motivated' threat and told Mail Online it would not succeed in blackmailing Britons and just harm the air carrier's profits.

Michael O'Leary (pictured in Brussels today) said he is considering grounding planes to show voters they were 'lied to' during the 2016 referendum campaign

The Ryanair boss (pictured in 2016) is a leading Remainer and rebranded some of his planes 'stronger in' to back staying in the EU bloc during the lead up to the 2016 vote

Speaking in Brussels today, Mr O'Leary said he wants to 'create an opportunity' by making people realise they are 'no longer going to have cheap holidays'.

He told an audience of airline leaders: 'I think it's in our interests - not for a long period of time - that the aircraft are grounded.

'It's only when you get to that stage where you're going to persuade the average British voter that you were lied to in the entire Brexit debate.

Trump policy on planes sparks fears flights will become more expensive Donald Trump is reportedly pushing a policy on airlines which could send prices soaring. Britain needs to sign a new deal with the US to replace the existing Us-EU Open Skies agreement. But US officials are reportedly taking a tough stance we would mean airlines had to be majority owned in the UK or US. But this would prove problematic for British Airways and Virgin as they will not meet this criteria. British officials played down talk of a problem and said they were hopeful this criteria will be dropped. But Lord Mark Malloch Brown, chairman of the anti-Brexit group Best for Britain, said: 'This news is a rude but overdue wake up call. 'The US think we now have less clout than larger regional blocs in trade negotiations. It's all about market size and Britain has opted for reduction surgery. 'Trump will always put America First and our position is at the back of the queue. We are flying blind here with Theresa May's shambolic Brexit plans. 'We have just left the grip of the Beast from the East and now have to deal with the Pest from the West.' Advertisement

'You were promised you could leave the EU and everything would stay the same. The reality is you can leave the EU, yes that's your choice, but everything will fundamentally change.'

Mr O'Leary warned there would be a 'real crisis' as flights between the UK and the EU are disrupted after Brexit.

He said: 'When you begin to realise that you're no longer going to have cheap holidays in Portugal or Spain or Italy, you've got to drive to Scotland or get a ferry to Ireland as your only holiday options, maybe we'll begin to rethink the whole Brexit debate.

'They were misled and I think we have to create an opportunity.'

Carsten Spohr, the boss of German carrier Lufthansa, backed the threat, saying: 'In theory, if we could use this industry to prove to the British how wrong the decision was, that might be a good thing.'

EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren, who was on stage alongside Mr O'Leary, interrupted him to say: 'If you start grounding your planes, I'm flying.'

Mr Bone, MP for Wellingborough, said: 'Mr O'Leary is in love with the EU.

'The idea that grinding Ryanair flights would change the attitudes of the British people about leaving the EU is pure fantasy.

'All it would do is damage the airline. I don't know any chief executives who set out to damage their companies to make some political point.

'His shareholders won't be happy about it. The only person who would look silly is him.'

The single market for aviation, created in the 1990s, means there are no commercial restrictions for airlines flying within the EU.

Mr O'Leary has repeatedly warned that airlines will be forced to cancel post-Brexit services from March 2019 if no agreement is reached in the Brexit negotiations by September, because schedules are planned about six months in advance.

But Tory MP Peter Bone slammed the 'politically motivated' threat and said it would not succeed in blackmailing Britons and just harm the air carrier's profits (file pic)

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said in January that he is confident flights will not be grounded because 'it's in the interests of everyone' to maintain the open market for aviation.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is reportedly pushing a policy on airlines which could send prices soaring.

Britain needs to sign a new deal with the US to replace the existing Us-EU Open Skies agreement.

But US officials are reportedly taking a tough stance we would mean airlines had to be majority owned in the UK or US.

But this would prove problematic for British Airways and Virgin as they will not meet this criteria.

British officials played down talk of a problem and said they were hopeful this criteria will be dropped.

But Lord Mark Malloch Brown, chairman of the anti-Brexit group Best for Britain, said: 'This news is a rude but overdue wake up call.

'The US think we now have less clout than larger regional blocs in trade negotiations. It's all about market size and Britain has opted for reduction surgery.

'Trump will always put America First and our position is at the back of the queue. We are flying blind here with Theresa May's shambolic Brexit plans.

'We have just left the grip of the Beast from the East and now have to deal with the Pest from the West.'The last words of a pilot aboard a Russian passenger plane that crashed killing all 71 people on board were: 'That's it, we're f*****.'

Audio recordings from the cockpit of Saratov Airlines Flight 703 that crashed shortly after taking off from Moscow's Domodedevo Airport on February 11 revealed the last conversation between captain Valery Gubanov and co-pilot Sergei Gambaryan.

According to a transcript published by RBC, Gubanov told his co-pilot to gain altitude instead of tilting the plane downwards as they scrambled to prevent the tragedy.

'I understood you wanted to but instead you're going down,' Gubanov says.

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The last words of captain Valery Gubanov (above) aboard a Russian passenger plane that crashed killing all 71 people on board were: 'That's it, we're f*****'

Gubanov told his co-pilot Sergei Gambaryan (pictured) to gain altitude instead of tilting the plane downwards as they scrambled to prevent the tragedy

'Why are you going down? Where? Altitude! Altitude! Altitude! Up!' he later urged his co-pilot.

The audio recording cut off as he said: 'That's it, we're f*****.'

RBC confirmed the recording was authentic with sources at the Federal Air Transportation Agency and the Interstate Aviation Committee.

Last month, investigators said the crash may have been caused by the pilots' failure to activate heating for pressure measurement equipment, resulting in flawed speed data.

Saratov Airlines Flight 703 that crashed shortly after taking off from Moscow's Domodedevo Airport on February 11. Pictured, workers at the scene of the crash

The Interstate Aviation Committee said, after studying the plane's flight data recorder, that the crash occurred after the pilots saw varying data on the plane's to air speed indicators.

The regional jet crashed minutes after it took off from Moscow en route to Orsk, a city around 1,000 miles southeast of the capital.

Officials later confirmed that all 71 people on board  65 passengers and six crew  died.

Emergency personnel work at the wreckage of an AN-148 plane crash in Stepanovskoye village, about 25 miles from the Domodedovo airport

Fragments from the twin-engine Antonov An-148 airliner were found in the Ramenskoye area, about 25 miles from the airport.

The plane had first flown in 2010, with a two-year break because of a shortage of parts.

It was ordered by Rossiya Airlines, a subsidiary of Aeroflot, but was put into storage during 2015-2017 because of a lack of parts.

Tass reported that it re-entered service for Saratov Airlines in February 2017.Two months after their bitter divorce battle finally came to an end, warring former couple Mel B and Stephen Belafonte are still at logger heads, DailyMail.com can reveal.

Court documents filed at Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by DailyMail.com show the couple is still hurling a string of angry accusations at each other.

America's Got Talent star Mel claims she recently discovered producer Belafonte had secretly 'funneled' more than $10million from their joint bank accounts into his own overseas accounts, and that he's 'using' their six year-old daughter Madison to 'harass and bully' her.

While Belafonte hit back claiming the Spice Girl trashed their $8million former marital home he's trying to sell and allowed 'squatters' to live and party there.

What's more, he claims his ex is also refusing to hand over his personal belongings, including a 'peanut puppet' that's precious to him.

More drama: Exes Mel B, 42, and Stephen Belafonte, 42, are still at logger heads as new court documents show the former Spice Girl has accused her ex-husband of embezzling money

Mel has also accused Belafonte of 'using' their six-year-old daughter Madison (center) to 'harass and bully her'. These new accusations come after she claimed Belafonte showed her daughters ISIS beheading videos

As part of their divorce - which became final on December 15 last year - the couple agreed to sell the marital home they once shared on Cordell Drive in LA, and split the proceeds.

But in new court papers, Mel, 42, says she wants to go back on her agreement to split the house money with Belafonte, also 42, after discovering first, that he had secretly siphoned off more than $10 million from their joint bank accounts and second, that she and Belafonte owe almost $2 million in back taxes.

Mel blames her earlier divorce lawyers for keeping her in the dark about her ex-husband's alleged embezzlement and in January she broke with her second attorney, Claudia Osuna and hired her third, Taline Boyamian.

In the documents filed January 31, Mel added: 'Further, I have recently discovered through my business manager, Steven Roopenian, that Stephen and I will owe taxes upwards of $1,980,000 for 2016 as well as our capital gains liability from the sale of this home. I became privy to this information today.'

Boyamian's first action as Mel B's new attorney was to file paperwork asking the court to give Mel time to 'investigate and and obtain opinions as to the fair market value' of the former marital home on Cordell, and also to ask that when the house is sold, an escrow account of at least $1,980,000 be set up from the proceeds to cover back taxes.

Boyamian also expressed 'serious concerns' regarding possible breach of fiduciary duty claims (embezzlement allegations).

The feuding exes, who finalized their bitter divorce in December had agreed to sell their marital home in LA and split the earnings. Above Stephen Belafonte is seen beaming after leaving Los Angeles Superior Court minutes after the judge granted the divorce

'Further investigation will need to be completed in order to adequately and accurately disclose the breach of fiduciary duties that have been committed by Respondent (Belafonte),' Boyamian said.

In court papers also filed January 31, Belafonte accuses Mel of dragging her feet on the sale of the Cordell house by ignoring an offer of $7.3 million from a buyer willing to pay in cash for the house 'as is,' even though it was in serious need of repair.

And he also claimed Brown trashed the house and allowed 'squatters' to live there.

On the day his divorce became final - December 15 - Belafonte returned to the house and was shocked to find, 'total and complete strangers at the residence, including a man who identified himself as Alvin Banks, Mr Banks' girlfriend, and another woman who described herself as (Mel B's) assistant.

'I observed alcohol bottles everywhere, stains in the carpet, holes in the furniture and the house reeked of cigarettes and marijuana,' Belafonte said in the papers.

He said the strangers told him Mel had said they could stay there but since he had not given his permission, he called the police who 'kicked them out.'

The next day, he made a more detailed walk-through of the house and found it 'was left in such a deplorable and horrific condition that many of the furnishings and items that were brand new and/or previously functioning, were entirely destroyed. There was damage done to the walls, floors, outside areas, bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen, theater room and dining room.

'As a result of the damage, the Cordell residence was in no condition to be shown to prospective buyers and much work had to be done in order to remedy the mess made by the third party squatters and to make the necessary repairs to the household furnishings.'

Mel also stated that she wants to go back on her agreement to split the money from the sale of their marital house (pictured) in LA with Belafonte after she learned he 'funneled' millions into a private account

Belafonte has claimed the Spice Girl trashed their $8M home, allowed squatters to live and party there, and ignored a $7.3M offer from a buyer

Belafonte said he's obtained estimates to clean up and repair the house but the work has been stalled because Mel won't agree to any of the estimates.

After reading all the declarations and statements about the marital home from both sides, LA Superior Court Judge Mark Juhas ordered Brown to 'co-operate in the sale of the residence.'

Another major bone of contention between the pair is Belafonte's claim that Mel refuses to return personal items to him - including a 'peanut puppet' , a movie prop that's a precious piece of memorabilia from a film he worked on during his marriage to Mel B.

Belafonte claimed he had only one hour to collect his possessions when Mel kicked him out of the marital home in April last year, and as a result, 'I was forced to leave all my historic belongings, all my family's and my childhood photographs, all my work - including master recordings - of movies I produced etc.'

He's been trying ever since to get Mel to return the items which he believes are now stored in the garage of the star's new rented LA home.

He came to that conclusion in February while visiting with the couple's six year-old daughter Madison, he said in court documents.

Madison told him that Mel had been giving away some of his clothes to a man and she had seen the peanut puppet in the garage.

In a court filing, Belafonte asked Judge Juhas to order Mel to allow him into her garage as soon as possible because he fears she will 'destroy' his belongings, 'unless I obtain immediate access.'

In a written declaration February 5, Mel denied having the property, saying she had already turned over 10 boxes of his personal things to him.

She said Belafonte has given a puppet to Madison as a present and accused Belafonte of 'using' their six year-old to 'continue to harass and bully me.'

She added: 'I hope that Stephen did not give the puppet to our daughter in order to use her as a way to plant items in my house in order to gain access to my personal residence.'

Mel wrote in court documents that 'This was entirely inappropriate for such young girls, who do not understand what is happening in the videos, (Pictured, men kneel to be executed by members of ISIS in a video released in February 2015)

Mel's other daughter, Phoenix, confirmed the ISIS story, writing in a declaration that he showed 'He got us all to watch men being beheaded with chainsaws by ISIS.'

Mel added in her written statement: 'It has been almost a year since I was forced to file a domestic violence restraining order against Stephen due to his physical, emotional and verbal abuse against me.

'I have provided Stephen with all of his possessions that I had in my custody and control.'

On February 6, Judge Juhas granted Belafonte's request to look in Mel's garage for his property but only when Mel - and her attorney and assistant - are present. He also warned Mel not to destroy any of Belafonte's belongings.

Another condition of the couple's divorce settlement was that Mel should continue to pay the health insurance premiums for Belafonte - who suffers from the autoimmune disease lupus.

So he was 'shocked and distressed' when he arrived for a doctor's appointment on January 23 and was told his coverage had been cancelled.

Judge Juhas also ordered Mel to reinstate the health coverage.

Mel and her ex will be back before Judge Juhas on March 14 to resolve the marital house issues and other financial matters, plus Belafonte's application for step-father visits with 10-year-old Angel, Mel's daughter by Hollywood star Eddie Murphy.

It emerged Monday that Mel wants Belafonte to stay away from Angel, amid claims he scared her by showing his step-daughter gruesome ISIS execution videos.

According to the latest documents filed by Mel, she wants to block Belafonte from having visitation with Angel saying he once showed all their children videos of 'ISIS beheading individuals,' and that Angel said she was scared and frightened that she was exposed to the images.

Mel's other daughter, Phoenix, confirmed the ISIS story, writing in a declaration that he showed 'He got us all to watch men being beheaded with chainsaws by ISIS.'

In the documents, Mel wrote: 'When I was not present, Stephen thought it was funny or educational (I still do not know) to play videos of ISIS beheading individuals for Phoenix, Angel, and even Madison.

'This was entirely inappropriate for such young girls, who do not understand what is happening in the videos. Angel has repeatedly told me about these videos and that she was scared and frightened that Stephen would expose her to such gruesome images.'

Mel filed for divorce from Belafont in March last year, citing irreconcilable differences, and she took out a domestic violence restraining order against Belafonte, accusing him of years of abuse against her and of keeping her drugged during much of their marriage.

Over the following eight months lurid and intimate details were revealed about the couple's sex life during their marriage, including threesomes with their German-born nanny Lorraine Gilles.

Belafonte who accused his estranged wife of being addicted to cocaine and alcohol during their marriage repeatedly denied Mel's charges against them and fought the restraining orders through 20-plus court hearings till, at last, the case was set to go to trial on November 9, 2017.

But at the 11th hour the former couple reached a private settlement and Judge Juhas dissolved the domestic violence restraining order.

The divorce became final on December 15 with Brown agreeing to pay Belafonte $15,000 a month in spousal support until December 2020.The Kansas Department of Children and Families is accused of altering abuse documents in the case of Evan Brewer, a three-year-old boy from Wichita found dead in a concrete slab at his mother's house.

In documents released to KSN, the agency admits that it did not properly investigate allegations that the toddler was choked unconscious by his mother's boyfriend Stephen Bodine.

On May 14, 2017 the Wichita office received a complaint that Bodine 'chokes (redacted) out then does CPR to bring him back'.

Evan Brewster was found dead in September encased in concrete at his mother's Wichita, Kansas home

The child had been abused in the months leading up to his death, reports from the Kansas Department of Children and Families states

Miranda Miller (left), Brewer's mother, and her boyfriend Stephen Bodine were arrested and charged in his murder

The agency never forwarded the claims to an assigned social worker, however, an internal review found that the record had been 'modified so that it now inaccurately indicates that the reported information  was communicated to the assigned social worker and the social worker's supervisor contemporaneously (at the same) with the reporting'.

Brewer was the grandson of former Wichita mayor Carl Brewer

The outlet claims the original abuse report did not include the allegation of Brewer being choked. That information was added to the report on September 5, three days after Brewer was found dead.

The inaccuracy was reported to DCF personnel for further investigation, KSN reports, and possible disciplinary action.

'The purpose of this (note) is to accurately reflect what transpired and to correct any misperception that either the regional (social worker) or the (social worker) supervisor or PA had knowledge of the additional allegations prior to September 5, 2017,' the document stated.

The agency received eight reports that Brewer was being abused months before his horrific death. The child's father, Carlo Brewer, even contacted DCF several times about his son's welfare.

His body was found at his mother's home in Wichita on September 2, 2017

Months before his death DCF received a complaint that the child would be choked out and then revived with CPR by his mother's boyfriend

Despite the complaints, Brewer, the grandson of former Wichita mayor Carl Brewer, was never removed from the home of his mother Miranda Miller.

Following his death, both Miller and Bodine were arrested and charged with murder.

Kansas state senator Barbara Bollier, a Republican from Mission Hills, said she was horrified but not surprised that someone from the agency had altered the abuse records.

Bollier, who sits on the state's Child Welfare Task Force, said she had previously heard about the possible alteration but had no proof.

'It's horrific. But unfortunately, the administration we've had, it doesn't surprise me,' she said. 'I think you dig anywhere, you're going to find things. It will probably take years to unravel what's been done.'

The family was also made aware of the altered report, according to the Wichita Eagle.

On Friday, DFC secretary Gina Meier-Hummel met with the family to tell them that 'there was dishonesty' in a form that had been changed.

The family, on behalf of their lawyer Shayla Johnson, said they believe if the information would have been shared it could have saved Brewer's life.

Stephen Bodine was reported to DCF several times for allegedly abusing Brewer

The family of Evan Brewer tried unsuccessfully to have the child removed from the care of his mother

'Somebody was covering up the fact that they knew Evan was about to die and did not follow through with a request for a warrant or procedures with police or missing exploited children unit,' Johnston told KSN.

DCF told the outlet that it could not comment further on the incident because of the familys stated desire to move to litigation.

We sincerely appreciate the family meeting with us, and as the Secretary vowed when she was appointed in December 2017, and during the conversation with this family, we will make needed changes,' the department offered.Asia Beach, 27, was charged with second degree child abuse for leaving her disabled daughter in the truck on February 25

A 27-year-old Michigan mother has been arrested for child abuse for allegedly leaving her young disabled daughter in the bed of a stranger's truck then leaving her there to be driven off.

Asia Beach was arrested after leaving her eight-year-old daughter in the back of the truck on February 25 in Muskegon, Michigan.

Police say she placed the girl there then wandered off to knock on houses six blocks away.

It was 37 degrees but the girl was dressed in short sleeved pyjamas and was barefoot.

After her mother walked away, a couple got into the car and drove it away with the girl in the back.

They stopped when they heard her crying after driving about a block then returned to where they had been parked and called police.

After being arrested, Beach told police she was drunk and high on marijuana at the time.

The eight-year-old girl has cerebral palsy. Her mother put her in the back of the truck while she was wearing just short sleeved pajamas and was bare foot. When strangers got in the truck and drove away, they heard her crying and stopped

Beach told police she was drunk and high at the time of the February 25 incident. The child is no longer in her care

Police say the child could have been seriously injured or killed from hypothermia. She has since been removed from her mother's care.

Beach now faces 15 years behind bars if convicted

'We're happy to report the child is in safe hands.

'This is the type of neighborhoods that we want to see, certainly in Muskegon County and also throughout our state, where people are keeping their eyes and ears open.

'Theyre not worried to feel like theyre butting into somebodys business.

'When something didnt look right, the appropriate steps were taken,' Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson told Fox 17.

It is not clear what she had planned when she took the girl out or what time in the day it was.Advertisement

Video captured the painfully ironic moment that children from the House of Horrors were encouraged to sing Don't be Cruel with a Las Vegas Elvis impersonator during their parents wedding vows renewal.

Louise and David Turpin, who are accused of starving, torturing and chaining up their 13 children, renewed their vows on at least three different occasions at the Elvis Chapel in downtown Las Vegas.

The kids were not invited to the first, in 2011, but when the couple returned in 2013, they brought their children; the girls all wearing identical pink plaid, knee length dresses, with white pantyhose and white shoes. Even their hair was uniformly kept long, straight and down. Their sons wore black suits with red ties.

This is the moment that children from the House of Horrors were seen singing Don't be Cruel with a Las Vegas Elvis impersonator during their parents wedding vows renewal

The girls all wore identical pink plaid, knee length dresses, with white pantyhose and white shoes. Even their hair was uniformly kept long, straight and down

The video then cut to three of the older daughters who were on the stage with Louise Turpin, and Ripley. This time, the girls looked less happy. One of the daughters in particular, who appeared to be the couple's eldest (far right) looked painfully thin

Ripley instructed one of the sisters: 'Say I can't walk out.' Louise immediately leaned in and stared at her daughter, who looked down as she dutifully repeated 'I can't walk out.'

Footage of the 2013 ceremony captured the moment that three of the couple's young daughters were invited up on stage with the Elvis performer, Kent Ripley.

As he sang, he offered them the microphone and encouraged him to repeat the lyrics back to him as he sung the hit Don't be Cruel.

'Don't be cruel,' one of the young girls echoed back to him, as he sang the next line, 'To a heart that's true.'

'Don't be cruel,' her sister added when the mic was passed her way.

The girls, who are all thin, appeared to be nervous but smiling as 'Elvis' danced to the song. Investigators believe the girls, and their siblings, who were all home schooled, were rarely allowed out of the house and often chained to their beds or locked away in their rooms.

The girls were encouraged to dance along, and after Louise peered at her daughter until she started clicking her fingers in time, looking uncomfortable, her mother, now satisfied her daughter is joining in, grinned at the Elvis impersonator

Another clip showed the kids standing to the side while Louise and David exchanged vows

Later footage showed the entire family up on stage, singing along to Viva Las Vegas and then Louise and David slow dancing to Can't Help Falling in Love

Their parents' vow renewals may have been a rare chance for them to escape the squalid, miserable conditions at the family's Perris, California home.

The video then cut to three of the older daughters who were on the stage with Louise Turpin, and Ripley.

This time, the girls looked less happy. One of the daughters in particular, who appeared to be the couple's eldest, looked painfully thin.

Ripley instructed one of the sisters: 'Say I can't walk out.'

Louise immediately leaned in and stared at her daughter, who looked down as she dutifully repeated 'I can't walk out.'

The lyric is a line from Suspicious Minds, which follows, 'Caught in a trap.'

The children were clean and appeared to be in good health in 2015 when they joined their parents in Las Vegas for a vow renewal ceremony

Footage of their 2015 ceremony showed the entire family up on stage. To anyone watching, they were a couple deep in love, with a happy gaggle of children around them. No one could have imagined the horrors behind closed doors

Footage of their 2015 ceremony showed the entire family up on stage. To anyone watching, they were a couple deep in love, with a happy gaggle of children around them. No one could have imagined the horrors behind closed doors

Elvis impersonator Kent Ripley (right) said that during the three times he performed vow renewals for the family, he never noticed any signs of abuse The couple are pictured in 2011 renewing their wedding vows

The irony in the lyrics that the girls were encouraged to sing, before returning to the home where they were held hostage, surely must not have been lost on them.

The girls were encouraged to dance along, and once again Louise peered at her daughter until she started clicking her fingers in time, looking uncomfortable, while her mother, now satisfied her daughter was joining in, grinned at the Elvis impersonator.

While the older girls looked uncomfortable during the performance, it's likely it was mistaken for shyness or teenage awkwardness by staff at the chapel.

Another clip showed the girls walking in with their mother, who was dressed in a white wedding dress, and then holding flowers as Louise and David exchanged vows.

Later footage showed the entire family up on stage, singing along to Viva Las Vegas and then Louise and David slow dancing to Can't Help Falling in Love.

To anyone watching, they were a couple deep in love, with a happy gaggle of children around them.

Little would anyone realize the horror that was going on behind closed doors.

Photos taken of the family's old house, in Texas, showed rope tied to a bed's metal railing. The Turpins are thought to have tied children to beds with rope initially, before eventually upgrading to chains with padlocks, according to prosecutors

Kitchen counters and floors covered with trash and a garbage-filled room that had desks lined up, like in a classroom after the family moved out of the property in 2010

The family later moved into this property in Perris, California, where police rescued the 13 children from. Pictured is the trash laden backyard

Ripley said that during the three times he performed vow renewals for the family, he never noticed any signs of abuse.

'I definitely didn't want people to think that I saw something and didn't say something,' he told People, adding that while the family were unusually large, they seemed fairly normal.

'They didn't stand out as a couple as being weird or odd,' he added. 'In our profession, we see people, we talk to people all the time from all over the world. Why would these two people look any different or act any different?'

He said that he felt 'sick to his stomach' when he read about the allegations against the parents.

'Watching them now it's kind of haunting and disturbing,' Ripley told The Associated Press. 'They all looked young and thin but I figured it was just their lifestyle. Maybe the activities they did, maybe because of their religious beliefs. I didn't get that in depth with them but I knew they were a fun family.'

The Turpins returned to the Elvis Chapel again in 2015 for the 30th wedding anniversary.

Once again, their daughters were in the exact same pink, check dressed, with pink ribbon round their waists, and the boys were in their suits and red ties.

Meanwhile, Louise had a different wedding dress on than her 2013 ceremony, this time a white satin dress, while her husband on his tux and black bowtie.

David Turpin is accused of the same plus one count of lewd conduct with a minor. He is pictured in court in January 18

Louise Turpin faces 37 counts including torture, abuse, and neglect. She is pictured in court on January 18

Once again,Ripley sang and chatted with the kids who he said seemed very close.

'The children were very soft spoken and well-mannered,' he said. 'They seemed to be very close as siblings I don't remember them slapping each other or fighting. They were enjoying their time together.'

The picture of a happy family was once the Turpins portrayed on their social media pages, posting photos of the children dancing at the chapel, and visiting Disneyland.

But behind closed doors it was a different story.

Investigators say the couple starved, choked and beat their children, who are aged between two and 29, and keeping many of them chained to their beds and keeping them locked in their rooms. They also reportedly only let them shower once a year.

They were arrested in January after their 17-year-old daughter finally escaped and called the authorities.

Both Louise and David pleaded not guilty to more than 40 charges, including torture, false imprisonment, child abuse, and abuse of a dependent adult. David Turpin also denied one count of lewd conduct with a minor. They could both face up to life in jail.

Officials say all 13 of the children, some of whom are over 18, were taken to hospital after their rescue for severe malnourishemnt. They are pictured before the worst of the abuse is believed to have begun

'Things 1 to 13': The family are seen in Dr Seuss-style shirts, and all in blue jeans, in a family photo taken in April 2016

The brave 17-year-old girl who escaped from the House of Horrors to raise the alarm that she and her 12 siblings were being abused, shared videos of herself singing on YouTube (pictured)

They remain in jail while they wait for the next court date on March 23 for a status proceedings hearing.

Police were shocked when they came to rescue the children who were all severely malnourished. The eldest child weighed just 82 pounds and others looked much younger than their real ages.

All 13 were taken to hospital for treatment after their release. They have been taken into care and several individuals have come forward to offer to adopt all the siblings.

District Attorney Michael Hestrin revealed some of the harrowing details of how the children were tortured.

He told how they kept the children 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, Hestrin alleged in the press conference in January.

The only activity the children - who said they were chained up for months at a time - were allowed was to write journals. Hundreds were recovered from the home and they are likely to be used as evidence against the parents.

Mrs Turpin's sister Elizabeth Flores (right) and cousin Tricia Andreassen (left) said Louise still hadn't shown any signs of remorse and described her being in 'la la land' during her court appearance

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.

One of the children, a boy, was allowed out of the home to attend college classes but Louise accompanied him.

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. One child recalled being 'hogtied'.

When they managed to escape, they moved on to using chains and padlocked.

Prosecutors did not elaborate on the physical condition of each child other than to say that they were severely malnourished and some have suffered mental impairment. Officers previously said that the children were all covered in feces and urine.

It was also claimed that the couple had three children tied up when police first knocked on the door.

As they waited to be allowed in, Louise and David untied two of the children from furniture.

When they entered the home, the only child who remained shackled was a 22-year-old, according to the responding deputies.

Among the most shocking claims of abuse are:

The children were made to stay awake all night and sleep all day, often going to bed at between 4am and 5am

Their only permitted activity was to keep journals - hundreds of which were recovered and will likely be used as evidence

David Turpin is accused of a lewd act against one child - one of his daughters, under the age of 14

The children had been planning to escape for two years before they were rescued

The 17-year-old daughter who raised the alarm left the house with another sibling but that child became frightened and turned back

The parents began using chains and padlocks to tie the children to their beds after one escaped with rope. They would sometimes be chained up for months

One of the older boys was allowed out of the home to attend college classes but his mother accompanied him there, waited for him until it finished then accompanied him home

The couple's youngest child, a two-year-old, was the only one they did not starve

The 29-year-old woman who was rescued weighed just 82 lbs

The children were tied up or beaten if they washed their hands 'above the wrist' because the parents said it amounted to them 'playing in the water'

The Turpins kept toys that were still in their boxes at the house but never gave any to the children

Family of a couple have since spoken out saying they have been living a 'nightmare' and they want to 'vomit' after learning of the abuse.

Turpin's sister Elizabeth Flores and her cousin Tricia Andreassen said Louise still hadn't shown any signs of remorse and described her being in 'la la land' during her court appearance when they spoke from their home in North Carolina.White House Senior Counselor Kellyanne Conway broke federal law twice last year when she promoted then-U.S. Senate hopeful Roy Moore's Alabama special election campaign, according to the Office of Special Counsel.

But the Trump administration is defending her loudly and it's unlikely she'll face any real-world consequences.

Robert Mueller's team sent a report to the White House on Tuesday, saying Conway violated the Hatch Act, a 1939 law that prohibits most federal government officials from weighing in on political races when they speak in their capacity as government officials.

The president and vice president are exempt from the law, but their employees are not. Donald Trump repeatedly urged Alabamians to vote for Moore over his Democratic opponent Doug Jones  who ultimately beat him.

Conway, the Special Counsel's Office claimed, 'advocated against one Senate candidate and gave an implied endorsement of another candidate' during a Fox News Channel interview.

Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the President was accused Tuesday of violating the Hatch Act by weighing in on last year's special U.S. Senate election during two TV interviews

Conway seemed to support Republican Roy Moore and denigrate his Democratic opponent Doug Jones  who ended up winning  on both Fox News and CNN

'In the second interview' on CNN, 'she advocated for the defeat of one Senate candidate and the election of another candidate,' the special counsel continued in a press release.

'Both instances constituted prohibited political activity under the Hatch Act and occurred after Conway received significant training on Hatch Act prohibitions.'

The TV interviews that piqued the special counsel's interest came on 'Fox & Friends' on November 20, 2017 and on CNN's 'New Day' program on December 6, 2017.

In both cases, the report sent to the White House states, Conway tried to affect the outcome of the December 12 election  once by urging viewers to support Moore and once by opposing Jones' candidacy.

Conway 'impermissibly mixed official government business with political views about candidates in the Alabama special election,' the independent investigative agency said in its report, adding that it submitted it to President Trump for 'appropriate disciplinary action.'

In the Fox News interview, Conway mocked Jones openly: 'Doug Jones in Alabama? Folks, don't be fooled. He'll be a vote against tax cuts, he's weak on crime, weak on borders, he's strong on raising your taxes, he's terrible for property owners, and Doug Jones is a doctrinaire liberal  which is why he's not saying anything and why the media are trying to boost him.'

'Doug Jones in Alabama? Folks, don't be fooled,' Conway said last year on Fox News; 'He'll be a vote against tax cuts, he's weak on crime, weak on borders, he's strong on raising your taxes'

One host asked her directly: 'So vote Roy Moore?'

Conway dodged the more direct question about an endorsement, saying only that 'we want the votes in the Senate to get this tax bill through.'

On CNN, Conway said the president was backing Moore because he 'doesn't want a liberal Democrat representing Alabama in the United States Senate.'

Responding to questions about Moore's sexual misconduct abusers, including a woman who claimed he had assaulted her when she was a teenager, Conway protested that 'nobody came forward before. The guy's been on the ballot many times.'

The White House pushed back immediately against Tuesday's report.

'Kellyanne Conway did not advocate for or against the election of any particular candidate,' Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said in a statement.

'She simply expressed the President's obvious position that he have people in the House and Senate who support his agenda. In fact, Kellyanne's statements actually show her intention and desire to comply with the Hatch Act  as she twice declined to respond to the host's specific invitation to encourage Alabam[i]ans to vote for the Republican.'

One House Democrat was quick to pounce on Tuesday.

Scene of the crime? Conway went on 'Fox & Friends' last November 20 and trashed Jones before a massive audience

Second shot: on CNN last December 6, Conway said Moore would make a better senator

Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement that the new report was 'not the first time that an independent government agency has recommended that the White House discipline Kellyanne Conway for breaking the law.'

'Ms. Conway has received multiple trainings and warnings, yet she still refuses to follow basic ethics rules. The President must take swift and serious disciplinary action against Ms. Conway,' Cummings said.

The lawmaker was referring to a February 2017 Fox News broadcast in which Conway urged viewers to buy items from Ivanka Trump's clothing and accessory lines.

That came after a number of retailers cut their ties with the first daughter.

The ethically fraught incident more than a year ago bought Conway a brief meeting with White House ethics lawyers but no practical consequences.A Southern California couple who pleaded not guilty to child abuse after authorities found them housing their three children in a makeshift plywood shack in the desert were freed from jail on Tuesday.

Daniel Panico, 73, and Mona Kirk, 51, were released after their attorneys argued they aren't a flight risk and couldn't afford their $300,000 bail.

Kirk's attorney, Elizabeth Crabtree, said she and Panico's attorney will argue next week that the couple deserves to be reunited with their children, ages 11, 13 and 14. Eventually they will argue for the charges to be dropped.

Scroll down for video

Daniel Panico, 73, and Mona Kirk, 51, pictured in Joshua Tree Court on Friday, were freed from jail on Tuesday following their arrest for on suspicion of child cruelty

This photo provided by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office shows a ramshackle structure where authorities say Kirk and Panico, their three children and dozens of cats were living in filthy conditions in Southern California's Mojave Desert

This aerial photo from video provided by KABC-TV shows the family's filthy desert shack

Deputies went to a property in the 7000 block of Sunfair Road in Joshua Tree for an area check and found an apparently abandoned travel trailer and a large rectangular plywood box

'I don't think there's anything at this point that substantiates abuse,' Crabtree said, adding that the couple should never have been arrested.

At the time of the couple's arrest last week, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said their children had been living in the shack without running water, bathrooms or electricity for four years near Joshua Tree, about 125 miles east of Los Angeles.

The makeshift shelter, measuring about 4 feet high and 10 feet wide, was cobbled together with plywood and plastic sheeting, and chairs were used to hold up a tarp ceiling, Several holes on the property were filled with feces, the sheriff's office said.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Cindy Bachman said last week that the children didn't appear to have any obvious injuries and showed no outward signs of malnutrition but 'it was apparent they had not bathed in days.'

Not criminals: Attorneys for Kirk (left) and Panico (right) plan to in court that the low-income couple deserve to be reunited with their children, ages 11, 13 and 14

The family had been living without running water, bathrooms or electricity for four years

Piles of trash and debris, mixed in with old furniture, are seen on the family's property in the California desert

Children's toys are pictured scattered on the property, not far from the plywood box the kids called home for years

A friend said the couple are poor but they are not criminals and did nothing to harm their kids

The children were not enrolled in public school and there was no evidence they were being educated, Bachman said.

Dozens of people rallied in support of the couple outside their court hearing on Tuesday, holding signs that read 'Being homeless is not a crime.'

In a jailhouse interview with The Los Angeles Times, Panico said his family has been torn apart and that he and his wife did nothing wrong.

Mona Kirk is pictured in an undated photo that was shared on a GoFundMe page started by her friend to help raise money for the family

'We are just minding our own business, trying to raise our three kids on little money,' he said.

Crabtree said that rather than arrest the couple, deputies should have called Children and Family Services and allowed the matter to proceed through dependency court, rather than criminal court.

'Miss Kirk misses her children very much,' Crabtree said. 'But she's keeping her head up knowing she's going to see them again.'

A GoFundMe account started by a friend of the couple's has raised more than $20,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.

Panico and Kirk had planned to build a home on five acres of land they owned, but 'as time went by, they had used all the money they had for living expenses,' wrote Jackie Klear, the family friend who started the fundraiser.

'Any money they got from side jobs and such was spent on their kids. Food and the basic necessities,' she wrote. 'The kids were fed, healthy and were part of just about any activity or group that was available to the community.'

Klear, who is the leader of the Phoenix Scouts scouting group in Joshua Tree, told the LA Times that Kirk, who had operated a Mommy and Me class for babies and toddlers, home-schooled her three children, and she described the kids as extremely well-read and educated.

She went on to say that Panico was a genius and that his eldest son was the smartest child she has ever encountered.Boys account for nearly a third of online child sex abuse images and often suffer the worst horrors, a new study revealed Tuesday, suggesting a greater problem than first thought.

Interpol and Ecpat, a Bangkok-based international organisation fighting child sexual abuse, produced the findings after reviewing more than one million online images and videos.

'There is sort of a higher number than we would have maybe thought of males portrayed on the images,' ECPAT's Marie-Laure Lemineur told a press conference in Brussels.

Boys account for nearly a third of online child sex abuse images and often suffer the worst horrors, a new study revealed Tuesday

The report said 64.8 percent of the unidentified victims were girls and 31.1 percent were boys while both sexes were depicted together in 4.1 percent of images and videos.

'When boys were depicted in the abuse, it was more likely to be severe,' the report said.

The report added that the younger the child, whether a boy or a girl, the 'abuse was more likely to be severe.'

The findings are important and require further study because it is often assumed that girls and older children are far more likely to be abused than boys and young children, ECPAT and Interpol officials said.

Some of the victims were infants and toddlers.

Interpol and Ecpat, a Bangkok-based international organisation fighting child sexual abuse, produced the findings after reviewing more than one million images and videos. Stock picture

The study rated levels of victimisation from cases of nudity, erotic posing, explicit sexual activity, assault, gross assault as well as sadism and bestiality.

Bjorn Sellstrom, Interpol's coordinator for crimes against children, urged the public to be careful about the terms used to describe the abuses.

'This is not child pornography. This is evidence of crimes,' the Swedish police officer told the press conference.

The images were contained in the International Child Sexual Exploitation database that Interpol set up nearly a decade ago, leading to the identification of 12,000 victims.

But Sellstrom said many more could be identified as less than half of the world's countries are connected to the data base, with none in Africa and only a few in Asia.

The system's sophisticated software compares photos and videos, allowing investigators to also identify abusers and locations across the participating member states.

Nearly 47 percent of the files in the database portray child victims that have been identified by the authorities while the remainder depict unidentified children.

Interpol and Ecpat called for a coordinated global response involving civil society, media, academia and various layers of government.

'This is not a law enforcement problem. This is a societal problem,' Sellstrom said.A three-year-old boy has been savagely mauled by a large dog while riding his bike in the third attack on a child in less than a week.

The boy was riding his bicycle in the Newcastle suburb of Mayfield at around 6.30pm on Tuesday when the animal ran towards him from a nearby property and attacked.

The dog, believed to be a Great Dane, retreated back to its owners' home as paramedics rushed to the scene.

The child suffered serious injuries to his face, neck and back. He remains in John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.

Local council and police inquiries into the incident are continuing.

The boy was riding his bicycle in the Newcastle suburb of Mayfield when he was mauled by a dog. It comes after 12-month-old girl Kamillah Jones (pictured) was killed by a Rottweiler

A three-year-old boy has been savagely mauled by a large dog while riding his bike in the third attack on a child in less than a week (stock image)

The child suffered serious injuries to his face, neck and back. He remains in John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition

The attack comes after 12-month-old girl Kamillah Jones was mauled to death by an Rottweiler in Inverell, northern New South Wales on Saturday.

The dog savaged the infant at her new home as her family were celebrating moving in with a barbecue, a source said.

On Sunday, a three-year-old girl was left with shocking injuries after a South African Boerboel attacked her in the Melbourne suburb of Berwick.

She was rushed to hospital and is lucky to be alive, according to neighbours who helped saved her.

Kamillah Jones was mauled to death by an Rottweiler in Inverell, northern New South Wales on Saturday

A baby died while being taken to hospital after being mauled by a Rottweiler on Saturday (stock image)A gang behind one of the UK's biggest online frauds, which conned people out of 37 million by tricking them into using copycat websites, has been jailed.

It set up sites which mimicked official government services to sell passports, driving licences and visas at inflated prices, having paid Google to put its sites close to the top of certain searches.

Hundreds of thousands of people were fooled into thinking the sites were the official pages, as they used the same colour schemes and logos.

The scheme was run by convicted fraudster Peter Hall, 47, who carried on offending even when he was under investigation and flouted a court order which told him to stop.

The scheme was run by convicted fraudster Peter Hall, 47 (left). His partner, Claire Hall, 42 (right), made so much money she was preparing to buy a 1.4million house with cash when the authorities intervened

He and his partner Claire Hall, 42, of Medstead, Alton, Hampshire, made so much money she was preparing to buy a 1.4 million house with cash when the authorities intervened.

Peter Hall was convicted at Teesside Crown Court of conspiracy to defraud following a trial in July and a second, separate hearing which finished on Tuesday. He will serve a total of 15 years in jail, Trading Standards said.

Sentencing, Judge Sean Morris said: 'There is a lot of money to be made by dishonest people out of the honest people who don't have time to check that a site is an official government service.

'Those who deceive in this way should expect to go to prison for a long time.'

Claire Hall wept last July when she was jailed for four years following a trial.

Hundreds of thousands of people were fooled into thinking the sites were the official pages, as they used the same colour schemes and logos

At the time, Judge Morris said she had put her concern for her partner above their children.

Even after the police began investigating, she continued her involvement.

The judge said: 'You carried on, knowing full well what was going on, and enjoying the lifestyle, driving around in fast cars, having expensive holidays costing tens of thousands of pounds and a house costing over 1 million.'

Sentencing, Judge Sean Morris said: 'There is a lot of money to be made by dishonest people out of the honest people who don't have time to check that a site is an official government service. Pictured: Teesside Crown Court

Also convicted in July with the Halls were:

Web designer Syed Bilal Zaidi, 35, formerly of Broad Street, Alresford, Hampshire, who was jailed for six years in his absence and whose whereabouts are currently unknown.

Collette Ferrow, 50, of Longmead, Liss, Hampshire, who was jailed for four years.

Book-keeper Liam Hincks, 28, from St Albans Heights, Tanyfron, Wrexham, who pleaded guilty before the trial and was jailed for three years.

Following the second trial, Kerry Mills, 49, of Hillsborough Park, Camberley, Surrey, was jailed for five years.

Hincks will be sentenced for the second set of offences later.

The defendants in the first trial set up copycat websites through the company Tadservices Limited between January 2011 and November 2014 and misled people into paying too much for services including new or replacement passports, visas, birth and death certificates, driving licences, driving tests, car tax discs and the London Congestion Charge.

They also set up websites that mimicked the American, Turkish, Cambodian, Vietnamese and Sri Lankan official visa sites where travellers could apply and pay for electronic visas to visit those countries.

In all cases, the sites offered little or no additional value to consumers using them.

They were caught after a major investigation by the National Trading Standards eCrime team.

Speaking after the second trial, Lord Toby Harris, chairman of National Trading Standards, said: 'These convictions represent an important milestone in the fight against online fraud.'

Mike Andrews, from the National Trading Standards eCrime Team, said people should look for gov.uk domain names when looking for official services.A pickup truck loaded with the dismembered and mutilated bodies of six men was discovered abandoned on a street in Mexico early Tuesday morning.

The grisly discovery was made at around 7.40am in the Morelos section of Guadalajara after police received a report about an unconscious person in a pick-up truck.

Paramedics from Mexicos Green Cross arrived at the scene in the area of Perdiz and Ruisenor streets and found a red Dogde RAM filled with butchered human corpses.

Gruesome find: State prosecutors inspect a pick-up truck found abandoned in Guadalajara, Mexico, with the bodies of six men, some of them decapitated

Gang wards: The victims fond butchered in the bed of this Dodge RAM are thought to have been killed by alleged traffickers of a rival cartel

A policeman armed with an automatic rifle walks by the pick-up truck laen with men's corpses in Guadalajara, Mexico

The bodies, some of which were headless and others had their limbs chopped off, had been stacked in the bed of the pickup truck, reported Canal44.

A paramedic estimated that based on the condition of the remains, the victims were likely mutilated 24 hours prior to their discovery.

Autopsies will be conducted to determine the causes and manners of death for all the victims.

Police also reportedly recovered a threatening note that was left along with the bodies in the vehicle. Authorities have not released the contents of the message, only saying it was signed, 'El 20.'

Written threat: Police also reportedly recovered a threatening note featuring a reference to the ruthless Sinaloa drug cartel

A paramedic estimated that based on the conditions of the remains, the victims were likely mutilated 24 hours prior to their discovery

Forensic technicians, one of them taking pictures, work at Tuesday's crime scene

While it has not been confirmed by local officials, 'El 20' is the nickname of Jesus Pena, who is said to be a high-ranking member of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel.

Previous reports said that Pena had escaped from a Mexican prison a year ago, along with four fellow members of the enforcer arm of the drug cartel known as Los Anthrax.

Mexico has suffered a wave of violence linked to drug trafficking that has intensified in recent years. Authorities registered 25,339 murders in 2017, the most violent year since official record-keeping began in 1997.A Seattle man is celebrating after a judge ruled that the truck he was living in is his home and as a result cannot be impounded or levied with parking tickets and hefty fines.

Steven Long had been living in his truck on the city streets for four years but after it was parked on the same road for five months it was removed by city authorities.

After being unable to pay the fines he was racking up, the city impounded it forcing him to live rough on the streets and out in the open air.

Steven Long had been living on the streets for four years but his truck was taken away

His truck had been in the same place for so long it collected hundreds of dollars in fines

But now that ruling has been overturned after he went to court to argue that state law specifies how a home cannot be sold to pay one's debts.

Steven's truck, the judge determined, is his home, and couldn't be held for the $900 impound fees he owes.

The ruling is based on the 123-year-old Homestead Act that says the government can't force anyone to sell their home to satisfy debts.

The ruling could now affect hundreds of other homeless people living in their vehicles which simply allows for a vehicle to be treated like a home.

The city eventually decided to impound his truck until he paid up

A lawsuit against the city stated that if a truck is somebody's home, it cannot be impounded

Living outside eventually began to take a toll on Steven and his health deteriorated.

'I had eight colds that year and pneumonia, to boot,' he said to KIRO7. 'And I normally have only one or two colds a year.'

He said that he hoped the judge's ruling will help countless others. There are at least 2,200 people living in vehicles in Seattle's streets. 'I hope they would never have to see or do what I had to live through,' he said.

The city can still ticket anyone who parks a vehicle for more than 72 hours in one place without moving it, but if it is someone's home, they are not allowed to impound it.

After months living outdoors, Steven is finally back in his truck which can no longer be removed whether he pays the fines or not

There are more than 2,000 people in Seattle alone that live in their trucks as their home

The truck can no longer be removed by the city whether he pays the fines or not

Steven hopes his winning lawsuit will help other homeless people in similar situations

The City of Seattle can still appeal the ruling.

They had argued that impounding Steven's vehicle did not constitute a 'forced sale.'

Nonetheless, Steven's legal team are celebrating their victory: 'It's one of the first big victories in the area of vehicle residency in particular,' says Columbia Legal Services lawyer Ann LoGerfo.

'So the impound system where there's an impound and you can't get your vehicle  and here a house  out until you pay pretty hefty fines violates the homestead act,' LoGerfo said.

LoGerfo says that the ruling means vehicles in which people are using as their main residence will be now be treated like a home.Senior White House advisor Jared Kushner isn't a security threat since he no longer has access to the nation's most closely guarded secrets, the Director of National Intelligence told Congress Tuesday.

DNI Dan Coats appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee for a hearing on 'Worldwide Threats,' where he got asked about Kushner's clearance.

Kushner had his clearance downgraded last month after it was revealed he had access to 'top secret/sensitive compartmented information" for more than a year while failing to receive his long-term security clearance. Kushner, the president's son-in-law, had it downgraded under a new policy instituted by White House chief of staff John Kelly.

'I dont believe its a threat to our national security because he now has, under Gen. Kellys direction, had a temporary access to some types of information, but not to highly classified information," Coats testified.

Dan Coats appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee for a hearing on 'Worldwide Threats,' where he got asked about White House senior advisor Jared Kushner's clearance

"He has a temporary security clearance as do several others" Coats said, referring to the White House staff.

'Kelly has taken the position that we need to shorten that list. It's in process right now. I don't think this is a threat to our national security,' he said.

Kushner had his top level security clearance downgraded under a new policy announced after the Rob Porter scandal broke

Kelly put out a new policy after it was revealed dozens of White House staffers worked for prolonged periods despite not getting their security clearances through

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, left, and Defense Intelligence Agency Dir. Lt. Gen. Robert Ashely Jr., right, take their seats to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 6, 2018

He was questioned by Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who questioned Coats, who has clashed with Trump over Russia  and been on the receiving end of slams by Trump on Twitter.

Blumenthal said the security clearance process was "defective" and said he wrote FBI Director Christopher Wray and White House counsel Don McGahn about it.

The issue came to a head after DailyMail.com revealed that former White House staff secretary had been accused by two ex-wives of abuse.

That begat revelations that he had been working throughout his tenure on a series of temporary clearances, after the FBI spoke to his exes about the accusations.

President Trump then said he would leave it up to Kelly how to handle security clearances.Chelsea Clinton hinted on Monday that her friendship with Ivanka Trump is over.

I have not spoken to her in a long time, Clinton told Stephen Colbert on his late-night CBS show when she was asked if she was still friends with President Donald Trumps oldest daughter.

Clinton was also asked on Monday if she believes Ivanka Trump should be subject to criticism over her fathers policies.

I think anyone who works for the president should expect to be scrutinized for whatever decisions not only he or she is making, but whatever decisions the White House is making on any given day, Clinton said.

'It's clear that she has supported policies and decisions that I don't agree with. I've been very vocal about my opposition to President Trump.'

Chelsea Clinton hinted on Monday that her friendship with Ivanka Trump is over. I have not spoken to her in a long time, Clinton told Stephen Colbert on his late-night CBS show

Clinton was also asked by Colbert on Monday if she believes Ivanka Trump should be subject to criticism over her fathers policies

Ivanka Trump and Chelsea Clinton attend the 2014 Glamour Women Of The Year Awards at Carnegie Hall in New York City on November 10, 2014. Despite their parents' bruising campaign in 2016, the two women said they remained friends

'Could you call [Ivanka Trump] up and say, "Hey, maybe no war with North Korea?"' Colbert asked.

'I certainly am just really sad that we're at a point in time that that even has to be said...I mean, that we're at a point in time where we have a president who has such a callous disregard for a thoughtful, coherent, kind of expert-advised foreign policy is something I would hope, regardless of where we sit on the political spectrum, we could agree on,' Clinton said.

'I think, unfortunately, this administration is the collision of cruelty and incompetence.'

The former first daughter also appeared on ABC's The View and other networks to promote her latest book, She Persisted Around the World.

The book is a companion to her first book, She Persisted.

Ivanka Trump has been criticized by liberals who say she portrays herself as progressive on many issues yet defends her father when he enacts rightist policies.

During last months Winter Olympics, Ivanka Trump said media questions about her thoughts on whether her father was guilty of alleged sex crimes against nearly two dozen women were inappropriate.

Chelsea Clinton made the rounds on television Tuesday to promote the release of her new book. She is seen above on ABC's The View

I don't think that's a question you would ask many other daughters, Ivanka Trump told NBC News.

I believe my father, I know my father, so I think I have that right as a daughter to believe my father.

Chelsea Clinton, however, disagrees with Ivanka Trump and defended NBC News for asking her about alleged sex crimes.

'It was a fair question,' Clinton told The View.

'Anyone who works for the White House should be expected to answer any question about the White House.'

The daughter of a president facing questions about her fathers alleged improprieties with women immediately drew comparisons to the Clintons.

Chelsea Clintons father, former President Bill Clinton, has been accused by multiple women of wrongdoing during his time in the White House as well as during his tenure as governor of Arkansas, he also famously had an affair with Monica Lewinsky.

In 2008, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was running for the Democratic nomination against Barack Obama.

Chelsea Clinton was asked during a campaign appearance that year about the Lewinsky affair.

During her appearances on Tuesday , Chelsea Clinton revealed that her infant son Aidan calls Hillary Clinton 'gaga' since he still can't pronounce 'grandma.' Chelsea Clinton is seen left with son Aidan in July 2017 and right with daughter Charlotte in April 2017

It's none of your business, Chelsea Clinton said at the time.

That is something that is personal to my family. I'm sure there are things that are personal to your family that you don't think are anyone else's business either.

Even as their parents were in the midst of a brutal election campaign in 2016, Ivanka Trump and Chelsea Clinton both insisted that they had remained friends.

In August 2016, Ivanka Trump appeared on Greta Van Susterens Fox News show and said: '[Chelsea Clinton is] a great girl and she's a great friend to me. And obviously the intensity and scrutiny at this moment in our lives is pretty extreme.

'We're not the candidates. We're the children of the candidates. We've stayed close to one another, maybe a little less publicly so, but she's a good friend. We support each other.'

A week before that interview, Chelsea Clinton told NBC that she and Ivanka Trump were absolutely friends even though 'clearly Ivanka and I have very different views on who we think should be our president and who would be best for the country.

Years before Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton ran against each other as political foes, they were apparently on friendly terms. Bill and Hillary Clinton were famously pictured as guests at Donald and Melania Trump's wedding at Mar-a-Lago in 2005

During her appearance on Good Morning America, Chelsea Clinton said that her role as a mother inspired her to write the book, which is a celebration of iconic women.

'My children, Charlotte and Aidan, are the most important part of my life,' she said.

The 38-year-old said that her three-year-old daughter, Charlotte, loves her books, joking that 'she's not old enough to be deceitful, so I know she's telling me the truth.'

Chelsea Clinton also revealed that Aidan calls her grandmother, Hillary Clinton, 'gaga' - since she doesn't yet know to say 'grandma.'

'Aiden calls her gaga,' Chelsea Clinton said.

'He can't get grandmother yet. It's so meaningful for me to watch the relationship my children are developing with my mother because I was so close to my grandmother.'

Though Clinton has often insisted that her kids' lives are private, she was more than eager to use anecdotes about her children in discussing her books on Tuesday.

Clinton told The View that one of her inspirations for her latest book is British author JK Rowling, the author of the wildly popular Harry Potter series.

Years before Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton ran against each other as political foes, they were apparently on friendly terms.

Bill and Hillary Clinton were famously pictured as guests at Donald and Melania Trump's wedding at Mar-a-Lago in 2005.

Bill Clinton and Donald Trump also shared an affinity for golf and were known to bump into each other on the links.

In May 2012, Clinton told CNN that he enjoyed Trump's company.

'I like him. And I love playing golf with him,' the former president said at the time.

Trump, in turn, defended Clinton over the Lewinsky affair.

'Look at the trouble Bill Clinton got into with something that was totally unimportant, and they tried to impeach him, which was nonsense,' Trump told CNN in 2008.

According to Politico, Ivanka Trump donated money to Hillary Clinton's campaign against Obama in 2008.

Back then, Ivanka Trump and Chelsea Clinton ran around in the same social circles, though mutual associates say that they would only meet for a dinner a few times a year.Oregon lawmakers passed a bill prohibiting domestic abusers and people under restraining orders from owning firearms on Monday.

The bill passed the legislature 16-13 and became America's first new gun control law passed since the February 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

'Well done Oregon,' Democratic Governor Kate Brown exclaimed Monday after signing the law on the steps of the state Capitol.

As she was signing the bill into law some 200 people, including victims of domestic abuse and high school students, applauded and cheered.

Oregon lawmakers passed a bill prohibiting domestic abusers and people under restraining orders from owning firearms on Monday. Governor Kate Brown is pictured handing out the pen she used to sign the bill into law

'Well done Oregon,' Democratic Governor Kate Brown exclaimed Monday after signing the law on the steps of the state Capitol. As she was signing the bill into law some 200 people, including victims of domestic abuse and high school students, applauded and cheered

The bill passed the legislature 16-13 and became America's first new gun control law passed since the February 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida

State Senator Floyd Prozanski, whose sister was fatally shot by her boyfriend, and Representitive Janeen Sollman, who fled her home as a child when her father was in a violent rage, hugged as they stood behind the governor.

The Parkland shooting killed 17 people has created a wave of young anti-gun activists that has now reached cross-country into Oregon.

Monday's bill closes a loophole in a 2015 law that excluded some abusers from the ban on buying or owning guns and ammunition, such as people who they don't live with the partner they're abusing or threatening, and those under restraining orders.

The loophole is called the 'Intimate partner Loophole.' The bill had bipartisan support in the Legislature after Brown introduced it.

The measure was introduced before the Florida shooting, but Brown emphasized the bloodshed as she lobbied the Oregon Legislature for passage and signed the bill.

After it passed she said in a statement 'ending senseless gun violence is possible if we put politics aside and work together on practical solutions.'

The new law will allow police to confiscate guns from anyone convicted of either domestic violence or stalking, according to the Daily Dot. Previously officers could only confiscate these weapons if the offender and victim were married.

'I'm proud to sign this bill, making Oregon the first state to take action to prevent senseless gun violence since the tragedy in Parkland, Florida,' Governor Kate Brown said.

'It's long past time we hold the White House and Congress accountable. Now's the time to enact real change and federal gun safety legislation.'

Americans convicted of a 'misdemeanor crime of domestic violence,' are currently banned from owning guns by federal law, but only 29 states and federal territories expand on the federal government's limitations, according to the Gifford's Law Center.

This is why, in some states, unmarried domestic abusers can purchase guns while the abuser isn't living with a romantic partner.

Students from a high school in the Portland suburb of Lake Oswego traveled 40 miles to stage a gun-control rally in the state capital, Salem, Monday morning

Students from a high school in the Portland suburb of Lake Oswego traveled 40 miles to stage a gun-control rally in the state capital, Salem, Monday morning.

'We are empowered youth,' they chanted, while holding signs that read 'End gun violence, our lives matter,' and 'Together we can end gun violence.'

'We want to promote change. We're tired of the massive number of school shootings and the massive lack of action,' said 15-year-old student Eli Counce.

Scarlett Scott-Buck, another student, said she came to protest 'because I'm scared to attend my own school.

And I'm here to be an activist for my rights - to live, my friends' rights to live, and my mother's fear.'

Brown came down from her office to speak to the more than 100 students from Lakeridge High School in Lake Oswego, who sat on a broad stairway underneath the Capitol rotunda. She urged those who are 18 to register to vote.

'You want what?' she asked them.

'Change,' they shouted in unison.

'How do you make change?' Brown asked.

'Vote!' the students shouted.

A couple of hours later, Brown met in her office with a dozen students from different schools. They agreed more needs to be done, including expanded access to mental health counseling to prevent unstable students from reaching the breaking point and committing violence.

But some students said gun control is also needed.

'Nationally, I think there needs to be things like assault rifle bans but also closing the gun-show loophole ... and making it so background checks aren't time limited,' said student Eamon Walsh as he left the governor's office.

Such a time limit allowed Dylann Roof to buy the gun he's accused of using to kill nine churchgoers in Charleston, SC in 2015, Walsh noted.A disabled 87-year-old woman spent nearly two hours trapped in a car in raging floodwaters before her dramatic rescue on the New South Wales north coast.

The car the woman and her daughter were travelling in was swept into the water on Tuesday when the driver tried to cross a causeway at Dingo Creek, near Taree.

The 65-year-old driver managed to free herself and swim to land as her mother remained trapped inside.

Dramatic footage shows the vehicle dangle over the edge of the crossing, as rescue teams feared it would be swept downstream in the rising floodwaters.

A disabled 87-year-old woman spent nearly two hours trapped in a car in raging floodwaters before her dramatic rescue on the New South Wales north coast

A major rescue operation was launched including police, staff from the NSW State Emergency Service, Rural Fire Service, NSW Ambulance and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

Rescue crews were able to secure the car with a tether line before the woman is plucked from the vehicle.

Police said the two women were 'extremely lucky' to be alive.

'This incident could well have ended in tragedy,' NSW Police said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

Dramatic footage shows the vehicle dangle over the edge of the crossing, as rescue teams feared it would be swept downstream in the rising floodwaters

Rescue crews were able to secure the car with a tether line before the woman is plucked from the vehicle

'It's a timely reminder that if it's flooded, forget it - don't risk your life and the lives of emergency services personnel by entering floodwaters or trying to cross flooded causeways.

'Floodwater can have fast moving undercurrents that can quickly wash people and vehicles away; as such people should never drive, ride or walk through floodwater.'

The woman was taken to Manning Base Hospital with minor cuts and bruises.Lisa Lehman, 50, had been jailed on a DUI charge after she allegedly bought more wine after she crashed her vehicle in a parking lot

A Florida woman has been jailed on a DUI charge after she allegedly bought more wine after she crashed her vehicle in a supermarket's parking lot.

Lisa Lehman, 50, had just reportedly purchased a bottle of Moscato from the Publix supermarket on Cape Coral Parkway after crashing her car into another driver's vehicle.

According to Cape Coral police, officers responded to the store shortly after 8am on Sunday.

Officers were responding to a call from a Publix customer who reported that her parked vehicle had been damaged, according to Fox 4.

As police were speaking with the victim at the scene, Lehman walked over and identified herself as the driver of the car.

According to authorities, she admitted that she had hit and damaged the other woman's car.

Officers conducted a DUI investigation after they noticed that Lehman was having balance issues and reeked of alcohol.

The officers noted in their police report that Lehman failed several sobriety tests.

Authorities searched her vehicle and found an empty Chardonnay bottle under a seat.

Lehman now faces charges of DUI and hit and run. She was booked into the Lee County Jail.Michigan TV anchor has been accused of forcing a female journalist to watch pornography and asking if he could urinate on her.

Tara Edwards is suing TV station WXYZ for $100 million over claims that Channel 7 morning news anchor Malcom Maddox sexually harassed her over a number of years.

Her lawsuit stated that Maddox falsely claimed that was having an affair with Edwards who he said would perform 'deviant sex acts'. He even told coworkers he might be the father of her unborn child.

Tara Edwards (left) is suing TV station WXYZ for $100 million over claims that Channel 7 morning news anchor Malcom Maddox (right) sexually harassed her over a number of years.

'Maddox's harassing behavior was pervasive and occurred on a regular basis, 'with him allegedly telling her that he would 'rock (her) f**king world' and asked her if she was 'ready for the physical challenge.'

Maddox also 'repeatedly proposed' sending Edwards pictures of his penis so that she could 'judge it on a scale of 1 to 10'.

He also tricked her into looking at a photo of his penis after he told her to look at a 'work email' on his cell phone.

Edwards told him his actions 'repulsed' her, the suit states.

Edwards denies having any relationship with the anchor and says he would relentlessly harass her, pestering her to engage in 'deviant and perverse' sex acts, asking if he 'could urinate' on her and once tricking her into watching porn.

Her lawsuit stated that Maddox (pictured) falsely claimed that was having an affair with Edwards who he said would perform 'deviant sex acts'

The lawsuit states that WXYZ failed to do anything to stop the harassment and forced her to take another job at the station away from Maddox.

The suit stated that, despite a 2015 investigation which found Maddox had carried out unacceptable behavior with multiple women at WXYZ, he was allowed to continue his employment and was even promoted to news anchor.

WXYZ and Maddox, a former Marine and self-taught bassist, did not respond to calls and e-mails from theFree Press.

Maddox was put on administrative leave last December after Edwards went public with the allegations but was reportedly reinstated just three weeks later by the station's parent company, E.W. Scripps Company.

Edwards denies having any relationship with the anchor and says he would relentlessly harass her, pestering her to engage in 'deviant and perverse' sex acts, asking if he 'could urinate' on her and once tricking her into watching porn

Scripps said Maddox in 2015 had received another unpaid, two-week suspension and they felt that was punishment enough.

'Scripps takes these kinds of allegations very seriously and believes everyone should be able to work in an environment where they are treated with respect and dignity. Because of these findings, Malcom Maddox is returning to anchor the morning news today,' the station said in a statement on its website.

Edwards left the company on December 31, 2016, although the suit doesn't say why.

Maddox still remains at the station.Information from behind the closed doors of the House Intelligence Committee's Russia investigation was leaked to a lawyer representing Trump attorney Michael Cohen, according to a report published Tuesday.

Cohen is the longtime personal legal eagle to Donald Trump. He paid $130,000 last year to adult film star Stephanie Clifford  who performs under the name 'Story Daniels'  in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual fling with the president a decade ago.

The House panel is one of three Washington institutions probing whether or not the Trump campaign colluded with Russians to impact the 2016 election.

Information about a House Intelligence Committee witness's testimony was reportedly leaked to lawyer Stephen Ryan (right), who represents longtime Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen (left) in the committee's Russia probe

Bits of testimony from one witness, former John McCain aide David Kramer, seems to have escaped the cone of silence, according to the Daily Beast.

Kramer had been involved in McCain's effort to get the FBI a copy of the infamous 'dirty dossier' of unproven claims about Trump, a document assembled by former British spy Christopher Steele for an opposition research firm hired by the Hillary Clinton campaign.

Cohen's lawyer, Stephen Ryan, placed a call to Kramer attorney Larry Robbins a few days after Kramer testified on December 19.

Ryan explained to Robbins that someone at the House of Representatives had told him Kramer might have information about the Steele dossier that could be helpful to his client.

Former John McCain aide David Kramer (left) was linked to the senator's efforts to give the FBI a copy of the anti-Trump 'dirty dossier,' and his lawyer Larry Robbins (right) got a call from Ryan about what he had apparently told the committee

Nonplussed, Robbins said he couldn't help  and refused to keep the call a secret from investigators.

CNN first reported Ryan's phone call to Robbins, but didn't name the attorneys at the time.

Cohen's name appeared in the dossier itself, in a section that reported he attended meetings with Russian operatives in Prague and elsewhere in Europe.

One meeting, according to Steele's intelligence, was an effort to 'clean up the mess' created by public knowledge about Russia's ties to other Trump insiders.

Cohen famously paid an adult film star who performed under the name Stormy Daniels (above) $130,000 to keep quiet about an alleged affair the president had with her a decade ago

Cohen says he has never been to the Czech Republic, and was in California on the date the Prague meeting supposely occurred.

He is suing Fusion GPS, the firm that paid for the dossier, and Buzzfeed, the website that published it.

Texas Republican Rep. Michael Conaway told the Daily Beast that nothing Ryan may have learned would be considered classified  but instead it could be 'committee-sensitive.'

Conaway, who is supervising the Intelligence Committee's Russia investigation, also insisted that no witness testimony was shared improperly with anyone.During a joint press conference with the Swedish prime minister, President Trump said he was right to say immigration created an uptick in crime in the Nordic nation.

'Certainly you have a problem with the immigration that's caused problems in Sweden,' Trump began. 'I was the first one to say it, took a little heat, but that was OK, because I proved to be right.'

Trump originally made the claim last February during a campaign-like rally in Florida.

President Trump (right) brought up the eye-brow raising comments he made about Sweden last year, which some suggested alluded to an imaginary terrorist attack during his joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven (left)

Immigration was one of the topics discussed at Tuesday's joint press conference at the White House between Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven (left) and President Trump (right)

'You look at what's happening last night in Sweden,' Trump said back in 2017, leading many to speculate the president was confused, as no terror attack had occurred.

The president later explained that he had been watching Fox News Channel, which aired a report on a documentary filmmaker blaming Sweden's growing immigrant population for a crime surge.

'Sweden, they took in large numbers, they are having problems like they never thought possible,' the president had said at the rally.

A week later, on the stage of the Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump suggested he was in the right yet again.

'I took a lot of heat on Sweden,' Trump said. 'I love Sweden. Great country, great people, I love Sweden, but they understand I'm right. The people over there understand I'm right.'

At the time, Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, the same politician who was visiting the White House Tuesday, said he was 'surprised' by Trump's comments.

'We have opportunities, we have challenges, we're working [on] them every day,' Lofven said. 'But I think also we must all take responsibility for using facts correctly, and for verifying any information that we spread.'

Lofven was asked by a reporter at the White House about his criticism of Trump, with the journalist pointing to a New York Times piece that detailed an uptick in gangs in immigrant communities, which have been leading to grenade deaths.

The story talks about how the weapons, left over from the Bosnian conflict, have come into Sweden through its open border with Denmark and ended up in the hands of gangs made up of Tunisians and other immigrants from Finland, the Balkans and Africa.

'In Sweden we have our share of domestic challenges, no doubt about that,' Lofven explained.

He relented that previous administration that allowed 163,000 refugees to enter the country in 2015 was 'not sustainable' and that Sweden was working with the European Union so that more countries took on 'their share of the responsibility.'

'This is not the responsibility of one, two, three, four countries, it's a shared responsibility,' Lofven said.

Trump, answering a different question on immigration, suggested Sweden would sort itself out.

But you do have a problem and I know the problem will slowly disappear, hopefully rapidly disappear, but as far as our relationship with Sweden it's going to be only stronger, only better,' the American president said.The ex-girlfriend of a highly-respected Liberal minister has lost her job as an adviser to Malcolm Turnbull after she revealed the sordid texts he sent to a fellow MP.

Caitlin Keage exposed the sexting scandal last month, sharing an exchange between NSW Innovation Minister Matt Kean and Liberal backbencher Eleni Petinos.

Mr Kean texted Ms Petinos at around 10pm on December 27, saying he was 'tempted to drive down to see' her, before adding: 'Really need to f*** you.'

Ms Keage, a Coalition staffer since 2010 and a senior adviser to the prime minister, posted the texts on her Instagram page and accused her boyfriend of cheating.

In the tumultuous fallout, she has quit her role in Mr Turnbull's office after she was reportedly encouraged to resign.

Caitlin Keage (bottom left) exposed the scandal on social media last month when she shared an exchange between NSW Minister Matt Kean (top left) and Liberal MP Eleni Petinos (right)

Ms Keage, a respected Coalition staffer and senior adviser to the prime minister, posted the messages on her Instagram page and accused her boyfriend (pictured together) of cheating

The Innovation Minister's furious ex-girlfriend Caitlin Keage (pictured together left) posted copies of the texts (mock up right) on her private Instagram account month

A spokesman for Mr Turnbull told Daily Mail Australia Ms Keage no longer worked for the prime minister, but would not confirm if she was pressured to quit.

Calls to Ms Keage went unanswered on Wednesday morning.

Mr Kean revealed his relationship had ended in 'spectacular fashion' just hours after the texts were exposed.

'I am deeply sorry my relationship with Caitlin ended in such a spectacular and sad fashion. I wish her all the best,' he said in a statement.

Ms Petinos (pictured) revealed her distress about being dragged into the saga shortly after the scandal broke

Liberal MP Matt Kean (pictured) has acknowledged his relationship with Ms Keage is over

Ms Petinos later texted Mr Kean: 'Just got your Christmas card you're absolutely gorgeous - love you xx'

The following day, Ms Petinos revealed her distress about being dragged into the saga.

'I am saddened that I have been drawn into this relationship breakdown... I deny the allegations,' she told the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader.

'It pains me to be making a statement about matters which are outside the scope of my work and are entirely personal.'

Ms Keage quickly deleted the Instagram post, but not before it was widely shared among political and media circles.

'When your boyfriend cheats on you when you're away with family,' she wrote alongside a snapshot of the texts.

'I was in Adelaide trusting my partner not to play up. But alas, here we are. Another minister getting away with his predatory behaviour.'

A spokesman for Mr Turnbull said Ms Keage (pictured with Mr Kean) no longer worked for the prime minister

'I was in Adelaide trusting my partner not to play up,' Ms Keage captioned the Instagram post

Ms Keage (left) deleted the Instagram post exposing the exchange between Mr Kean and Ms Petinos (right), but not before it was widely shared among political and media circles

The messages revealed that when Mr Kean told Ms Petinos he wanted to see her, she replied: 'Miss me huh? lol.'

'Yup. Really need to f**k you,' the minister responded.

Ms Petinos said he already had 'CK for that' and when he asked, 'is that a no?' she replied: 'It's that time of the month'.

Mr Kean said: 'OK come up later x.'

Ms Petinos told Mr Kean 'It's that time of the month' when her propositioned her. She his pictured with Treasurer, Scott Morrison

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she would not be sacking Mr Kean (pictured together) over the scandal

The messages revealed that when Mr Kean told Ms Petinos he wanted to see her, she replied: 'Miss me huh? lol'

She later texted Mr Kean and said: 'Just got your Christmas card you're absolutely gorgeous - love you xx'.

Mr Kean's boss, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, previously said she would not be sacking him over the scandal.

'What I've read this morning is extremely disappointing,' the premier said at the time.

'I'm personally disappointed in him and have told him so, but it is nonetheless a personal matter.'

Ms Petinos said she 'denies the allegations'. She is pictured with Premier Gladys BerejiklianPresident Donald Trump went after the European Union for having 'horrible barriers'  in his latest tough talk on trade amid fears his proposed steel tariff could set off a trade war.

Trump talked trade at the White House alongside Swedish prime minister Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven after the president threatened last week to slap a 25 per cent tariff on steel. Asked about his plans, Trump went off on Europe  after the EU threatened $3.5 billion in tariffs on U.S. products from agriculture exports to Kentucky bourbon.

'The European Union has been particularly tough on the United States,' Trump complained.

Then he went after European cars  amid concerns that U.S. car manufacturers could suffer if the price of imported steel jumps under a Trump tariff.

'The European Union has been particularly tough on the United States,' Trump complained at a White House press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven

'They make it almost impossible for us to do business with them, and yet they send their cars and everything else back into the United States,' Trump said.

'And they can do whatever they'd like, but if they do that, then we put a big tax of 25 per cent on their cars  and believe me, they won't be doing it very long.'

Trump didn't specify what European behavior the car tax was intended to punish, nor did he specifically mention the European threats of retaliation against the proposed steel tariff.

'The European Union has not treated us well,' Trump vented. 'And it's been a very, very unfair trade situation. I'm here to protect, and one of the reasons I was elected is I'm protecting our workers, I'm protecting our companies. And I'm not going to let that happen.'

ALL MY LOVING: 'It'll be a loving, loving way,' Trump said of looming trade actions

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a joint news conference with Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 6, 2018

Bottles of rye and bourbon whiskey of distilleries from the U.S. are offered at Glen Fahrn liquor store in Zurich, Switzerland June 7, 2016. The EU threatened to slap tariffs on bourbon in response to threatened U.S. tariffs on steel

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence stands next to Harley Davidson motorcycles after meeting with Harley Davidson executives at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington U.S., February 2, 2017. The EU also threatened to slap tariffs on Harleys, which are manufactured in Wisconsin

The U.S. made products threatened by the EU include agriculture exports, bourbon  produced in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's home state of Kentucky  and Harley Davidson motorcycles, which are made in Wisconsin, home to House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Trump mentioned the 'horrible barriers' put up by the EU.

Trump got asked about the threat of a trade war, but he said his any action would be 'loving.'

'We'll have to see. When we're behind on every single country, trade wars aren't so bad,' Trump said. 'We'll see what happens,' he added.

The Europa Building, also known as 'The Egg,' in Brussels

Speaker Paul Ryan wants a 'targeted' approach to steel abuses  in remarks that pushed back against President Trump's proposed 25 per cent tariff on imports

'In some cases we lose on trade plus we lose on military,' he said, mentioning the nation's military costs. 'And hence we have these massive deficit numbers in our country,' Trump said, leaving out other factors, such as interest on the debt or the recently passed $1.5 trillion tax cut.

'We'll do it in a very loving way. It'll be a loving, loving way,' Trump said.

Trump also clarified that he would go ahead with tariffs, after pushback from business leaders and members of his own administration. House Speaker Paul Ryan on Monday called for more 'surgical' responses on steel.

'So, we're doing tariffs on steel,' Trump said. 'When we're behind on every single country, trade wars aren't so bad,' he added.Poison has been Russia's weapon of choice when it comes to dealing with dissidents living in exile for decades.

Deadly, silent and potentially undetectable, they have an obvious appeal to assassins.

From poison-tipped umbrellas to radioactive tea, a number of deadly toxins have been used in Russia-linked deaths in the UK.

Cold War dissident Georgi Markov was assassinated on the streets of London in 1978 by a Bulgarian secret service agent, who used an umbrella that fired a pellet of ricin into his leg.

Ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko died after drinking green tea laced with polonium-210, a rare and potent radioactive istotope, at the Millennium Hotel in Mayfair.

Now, former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, are fighting for their lives after collapsing in Salisbury on Sunday.

Amid fears they were poisoned in a Kremlin-linked plot, investigators are desperately working to identify the 'unknown substance' the pair were exposed to.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal (pictured) and his daughter Yulia, 33, are fighting for their lives after collapsing in Salisbury on Sunday

RICIN

Ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans, the same substance used to make castor oil.

If castor beans are chewed and swallowed, the released ricin can cause injury.

It can be found as a powder, mist or pellet or it can be dissolved in water or weak acid. It is very difficult to trace.

Ricin works by getting inside the body's cells and preventing them from making the proteins they need  and without them, cells die.

Eventually this is harmful to the whole body and can cause death. But the effects of ricin poisoning depend on whether it was inhaled, ingested or injected.

When inhaled, symptoms include difficulty in breathing, fever, cough, nausea, sweating and tightness in the chest. Death occurs after blood pressure plummets and breathing stops.

Ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans, the same substance used to make castor oil

When swallowed, ricin causes vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, low blood pressure, seizures, and blood in the urine.

There is no known antidote but treatment includes use of respirators, fluids, flushing the stomach and treating low blood pressure.

POLONIUM-210

The toxin is considered an ideal poison because it is harmless until swallowed with a miniscule amount sufficient to cause a slow, painful and very public death.

However, it is almost impossible to acquire without a nuclear reactor - and then decays within a few months.

The radioactive substance was used to kill former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006, perhaps the most high-profile case of fatal poisoning.

It was slipped into a cup of green tea at the Millennium Hotel in Mayfair.

Polonium-210 also leaves a radioactive trace, which in the Litvinenko case led investigators to Andrei Lugovoy.

In 2016 a public inquiry concluded that the killing of Mr Litvinenko had 'probably' been carried out with the approval of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Polonium-210 was used to kill former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko (above) in 2006

THALLIUM

Thallium was the deadly poison that investigators originally thought had killed Alexander Litvinenko.

Thallium sulphate is colourless, odourless and tasteless salt that is soluble in water, making it an almost ideal poison to use to kill.

Known as the 'poisoner's poison', if ingested, it attacks the nervous system and internal organs and even a dose as small as a gram can cause death.

Other symptoms include hair loss, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Within three days, victims can suffer headaches, convulsions, coma, delirium, dementia and even psychosis.

GELSEMIUM

Gelsemium is a rare and deadly plant poison which initially causes dizziness, nausea, blurred vision and convulsions.

At larger doses, it causes paralysis of the spinal cord leading to an almost loss of muscle power and ultimately asphyxia.

It's believed Russian businessman Alexander Perepilichnyy was poisoned after the substance was slipped into his sorrel soup.

It's believed Russian businessman Alexander Perepilichnyy was poisoned after Gelsemium was slipped into his sorrel soup

Police initially thought his death was not suspicious because there was no signs of toxins after he was found dead near his luxury home in Surrey in 2012.

But scientists later found chemical traces of gelsemium in his stomach. An inquest into his death has been adjourned pending further inquiries.

CURARE

Curare is a plant extract initially used for poison arrows by South American tribes.

It causes the respiratory muscles to contract, asphyxiating the victim.

Scientists in Russia used curare under Joseph Stalin and American-born Communist spy Isaiah Oggins was executed in 1947 using this drug.

SARIN

Sarin  a volatile nerve agent that was initially developed in Germany as a pesticide  is a liquid that is clear, colourless, tasteless and odourless.

People can be exposed to sarin through skin contact, eye contact or by breathing it in through the air or it can be mixed with water or food.

Symptoms of severe exposure to sarin include loss of consciousness, convulsions, paralysis and respiratory failure leading to death.

VX was used in the murder of Kim Jong Nam (above), the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong UN, at Kuala Lumpur airport on February 13

VX

VX is one of the deadliest chemical weapons created by man. Experts say just 10 milligrams of the nerve agent or a single drop is enough to kill in minutes.

With the texture and feel of engine oil, it can cause convulsions, loss of consciousness, paralysis and respiratory failure in minutes.

It has the texture and feel of engine oil, but its only known use is as a chemical warfare agent.

VX - classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations - was used in the murder of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong UN, at Kuala Lumpur airport on February 13.President Donald Trump said Tuesday at the White House that Russians did interfere in America's last presidential election  and other countries probably did too  but cautioned that the United States will counteract any attempt at meddling in the November 2018 midterms.

'The Russians had no impact on our votes whatsoever, but certainly there was meddling and probably there was meddling from other countries and maybe other individuals,' Trump said at a joint news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stephan Lofven.

'We're doing a very, very deep study. And we're coming out with some, I think, very strong suggestions on the '18 election,' he said, adding that 'we'll counteract whatever they do. We'll counteract it very strongly.'

President Donald Trump said Tuesday during a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven that while Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. election, it didn't have any impact on the result

Vladimir Putin's Russia tried to sow chaos among American voters in 2016, according to U.S. intelligence reports and a growing number of members of Congress

The president didn't expand on how he plans to respond to Moscow's next round of monkey-wrenching.

But he did say that states should make sure their automated voting systems have paper backups in November.

It's 'old fashioned, but it's always good,' Trump said.

Lofven highlighted his own country's intelligence services' renewed focus on ensuring the integrity of Sweden's electoral system and countering foreign propaganda.

Trump also said Tuesday that states should safeguard the integrity of their elections by using systems that keep backups on physical sheets of paper

'The result of the election in a country should be decided by nobody else but the voters in the country,' he said.

Trump's statements came hours after the nation's top intelligence official said the administration was getting ready to slap new meddling-related sanctions on Russians.

Trump has been criticized for not imposing new sanctions in January when a list of 114 Russian politicians and 96 oligarchs was released to comply with a law passed to punish Moscow.

Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, one of the 13 people indicted by the office of Special Counsel last month, is the longtime Putin associate behind the online disinformation agency that worked overtime in 2016 to inject uncertainty into America's presidential contest

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats testified Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill, saying Trump may soon uncork a new set of sanctions against Russians who interfered in the election that vaulted him to power

National Intelligence Director Dan Coats told ton the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that new sanctions are expected within a week.

Coats said sanctions were likely against at least some of the 13 Russians accused in an indictment of an elaborate plot to disrupt the election.

The indictment issued by the U.S. special counsel charged them with running a huge but hidden social media trolling campaign aimed in part at helping Trump defeat his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.Fears are growing for a missing 18-year-old girl who disappeared five days ago from the Sunshine Coast.

Isabella Coggan, was last seen on Friday leaving a property on Coochin Hills Drive in Beerway about 10.30pm.

Ms Coggan is described as Caucasian, approximately 165cm tall with a slim build, brown hair and blue eyes.

Isabella Coggan, 18, was last seen five days ago after she disappeared from a property in Beerway

She was last seen wearing black or grey leggings, a grey singlet top, and black Nike slide shoes.

Ms Coggan's family are very concerned for her safety saying she suffers from a medical condition and disappeared without her medication.

Police are urging anyone with information of her whereabouts to contact them.CCTV shows the former Russian double agent at the centre of a poisoning probe chatting and joking with a shopkeeper just days before he and his daughter were found 'catatonic' in a park.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia are still critically ill in hospital after they were found fitting and being sick in a Salisbury park in an incident which has further heightened tensions between Britain and Vladimir Putin's Russia.

Footage obtained by ITV shows the former spy in his local corner shop last Tuesday buying milk, sausages and scratchcards.

Locals say Mr Skripal often went to his local shop to buy a particular type of Polish sausage, and spent up to 40 a time on lottery scratch cards. He was described as a 'polite' and 'kind' customer who often won money.

The images emerged as an office block in the city became the latest location to be shut down by police as Scotland Yard investigators frantically try to work who was behind the suspected poisoning and what toxic substance was used.

Footage obtained by ITV shows Sergei Skripal chatting with a shopkeeper just days before he collapsed in a park in a suspected poisoning which has taken on international significance

The Russian exile is said to have had a love of Polish sausages from the shop and spent up to 100 a week on lottery scratchcards

Mr Skripal, 66, (left, in 2006) and his daughter Yulia, 33, (right) are critically ill in hospital after being exposed to an unknown substance

Early this afternoon, a large number of police, three fire engines and at least two ambulances descended on the Sarum House office building next door to the Zizzi's Italian where Mr Skripal ate before he collapsed.

A woman in her 40s was taken from the office block and put in a waiting ambulance. Wiltshire Police declined to comment.

The building is the latest location in the city to be closed off, following the park where the pair were found, Zizzi's itself, the nearby Mill Pub, Mr Skripal's house, an ambulance station and part of the hospital.

As anti-terror police investigate the suspected poisoning, one line of inquiry is that the former Russian army colonel was ambushed by attackers who sprayed him with a substance in the street.

Another possibility investigators are looking at is that Mr Skripal's drink was spiked at a pub he and his daughter visited shortly before they collapsed.

Top of the list of possible poisons used is said to be Thallium, a highly toxic but tasteless, colourless and odourless substance.

The Met Police, whose anti-terror section has taken charge of the investigation, are expected to give more details about the incident this afternoon.

Speaking in Parliament today, Prime Minister Theresa May backed moves to snub the World Cup in Russia if Kremlin links are proven.

Mrs May said: 'The point the Foreign Secretary was making yesterday was that depending on what comes out in relation to the investigation, into the attack on the two individuals that took place in Salisbury, that it might be appropriate for the Government to look at whether ministers and other dignitaries should attend the World Cup in Russia.'

Police and emergency services suddenly took over an office building next to the Zizzi's where a former Russian double agent ate before he was found 'catatonic' from suspecting poisoning

Fire engines and ambulances arrived at the scene this afternoon as the investigation expanded

A woman was later escorted out of the office block and taken into a waiting ambulance

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: 'We do know more about the substance and the police will be making a further statement this afternoon in order to share some of that.'

She added that it is important to respond not to rumor but to evidence.

CCTV is believed to show the father and daughter walking through Salisbury moments before they were found collapsed in a park. However, some witnesses have suggested the blonde woman in the footage may be a third person.

The incident is being treated as an assassination attempt linked to the Kremlin, Whitehall sources confirmed to The Times.

But other theories, including that a rival faction may want to frame Russia for the incident - have yet to be ruled out.

The deaths of Mr Skripal's wife from cancer in 2012 and his son Alexandr's death in St. Petersburg last year will be looked into as part of the investigation.

Authorities in St Petersburg have told local news agencies they have no record of him having died there.

A cordon was widened around a pub and restaurant at the centre of the investigation. Emergency services have also taped off the park where the Skripals were found. His home in the west of the city is being investigated, as is an ambulance station in nearby Amesbury. Salisbury District's hospital declared an incident that day after the pair were found

This letter was posted on Facebook, appearing to be a child's school work criticising Putin

Yulia was among those who responded to the post, commenting 'nice' beneath it

Yulia Skripal is understood to be a businesswoman who has worked for Nike and Pepsico

This CCTV was identified by a witness as Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his 33-year-old companion shortly before they were the victims of a suspected poisoning

Instead, he is said to have arrived in the city on a train in July last year and booked a ricked to fly to England in August.

His daughter Yulia, a businesswoman based in Moscow who was visiting her father, is not thought to have been the main target.

It emerged today that she remarked 'nice' on a letter posted on Facebook which said Putin is 'the worst president in the world' and should be jailed.

Firefighters in Hazmat suits have taken over an ambulance base, where the ambulance which carried the pair is thought to have been taken.

Police in Salisbury have widened their cordon to the site where Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter, 33, were taken ill, expanding it beyond the restaurant and pub which were initially closed off, while forensic teams continued to examine the scene.

Detectives are continuing to carrying out an inspection of the Zizzi in Salisbury town centre, with the restaurant closed since Monday morning.

This is the moment the daughter of a Russian who spied for MI6 was airlifted to hospital after she and her father were found collapsed in Salisbury following a suspected poisoning

Police are to investigate the deaths of Mr Skripal's wife, Liudmila, who is thought to have died from cancer in 2012

Mr Skripal's son Alexander also died while in Russia last year. The family's cleaner said he died of liver problems, but some family members are said to have had suspicions

An official at military research centre at Porton Down, which is helping with the case, said medics were treating 'symptoms rather than causes', according to the BBC.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former commander of the Armys chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear regiment, said the comment was 'significant'.

Commenting on the possible poison, he said: 'I dont think it's polonium - the incubation period is too long and the decontamination thats been reported is not the kind you would do for a radioactive isotope.

'If Porton Down are saying they are treating symptoms rather than causes they are doing palliative care.

'If it was a nerve agent they would be given an antidote, which leads me to believe it is probably not a nerve agent.'

Russia president Vladimir Putin, whose country is suspected to be behind the incident, appeared untroubled as he toured a sweet and cake factory in the Samara region today

Russia has said it wasn't involved in Skripal's collapse, with papers loyal to the Kremlin calling accusations 'Russo-phobic'

Former KGB man Putin, pictured today, has not commented on the incident himself

Mr Bretton-Gordon added: 'Porton Down have no doubt taken blood samples and they should know by now what it is.

'Toxins like ricin - there's no antidote for that. If people are poisoned with ricin or abrin you treat the symptoms.'

It is not clear when the Skripals were confronted, having left a branch of Italian restaurant chain Zizzi between 2pm and 3pm.

After leaving the restaurant, they are thought to have gone to a nearby a pub called The Mill. They were then seen walking through a shopping precinct and found on a bench overlooking the Avon shortly after 4pm.

Several bystanders went to their aid as Mr Skripal fell into a catatonic state and Yulia appeared to suffer a fit on the ground.

The scene in Salisbury remains taped off this morning after an ambulance station was the latest location shut down by forensics teams and experts in Hazmat suits

Police in Salisbury have widened their cordon beyond the restaurant and pub which were initially closed off, while forensic teams in protective gear investigate the scene

Police sealed off the restaurant in relation to the suspected poisoning of a former Russian spy and were continuing investigations

The cordon in Salisbury was extended after a Zizzi restaurant and a pub called The Mill were closed, suggesting Mr Skripal and his daughter visited multiple locations

Detectives to probe cancer and 'liver failure' deaths of wife and son Sergei Skripal suffered a triple family tragedy in five years when his wife Lyudmila died aged 59 in 2012, before his older brother passed away in Russia in 2016. His son Alexandr died in St Petersburg aged 43 last year - and relatives held suspicions since the deaths that they were in mysterious circumstances. Now, the deaths of his wife and son will be considered by Scotland Yard as they investigate the possible poisoning of Mr Skripal, according to The Times. Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, remain fighting for their lives in hospital after being exposed to a mystery substance on Sunday in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Lyudmila died in 2012, with her death certificate recording the cause of death as cancer - specifically disseminated endometrial carcinoma. As for Mr Skripal's son, he was said to have been killed in a car crash in St Petersburg last year  but the family's cleaner said he had actually died from liver problems. The BBC claimed Alexandr died on holiday in Russia with his girlfriend after being taken to hospital with liver failure, and that his family was suspicious about his death. Meanwhile confusion surrounded Lyudmila's cause of death when neighbour Blake Stephens, 21, suggested she had actually 'died in a car accident a while ago'. Advertisement

Up to ten emergency service workers were also assessed by medical staff after treating the Skripals, of whom one remains in hospital.

Counter-terror detectives from Scotland Yard have assumed control of the probe, which has taken on political and international significance, and led to a meeting of the National Security Council.

Some emergency workers had complained of suffering itchy eyes and difficulty breathing, suggesting some of the mystery poison may have remained in the air, while their colleagues put on full biohazard suits and respirators. Up to 10 other people suffered symptoms including vomiting.

Tests on the substance involved are being carried out at the defence research centre at Porton Down.

Toxicologists will examine samples of blood, urine and tissue taken from the victims at Salisbury District Hospital.

One former radiation biologist said the 'considerable rapidity' of their decline suggested a chemical source. 'Decontamination at the scene would also suggest that possibility,' he added.

'However, we shouldn't totally ignore biological contamination of food or the environment. However, the latter would have caused a wider response from Public Health England and the authorities.'

Former Metropolitan Police commander Bob Broadhurst said police and health staff will be working in tandem to identify the poison.

'It overlaps in terms of public safety between the investigative police world and the forensic medical world,' he said.

'What was the cause of this illness? Was it a poison, and if so how did he ingest it? Who else is potentially at risk? You will have almost a parallel investigation  detectives and doctors trying to find cause and effect.'

Investigators next to a police tent outside the Mill pub at the Maltings in Salisbury near to where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal was found critically ill

Police appealed for information as a large number of officers remain in Salisbury today

Home Secretary says more is now known about substance Home Secretary Amber Rudd told reporters after this morning's Cobra emergency committee meeting: 'We do know more about the substance, the police will be making a further statement this afternoon in order to share some of that.' She said: 'We must let the police carry on their work, they will share what they can but I'm sure there will be more updates as the investigation continues. 'There is a lot of information about Sergei Skripal in the public domain at the moment but I'm not going to comment any further about that because I do believe the police need to get on with their investigation and finding out more about him will be part of it.' Advertisement

Professor Alastair Hay of Leeds University said it could take some time before the test results are known.

'Individuals cannot provide unlimited amounts of blood for testing so investigations will be guided by the clinical team,' Professor Hay said.

'Some tests are rapid and some [poison] candidates will be looked at quickly. But if the cause is more unusual, body fluids will require significant clean-up preparation before they can be put in an instrument.

'So this could take a day or several days.'

'Police had a good look at the footage and were interested in these two people. It was the only image they took away,' said Cain Prince, 28, the manager of a nearby gym.

'They wanted a list of everyone in the gym between 3pm and 4pm as well.'

Mr Skripal was jailed in Moscow for selling Russian secrets more than a decade ago - but had set up home in the south of England after a Cold War-style 'spy swap' with Russian agents including Anna Chapman.

But a relative of Mr Skripal has said he knew he would not escape his past that easily.

He told BBC Russia: 'From the first day he knew it would end badly, and that he would not be left alone'.

Police seal off the back of The Mill, a Greene King pub where Mr Skripal and his daughter are believed to have attended, as the police cordon is extended in Salisbury

Police in protective suits and gas masks are seen inside Zizzi's restaurant in Salisbury, where Mr Skripal and his daughter visited before being taken ill

Police officers are pictured with a vehicle outside the home of Sergei Skripal yesterday

Home Secretary Amber Rudd will chair a meeting of the Government's emergency committee Cobra on Wednesday morning to discuss the ongoing investigation into the incident in Salisbury.

Two fire engines and a mobile control unit were at the ambulance base at Solstice Park in Amesbury, about seven miles from Salisbury.

It is believed crews who attended the emergency call out on Sunday were among the first responders who later had hospital treatment after coming into contact with Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

The Met Police, whose counter-terrorism unit has taken over the investigation, today appealed for information.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said: 'The focus at this time is to establish what has caused these people to become critically ill.

'We would like to reassure members of the public that this incident is being taken extremely seriously and we currently do not believe there is any risk to the wider public.'

An eyewitness said Skripal and his daughter seemed 'out of it' after she came across the pair slumped on the bench at the shopping centre. Top right: A police tent covers the spot where they were found

Police said the pair, named by media Mr Skripal and his daughter, had been 'exposed to an unknown substance'

The entrance to the accident and emergency department at Salisbury District Hospital where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal was taken for treatment

He added: 'We are appealing for anyone with information about the incident to contact police immediately on 999.

'We would like to hear from anybody who visited the area close to the Maltings shopping centre where these two people were taken ill on Sunday afternoon, and may have seen something that could assist the investigation.

'The two people taken ill were in Salisbury centre from around 13.30hrs. Did you see anything out of the ordinary?

'It may be that at the time, nothing appeared out of place or untoward but with what you now know, you remember something that might be of significance. Your memory of that afternoon and your movements alone could help us with missing pieces of the investigation.'

Who is Russian double agent Sergei Skripal? How 'Spy with the Louis Vuitton bag' narrowly avoided execution after selling secrets to MI6 Sergei Skripal (pictured) unmasked dozens of secret agents and gave information to MI6 Sergei Skripal, a former colonel in Russian military intelligence, was considered by the Kremlin to be one of the most damaging spies of his generation. He was responsible for unmasking dozens of secret agents threatening Western interests by operating undercover in Europe. Col Skripal, 66, allegedly received 78,000 in exchange for taking huge risks to pass classified information to MI6. In 2006, he was sentenced to 13 years in a Russian labour camp after being convicted of passing invaluable Russian secrets to the UK. A senior source in Moscow said at the time: 'This man is a big hero for MI6.' After being convicted of 'high treason in the form of espionage' by Moscow's military court, Col Skripal was stripped of his rank, medals and state awards. He was alleged by Russia's security service, the FSB, to have begun working for the British secret services while serving in the army in the 1990s. He was sentenced to 13 years in a Russian labour camp when he was convicted of passing secrets to Britain He passed information classified as state secrets and was paid for the work by MI6, the FSB claimed. Col Skripal pleaded guilty at the trial and co-operated with investigators, reports said at the time. He admitted his activities and gave a full account of his spying, which led to a reduced sentence. In July 2010, he was pardoned by then Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and was one of four spies exchanged for ten Russian agents deported from the US in an historic swap involving red-headed 'femme fatale' Anna Chapman. Mrs Chapman, then 28, was a Manhattan socialite and diplomat's daughter, who had lived and worked in London during a four-year marriage to British public schoolboy Alex Chapman. After the swap at Vienna airport, Col Skripal was one of two spies who came to Britain and he has kept a low profile for the past eight years. He moved into a 350,000 home in Salisbury and collapsed outside a shopping centre in the city centre He is understood to have been debriefed for months before being given a home and a pension. The former spy was living at an address in Salisbury, Wiltshire, when the suspected poisoning took place in the city centre. Reports in Russia suggested that Mr Skripal was originally recruited by MI6 in Tallinn, Estonia, and may have lectured on the KGB tactics since moving to Britain. He often went to his local shop to buy a particular type of Polish sausage and spent up to 40 a time on lottery scratch cards and was described as a 'polite' and 'kind' customer who often won money. Adam Blake who owns local firm A2B Taxis, said he 'fairly regularly' used to pick up Mr Skripal, who is fighting for his life after being exposed to a mystery substance. Mr Blake told the Daily Mirror: 'He had a black-faced ring with an animal on it, a wolf I think, and would kiss the ring and ask if you wanted to kiss it. 'Then he would look each way, as if joking, and say, "I'm a Russian spy". He would say it to all the drivers and nobody ever believed him. 'I would often see him standing around town in doorways too, looking around suspiciously as if he was really trying to portray the spy image.' He also joined the 10-a-year Railway Social Club in the city and neighbours said they did not know him well, although he organised a house-warming party shortly after moving in, inviting people by dropping notes through doors. It was also revealed how he had suffered two bereavements within just five years when his wife Lyudmila died aged 59 in 2012, before his son Alexandr passed away aged 43 in 2017. This video shows the evidence used to convict Skripal of spying in Russia and his high-profile arrest in Moscow in 2004 His neighbour Blake Stephens, 24, said: 'He used to live with his wife but unfortunately she died in a car accident a while ago.' Col Skripal was turned by MI6 when he was posted abroad as a GRU military intelligence agent in Europe in the mid-1990s. During his years working for MI6, the balding spy unmasked dozens of agents threatening Western interests. Col Skripal was so well-connected that even after his retirement from his spy service in 1999 he continued to pass exceptional secrets to London by staying in touch with his former colleagues as a reservist officer. He was nicknamed 'the spy with the Louis Vuitton bag' after grainy pictures showed him carrying a bag at an airport en route to a meeting with his handlers. He may finally have been snared by the FSB after passing his intelligence to MI6's infamous James Bond-style 'spy rock'  a fake stone packed with receiving equipment in a Moscow park. Russian secret services exposed the ploy in 2006, revealing how British agents transmitted their data to the rock via a hidden hand-held device while walking past it. Russian president Vladimir Putin (pictured yesterday) once hinted at how his country deals with spies by insisting that 'traitors always end in a bad way' After Col Skripal's conviction, one official said: 'His activities caused a significant blow to Russia's external security.' Chief military prosecutor Sergei Fridinsky said: 'It is impossible to measure in roubles or anything else the amount of harm caused by Skripal.' State-run TV in Russia even compared him to the legendary Soviet double agent Oleg Penkovsky, who spied for Britain and the US during the height of the Cold War. Penkovsky was shot by a firing squad in 1963 and is regarded as one of the most effective spies of all time. Advertisement

Who is the daughter of Russian spy Sergei Skripal? 'Ex-Holiday Inn employee' Yulia moved to London seven years ago and was visiting her father when pair were taken ill The critically-ill daughter of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal is a businesswoman who supported jailing Vladimir Putin on Facebook. Yulia Skripal, 33, moved to London in 2010 - the same year her father was granted refuge in Britain - and relocated to Southampton, Hampshire. She has since moved between the UK and Russia, working for Nike in the Russian capital and PepsiCo, according to her social media accounts. According to her Facebook page she went to school and university in Moscow and lived in Malta for some time when she was young. She remains in a critical condition after she collapsed in Salisbury city centre with her father In 2008, she started her role as a Customer Operations Representative at Nike after she graduated from Moscow State Humanities University. Two years later she quit the job and moved to London before relocating to the south coast when she worked for Holiday Inn in Southampton. It is unclear whether she lived with her father or if she had a boyfriend or partner in London. In 2012, her father later moved into a 350,000 four-bedroom home in Salisbury - just 20 miles west of Southampton - and the house was paid for in cash. It was previously owned by Wiltshire Police and neighbours described her father as being a 'happy man' who drove a BMW 3 Series. Yulia (left) reported the death of her father's wife to Wiltshire Police when she died in 2012 And it has now emerged that she wrote 'nice' when a friend said he hoped the Russian President would be jailed in his anti-Putin letter. His letter read: 'I want to put in to jail Vladimir Putin, because I think that he is the worst president in the world. He stole so much money that they can feed a small starving country.' It is understood Yulia had moved back to Russia and was visiting her father when they were taken ill. Mr Skripal's housekeeper said she had been asked to clean Yulia's bedroom before her arrival. In 2012, her mother Liudmilla died and Yulia reported the death to Wiltshire Council. She recorded her father's occupation as a 'retired local government planning officer'. According to her Facebook, Ms Skripal attended Moscow State Humanities University Advertisement

From a row over risotto at an Italian restaurant to collapse on a park bench, how the 'poisoning' unfolded

SUNDAY 2.30PM A seafood lunch that ended with a bust-up over the bill

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, 33, left his neat, red brick 350,000 semi detached in Salisbury and made their way to Zizzi in the city centre, less than two miles away.

The restaurant, in Castle Street, was busy when they arrived, but they declined the seats offered to them at the front, instead selecting ones at the back, close to the kitchen. They began with a starter of garlic bread to share followed by two glasses of white wine.

They ordered from the menu, choosing the 600 calorie risotto pesce with king prawns, mussels and squid rings in a tomato, chilli and white wine sauce.

The police investigation centres on Salisbury's Zizzi restaurant, a nearby pub and the park where Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found on Sunday

Police officers man a cordon near a forensic tent where Sergei Skripal, 66 and his daughter Yulia Skripal, in her 30s, were found unconscious in Salisbury town centre

Detectives are trying to work out if Skripal was given the mystery substance in the restaurant

But within minutes Mr Skripal had become angry, a witness said. 'I think he was swearing in Russian,' said the man, who did not want to be named.

'She was just sitting there quietly, and didn't really say anything. They were both smartly dressed, she was in a black coat.

'They were speaking to each other in Russian.' He said Mr Skripal appeared annoyed that their main course had taken 20 minutes to arrive - and appeared in a hurry to leave. He was going absolutely crazy, I didn't understand it and I couldn't understand him.

'They had not been seen for a little while by the front of house staff, but I think it was more than that. He just wanted his food and to go. He was just shouting and losing his temper. I would have asked him to leave. He just said 'I want my food and my bill'. The waiter took him the bill at the same time as the main course, which was unusual.

Freya Church, 27, who spotted the pair 'slumped' and 'passed out' on the bench told the Press Association the couple in the CCTV images were '100%' the people she saw on Sunday

Witness Freya Church walks with a policeman near the place in Salisbury where the two people were found unconscious

I don't think they paid all of the bill. I think they were given a discount because he was so angry and agitated. He had to wait about 20 minutes for his main course.

'I think it was easier for the staff just to give him money to leave as he was so angry.

'They were sitting by themselves at the back of the restaurant but I think people were pleased when they left. They were only there for about 45 minutes. It was a quick lunch. He just wanted to get out of there. She was silent, perhaps embarrassed.'

He added: 'He didn't seem to have to wait long for his food. I noticed him first because they were sitting by themselves, and because he was an older man with a younger woman, and because he was losing his temper. He didn't seem ill physically, but perhaps mentally ill with the way he was shouting. The witness said other than appearing angry, there was no sign that either of them were ill.

'They weren't poisoned at Zizzi. I saw the chef prepare the food,' he said. 'No one could have sneaked in and added anything to his food there, the kitchen is open. The drinks are made at the bar which is by the door, but I think it is unlikely. No one could get to him.' Their total food bill - for the risotto, garlic bread and wine, would have been 39.25, or 31.40 with a 20 per cent discount.

A police tent has been put up over the park bench where the pair appeared 'catatonic'

3.47PM Spotted on CCTV holding hands before being found 'looking homeless' on bench

After paying by card the couple left and were later spotted on CCTV walking hurriedly down an alleyway connecting Zizzi and The Maltings and the bench where they were later found.

In the footage, from cameras at a gym, the pair appear to be walking briskly along the street holding hands, and show no signs of any illness.

But just 16 minutes later, personal trainer Freya Church, 27, came across them slumped on a bench. She said they seemed 'out of it' and assumed they were on drugs. 'It was a young, blonde and pretty girl and it was definitely the man that's been pictured in the news - the guy that's a spy. She was passed out and he was looking up to the sky and I tried to get eye contact to see if they were okay.

'They didn't seem with it. To be honest I thought they were just drugged out as they were in a weird state. There are lots of homeless people here so I just thought they were homeless.'

Police also threw a cordon around a nearby pub as they desperately trying to piece together where the father and daughter had been and who else might be affected

4.03PM White-faced and frothing at the mouth

Witness Jamie Paine told the BBC: 'Her eyes were just completely white, they were wide open, but just white and frothing at the mouth. And then the man went stiff, his arms stopped moving and still looking dead straight.'

Georgia Pridham, 25, also saw the couple slumped on the bench. She said: 'He was quite smartly dressed. He had his palms up to the sky as if he was shrugging and was staring at the building in front of him.

He had a woman sat next to him on the bench who was slumped on his shoulder.' She added: 'He was staring dead straight. He was conscious but it was like he was frozen and slightly rocking back and forward.' Two police officers helped the pair before emergency services were called at 4.15pm.

Graham Mulcock said: 'The paramedics seemed to be struggling to keep the two people conscious.

The inside and outside of The Mill pub in Salisbury are pictured after it was sealed off by police

The man was sitting staring into space in a catatonic state.' Destiny Reynolds, 20, who works in Ganesha Handicrafts in the cen-tre, said: 'I saw quite a lot of commotion - there were two people sat on the bench and there was a security guard there.

'They put her on the ground in the recovery position, and she was shaking like she was having a seizure. It was a bit manic. There were a lot of people crowded round them. It was raining, people had umbrellas and were putting them over them.' An air ambulance landed on a nearby shopping centre car park and Miss Skripal was taken to hospital while her father was taken by road.

But it was not until the next day, when hospital staff discovered their identity - and their links to Russia - that a major incident was declared.

The pair were taken to hospital after they collapsed inside The Maltings shopping centre after coming into contact with an unknown substance. Pictured, emergency crews at the centre

The A&E department at Salisbury District Hospital was closed, while two incident response unit ambulances and the fire service were called to the hospital to treat the patients and decontaminate the department.

Zizzi restaurant was also closed and police took away the table and chairs they were sitting at, examined the kitchen and food and interviewed staff. A pub, The Mill, in the Maltings, where Mr Skripal and his daughter are believed to have had a drink on Sunday, was also sealed off and remained so today.

The popular city centre pub, currently part way through its 'British pie week' was being searched while a single police officer stood guard at the entrance.

Was Russian spy taken down by VX?Just 10 milligrams of the nerve agent is enough to kill in minutes Military scientists are desperately trying to identify what was used to strike down Russian spy Sergei Skripal. Poison has typically been Russia's weapon of choice when 'dealing with' perceived traitors. From poison-tipped umbrellas to radioactive tea, a number of deadly toxins have been used in Russia-linked deaths in the UK. VX VX is one of the deadliest chemical weapons created by man. Experts say just 10 milligrams of the nerve agent or a single drop is enough to kill in minutes. With the texture and feel of engine oil, it can cause convulsions, loss of consciousness, paralysis and respiratory failure in minutes. It has the texture and feel of engine oil, but its only known use is as a chemical warfare agent. VX - classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations - was used in the murder of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong UN, at Kuala Lumpur airport on February 13. SARIN Sarin  a volatile nerve agent that was initially developed in Germany as a pesticide  is a liquid that is clear, colourless, tasteless and odourless. People can be exposed to sarin through skin contact, eye contact or by breathing it in through the air or it can be mixed with water or food. Symptoms of severe exposure to sarin include loss of consciousness, convulsions, paralysis and respiratory failure leading to death. Other possible poisons: THALLIUM Dubbed the 'poisoner's poison', Thallium is highly toxic but is tasteless, colourless and odourless and any contact with skin is dangerous. Thallium (pictured) is highly toxic but is tasteless, colourless and odourless and any contact with skin is dangerous Thallium, once known as 'Inheritance Powder' because it could easily kill people, is typically found in electronics and was used by Saddam Hussein on dissidents. It is slow-acting and painful and symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and hair loss. However, it is hard to trace and experts at Porton Down science park in Salisbury may never find out what was used. RICIN Ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans, the same substance used to make castor oil. If castor beans are chewed and swallowed, the released ricin can cause injury. It can be found as a powder, mist or pellet or it can be dissolved in water or weak acid. It is very difficult to trace. Ricin works by getting inside the body's cells and preventing them from making the proteins they need  and without them, cells die. Eventually this is harmful to the whole body and can cause death. But the effects of ricin poisoning depend on whether it was inhaled, ingested or injected. Cold War dissident Georgi Markov was assassinated on the streets of London in 1978 by a Bulgarian secret service agent, who used an umbrella that fired a pellet of ricin into his leg. Ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans (pictured), the same substance used to make castor oil When inhaled, symptoms include difficulty in breathing, fever, cough, nausea, sweating and tightness in the chest. Death occurs after blood pressure plummets and breathing stops. When swallowed, ricin causes vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, low blood pressure, seizures, and blood in the urine. There is no known antidote but treatment includes use of respirators, fluids, flushing the stomach and treating low blood pressure. POLONIUM-210 The toxin is considered an ideal poison because it is harmless until swallowed with a miniscule amount sufficient to cause a slow, painful and very public death. However, it is almost impossible to acquire without a nuclear reactor - and then decays within a few months. The radioactive substance was used to kill former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006, perhaps the most high-profile case of fatal poisoning. Thallium was the deadly poison that investigators originally thought had killed Alexander Litvinenko (pictured) It was slipped into a cup of green tea at the Millennium Hotel in Mayfair. Polonium-210 also leaves a radioactive trace, which in the Litvinenko case led investigators to Andrei Lugovoy. In 2016 a public inquiry concluded that the killing of Mr Litvinenko had 'probably' been carried out with the approval of Russian president Vladimir Putin. THALLIUM Thallium was the deadly poison that investigators originally thought had killed Alexander Litvinenko. Thallium sulphate is colourless, odourless and tasteless salt that is soluble in water, making it an almost ideal poison to use to kill. Known as the 'poisoner's poison', if ingested, it attacks the nervous system and internal organs and even a dose as small as a gram can cause death. Other symptoms include hair loss, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Within three days, victims can suffer headaches, convulsions, coma, delirium, dementia and even psychosis. It's believed Russian businessman Alexander Perepilichnyy was poisoned after Gelsemium was slipped into his sorrel soup GELSEMIUM Gelsemium is a rare and deadly plant poison which initially causes dizziness, nausea, blurred vision and convulsions. At larger doses, it causes paralysis of the spinal cord leading to an almost loss of muscle power and ultimately asphyxia. It's believed Russian businessman Alexander Perepilichnyy was poisoned after the substance was slipped into his sorrel soup. Police initially thought his death was not suspicious because there was no signs of toxins after he was found dead near his luxury home in Surrey in 2012. But scientists later found chemical traces of gelsemium in his stomach. An inquest into his death has been adjourned pending further inquiries. Former Ukranian President Victor Yushchenko suffered facial disfigurement after being given TCDD CURARE Curare is a plant extract initially used for poison arrows by South American tribes. It causes the respiratory muscles to contract, asphyxiating the victim. Scientists in Russia used curare under Joseph Stalin and American-born Communist spy Isaiah Oggins was executed in 1947 using this drug. TCDD This type of dioxin, an ingredient of Agent Orange, was used in the attempted assassination of Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko in 2004. He survived the attack to become his countrys president, but suffered major facial disfigurements. Advertisement

Boris Johnson says England could boycott the World Cup in Russia over suspected attempt to poison a former spy Britain could boycott the World Cup in Russia this summer if the Kremlin is shown to be responsible for a suspected assassination attempt of an ex-spy, Boris Johnson suggested. The Foreign Secretary said UK representation at the tournament would be 'difficult to see' as he threatened a range of new sanctions over what is suspected to be a bid to kill Sergei Skripal, 66, in Salisbury on Sunday. Mr Johnson said: 'If things turn out to be as many members suspect that they are... I think we will have to have a serious conversation about our engagement with Russia. 'And for my part I think it will be difficult to see how, thinking ahead to the World Cup this summer, I think it would be difficult to imagine that UK representation at that event could go ahead in the normal way. 'We will certainly have to consider that.' Noting that the case has 'echoes' of the death of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian dissident who was fatally poisoned in London in 2006, Mr Johnson told MPs: 'While it would be wrong to prejudge the investigation, I can reassure the House that should evidence emerge that implies state responsibility, then Her Majesty's Government will respond appropriately and robustly.' Mr Johnson said it was clear that Russia is now 'in many respects a malign and disruptive force and the UK is in the lead across the world in trying to counteract that activity'. Sources close to Mr Johnson later insisted he was referring to officials and dignitaries attending the tournament and not footballers. The World Cup begins in Russia in June. England are the only UK team to have qualified to take part. The Russian Embassy posted a short response to Mr Johnson's address to MPs, saying ironically: 'We are impressed by the statement of the Foreign Secretary in Parliament today. The Foreign Secretary spoke in such a manner as if the investigation was already over and Russia was found responsible for what had happened in Salisbury.' The statement continued: 'We regret that instead of a proper official clarification on the issue the Foreign Secretary chose to threaten Russia with retribution. Looks like the script of yet another anti-Russian campaign has been already written.' Advertisement

Cancer, car crash and liver failure: Mysterious deaths of family of Russian 'Spy with the Louis Vuitton Handbag'

He was jailed for passing on the identities of Russian secret agents in Europe to MI6

The former Russian double agent who is critically ill in hospital after a suspected poison plot was hit by a double family tragedy within five years, it has emerged.

Sergei Skripal, 66, is fighting for his life at Salisbury District Hospital after being found unconscious with his daughter Yulia, 33, in the city on Sunday.

And it was revealed yesterday how Mr Skripal had suffered two bereavements within just five years when his wife Lyudmila died aged 59 in 2012, before his son Alexandr passed away aged 43 in 2017.

Mystery surrounds the cause of death for both, with his wife's death certificate claiming she died of cancer but neighbours saying it was in a car crash.

It has been recorded that Mrs Skripal, died on October 23, 2012, with her death certificate recording the cause of death as disseminated endometrial carcinoma.

Her daughter Yulia reported the death to Wiltshire Council's register office, but told staff that her father was a retired local government planning officer.

As for Mr Skripal's son, he is said to have been killed in a car crash in St Petersburg last year  but the family's cleaner said he had actually died from liver problems.

The Russian security service (FSB) allege that Col Skripal began to sell information in 1990's right up until 1999 - when he left the special services

In Moscow at the time of his arrest he was mocked as 'the spy with the Louis Vuitton bag' after grainy pictures showed him at an airport on route on one meeting with his handlers

Putin has 'hostile intent' towards Britain, warns Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson Vladimir Putin has 'hostile intent' towards Britain, the Defence Secretary said yesterday. Gavin Williamson called for the UK to wake up to the threat posed by Russia. He warned that the Kremlin had developed a much more aggressive posture towards the UK in the past 12 months and the country should not sit submissively by. With relations between Britain and Russia believed to be at an all-time low, Mr Williamson told MPs that the country needed to 'match what Putin is doing with Russian forces'. During defence questions in the Commons, he said: 'Putin has made it quite clear that he has hostile intent towards this country. 'We've been seeing the build-up of his forces across the Eastern Front and in terms of what they're doing over many years now  we have to wake up to that threat and we have to respond to it. 'And it is not just through nuclear weapons  our continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent is absolutely integral to maintaining the peace, but it is also through conventional armed forces. We have to match what Putin is doing with Russian forces.' His comments came after he was asked by Labour's Barry Sheerman about comments the Russian president had made in a state-of-the-nation speech last week. Mr Sheerman pointed out that Mr Putin had basically announced 'a new Cold War'. Mr Putin boasted in his speech that Russia had developed an arsenal of invincible nuclear weapons that are immune to enemy detection. Advertisement

The woman who cleans Mr Skripal's home in Salisbury, who asked not to be named, said yesterday: 'I saw reports on the news that his wife had died in a car crash.

'That is not true, she died of cancer that she had when they moved to England. And his son died of liver problems, so I don't know where the car crash idea came from.'

However, his neighbour Blake Stephens, 21, said earlier of Mr Skripal: 'He used to live with his wife but unfortunately she died in a car accident a while ago.'

But the BBC claimed Alexandr died on holiday in Russia with his girlfriend after being taken to hospital with liver failure, and that his family was suspicious about his death.

Mr Skripal was dramatically exposed as having spied for the British in one of the biggest East-West scandals since the end of the Cold War.

He rose to rank of colonel in the Russian military before becoming a top intelligence officer in the chaotic days after the fall of communism.

But his reputation came crashing down in 2004 when he was accused of passing on the identities of Russian secret agents in Europe to MI6.

By this time he had retired from the military but was said to have used his old contacts to spy for the West.

He was jailed for 13 years in 2006 and was only released in the high-profile spy-swap which involved glamourous Russian agent Anna Chapman, who had been caught spying in the US.

After being debriefed by British security services, he was given a new life living in a 340,000 house in Wiltshire.

At the time of his arrest he was mocked as 'the spy with the Louis Vuitton bag' after grainy pictures showed him with an expensive looking bag at an airport en route on one meeting with his handlers.

The Russian security service (FSB) alleged that Mr Skripal began to sell information in 1990's right up until 1999 - when he left the special services. They say he was paid around $100,000 for his services into his secret account in Spain.

Mr Skripal was turned by British special service until when he was detained for giving the UK top secret information.

The former intelligence officer, now believed to be 66, was convicted of 'high treason in the form of espionage' for his crimes.

He was alleged to have passed intelligence to a so-called 'spy rock' in a Moscow park

Russian authorities claimed agents walked past it transmitting their data via a hand held device

He pleaded guilty at his trial and co-operated with investigators, reports said at the time.

He was stripped of his rank of colonel and his state medals and ordered to spend his prison term in a high-security penal camp.

One of the Russian spies exchanged for Skripal was Anna Chapman (pictured), who was greeted as a hero by the Kremlin

He was sentenced in 2006 and was later pardoned in 2010 when he was one of four prisoners Moscow swapped for spies in the US.

He was released together with the three other individuals serving time in Russian prisons in exchange for ten Russian spies arrested by the FBI.

A year after his release he is believed to have bought a house in Sailsbury.

Ms Chapman was arrested at a New York police department precinct when she turned in a fake passport an undercover FBI agent had given to her.

As the daughter of a Russian diplomat, she became the most recognisable of the ten agents.

Nicknamed 'the spy with the Louis Vuitton bag', Mr Skripal exposed a huge network of Russian military spies working across Europe taking extraordinary risks to pass secrets to MI6.

The FSB caught him passing his intelligence to the infamous MI6 James Bond-style 'spy rock' - a fake stone packed with receiving equipment - in a Moscow park.

Russian secret services exposed the rock in 2006, revealing how agents walked past it transmitting their data to the rock via a hidden hand held device.

One official said after his conviction: 'His activities caused a significant blow to Russia's external security.'

A still from footage of Mr Skripal spying for Britain which was used against him in Russia

Russian loathing for Mr Skripal is highlighted by claims from Russian secret services historian Nikolai Luzan that the double was responsible for disclosing to MI6 the names of around 300 GRU staff members and other 'agents' including those working abroad.

Luzan referred to him Mr Skripal in a 2014 interview as 'this bastard - I'm not scared to use this word'.

'Just imagine what muck this man did to other people' - due to his treachery.

There has been no official confirmation of the 300 figure from the GRU.

State-run TV in Russia even compared him to the legendary Cold War agent Soviet double agent Oleg Penkovsky, who spied for Britain and the United States during the height of the Cold War.

Following his release Col Skripal underwent a debriefing in London following his exchange in the historic spy swap involving femme fatale Anna Chapman

Penvosky was shot by a firing squad in 1963 and is regarded as one of the most effective spies of all time.

Mr Skripal and a woman were found slumped on a bench in a busy shopping centre in Salisbury on Sunday.

He is critically ill along with the woman, 33, after they were both found at The Maltings shopping centre in a case that immediately drew parallels to the poisoning of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko.

Before this he was believed to be living at an address on Christie Miller Road in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

He had been living at the address with his wife Liudmila until she died in recent years.

'Traitors always end in a bad way. Usually from drugs in the street': How ex-KGB chief Putin hinted at the way Russia deals with spies Russian president Vladimir Putin (pictured today) once said 'traitors always end in a bad way' Russian president Vladimir Putin once hinted at how his country deals with spies by insisting that 'traitors always end in a bad way'. The former KGB chief's words are all the more chilling as fears build over a poison plot in Wiltshire against Sergei Skripal, a Russian colonel who spied for MI6. Among the Russian agents exposed was the red-haired 'femme fatale' Anna Chapman, and Mr Putin said at the time: 'It is a result of betrayal. 'Traitors always end in a bad way. Usually from a drinking habit, or from drugs, right in the street.' Mr Skripal was sentenced to 13 years in a high-security prison in 2006, before being freed in a 2010 deal which saw ten Russian sleeper agents expelled from the US. Mr Skripal retired from military intelligence, often known by its Russian-language acronym GRU. He went on to work at the Foreign Ministry until 2003. He was arrested in 2004 in Moscow and admitted he was recruited by British intelligence in 1995 and had provided information about GRU agents in Europe, for which he was paid more than $100,000. Mr Skripal was one of four agents pardoned and released by Moscow in what was said at the time to be the biggest spy swap since the Cold War. He was flown to the UK with another of the men freed by Russia in the exchange - analyst Igor Sutyagin, who was serving a 14-year sentence for spying for the US. Russian spy Anna Chapman pictured on May 21, 2011 The spy swap took place on July 9, 2010 on the tarmac at Vienna's airport and a Boeing 767-200 carrying the four agents was understood to have later touched down at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The returning Russian spies were greeted as heroes in Moscow. Mr Putin, himself a former KGB officer who served in what was then East Germany, sang patriotic songs with them. But Mr Putin predicted a grim future for the man who had betrayed the Russian spies in the US, saying that he knew both his identity and location. He said that a 'Mercader has already been sent after him,' referring to Ramon Mercader, the assassin who was sent to kill Leon Trotsky in 1940 in Mexico. Mr Skripal was cast as a traitor by Moscow at the time of the spy swap. He is thought to have done serious damage to Russian spy networks in Britain and Europe. Advertisement

'It bears all the hallmarks of a Russian attack': Senior MP demands new sanctions to the Kremlin's 'soft war' on Britain after suspected spy attack

A senior MP yesterday said a suspected attempt to kill a Russian ex-spy bears 'all the hallmarks' of a Kremlin attack.

Tom Tugendhat said if proven the possible poisoning of Sergei Skripal, 66, would be a new escalation in a 'soft war' by Russia against the UK.

The chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee said new sanctions should be imposed against Russia if it was proven the Kremlin ordered the attack.

Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat said if proven the possible poisoning of Sergei Skripal, 66, would a new escalation in a 'soft war' against the UK

The warning comes after shadow defence secretary Diane Abbott warned ministers not to allow 'London and the Home Counties to become a kind of killing field for the Russian state'.

WHAT SANCTIONS COULD BE IMPOSED ON RUSSIA? Tory MP Tom Tugendhat called for a new range of sanctions if it is proven Russia is behind a suspected assassination attempt in London. He revived calls for a 'Magnitsky List' to be set up in Britain. It would mirror US laws imposing travel bans on senior Kremlin officials responsible for the death of Russian accountant Sergei Magnitsky in a prison in 2009. UK ministers have repeatedly refused to pass a similar law, but has imposed financial sanctions on several senior Russian figures. Further sanctions could see UK assets owned by Kremlin officials seized and travel bans on more individuals imposed. The intent is to stop the ruling elite in Moscow travelling freely and keeping money abroad while Putin operates with little restraint. Advertisement

British relations with Russia have been chilly since President Vladimir Putin was suspected of personally ordering the attack on Litvinenko.

Former cabinet minister John Whittingdale said it was possible the existing sanctions were failing to deter Russia 'from carrying out further assassinations on British soil'.

The comments came as Boris Johnson pledged to speak with Home Secretary Amber Rudd after calls for a fresh police investigation into 14 deaths in the UK that have been linked to Russia.

Mr Whittingdale, the former culture secretary, told MPs: 'It is almost exactly four years since the annexation of the sovereign territory of Ukraine in Crimea by Russia.

'It is two years since the public inquiry concluded that President Putin almost certainly approved the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.

'Is it not clear, therefore, that existing sanctions are failing to deter Russia, possibly even from carrying out further assassinations on British soil.

'And that the time has come to impose far tougher sanctions against targeted individuals associated with President Putin's regime.'

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson yesterday repeated warnings of the military threat from Russia, warning Putin had 'hostile intent' toward Britain.

Skripal who had recently told police he feared for his life, was rushed to hospital after collapsing on a bench outside a shopping centre in Salisbury on Sunday.

He was found with a 33-year-old woman, who is also fighting for her life. She is thought to be a family member.

Health chiefs said the pair had been exposed to an 'unknown substance'.

Mr Tugendhat said that if Russian involvement was proved, the Skripal case would amount to a further salvo in a 'soft war against the UK' conducted by Mr Putin's administration.

'It is too early to say whether it is certain or not, but it certainly bears all the hallmarks of a Russian attack,' Mr Tugendhat said.

'If it is, then I am calling for a whole-of-Government response. Too much of this has been left to the Foreign Office or the Home Office separately.

'What needs to be done is for the whole Government to get involved in responding to what amounts to a soft war against the UK, taking in the cyber-hacking they have done and the various aggressions they have been involved in.'

Mr Tugendhat said that the eventual response to any Russian involvement in the Skripal case could include travel bans, sanctions and the imposition of Magnitsky Sanctions legislation allowing the assets of human rights violators to be frozen in the UK.

Diane Abbott (file image) demanded answers from ministers about an apparent attack on a Russian spy she said had 'striking similarities' to the murder of Alexander Litvinenko

Ms Abbott told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: 'It's important not to speculate without knowing everything it but it does bear a striking similarity to the death of Litvinenko who was poisoned by the Russian state and before that Markov who was killed bizarrely by somebody stabbing him with an umbrella with poison on the tip.

'That was put to the Russian state and the problem with these things is sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.'

Ms Abbott added: 'I don't like defaulting to a red menace analysis but we can't allow London and the Home Counties to become a kind of killing field for the Russian state.'

Ms Abbott's intervention came as the Government remained tight lipped about the circumstances surrounding Skripal.

Julian Lewis, the chairman of the Commons defence committee, told MailOnline: 'If a second Russian former spy has been targeted in the UK, after the reckless use of polonium to kill Mr Litvinenko, it shows that the Kremlin has not the slightest interest in a positive relationship with the West and has learned nothing from the outrage caused by its previous public act of murder.'

Chairman of the Commons defence committee Julian Lewis (left) told MailOnline a proven second case of assassination on British soil would prove Russia had learned nothing from outrage at the Litvinenko murder, while Labour's Chris Bryant (right) called for a Government statement

Labour MP Chris Bryant, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Russia, called for a Government minister to come to the despatch box to update the Commons on what is known about the Skripal case.

Mr Bryant said: 'We have got to be a little careful about establishing the facts - and I very much hope a Government minister will come to the chamber later today to explain what we do know - but we know Putin's record of using excessive violence.

'There is a long list of Putin opponents who have been bumped off around the world. The fact that this happens just before presidential elections, I would suspect, is not circumstantial.

'We can't be having Russian operatives bumping people off in the UK. I was very critical of both David Cameron and Theresa May in the 2010 Parliament because they kept refusing to allow a full investigation of the Litvinenko murder. It was years before Theresa May finally allowed one to happen.

'If something similar has occurred in this situation, then we shouldn't let the grass grow under our feet.'

'Poisoned spy case' echoes fate of Alexander Litvinenko - Putin critic killed by polonium-laced tea Relations between Britain and Russia have been strained since the murder of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006, a killing which a judge said was probably approved by President Vladimir Putin. The defector died after two agents slipped radioactive polonium 210 into his tea pot at a Mayfair hotel in central London, according to an inquiry headed by former high court judge Sir Robert Owen. The inquiry found two Russian men - Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun - had deliberately poisoned Litvinenko by putting polonium-210 into his drink at a London hotel, leading to an agonising death. Alexander Litvinenko died after two agents slipped radioactive polonium 210 into his tea It said the use of the radioactive substance - which could only have come from a nuclear reactor - was a 'strong indicator' of state involvement and that the two men had probably been acting under the direction of the FSB. Possible motives included Litvinenko's work for British intelligence agencies, his criticism of the FSB, and his association with other Russian dissidents, while it said there was also a 'personal dimension' to the antagonism between him and Putin. International arrest warrants issued for Mr Lugovoi and Mr Kovtun remain in force although Russia continues to refuse their extradition. The Millennium Hotel in Mayfair, where he is said to have been poisoned In a statement to mark the 10th anniversary of his death, Marina Litvinenko said her husband - who she called Sasha - had been an 'extraordinary man' whose courage in speaking out against the Russian security service, the FSB, had left an enduring legacy. While she acknowledged Mr Putin had refused to accept the inquiry's findings, she said it remained open for other world leaders to take action against the Russian state and that she hoped her struggle to find the truth had not been in vain. 'It has taken 10 long years for the truth to be established and for Sasha's dying words that President Putin was responsible for his death to be proved to be true,' she said. 'I know that Mr Putin's Russia does not accept the findings of the British public inquiry and will continue to deny the truth in the face of overwhelming evidence. 'But those findings are now part of history and the rest of the world understands the difference between truth and propaganda. And that is what matters to me. 'What action world leaders will take against the ever vengeful Russian state in these dramatic times remains to be seen. I hope and pray that my struggle has not been in vain.' Last year the scandal took a new twist when Scotland Yard detectives who investigated the Litvinenko case revealed they too had been poisoned by the Russians in an extraordinary attempt to thwart the inquiry. The inquiry found Andrei Lugovoi (left, in 2007) and Dmitri Kovtun (right, in 2006) - had deliberately poisoned Litvinenko Detective Inspector Brian Tarpey, who flew to Moscow to investigate, says: I remember one evening my officer [a colleague who travelled with him] was complaining of stomach cramp and not being very well. Next morning I accompanied him to the general prosecutors office. We were offered tea. I had no hesitation in accepting. After we left, I started to feel a little bit uncomfortable. Not wanting to put too fine a point on it, I had the s***s. I have no doubt in my mind that someone poisoned us with something like gastroenteritis. AdvertisementA young girl is fighting for life after being struck by a wheel which broke off a passing Land Rover.

The 11-year-old was struck by the nearside front wheel of the white Land Rover Discovery which had come loose as the car approached her from behind.

She is believed to have been walking along a footpath in Manby, near Louth, Lincolnshire, to a bus stop for a lift to school when the accident happened.

Land Rovers have been used extensively in Lincolnshire during the recent run of bad weather

Emergency services rushed to the scene to the junction of Tinkle Street, Carlton Road and Manby Middlegate shortly after 8am.

The girl was taken to Queen's Medical Centre, in Nottingham, by the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance.

Lincolnshire Police say she has life-threatening injuries and closed Manby Middlegate, heading towards Louth, while they investigated the incident.

A spokesperson for East Midlands Ambulance Service said: 'We received a call at 8.05am to an incident on Manby Middlegate.

'The caller reported a road traffic collision involving one patient and one vehicle. We sent a paramedic responder, a paramedic on a Fast Response Vehicle, an ambulance and the Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire Air Ambulance. One patient was taken to Queens Medical Centre.'

A spokeswoman for the air ambulance said: 'Our crew was dispatched to a collision in Louth at 8.14am. Our crew arrived on scene in just 11 minutes - a journey that by land would have taken nearly an hour.

'Our crew were required to treat and airlift one patient - a female child, to Queen's Medical Centre Nottingham. They arrived back at base at 12.15pm.'

The Land Rover Discovery appeared to be an older model which had modifications including large off-road tyres, a paneled rear cabin and spot lamps on the roof.

The vehicle involved was a white Land Rover Discovery - similar to this vehicle - but which had several modifications including large off-road tyres, a paneled rear cabin and spot lamps on the roof

Residents were horrified to hear of what had happened. A shopper at the Co-op store in Manby Middlegate said: 'We are all in shock. It's a terrible thing to happen in our lovely village.'

Meanwhile, workmen who were scheduled to carry out roof repairs at a nearby property had been unable to access the site. They went through the diversion to Legbourne and Reston.

'It's not a problem if it is such a serious accident', said one of the flatroofers.

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police confirmed the schoolgirl is in a critical condition and said an investigation has begun to establish the causes of the collision and urged anyone with information or was a witness to contact them on 101 quoting log number 52 of today.

A police statement added: 'An 11-year-old girl, who was the pedestrian, has been seriously injured and has been taken to QMC by the Air Ambulance.'Yulia Skripal (pictured), daughter of Sergei Skripal, remarked 'nice' when a friend said he hoped Vladimir Putin would be jailed

The daughter of Sergei Skripal remarked 'nice' when a friend said he hoped Vladimir Putin would be jailed, it was revealed last night.

Yulia, 33  believed to have been struck down by the same unknown substance as her father  commented on a child's letter posted on Facebook which accused Putin of being 'the worst president in the world'.

Yulia's social media page shows she moved to London in 2010, the same year her father was granted refuge in Britain.

She later relocated to Southampton, Hampshire, working at a Holiday Inn.

She has since moved between the UK and Russia, working for Nike and PepsiCo in Moscow, according to her social media accounts.

According to her Facebook page she went to school and university in Moscow and lived in Malta for some time when she was young.

Having left Russia in an extraordinary 'spy swap', the colonel and his family moved into a semi-detached house on the edge of Salisbury two years later.

The 350,000 four-bedroom house was paid for in cash, having previously been owned by Wiltshire Police.

This letter was posted on Facebook, appearing to be a child's school work criticising Putin

Yulia was among those who responded to the post, commenting 'nice' beneath it

Yulia's social media page shows she moved to London in 2010, the same year her father was granted refuge in Britain. She is fighting for her life after being struck by an unknown substance

Mr Skripal was accused of spying for Britain and sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006

The family's neighbours in the neat and tidy road described him as a 'happy' man who drove a BMW 3 Series and lived in a 'normal house'.

But relatives of the former spy said he believed the Russian special services could come after him at any time.

Mr Skripal often went to his local shop to buy a particular type of Polish sausage and spent up to 40 a time on lottery scratch cards. He was described as a 'polite' and 'kind' customer who often won money.

Neighbours said they did not know him well, although he organised a house-warming party shortly after moving in, inviting people by dropping notes through doors.

Mr Skripal lived on the street with his wife Lyudmila until she died in October 2012 at the age of 59.

Her death certificate said she died from disseminated endometrial carcinoma  womb cancer  which she was diagnosed with in Russia.

Police in forensics suits and gas masks are seen inside Zizzi's restaurant in Salisbury, Wiltshire, where Mr Skripal and his daughter visited before becoming ill with suspected poisoning

Mr Skripal is believed to have been living at this address in Salisbury since he moved to the UK

The death was reported to Wiltshire Council by Yulia, who recorded her father's occupation as a 'retired local government planning officer'.

Last year Mr Skripal's son also died. He was admitted to a hospital in St Petersburg with liver failure while visiting Russia with his girlfriend, according to reports.

Both the former spy's children appear to have travelled freely between Russia and the UK.

In November 2013, Yulia posted the word 'nice' in response to her friend's anti-Putin letter, written to practice his English and corrected with the teacher's red ink.

It read: 'I want to put in to jail Vladimir Putin, because I think that he is the worst president in the world. He stole so much money that they can feed a small starving country.'

It is understood Yulia had moved back to Russia and was visiting her father when they were taken ill. Mr Skripal's housekeeper yesterday said she had been asked to clean Yulia's bedroom before her arrival.

He was jailed for passing on the identities of Russian secret agents in Europe to MI6

The woman, who asked not to be named, broke down in tears as she described discovering the former spy was critically ill.

She said: 'He is a lovely, friendly and kind-hearted man and I was shocked when I found out it was him who was in hospital. I burst into tears. I turned up to his house on Monday to clean and the police told me I couldn't go in but they wouldn't say why.

'When the news said the police didn't know who the woman was, I called the police to tell them.

'I then saw reports on the news that his wife had died in a car crash  that is not true, she died of cancer that she had when they moved to England. And his son died of liver problems.

'I knew he was in the Russian army as we chatted a bit but he never said he was a spy.

'He had friends and he loved music and he would go and talk to the neighbours sometimes but mostly kept himself to himself.'

A still from footage of Mr Skripal spying for Britain which was used against him in Russia

It is understood that Mr Skripal, who was allegedly paid 78,000 in exchange for passing classified information to MI6, was entitled to claim a pension in Britain.

Security sources said he sometimes visited MI6 and military academies and lectured students about the GRU, Russia's foreign military intelligence agency, as part of consultancy work.

Away from work, he had joined the 10-a-year Railway Social Club in Salisbury.

Retired Russian colonel Sergei Skripal was brought to Britain in a spy-swap after he was jailed in Russia for spying for MI6

Local shopkeeper Ebru Ozturk, 41, said Mr Skripal came into her store once a week to buy Polish sausage and scratch cards. She said he was 'like a grandfather'.

'He's a very kind person, I really look forward to him coming in,' she said. 'Last time I saw him is a few days ago - he came in and bought a scratch card.

'He often wins money. He's very lucky. He was always well-dressed and neat.'

'He bought lottery tickets a lot. He was very polite. He's a very kind customer. He sometimes came with his daughter. He mentioned that his wife had died a couple of years ago. Whenever I saw him he was happy.

'I think he was doing lots of business things. He knows lots of different languages, he's very educated. I think he's been to lots of different countries.

'We chatted about different countries and different foods he cooked. I was about to ask if he wanted any Russian food or vodka the next time he comes in.'

Yesterday Igor Sutyagin, 53, a nuclear arms expert convicted of treason, who left Russia in the same spy swap, said he shared a whisky with Skripal on the US plane that took them to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

He added: 'Our ways almost immediately separated and if Skripal was really killed then I have no idea why.'Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia has been quite successful in its efforts to match the status of a major weapons exporter. In 2017 the export of Russian military hardware went up for a third year running to above $15 billion, TASS reported.

March 6, 2018, 09:39 Putin: Russias weapons export in 2017 exceeded $15 billion

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 6, ARTSAKHPRESS:"Russia matches high standards and confirms its status of one of the leading providers on the world weapons market," he said at a meeting of the commission on military-technical cooperation. "The export of military hardware has grown for a third year in a row to more than $15 billion."

Putin also declared that the value of weapons export contracts signed last year doubled to $16 billion.

"The scope of our military-technical cooperation keeps growing in geographic terms steadily. The number of partners has already exceeded one hundred countries," Putin said. "At the end of last year the amount of contracts signed nearly doubled to $16 billion, which took the overall value of orders for Russian weapons and equipment received to more than $45 billion," the president said.President Trump's chief economic advisor Gary Cohn is departing the administration after losing an internal clash over looming steel tariffs.

Word of his departure came just hours after Trump said he would impose 'loving, loving' tariffs to protect U.S. industry, and issued a new threat against European cars.

'Gary has been my chief economic adviser and did a superb job in driving our agenda, helping to deliver historic tax cuts and reforms and unleashing the American economy once again,' Trump told the New York Times in a statement.

'He is a rare talent, and I thank him for his dedicated service to the American people.'

Cohn, 57, is expected to leave within weeks. He becomes just the latest Trump adviser to abandon ship, just days after communications director Hope Hicks decided to go.

WOE IS ME: Chief of Staff to Vice President Pence Nick Ayers, left, and White House chief economic adviser Gary Cohn, listen as President Donald Trump speaks at a meeting with the members of the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. He is expected to leave within weeks

President Trump tweeted his optimistic reassurance on Tuesday that 'many people want the job' and he'll carefully choose Cohn's successor soon

The news comes on a day when Trump tweeted about 'chaos' and churn on the staff, and defended the White House as a place where everyone wants to work.

'Everyone wants to work in the White House,' Trump said. 'They all want a piece of the Oval Office.'

'The new Fake News narrative is that there is CHAOS in the White House. Wrong!' Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. 'People will always come & go, and I want strong dialogue before making a final decision.'

He added, 'I still have some people that I want to change (always seeking perfection). There is no Chaos, only great Energy!'

On Tuesday he added in an optimistic tweet that he would be 'making a decision soon on the appointment of new Chief Economic Advisor. Many people wanting the job  will choose wisely!'

The groundwork for Cohn's departure came last week when Trump surprised his own aides by announcing his proposed 25 per cent steel tariff on live television during a meeting.

Cohn clashed with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross over the tariffs, and did not prevail.

The topic had been the subject of a fierce internal battle that had not been finalized.

'The European Union has been particularly tough on the United States,' Trump complained at a White House press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven

The administration is also considering tariffs to punish China for intellectual property abuses, Bloomberg reported. The move could provoke retaliation from China. The tariffs would hit various products as well as Chinese investment in the U.S., according to the report.

Trump defended the churn of his staff as beneficial in a press availability with the Swedish prime minister, where he also pounded the EU for its trade policies, amid fears a trade war could break out.

Cohn did not attend the news conference.

'The European Union has been particularly tough on the United States,' Trump complained.

Then he went after European cars  amid concerns that U.S. car manufacturers could suffer if the price of imported steel jumps under a Trump tariff.

'They make it almost impossible for us to do business with them, and yet they send their cars and everything else back into the United States,' Trump said.

National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster (R) ans Gary Cohn, White House Economic Advisor brief reporters on President Donald Trump's upcoming trip to the World Economic Forum later this week in Davos Switzerland, at the White House on January 23, 2018 in Washington, DC

'And they can do whatever they'd like, but if they do that, then we put a big tax of 25 per cent on their cars  and believe me, they won't be doing it very long.'

Trump also defended his White House as a great place to work  and even said it was a resume-builder.

'I don't really want to talk about that. I just said that the White House has tremendous energy. It has tremendous spirit. It is a great place to be working. Many, many people want every single job,' he replied.

Expanding on the tweet, Trump said, 'You know, I read where, 'Oh, gee, maybe people don't want to work for Trump.' And believe me, everybody wants to work in the White House.

Gary Cohn, White House Economic Advisor, briefs reporters on President Donald Trump's upcoming trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland, at the White House on January 23, 2018

National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster (R) and Gary Cohn, White House Economic Advisor brief reporters on President Donald Trump's trip to the World Economic Forum later this week in Davos Switzerland, at the White House on January 23, 2018 in Washington, DC

'And not only in terms of, it looks great on their resume, it's just a great place to work. It's got tremendous energy. It's tough,' he added. 'The White House has a tremendous energy and we have tremendous talent. Yeah, there'll be people, I'm not going to be specific, but there'll be people that change. They always change. Sometimes they want to go out and do something else.'

The news follows reports that Cohn had organized a Thursday meeting with representatives of industries affected by the proposed steel tariffs. It would have been an opportunity for them to try to push back at the idea.

An auto industry source told DailyMail.com Tuesday before word of Cohn broke that the meeting was apparently off for now.

Cohn, who is Jewish, nearly quit after Trump's equivocating remarks on Charlottesville. He drafted a resignation letter that he did not submit.

Cohn's departure follows that of Communications Director Hope Hicks, who announced she was leaving days after appearing before congressional investigators

CHURN: White House Communications Director Hope Hicks announced that she will be leaving soon

The White House issued glowing statements about Cohn Tuesday evening.

'Gary has served his country with great distinction, dedicating his skill and leadership to grow the U.S. economy and pass historic tax reform. I will miss having him as a partner in the White House, but he departs having made a real impact in the lives of the American people,' said chief of staff John Kelly.

Cohn said in the statement: 'It has been an honor to serve my country and enact pro-growth economic policies to benefit the American people, in particular the passage of historic tax reform. I am grateful to the President for giving me this opportunity and wish him and the Administration great success in the future.'

The Times reported Cohn's departure followed conversations Trump had with him about potentially replacing Kelly as White House chief of staff. Trump never made a formal job offer but did discuss whether Cohn was interested, according to the report.Sex toys are wide open to hackers and not enough is being done to make them secure, an MP has warned.

Vibrators are equipped with long-distance remote controls and cameras, which means they could be hacked from countries as far away as Russia and North Korea.

Security experts have shown web-connected sex toys, such as the 180 ($250) Svakom Siime Eye vibrator, can be hacked to collect intimate user data.

Chi Onwurah, the Labour MP for Newcastle Central said she wants manufacturers to be legally required to upgrade the security on every device.

Scroll down for video

Sex toys are wide open to hackers and not enough is being done to make them secure, an MP has warned. Chi Onwurah, the Labour MP for Newcastle Central (pictured) said she wanted manufacturers to be legally required to upgrade security on every device

Vibrators now often come with apps that mean users can share images on mobile devices.

'You can hack a dildo, and when you've hacked that device, it's more than violating your privacy; it's violating your security,' said Ms Onwurah, speaking to The Times.

'Electric toothbrushes, fridges, doorbells, dildos  anything with the word "smart" that communicates with the rest of the world can be hacked.'

Ms Onwurah, 52, recently bought a 'smart' toothbrush and said she spent 30 minutes checking with the company that it was secure.

She warned that soon people's homes will be flooded by devices that pose a serious security risk.

'Then we've got smart shoes, smart clothes, which means you're location may be hackable and identifiable', she addded.

'You may think that it's not very important people know where you are, but that kind of information can leave you very much open to being phished.'

Last year security experts uncovered a troubling vulnerability in a WiFi-connected sex toy that could allow hackers to live stream footage from the vibrator's point of view.

Security experts have shown web-connected sex toys, such as the $250 (180) Svakom Siime Eye vibrator (pictured), can be hacked to collect intimate user data. The Svakom Siime Eye has a camera on the end, giving users the option to capture photos or videos

The Svakom Siime Eye is a $250 (180) vibrator with a camera on the end, giving users the option to capture photos or videos during a session, including views from inside the body.

The weakness discovered by UK security firm Pen Test Partners means someone within WiFi range could easily guess the password to instantly access the stream  or, with a little more work, connect to it remotely and geo-locate Siime Eye users.

In a video demonstrating the Siime Eye, Svakom shows how the bizarre sex toy can 'record love through pictures and videos,' capturing a person's face, body, or even more intimate views thanks to its built-in endoscope.

Paired with the associated iPhone or Android app, users can save this footage to a device.

Last year security experts uncovered a troubling vulnerability in a WiFi-connected sex toy that could allow hackers to live stream footage from the vibrator's point of view. Researchers revealed that anyone in range can connect to the AP if they can guess the password

But, security experts have slammed the firm's decision to create a vibrator-endoscope that's also a WiFi access point, arguing that it's a 'case of another IoT device produced without much care or attention.'

In a blog post for Pen Test Partners, a researcher who goes by 'Beau du Jour' reveals that anyone in range can connect to the AP if they can guess the password  which is just '88888888' by default.

This would give that person access to the live video stream without the user's knowledge.

'When somebody is using it, someone else could be seeing the video stream,' Ken Munro, fonder of Pen Test Partners, told Motherboard.

'The fact they chose to use WiFi was utterly stupid.'

And, once connected to the WiFi, a hacker can also get into the web interface, which contains an 'admin' account with a blank password.

Security experts have slammed the firm's decision to create a vibrator-endoscope that's also a WiFi access point, arguing that it's a 'case of another IoT device produced without much care or attention'

'When somebody is using it, someone else could be seeing the video stream,' Ken Munro, founder of Pen Test Partners, told Motherboard . 'The fact they chose to use WiFi was utterly stupid'

This, according to the researcher, is hard-coded in the app, meaning that 'any user wanting to use the Siime Eye the official way will never change these credentials.

So, 'if you can get onto the wireless AP, you'll have instant access to everything on this web application,' the post explains.

'It allows multiple concurrent connections too, without any fuss at all.'

According to the researchers, they first warned Svakom of the vulnerability back in December and followed up in January after they did not receive a response.

And they reached out a third time in February to follow up again, and to inform the company of further code injection issues.Millennials are suffering from 'tech neck' due to slumping over mobile phones, an expert has warned.

This painful and increasingly common condition means the neck loses its natural curve, which unbalances the upper body.

Smart phones, tablets and other personal devices are to blame, with today's 20-year-olds suffering from backs as bad as people double their age.

The 'epidemic' has created a generation of hunchbacks with many in denial that their beloved phones are the source of the problem, chiropractors say.

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Smart phones, tablets and other personal devices are to blame for this 'epidemic' with today's 20-year-olds suffering from backs as bad as people double their age (stock image)

'We're seeing it in younger and younger children because they're getting their phones at a younger age,' said Dr. Brian Wallace, a chiropractor based in Bernardsville, New Jersey.

'It's one of the most common things we see', he said.

As people's posture gets worse their upper back muscles stretch out and the neck creeps forward.

This makes their head weigh at least ten pounds more than it should, writes the New York Post.

This causes structural back problems as well as breathing problems in extreme cases.

Dr Wallace said that the rolled-forward position means young people are unable to breathe properly.

This increases their anxiety levels and makes them more susceptible to medical conditions such as asthma.

People with persistent back pain very often learn to avoid activity and find everyday movements such as bending, lifting and twisting very difficult (stock image)

People with persistent back pain often learn to avoid activity and find everyday movements such as bending, lifting and twisting very difficult.

Very quickly the complex nerve connections from the brain to the muscles of the back become redundant, making these activities more difficult.

According to chiropractor Dr Christian Kang, who has a practice in New York City: 'Now, 20-year-olds have the spine health of a 30- or 40-year-old. It's an epidemic'.

What's more, experts say that young people are in denial about the fact their mobile devices are detrimental to their condition.

WHAT STRETCHES ARE GOOD FOR A BAD BACK? These stretches should only be tried if you're sure your chronic back pain isn't due to serious illness. Start with ten repetitions of each every day, and increase as the exercise becomes easier. BACK STRETCH Get down on the floor on all fours. Breathe out slowly as you sit back on your heels, feeling the stretch through your lower back. Keep your head down between your upper arms. STEP AND REACH Stand in front of a step. As you step onto it, reach upwards with both arms, feeling your spine stretch. Repeat, leading with the opposite foot. SIDE BEND Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms by your sides. Breathe out as you reach down your right side, pushing your hand down your leg. Stand up again, then reach down the left side, breathing out. DOOR STRETCH Stand in front of a doorway or a wall. Rest your hands on the door frame or wall, making a V-shape. Breathing out, reach upwards with your hands and feel the stretch in your back. FORWARD BEND Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms by your sides. Breathing out, bend forwards and reach downwards, keeping your knees soft and slightly bent. DEEP SQUAT Stand with one hand resting on the back of a chair, and slowly squat down, keeping your heels on the floor, breathing out as you go down. Feel the stretch through your back. SITTING TWIST Sit on a chair that has no arms (or a Swiss ball if you have one). Keep both feet on the floor and your arms curved in front of you at chest height, fingers touching. Breathing out, turn your upper body to the right, breathe in to return, and then breathe out as you turn your upper body to the left. HIP TWIST Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor, resting your arms by your sides. Breathe out and roll your knees slowly to the left. Breathe in, then out again as you roll them to the right. Advertisement

'You have to be cognisant of your crappy habits and work against them', warned Dr. Vito Minervini, a chiropractor based in New Jersey, as part of the New York Post feature.

'They'll say, 'I don't know where this pain is coming from,' and it's a completely ridiculous statement.'

Without regular movement, the back muscles can start to waste, and the muscle fibres, ligaments and tendons that connect the muscles to the bones shorten.

This all contributes to the stiffness that you feel in the part of your body that has been in pain, creating more pain.

'It's not a natural position and you'll destroy your spine, eventually', warned Dr Minervini.Footage of a triangular-shaped UFO is 'proof' of an air base on the moon, say conspiracy theorists.

Captured with a high-powered telescope, the shots appear to show a gigantic, black, triangular shape against the backdrop of the moon's rocky surface.

UFO believers have been sent into a frenzy, with some claiming this is proof of an air base on the barren satellite.

The strange footage was posted by conspiracy YouTube channel Secure Team 10, who say the image is the shadow of a 'craft' hovering over the surface of the moon.

'You can tell that this is a shadow because you can see the shadow wrapping around the craters', the narrator of the footage said.

'This was emailed to me by not only an amateur astronomer, but a guy who was the CEO of a corporate jet fleet in Texas.'

The amateur astronomer who spotted the triangular-shaped UFO has yet to be identified.

Sceptics argue the moving blob is merely a shadow cast by a craggy formation on the surface.

This explanation though, provides no explanation as to how it moved.

Another theory is that it is an anomaly or flaw in the lens of the photo-telescope.

This theory again fails to explain how the object moves between shots.

Footage of a triangular shaped object moving across the surface of the moon has sparked talk of a UFO. UFO believers claim this could be proof of an air base of the barren satellite

Conspiracy theorists believe the fact the unexplained triangular object moves in different images is proof that it is a spaceship. Sceptics cannot explain why the object has moved

WHAT MAKES SOMEONE BELIEVE IN CONSPIRACY THEORIES? Over the course of three online-based studies, researchers at the University of Kent showed strong links between the belief in conspiracy theories and certain psychological traits. Narcissism and self-esteem levels have a large impact on a persons belief in conspiracy theories. The results showed that people who rated highly on the narcissism scale and who had low self-esteem were more likely to be conspiracy believers. However, while low self-esteem, narcissism and belief in conspiracies are strongly linked, it is not clear that one - or a combination - causes the other. But it hints at an interesting new angle to the world of conspiracy and those who reinforce belief. There are widely believed to be three main reasons as to why people believe in conspiracy theories. The desire for understanding and certainty - Seeking explanations for events is a natural human desire.

The desire for control and security - Conspiracy theories can give their believers a sense of control and security.

The desire to maintain a positive self-image - People who feel socially marginalised are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories and it gives them a sense of worth in the UFO community. These three things tie in with the previously stated qualities and combine to create an avid conspiracy theorist. Advertisement

UFO hunters often claim to see aliens and just last month a bright, white UFO was spotted over a remote part of northern Norway.

Another UFO sightings happened last month in northeast Norway

The alleged 'aircraft' was seen by stunned onlookers in Bardufoss and then a short while later, it was seen again in 80 miles (130 km) away in Troms.

It lingered until after sunset then exploded neatly into two parts before disappearing into dust, according to witnesses.

Perplexed locals shared photographs and videos of the structure as it hovered above them near the town of Troms on Thursday night.

Tarquin Millington-Drake of Frontier Travels told DailyMail.com how he witnessed the spectacle.

'We thought it was a chopper coming towards us - a very bright light which came over the mountain and headed toward us - then it turned and went past us.'

A high-powered photo-telescope took the images at the same angle which show the object moving. Some people claim it is merely a shadow cast by a craggy formation on the surface of the moonAn out-of-control space station put in orbit by China will come crashing back to the planet within weeks and could hit Europe, the US, Australia and New Zealand.

The Tiangong-1 space station, which is hurtling towards Earth carrying a 'highly toxic chemical', will likely hit sometime between March 24 and April 19.

Agencies around the world have been monitoring the doomed 8.5-tonne craft, which is believed to contain dangerous hydrazine, as it falls toward the planet.

However, it will only be during the final week that experts will know with full confidence when it would land and where the debris will fall.

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The Tiangong-1 space station (artist's impression), which is hurtling towards Earth carrying a 'highly toxic chemical', will likely hit sometime between 24th March and 19th April

According to Aerospace, a research organisation that advises government and private enterprise on space flight, the space station will re-enter the Earth's atmosphere in the first week of April.

Exactly where it will hit is slightly harder to predict, although experts agree it will be somewhere between latitudes of 43 north and 43 south.

The chances of re-entry are slightly higher in northern states in the US, central Italy, northern Spain, northern China, New Zealand, the Middle East and parts of South Africa and southern Africa.

Scientists from the European Space Agency (ESA), based in Paris, are among those tracking Tiangong-1, which means 'heavenly palace'.

'Every couple of years something like this happens, but Tiangong-1 is big and dense so we need to keep an eye on it', Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist from Harvard University told the Guardian.

While most of it will burn up during re-entry, around 10 to 40 per cent of the satellite is expected to survive as debris, and some parts may contain dangerous hydrazine.

However, due to changing conditions in space, it is not possible to accurately predict where the module will land.

In recent months, the spacecraft has been speeding up and it is now falling by around 6km (3.7 miles) a week. In October it was falling at 1.5km (0.9 miles) a week.

While a precise landing location remains unclear, ESA has provided the latitudes between which Tiangong-1 is likely to land  and countries at risk include Spain, Italy, Turkey, India and parts of the US. ESA says no fragments will fall higher than 43N or further south than 43S

ESA issued an updated prediction of its re-entry date on January 12, giving a current estimated window between March 17 and April 21.

'It is only in the final week or so that we are going to be able to start speaking about it with more confidence,' said Dr McDowell.

'I would guess that a few pieces will survive re-entry. But we will only know where they are going to land after after the fact.'

Website Satflare, which provides online 3D tracking of more than 15,000 satellites, has calculated what it thinks are the chances of the space station entering the atmosphere during the next three months.

According to its analysis of orbital elements gathered during the last months, the re-enter may occur in March (20 per cent), in April (60 per cent) or in May 2018 (20 per cent).

These predictions may also change as new orbital measurements will be available.

Agencies around the world have been monitoring the doomed craft's descent, with three separate predictions issued in recent days. Experts from the European Space Agency give a current estimated re-entry window of between March 17 and April 21

Website Satflare has calculated odds of re-entry in March (20 per cent), in April (60 per cent) and in May 2018 (20 per cent)

Aerospace Corp has also issued its own forecast.

In a written statement, a company spokesman said: 'When considering the worst-case locations, the probability that a specific person will be struck by Tiangong-1 debris is about one million times smaller than the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot.

'In the history of spaceflight, no known person has ever been harmed by reentering space debris.

'Only one person has ever been recorded as being hit by a piece of space debris and, fortunately, she was not injured.'

On September 14, 2016, China made an official statement predicting Tiangong-1 would reenter the atmosphere in the latter half of 2017.

Experts from Aerospace's Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies (Cords) have been studying the space station and in November updated their predictions for its uncontrolled re-entry.

WHAT IS THE 'HIGHLY TOXIC' CHEMICAL ONBOARD CHINA'S TIANGONG-1 SPACE STATION? A 'highly-toxic' corrosive chemical could land on Earth when parts of an out-of-control Chinese space station crash into our planet. The chemical, called hydrazine, is used in rocket fuel and long-term exposure is believed to cause cancer in humans. It is being carried aboard the Tiangong-1 space station which is hurtling towards Earth. The warning over exposure to the chemical came from Aerospace Corp, a non-profit corporation based in El Segundo, California, which provides technical guidance and advice on all aspects of space missions. Hydrazine is a colourless, oily liquid or sometimes white crystalline compound with a very highly reactive base. A 'highly-toxic' corrosive chemical could be spread over the planet when a Chinese space station crashes to Earth, experts have warned. The substance, called hydrazine, is used in rocket fuel and is believed to cause cancer in humans (stock image) It has a number of industrial, agricultural and military uses, including in rocket fuel. Symptoms of short-term exposure to high levels of hydrazine include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, dizziness, headache, nausea, pulmonary edema, seizures, and coma, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Long-term exposure can also damage the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system in humans. The liquid is corrosive and may produce dermatitis from skin contact in humans and animals. Increased incidences of lung, nasal cavity, and liver tumours have been observed in rodents exposed to hydrazine. The EPA has classified hydrazine as a Group B2, a probable human carcinogen. Advertisement

The Tiangong-1 spacecraft launched in 2011, with the aim of using the craft to set up a larger space station.

The craft is now at an altitude of less than 300 kilometres (186 miles) in an orbit that is decaying, forcing it to make an uncontrolled re-entry.

Holger Krag, head of ESA's Space Debris Office, said: 'Owing to the geometry of the station's orbit, we can already exclude the possibility that any fragments will fall over any spot further north than 43N or further south than 43S.

'This means that re-entry may take place over any spot on Earth between these latitudes, which includes several European countries, for example.

'The date, time and geographic footprint of the re-entry can only be predicted with large uncertainties.

Aerospace Corp, a US non-profit corporation which provides technical guidance and advice on all aspects of space missions, says Tiangong-1 will re-enter the planet's atmosphere in mid to late March, with wiggle room of two weeks either side of this timeframe

WHAT IS THE TIANGONG-1 SPACE STATION? The vehicle is 10.4 metres long and has a main diameter of 3.35 metres. It has a liftoff mass of 8,506 kilograms and provides 15 cubic metres of pressurised volume Tiangong-1 is China's first Space Station Module. The vehicle was the nation's first step towards its ultimate goal of developing, building, and operating a large Space Station as a permanent human presence in Low Earth Orbit. The module was launched on September 29, 2012. Tiangong-1 features flight-proven components of Chinese Shenzhou Spacecraft as well as new technology. The module consists of three sections: the aft service module, a transition section and the habitable orbital module. The vehicle is 10.4 metres long and has a main diameter of 3.35 metres. It has a liftoff mass of 8,506 kilograms and provides 15 cubic metres of pressurized volume. Advertisement

'Even shortly before re-entry, only a very large time and geographical window can be estimated.'

Much of the spacecraft is expected to burn up in the atmosphere upon re-entry.

But owing to the station's mass and construction materials, there is a possibility that some portions of it will survive and reach the surface.

In the history of spaceflight, no casualties due to falling space debris have ever been confirmed.Earth's magnetic field is dramatically weakening, and according to new research, this disruption is part of a pattern lasting for over 1,000 years.

Experts found that a weak patch over the southern hemisphere known as the 'South Atlantic Anomaly', which has grown in size over the past 170 years, is not a fluke, and is likely being caused by a dense reservoir of rock deep below Africa.

This may be weakening the rest of Earth's magnetic field, which scientists are concerned could flip the planet's magnetic poles.

Researchers came to their conclusion by studying minerals baked into African clay huts that were ritually burned during the Iron Age.

As part of their study, they found that the Anomaly's field strength is now so weak that its a hazard for satellites that orbit above the region.

This is because the magnetic field no longer protects them from radiation which interferes with satellite electronics.

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Sampling of minerals found in the remains of clay huts burned during the Iron Age shows that Earth's magnetic field has formed weak spots over Africa several times in the past. The huts were found in Limpopo River (file photo) Valley

The minerals have given scientists precious insight into Earth's magnetism above Africa over the past thousand years.

According to the new research, from experts at the University of Rochester in New York, the poles have reversed frequently over the history of the planet, but the last reversal occurred some 780,000 years ago.

When flips do occur, they don't take place immediately. Instead, they flip slowly over thousands of years.

Researchers aren't sure whether Earth can expect another flip in the near future, due to a lack of data.

'We've known for quite some time that the magnetic field has been changing, but we didn't really know if this was unusual for this region on a longer timescale, or whether it was normal,' study coauthor Dr Vincent Hare told Science Alert.

According to the researchers, one of the reasons scientists don't know much about the magnetic history of the South Atlantic Anomaly region of Earth is because they don't have enough archeomagnetic data - physical evidence of magnetism in Earth's past, preserved in rocks.

Researchers identified and sampled the remains of burnt mud grain bins, hut floors, and cattle enclosures from well-dated Early and Late Iron Age localities around the Shashe-Limpopo confluence and surrounding plateaus in northern South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe

The location of the South Atlantic Anomaly (pictured in blue), an area extending from Zimbabwe to Chile where the Earth's magnetic field is weakening. Green areas show hot dense mantle at the core-mantle boundary, and dark blue lines indicate magnetic field strength

But the practices of a group of ancient Africans who lived in the Limpopo River Valley, which borders Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana (which fall within the South Atlantic Anomaly) have proven to be essential to the new study conducted by the researchers.

About 1,000 years ago, some Bantu peoples would burn down their clay huts and grain bins during times of drought, in a ritual intended to make rains come.

'When you burn clay at very high temperatures, you actually stabilise the magnetic minerals, and when they cool from these very high temperatures, they lock in a record of the earth's magnetic field,' said study coauthor Professor John Tarduno.

By analysing these ancient clay artefacts, the researchers were able to obtain historical records of Earth's magnetic field.

Photograph of a site (b) near the Limpopo River Valley in Southern Africa is shown along with (c) examples of excavated fragments. Each fragment sampled has a unique magnetic field orientation line, revealing historical characteristics of the magnetic field there at the time

The researchers said they were looking for recurrent behaviour of anomalies, as that is what's happening today in the South Atlantic Anomaly.

'We found evidence that these anomalies have happened in the past, and this helps us contextualise the current changes in the magnetic field,' said Dr Tarduno.

The artefacts revealed that the weakening in the South Atlantic Anomaly isn't the only time that the phenomenon has occurred.

Similar patterns took place from 400-450 CE, 700-750 CE, and 1225-1550 CE, and the researchers say that this pattern tells us that the South Atlantic Anomaly isn't a mere fluke.

Researchers sampled Iron Age village sites (pictured) that dot the Limpopo River Valley, bordered today by Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. Clay used to make pottery contains small amounts of magnetic minerals, such as magnetite

Dr Tarduno said that his team is getting stronger evidence of something unusual occurring at the core-mantel boundary under Africa, and it could be having an impact on Earth's magnetic field as a whole.

Researchers suspect that the weakening in Earth's magnetic field, which has been taking place for the last 160 years, is being caused by a large reservoir of dense rock called the African Large Low Shear Velocity Province, which lies 2,900 kilometres (1,800 miles) below Africa.

At the heart of the Earth is a solid inner core, two thirds of the size of the moon, made mainly of iron. At 5,700C, this iron is as hot as the suns surface, but the crushing pressure caused by gravity prevents it from becoming liquid

The region, which lies between the hot liquid iron of Earth's outer core, and the stiffer, cooler mantle, may be disturbing the iron that helps generate Earth's magnetic field.

'We now know this unusual behaviour has occurred at least a couple of times before the past 160 years, and is part of a bigger long-term pattern,' Dr Hare said.

'However, it's simply too early to say for certain whether this behaviour will lead to a full pole reversal,' he says.Tattoos can often be a case of ink now, regret later.

However, unwanted ink could soon 'drain away' following new research that finally reveals why they are so difficult to remove.

Previously it was thought that tattoos stained skin cells called fibroblasts, however, researchers have now discovered that immune cells known as macrophages keep the pigment-carrying cells alive forever.

A group of researchers found that if they blocked the immune system's macrophages, unwanted inks would no longer be permanent.

Using this technology, researchers are now working with dermatologists to create a treatment that could make tattoo removal more simple and effective than ever before.

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Although the body art may be forever - the skin cells that carry the pigment are not, according to new research. David Beckham is just one of many celebrities to have adorned his body with permanent ink in dedication to his wife and four children

David Beckham is just one of many celebrities to have adorned his body with permanent ink in dedication to his wife and four children.

Female celebrities such as Cheryl Cole and Angelina Jolie are also known to be big fans of body art.

But research has suggested nearly one in three people regret getting their tattoos and now, thanks to the latest research, they could be much easier to get rid off in the future.

For years, tattoos were thought to work by staining skin cells called fibroblasts in the deep 'dermal' layer of skin below the surface that play a critical role in wound healing.

More recently it has been suggested immune cells known as macrophages are attracted to the wound inflicted by the needle and gobble up the tattoo ink - just as they would engulf an invading bug or dying cell.

So French researchers set out to get to the bottom of the process by tattooing a mouse - and observing what happened when they eliminated the macrophages in its skin.

Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie (right) smiles while getting a tattoo from Thai tattoo master, Sompong Kanphai at an apartment in Bangkok. Although the body art may be forever - the skin cells that carry the pigment are not, according to new research

The animal was genetically engineered so they could kill the cells in its dermis. But when they did this there were no visible changes to its tail that they had tattooed.

This was despite showing the macrophages were in fact the only cells to take up the pigment - indicating when they die, they release the pigment into their surroundings.

Over the next few weeks, this pigment is taken up by new macrophages before it can disperse.

Instead of being lost along with the dead macrophages the tattoo instead enters a cycle of capture, release, recapture - keeping the skin's staining continuous.

Scientists found that skin cells pass on tattoo ink. Green tattoo pigment is taken up by immune cells in the skin (left). The pigment is released when these cells die (centre) but, 90 days later, is taken back up into new immune cells that have replaced the old ones (right)

To show this happens with the normal decay of skin, not just for a mouse that has had all of its macrophages suddenly eliminated, the researchers transferred a portion of the tattooed skin to another lab rodent.

After six weeks most of the pigment-laden macrophages belonged to the recipient - not the donor.

The breakthrough reported in the Journal of Experimental Medicine could lead to combining the removal of macrophages with the kind of laser treatment currently used in tattoo removal.

Dr Sandrine Henri, a biomedical expert in immunology at the University of Marseille, France, told Scientific American that combing this treatment with laser treatment could mean unwanted inks 'drain away via the lymphatic vessels.'

Because tattoo pigment can be recaptured by new immune cells, known as 'macrophages', a tattoo appears the same before (left) and after (right) all macrophages are killed off in a mouse's tail. The new macrophages simply pick up the ink left behind

HOW DOES LASER TATTOO REMOVAL WORK? The process of getting a tattoo involves pushing ink down into your second layer of skin, or the dermis. In the same way that your body tries to force out splinters, it will recognise this ink as a foreign object and try to remove it. The way it does this is to send white blood cells to destroy the ink particles. The only problem is that the ink particles are larger than the white blood cells, making this process extremely slow. This is why tattoos do start to fade naturally after a few decades. The energy from the laser breaks down the tattoo ink into tiny fragments, which are eventually absorbed into the bloodstream and safely passed out of the body. The NHS says it can sometimes take ten or more sessions to remove a tattoo. They also point out that different types of ink and colours can take longer to remove. Footage of people getting laser tattoo removal makes it look like the ink instantly disappears. This is just water in the skin being heated up and temporarily obscuring the tattoo. Private clinics in the UK usually charge around 150 per session for the removal of a small tattoo. Treatments in the US can vary, but are normally between $75 and $300, depending on where you live and how big your tattoo is. If you do end up requiring multiple sessions to remove your tattoo, it could end up costing you. Advertisement

'We think that, when tattoo pigment-laden macrophages die during the course of adult life, neighbouring macrophages recapture the released pigments and insure in a dynamic manner the stable appearance and long-term persistence of tattoos', Dr Henri said.

Tattoos can be removed by laser pulses that cause skin cells to die and release their pigment. This is transported away from the skin and into the body's lymphatic system.

Co author Dr Bernard Malissen added: 'Tattoo removal can be likely improved by combining laser surgery with the transient ablation of the macrophages present in the tattoo area.

He went on: 'Laser pulses lead to cellular lysis, fragmentation of the tattoo pigments and their elimination via lymphatic transportation.

'Several cycles of laser treatment are required to achieve tattoo removal and some tattoos remain immune to full removal.

'These difficulties are generally accounted for by the fact that a fraction of the fragmented pigment particles remain at the tattooing site and are recaptured by neighbouring macrophages, a possibility formally demonstrated by our study.'

It is estimated one in five Britons have at least one tattoo - rising to a third of young people.

Men are most likely to regret tattoos - especially those drawn when they were under the age of 16.

A tattoo involves injecting dye into the dermis, the thick layer beneath the epidermis.

Some colours and sizes of tattoo are more difficult to remove than others with current laser techniques, and can leave a degree of shading on the skin. Some people can also end up with scarring.

Laser technology works by allowing light to pass through the skin and break up the ink into tiny particles.

Between six and eight treatment sessions are usually needed and each can cost several hundred pounds.The Pentagon may have gained a new, high-profile partner for its sophisticated AI system used to hunt for militants in Iraq and Syria.

Silicon Valley giant Google is allowing the Department of Defense to use some of its artificial intelligence technologies to analyze drone footage, Gizmodo reported, citing sources close to the situation.

The partnership centers around Project Maven, which is the codename for a system that analyzes aerial surveillance video to look for patterns that can help military intelligence analysts.

And it seems some Google employees aren't happy with the move.

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The Department of Defense announced Project Maven last April, which was tasked with identifying objects in drone footage. The U.S. Air Force uses unmanned aerial vehicles like the MQ-1B (pictured), which was later retired as they started using MQ-9 drones

Many Google staffers were 'outraged' that the company would work alongside the government to develop drone surveillance technology, while others argued that it could raise ethical questions about the use of machine learning technology, Gizmodo said.

The pilot project has not been made public, but Google has detailed the effort among employees via internal communications

Google has reiterated to its staff that Project Maven doesn't involve using AI for combat efforts.

A Google spokesperson told Mail Online that the AI would be used for 'non-offensive uses only.'

'We have long worked with government agencies to provide technology solutions,' the spokesperson said.

'This specific project is a pilot with the Department of Defense, to provide open source TensorFlow APIs that can assist in object recognition on unclassified data'

'The technology flags images for human review, and is for non-offensive uses only'

'Military use of machine learning naturally raises valid concerns'

'Were actively discussing this important topic internally and with others as we continue to develop policies and safeguards around the development and use of our machine learning technologies,' they added.

Unveiled last April, Project Maven was tasked with developing artificial intelligence that can ingest large amounts of aerial drone video and look for patterns in the footage, flagging objects like birds, cars or trees.

The project was created after thousands of military and civilian intelligence analysts said they were 'overwhelmed' by the amount of video being recorded over the battlefield by drones with high resolution cameras.

Google hasn't announced publicly that it's working with the Pentagon on outfitting drones with AI. However, company emails show that employees are 'outraged' by the move, Gizmodo said. File photo

It aimed to provide the military with advanced computer vision, enabling the detection and identification of objects in up to 38 categories that are captured by the drone's full-motion camera, according to Gizmodo.

Air Force Lieutenant General John N.T. 'Jack' Shanahan, who was tasked with finding the new technology, said the goal was to figure out a way to clean up the video, 'finding the juicy parts where there's activity and then labeling the data.'

Project Maven, also known as the Algorithmic Warfare Cross-Functional Team, was expected to discover the technology and have it up and running within six months of the project being launched.

Starting last December, the Defense Department began using Project Maven's AI in the fight against the Islamic State.

It's part of the military's wider efforts to deploy AI and machine learning, as the Department of Defense spent $7.4 billion on AI-related areas in 2017, according to the Wall Street Journal.

At the same time, more and more concerns have started to develop around the use of AI in security and law enforcement.

Some argue that AI and machine learning can exhibit racial bias when used in policing and other areas.

For example, big data startup Palantir Technologies has been working secretly with local law enforcement groups in cities across the U.S. to outfit police with AI that can predict people and places where crimes are most likely to occur, also called predictive policing.

This technology has come under fire in the past for exhibiting racial bias.

Google was previously known to have had ties to the Defense Department.

Pictured is footage of a truck from the view of a camera on a MQ-9 Reaper, which is an unmanned aerial vehicle used by the military for surveillance purposes in war zones

Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt (pictured) chair's the Defense Department's Defense Innovation Board. The board has advised Project Maven on artificial intelligence

Eric Schmidt, who is executive chairman of Google parent company Alphabet, heads the Defense Department's Defense Innovation Board.

The board has worked closely with Project Maven, providing oversight and expertise in some areas.

In July, the Defense Innovation Board held a meeting surrounding the need to enhance the military's AI capabilities.

Google is letting the DoD use its TensorFlow application programming interfaces (APIs).

Its TensorFlow APIs are used in machine learning applications, to help military personnel detect objects in images.

The spokesperson said the company is also trying 'to develop polices and safeguards around its use,' Gizmodo noted.

'We have long worked with government agencies to provide technology solutions,' a Google spokesperson told Gizmodo.

WHAT IS PROJECT MAVEN? The U.S. military has been looking to incorporate elements of artificial intelligence and machine learning into its drone program. Project Maven, as the effort is known, aims to provide some relief to military analysts who are part of the war against Islamic State. These analysts currently spend long hours staring at big screens reviewing video feeds from drones as part of the hunt for insurgents in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. The Pentagon is trying to develop algorithms that would sort through the material and alert analysts to important finds, according to Air Force Lieutenant General John N.T. 'Jack' Shanahan, director for defense intelligence for warfighting support. A British Royal Air Force Reaper hunter killer unmanned aerial vehicle on the flight line February 21, 2014 in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Military bosses say intelligence analysts are 'overwhelmed' by the amount of video being recorded over the battlefield by drones with high resolution cameras 'A lot of times these things are flying around(and)... there's nothing in the scene that's of interest,' he told Reuters. Shanahan said his team is currently trying to teach the system to recognize objects such as trucks and buildings, identify people and, eventually, detect changes in patterns of daily life that could signal significant developments. 'We'll start small, show some wins,' he said. A Pentagon official said the U.S. government is requesting to spend around $30 million on the effort in 2018. Similar image recognition technology is being developed commercially by firms in Silicon Valley, which could be adapted by adversaries for military reasons. Shanahan said he' not surprised that Chinese firms are making investments there. 'They know what they're targeting,' he said. Research firm CB Insights says it has tracked 29 investors from mainland China investing in U.S. artificial intelligence companies since the start of 2012. The risks extend beyond technology transfer. 'When the Chinese make an investment in an early stage company developing advanced technology, there is an opportunity cost to the U.S. since that company is potentially off-limits for purposes of working with (the Department of Defense),' the report said. Advertisement

In describing the technology, the spokesperson said the object recognition flags images for human review and is for 'non-offensive' uses only.

'Military use of machine learning naturally raises valid concerns,' the spokesperson told Gizmodo.

'We're actively discussing this important topic internally and with others as we continue to develop policies and safeguards around the development and use of our machine learning technologies,' the spokesperson added.

A Department of Defense spokesperson declined to comment on Google's work with Project Maven.A monster asteroid the size of the Empire State Building is set to fly past Earth tomorrow at a dizzying speed of 14,092 miles per hour.

The asteroid, dubbed 2017 VR12, is expected to pass within 900,000 miles of Earth around 7:53am (EST) on Wednesday.

With a diameter between 700ft and 1,500ft, VR12 could be bigger than New York City's Empire State Building, which is 1,450ft tall.

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A monster asteroid, called VR12, will pass within 900,000 miles of Earth late Wednesday evening and into early Thursday morning. NASA has called the object 'potentially hazardous'

VR12's close encounter to Earth has earned it the designation of a 'potentially hazardous asteroid' by NASA.

The space agency describes asteroids as 'hazardous' if they come within 4,600,000 miles of our planet.

Late Wednesday evening, VR12 will fly past earth at a distance of 897,000 miles.

That's three times distance between our planet and the moon.

However, NASA cautioned that there's no possibility that 2017 VR12 will collide with Earth.

In fact, the agency believes the asteroid could be a perfect target for future aerospace studies.

Pictured, the 2017 VR12 asteroid can be seen as a white dot in the center of the image. The asteroid was spotted on March 5 via the Virtual Telescope Project

'This object is on the NHATS list of potential spacecraft mission targets, although no mission is actually planned for this object,' the agency explained.

'It should be a very strong radar target,' they added.

VR12 was previously estimated to be as much as 470 meters wide, causing experts to believe that it was bigger than Buckingham Palace.

Those estimates have since been reduced, but NASA is still classifying VR12 as a 'medium sized rock.'

According to NASA, 2017 VR12 was first discovered by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii on Nov. 10, 2017.

The VR12 asteroid has a diameter that's between 700ft and 1,500ft. That makes VR12 bigger than New York City's Empire State Building (pictured), which is 1,450ft tall. File photo

WHAT COULD WE DO TO STOP AN ASTEROID COLLIDING WITH EARTH? Currently Nasa would not be able to deflect an asteroid if it were heading for Earth but it could mitigate the impact and take measures that would protect lives and property. This would include evacuating the impact area and moving key infrastructure. Finding out about the orbit trajectory, size, shape, mass, composition and rotational dynamics would help experts determine the severity of a potential impact. However, the key to mitigating damage is to find any potential threat as early as possible. Nasa is currently moving forward with a refrigerator-sized spacecraft capable of preventing asteroids from colliding with Earth. A test with a small, nonthreatening asteroid is planned for 2024. This is the first-ever mission to demonstrate an asteroid deflection technique for planetary defence. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) would use what is known as a kinetic impactor techniquestriking the asteroid to shift its orbit. The impact would change the speed of a threatening asteroid by a small fraction of its total velocity, but by doing so well before the predicted impact, this small nudge will add up over time to a big shift of the asteroid's path away from Earth. Advertisement

It's not supposed to come within Earth's range for another 177 years or so.

Thanks to the virtual telescope project, people all over the world will be able to see the skyscraper-sized asteroid zoom past the earth using a live webcast.

Stargazers can watch the VR12 fly by the earth using the 16-inch robotic telescope at the Tenagra Observatories in Arizona as part of the Virtual Telescope Project and Tenagra Observatories.

VR12 is passing by just a few days after a bus-sized asteroid, 2018 DV1, came within 65,000 miles of our planet last week.

The DV1 has a diameter between 20 to 40 feet and flew past at a speed of 11,600mph.With just a long weekend to spend in a historic and unique city like Prague, it can be difficult to know where to start. Heres our ultimate guide to the must-see attractions: from exploring the Old Town and the Mala Strana to where to dine and where youll find the best ale.

Aerial view over Old Town Square

Day one: Friday

After arriving on Friday morning and checking in at your hotel, use your first day to get the lay of the land. In Prague, this means exploring the ancient buildings and charming alleyways of the Old Town.

Friday afternoon

Explore the Old Towns must-see attractions

There are so many things to do and see in the Old Town that it can feel overwhelming if you dont have long in the city. However, the area is relatively small so its not difficult to explore all the must-see attractions in one afternoon. Here are some of the highlights to tick off on your afternoon in the Old Town.

Old Town Square

Pragues impressive Old Town Square is the ideal starting point for exploring the Czech capital. Situated at the heart of the Old Town, the square is lined with spectacular buildings in various architectural styles, including Gothic and Baroque.

Old Town Hall

The Old Town Hall is situated in the square. The building dates back to 1338, and its prismatic tower offers incredible views across Prague from its panoramic gallery. The tower is open Tuesday to Friday 09002200, Mondays 11002200.

The Astronomical Clock

In the Middle Ages, Pragues iconic Astronomical Clock was viewed as one of the wonders of the world, and 600 years later, it still enchants tourists from around the globe.

Visit it on the hour (between 09002300) to glimpse the procession of apostles and moving statues. The otherworldly timepiece is located on the southern side of the Old Town Hall Tower, but be prepared for crowds, as this attraction is extremely popular.

Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge links the Old Town to the Mala Strana. It dates back to the 14th century, and Czech legend has it that Charles IV laid the first stone himself. The views from the bridge are particularly stunning at night, so come back for a second look after sunset. Find the entrance just off the main street of Krizovnicka.

Charles bridge at sunset

Friday evening

Dinner and drinks in the Old Town

After spending the day exploring Pragues ornate Old Town, why not while away your evening at some of its finest watering holes? A popular tourist area, the Old Town does get crowded, but its worth spending at least one of your evenings enjoying its vibrant restaurants and bars.

Old Town restaurants

Wine OClock Shop may be small in size, but it takes the accolade of being named TripAdvisors top restaurant in Prague. The Mediterranean food is simple, but the quality is excellent, and the owners enthusiasm for wine apparent. Open TuesdaySaturday 17002330. To try some local fare, opt for family run U Kroka, which focuses on Czech cuisine. The restaurant was founded in 1895 and boasts a summer terrace. Open daily 11002300.

Old Town bars

Ale enthusiasts will love Prague Beer Museum, which focuses on Czech beers. Meanwhile, Cili Bar offers cosy surrounds, 30 long and short drinks, and a unique range of chilli-infused cocktails. U Vejvodu is situated in a building dating back to 1403, and houses a beer hall on the lower level and a livelier pub upstairs.

Day 2: Saturday

After a day exploring Pragues Old Town, Saturday offers an opportunity to cross Charles Bridge and see what lies on the other side of the River Vltava.

Saturday morning

Explore the castle district

Pragues opulent castle district sits across the river from the Old Town, and boasts a number of landmarks worth visiting.

Prague Castle

Dating back to 880 CE, UNESCO-certified Prague Castle is a must-see. The elaborate castle holds the title of being the largest coherent castle complex in the world, and contains a number of palaces and ecclesiastical buildings. Visitors can explore the castle complex for free, but entry to some of the buildings is ticketed.

Saturday afternoon

Explore Mala Strana

The Mala Strana (Lesser Town) was traditionally home to wealthy aristocrats and so offers a more opulent perspective of the city. Here are some of the Mala Stranas main attractions.

Lennon Wall

John Lennon never visited Prague, but there is a wall dedicated to the musician that is plastered with pictures and lyrics. When he was murdered in 1980, the Lennon Wall became an outlet for rebellion against the Communist regime in Eastern Europe, despite repeated whitewashing by the secret police.

The Church of Our Lady Victorious

This church is renowned for its famous Infant Jesus of Prague statue, which is said to have exceptional spiritual beauty. Visitors can attend a service at the gilded church, or peruse its souvenir shop.

Wallenstein Palace

Mala Stranas Wallenstein Palace is a Baroque masterpiece. Now serving as the seat of the Czech Senate, the huge palace was built in the 1620s for one of Pragues most powerful noblemen: Albrecht von Wallenstein. Visitors can take part in guided tours Monday-Friday if they book at least a week in advance.

Wallenstein Palace, currently the home of the Czech Senate in Prague

Saturday evening

Visit trendy Zizkov for food and drinks

On Saturday evening, consider venturing away from central Prague to discover Zizkov  one of Pragues hippest neighbourhoods, home to artists, intellectuals and bohemians. This will be a more casual affair than dining in central Prague, but quirky Zizkov  which has a fiercely independent spirit  is well worth seeing.

Zizkov Restaurants

Cafe Pavlac is a neighbourhood favourite, serving up delicious food at economical prices. The interior is simple but stylish, with edgy artwork and metalwork on display. The restaurant is open 10002300 Monday to Friday, and 11002300 on weekends.

U Sadu boasts a kitchen that stays open until 0200, with Czech, international and vegetarian options on the menu. This beer house also puts on ales from small breweries, and has an outdoor area. It opens at 0800 every day and doesnt shut until 0400 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, or at 0200 on other days.

Zizkov Bars

Bukowskis Bar is a Zizkov institution. This American-style watering hole offers a lengthy cocktail list, as well as a number of weekly drinks offers. Head there if you fancy a cheap but tasty tipple in a hip dive bar. Open daily 19000300. At BeerGeek Bar, you can sample a number of Czech and international beers from the establishments 32 taps. Open daily 15000200.

Prague astronomical clock at the Old Town City Hall

Day three: Sunday

Kick off your last day in the Czech capital with a quick brunch in the Old Town, before either delving deeper into Pragues Jewish history, or enjoying some fresh air with a trip to the verdant Petrin Hill.

Josefov and The Jewish Museum

Despite a turbulent history dating back to the 13th century, Josefov  Pragues Jewish quarter  is very well preserved, and contains several significant historical buildings and monuments that managed to survive Nazi occupation in the 20th century.

Today, six Jewish monuments make up what is known as the Jewish Museum in Prague. Entry is gained to all of the monuments by buying one ticket, or opting for a walking tour of the Jewish quarter.

The Jewish Museum is open every day of the week except Saturdays and Jewish holidays, from 09001800 in summer, and 09001630 in winter.

Old Claus Synagogue with Jewish museum

Petrin Hill

Petrin Hill lays on the Mala Strana side of the Vltava and its Ujezd light rail station is easily accessible by tram. From here, you can either catch a funicular railway up the hill, or embark on a 30-minute hike through woodland. Petrin Observation Tower  known for its likeness to the Eiffel Tower  is one of the major attractions on the verdant hill. Visitors can climb its 299 stairs to the observation platforms for an incredible view of Prague.Turkey's foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will pay an official three-day visit to Moscow on March 12, spokesperson for the Turkish foreign minister said.

March 6, 2018, 13:26 Turkey FM to visit Russia

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 6, ARTSAKHPRESS:Turkey attaches great importance to relations with Russia, Hami Aksoy said, adding that during the trip the foreign minister will discuss preparation for High-Level Russian-Turkish Cooperation Council and will attend a tourism exhibition.St Patricks Day parades are held in cities around the globe, but nothing compares to the national pride and jubilant atmosphere found in the Irish capital, Dublin. Every year on the 17th March nearly 500,000 green-clad revellers spill on to the streets around Parnell Square for the annual St Patricks Festival Parade, hoping for a perfect view of the colourful floats, marching bands, street performers and dancers.

Here's all you need to know ahead of your trip to Dublin for St Patricks Day

Patricks Day parades: A potted history

St Patricks Day only became an official Christian feast day in the 17th century  originally just to commemorate the countrys patron saint. But it soon became more of a celebratory event as the Irish who had left Ireland, particularly for North America, joined to remember and salute their homeland. The first St Patricks Day parade was in New York in 1762, with Irish soldiers serving in the British army marching alongside patriotic Irish immigrants.

Other cities  Philadelphia, Boston and Savannah  soon followed suit, helping to cement Irish-American culture and identity over the following two centuries. But back in Ireland, the day remained more of a solemn religious occasion until St Patricks Day was officially declared a bank holiday in 1903. The first parade in Ireland was held in Waterford that same year, with various low-key events over the next two volatile decades. It wasnt until 1931 that the first government-sponsored parade took place in Dublin.

The St Patricks Festival

But theres more to St Patricks Day in Dublin than a two-hour parade, spectacular though it always is. Since 1995, the holiday has been a full-blown festival, a national celebration the Irish people and those of Irish descent can be proud.

Starting off as a one-day, one-night event, the St Patricks Festival now covers four or five days each year, with an exciting line-up of musical acts, exhibitions, theatrical and choral performances, film screenings and a series of stimulating talks. Over the weekend, there are also thrill-packed funfairs at Merrion Square and Custom House Quay  think waltzers, carousels and childrens rides, as well as a 150-foot high wheel for incredible views over the River Liffey.

Another big draw is the Festival Big Day Out. Held on the Sunday in Merrion Square, this buzzing street carnival is an excellent day out for families, with acrobats, aerial dancers, mind-bending magic shows and musical performances, as well as craft-making sessions, childrens workshops and Irish language activities.

A much-loved part of the St Patricks Festival is Greening the City. Since 2011, many of Dublins iconic buildings  Dublin Castle, the Mansion House, Christchurch Cathedral and Trinity College  have been illuminated in green after the sun goes down. Its not a massive surprise that, with some 70 million people worldwide proudly claiming Irish ancestry  global landmarks like Table Mountain, the Empire State Building and Sydney Opera House have also turned on the green to celebrate St Patrick.

Plan your St Patricks Day in Dublin perfectly with our guide

Tips for the perfect St Patricks Day in Dublin

The St Patricks Day Parade in Dublin kicks off at 1100 and lasts two hours. For the best views, arrive a couple of hours early, so you can get to the front of the crowds. Bear in mind certain roads will be closed with diversions in place, so be sure to plan ahead, be prepared to walk or join the sea of green on the bus, DART or luas. Historically, the best places to see the parade are Kevin Street, OConnell Street East and OConnell Bridge, but, unsurprisingly, the bridge fills up pretty quickly.

If youd rather not jostle your way through the parade, you could buy a 65-per-person ticket for one of the grandstands at Parnell Square and St Patricks Cathedral You wont experience quite the same atmosphere as you would mingling with the crowds along the parade route, but youll still have a wonderful time. The grandstands are a great bet if you or someone youre with has limited mobility, or you just want guaranteed uninterrupted views.

After the parade is over, its all about the pubs. Many tourists will head straight for the watering holes of raucous Temple Bar, but this boisterous neighbourhood is far from the only place serving up Dublin craic. In-the-know locals are more likely to avoid the tourist mecca, and instead head to one of the citys top-rated suburbs, where they dont have to elbow their way to the bar. Trendy Portobello is home to the popular Bernard Shaw pub and its double-decker bus that serves pizza, while on-the-up Rathmines has Ma Reillys, whose live music sessions are legendary.For a city with such a long history of creativity and artistic endeavour, it is unsurprising that Dublin has such a diverse and fascinating gallery scene. Whether youre interested in famous names from history, the best of contemporary Irish and international art, or are just looking to discover something new and exciting, check out our guide to Dublins best art galleries for the finest exhibition spaces in the city.

The National Gallery of Ireland houses a grand collection of Irish and European art

National Gallery of Ireland

One of the first destinations to head to in Dublin for anyone with an interest in art should be the National Gallery of Ireland. Free to enter and explore, the National Gallerys permanent collection includes work from some of historys most famous artists, including Claude Monet, Caravaggio, Pablo Picasso and Johannes Vermeer. Further, its temporary exhibitions and events includes film screenings and tours, so theres always something new to discover. Open Monday to Saturday 09151730 (late opening Thursday to 2030), and Sunday 11001730.

Bus: Clare Street

Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane

For over 100 years, the Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane has been exhibiting and developing a collection begun by Hugh Lane himself, who held his first show in 1904. With a focus on modern and contemporary Irish art, its the place to see the best art this country has produced over the past century. Highlights include the Francis Bacon Studio, relocated from London to Dublin in 2001. Open Tuesday to Thursday 09451800, Friday 09451700, Saturday 10001700, and Sunday 11001700. Entrance free.

Luas: Parnell

Douglas Hyde Gallery

In the universitys arts building, the Douglas Hyde Gallery is an independent space that opened in the 1970s. It has two main areas  the large, open Gallery 1, and the smaller, more intimate Gallery 2. In the smaller space, the gallery holds its most interesting exhibitions, so this is the best destination in the city if youre interested in outsider art as well as craft, textiles and experimental forms. Open Monday to Friday 11001800 (Thursday 11001900), and Saturday 11001730. Entrance free.

Luas: Trinity

Kevin Kavanagh Gallery

Since the 1990s, gallerist Kevin Kavanaghs renowned exhibition spaces have been the go-to address in the city for anyone looking for the best of Dublins contemporary art. To this day, the Kevin Kavanagh Gallery has a reputation for showcasing the best up-and-coming Irish artist talent, with a focus on solo shows that give you a real chance to get to grips with the work of an individual artist. Regardless of the exhibition, any visit to the Kevin Kavanagh Gallery will be a journey of discovery. Open Tuesday to Friday 10301730, and Saturday 11001700. Entrance free.

Bus: The Coombe, Saint Patricks Cathedral

Jorgensen Art Gallery

What began as the private collection of one of Irelands leading fashion designers, the Jorgensen Art Gallery is a must-visit if you have an interest in paintings and sculpture from contemporary Irish and European artists. You should also check out the permanent collection focused on the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The gallerys Georgian building in the city centre is an elegant backdrop to the works of art on show. Open Monday to Friday 10001730, and Saturday 12001600. Entrance free.

Luas: Dawson Street

Discover Irish culture with our list of the best art galleries in the Scottish capital

Temple Bar Gallery and Studios

Temple Bar has changed a lot since 1983, but one thing that has stayed the same is the creative endeavour you can see in the Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, an artist collective that combines exhibition spaces with studios for local and international artists. As part of its philosophy, the Temple Bar Gallery and Studios also has a wide programme of readings, talks and other events, which makes this a superb place to really connect with the artistic scene in the city. Open Tuesday to Saturday 11001800. Entrance free.

Bus: Dublin, Halfpenny Bridge

Gallery of Photography Ireland

If exploring life through a lens is your thing, then the Gallery of Photography Ireland is the place for you. Established in the 1970s, this is the best centre for contemporary photography in the country, with a diverse programme of exhibitions from Irish international photographers. If you fancy getting a little creative, the Gallery of Photography also offers a series of workshops and other hands-on events. Open Sunday to Monday 13001800, and Tuesday to Saturday 11001800. Entrance free.

Bus: Dame StreetFormer escort Samantha X, real name Amanda Goff, has slammed Barnaby Joyce for 'sl*t-shaming' Vikki Campion.

The 44-year-old told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday that the politician is 'a pathetic excuse for a man,' after he revealed he wasn't sure if he was the father of his pregnant staffer's baby.

The disgraced former deputy prime minister said Vikki Campion's baby's paternity is a 'grey area' because the child may have been conceived when he was in Europe with his wife.

'He's a pathetic excuse for a man!' Former escort Samantha X, 44, SLAMMED Barnaby Joyce for 'sl*t-shaming' his pregnant staffer, as the politician reveals he doesn't know if he's the father

'I am sick to death of men like Joyce sl*t-shaming women. How dare Joyce throw Vikki under the bus now, and I hope she has the good sense to leave him,' Samantha told Daily Mail Australia.

'Why are women always seen as the ones in the wrong? She deserves better.

The mother-of-two added: 'No woman should ever have to tolerate s*ut-shaming - or any narcissistic behaviour from a man - whether they work for Parliament or strip for a living.'

Samantha went on to describe Barnaby as 'a pathetic excuse for a man' and that his 'time is up.'

'Society is no longer tolerating this kind of narcissistic degrading behaviour from men. His attitude is as old-fashioned as his hats - and there is only one place they belong - in the rubbish tip.'

Outspoken: 'Society is no longer tolerating this kind of narcissistic degrading behaviour from men. His attitude is as old-fashioned as his hats - and there is only one place they belong - in the rubbish tip,' Samantha directed at Barnaby (pictured), 50

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Barnaby Joyce for comment.

Samantha's comments are in relation to Barnaby's revelation that he may not be the father of his pregnant staffer's baby - while claiming journalists never asked about the boy's paternity.

The disgraced former deputy prime minister said Vikki Campion's baby's paternity is a 'grey area' because the child may have been conceived when he was in Europe with his wife.

His long-time political nemesis Tony Windsor savaged him on Twitter.

'If anyone had doubts about Joyce's character I think they now have a clear picture of this grub, will sacrifice others on his blundering self-centered path,' the former independent member for New England said on Sunday.

Headlines: Barnaby (pictured, right, with Vikki Campion) has revealed he can't be certain he is the father of his pregnant staffer's baby

Turn of events: The former deputy prime minister claimed he was never asked by the media if Vikki Campion's baby was his when news of the scandal broke (pictured are Barnaby and Natalie Joyce)

Tony told Daily Mail Australia he had no sympathy for the former Nationals leader, who thrashed him in his old northern New South Wales seat at the 2016 election.

'No. He's brought everything upon himself. Everything,' he said.

'All of the women issues that he's going to be confronted with have all been brought on by himself.'

Other angry voters also voiced their opinions over Twitter, as Vikki prepares to give birth in April to a baby boy.

'What's the point of him telling us this? Is he sacrificing Vikki in an attempt to look noble?' asked one woman.

'Yes, just when you think old mate has hit rock bottom and there's only one way to go from there. He's proven that he can go lower! Some of your best work Barnaby! NOT!' another Tweeter said.

'If I could give Vikki Campion just two words of advice it would be these: LEAVE. NOW,' another Tweet read.

He has also been slammed by News Corp journalist Sharri Markson for claiming the question about the child's paternity was never asked.

'I directly ask Barnaby Joyce, before publication, if the baby is his and ask him to confirm he had already told his wife and daughters,' Sharri Tweeted.

The journalist included a screenshot of the email sent to Barnaby which shows the matter of paternity was her first question.

Barnaby, who recently quit as leader of the Nationals said he plans to raise the child as his own, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Slammed: News Corp journalist Sharri Markson slammed Barnaby for claiming the question about the child's paternity was never asked

Scandal: News of the scandal broke earlier this year eventually leading to Barnaby being forced to resign (pictured are Barnaby and Vikki at a bar in Sydney)

Comments: 'It's mine, on the record, there it is. And can I say, even if it wasn't, I wouldn't care, I'd still go through this, I'd still love him,' Barnaby said

'It's mine, on the record, there it is. And can I say, even if it wasn't, I wouldn't care, I'd still go through this, I'd still love him,' Barnaby said.

But he did admit there was a close relationship developing on a 'sporadic basis' around the time with his former staffer.

In the interview with Fairfax Media, Barnaby called initial coverage of his affair 'outrageous', and said neither he nor Vikki were asked about paternity.

'How could they know? They never even asked if it was 'Joyce's bundle',' Barnaby said, referring to a headline which read 'Bundle of Joyce'.

Pregnant: Vikki, the former media advisor to Mr Joyce, is now pregnant with a son

Sighting: Barnaby is pictured in a bar in Sydney with Vikki in February 2017 just a few months before his former staffer fell pregnant

Barnaby, 50, said he does not plan to take a paternity test in the Saturday interview, during which Vikki, 33, was also present for some periods.

The backbencher said he was in Europe on an official visit with his wife Natalie for the ten days after June 23, 2017, while Vikki was in north Queensland.

The former deputy prime minister was forced to quit as the country's number two in the wake of the scandal on February 22.

Pressure was rising on Barnaby ahead of his resignation from the frontbench when allegations of sexual harassment surfaced - which has completely denied.

Mr Joyce, 50, said he does not plan to take a paternity test in the Saturday interview, during which Ms Campion, 33, was also present for some periods (pictured are Barnaby and Natalie Joyce)

Questioning: The former deputy prime minister (pictured) said he was never asked if Vikki Campion's baby is his

When he announced the end of his term as deputy PM, Barnaby called for his decision to be 'a circuit breaker' for media coverage about his relationship and his unborn son.

'This has got to stop. It's not fair on them. It's just completely and utterly unwarranted, the sort of observation that's happened,' he said.

Vikki was Mr Joyce's former media advisor. She left his office in April 2017 and moved to another government department.

The pair were pictured in a Sydney bar in February 2017 months before news became public about their relationship.

Resignation: Barnaby quit as deputy PM on February 22 and has now said the question of his paternity was a 'grey area'

Barnaby and Vikki worked together for 12 months between April 2016 and August 2017.

During this time, the pair racked up a total expenses bill of $43,446 - including more than $25,000 for six VIP trips funded by the taxpayer.

Daily Mail Australia is not claiming Barnaby used public funding inappropriately during this time.

The couple travelled together throughout the east coast for 2,000km on a holiday together in December and January.

Documented: Barnaby Joyce told parliament of his separation from his wife in a same sex marriage debate in December

They travelled from Grafton in northern New South Wales, to north Queensland with a stop in Townsville - after Barnaby told parliament he was separated from his wife, Natalie.

The road to the affair started back in May 2016, when Vikki, a former journalist, joined Mr Joyce's election campaign.

That August, she joined Barnaby's office as a staffer and had split with her fiancee three months before the pair were due to get married.

In April 2017, after a reported confrontation with Natalie Joyce, Vikki moved to Matt Canavan's office as an adviser.

Just a few months later, Malcolm Turnbull was reportedly told by Joyce that his relationship with Vikki was over.

Barnaby, an outspoken social conservative, separated from Natalie, the mother of his four daughters, after 24 years of marriage.She's known on Made In Chelsea for her cutting wit and blunt opinions.

And MIC veteran Victoria Baker-Harber has weighed in on two of her co-stars and their overly amorous Instagram posts - that often get their followers' tongues wagging too.

Speaking to MailOnline, the 29-year-old fashionista said of Ryan Libbey and Louise Thompson (whose recent jaunt abroad has seen them frolicking in Israel together): 'Their social media can sometimes be a little... well, it's hard to differentiate their life from what they are trying to sell.'

'It's like when Justin and Britney wore double denim!' Made In Chelsea's Victoria Baker-Harber has weighed in on Ryan Libbey and Louise Thompson's amorous Instagram posts

The couple, who have been together for several seasons of the E4 reality series now, have become known for their picture-perfect Instagram displays as they embark on idyllic holidays together, strolling around looking loved up.

When this isn't happening, the fitness fanatics are often seen working out together - with the hunky Ryan often using Louise as a human dumbbell.

Even Louise's brother Sam has been known to openly mock the couple, replicating some of their more 'out there' posts.

'It's just a bit like when Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears did their matching double denim thing,' Victoria joked. 'Or like when Posh and Becks got married. It's a bit Peter Andre/Katie Price.

Picture-perfect: The couple, who have been together for several seasons of the E4 reality series now, have become known for their Instagram displays as they embark on idyllic holidays

Faux pas: Justin and Britney famously stepped out in matching denims in 2001, when they were an item

Back soon: Victoria - who is yet to set a sartorial foot wrong on Made In Chelsea - will reappear back on our screens next week with the rest of the cast, when the show returns for season 15

'But they are just the middle England imitation of that!'

Indeed, the aforementioned famous couples have had their fair share of fashion faux pas.

Justin and Britney famously stepped out in matching denims in 2001, when they were an item.

Katie Price and Peter Andre often coordinated clothing before they eventually divorced in 2009; while Victoria and David Beckham famously stepped out in the likes of matching leathers, sarongs and purple suits in their younger years.

Copy cats: Even Louise's brother Sam has been known to openly mock the couple, replicating some of their more 'out there' posts

No no no: Victoria and David Beckham famously stepped out in the likes of matching leathers, sarongs and purple suits in their younger years [pictured in 1999]

Victoria - who is yet to set a sartorial foot wrong on Made In Chelsea - will reappear back on our screens next week with the rest of the cast, when the show returns for it's 15th season [19th including the summer specials].

This season will see the return of Louise's ex-boyfriend Alik Alfus, as a regular cast member once more.

When last seen on the show, he was calling Ryan an 'angry bear' and finding himself in a bar brawl with him.

Mix and match: Katie Price and Peter Andre often coordinated clothing before they eventually divorced in 2009

The couple that lifts together...: The fitness fanatics are often seen working out together - with the hunky Ryan often using Louise as a human dumbbell

While that's water under the bridge now, Victoria has never been one to immerse herself too heavily in the drama of her co-stars.

Instead, the likes of her, Mark Francis Vandelli, Sophie Hermann and Georgia Toffolo will be be focusing on living the high life.

'Our entrance scene this season was us on a boat,' Victoria said. 'Only I realised that it's just much easier to drive!'

Made In Chelsea airs on Mondays on E4.He's had a tumultuous relationship with radio rival Alan Jones over the years.

And on his KIIS FM show on Tuesday, shock jock Kyle Sandilands mocked the 76-year-old with a radio impression of the radio legend.

It came after Kyle, 46, heard about Alan releasing a cookbook with former politician, Mark Latham.

Scroll down for audio

Guess he's not working for 2GB anytime soon! Kyle Sandilands performs a hilarious impression of Alan Jones 'slobbering up Indonesian stuff' after the radio legend releases a cookbook with Mark Latham

'Nothing better than Indonesian cooking and eating,' Kyle began his impersonation.

'Slobbering up that Indonesian stuff is just what I love doing. And Mark Latham, he's not opposed to it either. Get him on the phone and we'll find out. Mark, are you there? Mark, you love slobbering up the Indonesians don't you?'

'Anyway up in Townsville, a beautiful, beautiful place, it's quite dusty, it's hot, no rain,' he continued.

'No rain to be seen anywhere. Now let me see you how the Indonesians make boiled egg. Nothing better than some Indonesians stirring up some eggs. I'm serious.'

So he won't be reading it then? It came after Kyle, 46, heard about Alan (L) releasing a cookbook with former politician, Mark Latham (R)

He then stopped his impression and asked: 'Why is Alan doing a cook book with Mark Latham?'

Kyle and Alan have had a tumultuous relationship over the years, with Alan publicly berating his younger counterpart for calling a female journalist a 'fat slag'.

'I've told Kyle ... there's no need for that vulgarity,' Alan told The Sunday Telegraph in 2015.

'You don't need that stuff to get people to listen to you. You've got to treat these people with respect - talk to the audience as if you were talking to your mother.'

Radio rivals: Kyle and Alan have had a tumultuous relationship over the years, with Alan publicly berating his younger counterpart for calling a female journalist a 'fat slag'

Meanwhile in 2015, Kyle labelled Alan and his Nova rivals Fitzy and Wippa 'losers' after a radio stunt to get them on air was blocked by their producers.

In September last year, Alan appeared to attempt to smooth things over by saying he thought Kyle has a bright future on talkback radio while speaking to Studio 10.

'I have no doubt that he would succeed in any format that he applied himself to,' he said.

Kind words: In September last year, Alan said he thinks Kyle has a bright future on talkback radio

'Obviously you do have to have a greater breadth of issues you can't be sort of narrow ... [but] radio is not talking about the overthrow of Vanuatu for half an hour, you're not going to get an audience.'

Kyle soon hit back on his radio show, saying: 'I'm not doing it.'

To prove his point, Kyle admitted to knowing nothing about the political overthrow in Vanuatu.

'I saw Vanuatu once on the back of a Qantas flight thing and I thought oh that looks close, I might go there - end of information,' he said.She's one of Australia's most accomplished Indigenous actors, perhaps best known for playing Martha Tennant in Channel Nine's Love Child.

And Miranda Tapsell has spoken out about the importance of encouraging diversity and challenging accepted beauty standards.

In an interview with Vogue Australia, the 30-year-old spoke candidly about 'normalising' diversity of women in the media, saying: 'We can always do more'.

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'We can always do more': Miranda Tapsell spoke to Vogue Australia about the importance of encouraging diversity and challenging accepted beauty standards

'I hope to see in the future is that it is normalised,' she said, before adding that she wants to see women of all different shapes, sizes and cultures in magazines.

'So it's the same as when you walk down the street.'

The actress, who has won two Logie Awards, explained it was also important to explore social expectations of beauty.

Change is coming: Miranda's interview follows Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony, which saw Best Actress winner Frances McDormand call for more 'inclusion riders'

'I think it's nice to explore that there isn't just one standard of beauty that is the epitome of beauty,' she said.

Miranda's interview follows Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony, which saw Best Actress winner Frances McDormand call for more 'inclusion riders'.

'Inclusion riders' is a little-known industry term referring to a clause in a lead actor's contract that the film they are starring in must include an appropriately diverse cast.

Diversity advocate: Miranda is one of Australia's most accomplished Indigenous actors, perhaps best known for playing Martha Tennant in Channel Nine's Love Child

It's not the first time Miranda has spoken out in support of diversity.

After her Logie win in 2015, she said: 'Put more beautiful people of colour on TV and connect viewers in ways which transcend race and unite us.'

Meanwhile, Miranda announced her engagement to longtime boyfriend James Colley in January this year.

He put a ring on it! Miranda announced her engagement to longtime boyfriend James Colley in January this yearDame Olivia de Havilland is suing the producers of a TV drama which she says unfairly portrayed

She's one of the last survivors of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

But at the grand old age of 101, Dame Olivia de Havilland hasnt lost her thirst for a fight.

The British-born actress is suing the producers of a TV drama which she says unfairly portrayed her as a foul-mouthed gossip.

In what could prove a landmark case, the Gone With The Wind star is taking legal action against the FX network and producer Ryan Murphy over her characterisation by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the drama series Feud: Bette and Joan.

Although the series, which was shown on BBC2, focused principally on the toxic rivalry of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, the character of Dame Olivia provides commentary in the drama. She is suing on the grounds FX and Murphy never sought her permission to use her name and identity in the series.

The California Court of Appeals will rule later this month whether Dame Olivia can proceed with her lawsuit.

Critics fear it could create a dangerous precedent, stopping film and TV producers from depicting living people without their consent.

Dame Olivia has won two best actress Oscars and her feud with her own sister, Joan Fontaine, provided one of Hollywoods fiercest ever sibling rivalries. She now lives in Paris.

Dame Olivia has won two best actress Oscars and her feud with her own sister, Joan Fontaine, provided one of Hollywoods fiercest ever sibling rivalrie. Pictured: Young Dame Olivia

The actress said she had been interested in how Feud would portray Davis, a friend, but was surprised when friends got in touch to say she was in the series, too. When I learned the Olivia de Havilland character called my sister a bitch and gossiped about Bette Davis and Joan Crawfords personal and private relationship, I was deeply offended, she told the New York Times.

She claims that Feud falsely paints her as a hypocrite with a public image of being a lady and a private one as a vulgar scandal-monger. The portrayal damages her hard-earned reputation for honesty, integrity and good manners.

She particularly takes issue with an Oscars night interview in Feud in which her character says Hollywood has loved the Davis-Crawford catfight. Dame Olivia says she never gave any such interview.

The Gone With The Wind star is taking legal action against the FX network and producer Ryan Murphy over her characterisation by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the drama series Feud: Bette and Joan

Her lawyers say she should, at the least, have been consulted about the drama series in advance.

Feuds producers note in court papers that Dame Olivia dubbed her sister Dragon Lady but they considered bitch would be better understood by a modern audience.

Murphy insists he portrayed Dame Olivia positively  as a wise, respectful friend and counsellor to Bette Davis and a Hollywood icon.Hailey Baldwin looked absolutely stunning on Sunday night in a custom Versace gown for the Vanity Fair Oscar party.

But it was back to reality on Monday for the 21-year-old model who toned down the glitz and glam to run errands in Beverly Hills.

The blonde beauty looked comfy yet chic as she strut through a parking structure in a pair of distressed denim, an oversized jacket, and sneakers.

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Leisure wear! Hailey Baldwin looked comfy yet chic as she strut through a parking structure in a pair of distressed denim, an oversized jacket, and sneakers

Baldwin, who recently graced the cover of Vogue Turkey, hid behind a pair of sporty black glasses as photographers captured her with no make-up on.

She carried nothing but her cell phone as her large jacket seemed to overwhelm her tiny frame.

And while the glamorous evening was long over, Hailey was still seen wearing her long manicured nails come Monday afternoon.

Showstopper! The 21-year-old model looked absolutely stunning on Sunday night in a custom Versace gown for the Vanity Fair Oscar party

The Tucson native is best known for her street style that often includes crop tops, thigh high boots, over-sized sweatshirts, and colorful coats.

Footwear News sat down with Hailey during a photoshoot and asked her whose celebrity closet shed most like to raid.

Victoria Beckham, because I just think shes fab and I love her style, she said.

No pictures! Baldwin, who recently graced the cover of Vogue Turkey, hid behind a pair of sporty black glasses as photographers captured her with no make-up on

Traveling light! She carried nothing but her cell phone as her large jacket seemed to overwhelm her tiny frame

For the daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin, 'it's all about being comfortable,' she told E! News in an interview.

'I feel my best when I feel like it was effortless,' she said. 'I usually go for jeans, a white tee, and a leather jacket.'

But when the moment calls for it, she loves to 'honor fashion' by wearing her favorite designers including Donatella Versace, Roberto Cavalli, and Alexandre Vauthier.He has been through some tough times, from being almost killed by his serial killer stepfather, to seeing his wife die in his arms.

But Coronation Street producer Kate Oates has revealed that David Platt's horrific rape ordeal will be 'a different order' to anything else in his life, and could be the breaking of the 'robust' character.

Kate told the Radio Times said that David will struggle to deal with the shame of his ordeal after being drugged by newcomer Josh Tucker.

Horrific: Coronation Street producer Kate Oates has revealed more details behind David Platt's horrific rape ordeal, as the hard-hitting storyline begins next week

After striking up a friendship with Josh, David enjoys a night out with him in scenes set to air next, but will be unaware that Josh has laced his drink with a date rape drug.

Fans will see David struggle to come to terms with what he has been through, watching the aftermath as he wakes up the morning after his ordeal to discover what has happened.

Kate revealed: 'David's story sees a breakdown that comes partly through the trauma he's experienced; but it's the act of bottling it up, through shame and fear, that really threatens to bring him down.

Sinister: David will be raped by newcomer Josh off-screen in scenes set to air next week, with the storyline focusing on David coming to terms with the aftermath of his ordeal

'Sometimes, people hide their pain. What you think you are seeing in others might not be the case. But there is always someone willing to listen, and to help.'

Actor Jack P Shepherd, who plays David, also told the Metro: 'David thinks he has made a new friend in Josh.

'He hasn't really ever had a male friend and no male role models, because his dad is not around and Nick has moved away.

Dark: Kate added that she hopes the storyline will raise awareness of male rape, in what has been a slew of dark storylines for the soap

Out now: The full story is in this week's Radio Times magazine

'He's been trying to impress Josh with his training for the fight and he is enjoying his company. He has no reason to think Josh is anything other than a mate.'

Kate added that she acknowledges Coronation Street has been doing down a darker road with recent storylines, including Pat Phelan's murderous rampage and Bethany Platt's career as a lap dancer, saying she is adding to this in a bid to raise awareness for male rape.

As part of the storyline, David's dad Martin Platt will make a brief return to the Street, with actor Sean Wilson reprising his role after 13 years away.

Appearing in a handful of episodes, Martin will attempt to help his son through his horrific ordeal, and was spotted back on set filming the scenes last month.

Read the full story in this week's issue of the Radio Times, out today.She's the former topless waitress who became a familiar face on reality television last year.

But Bachelor 2017 alumni Simone Ormesher certainly looked different back in school.

After her cruel family showed her a childhood snap and joked she was an 'ugly kid,' the 26-year-old opened the debate up to her Instagram fans on Tuesday.

'My family's saying I was an ugly kid?' Bachelor star Simone Ormesher looks very different in a sweet childhood snap as she asks fans to weigh in on her attractiveness through the years

The Brit shared the picture her family apparently teased her about, alongside the caption: 'My family keep saying I was an ugly kid?'

In the image, Simone was pictured as a pre-teen with brunette locks and a very formal school uniform.

The future reality star stood out the front of her Manchester childhood home, smiling wide as she prepared to leave for school.

She looked markedly different to what she does now, but her fans would likely attest she was far from an 'ugly kid'.

Debate: After her cruel family showed her a childhood snap and joked she was an 'ugly kid,' the 26-year-old opened the debate up to her Instagram fans on Tuesday

Stunning Simone tends to be rather harsh on herself, sharing another throwback snap last year and joking about her 'big head'.

Looking to be under the age of 10, she stood close to her father, and what appeared to be another sibling.

She captioned the throwback: 'Good Lord my head was still big when I was a kid,' followed by 'Gosh my dad is Handsome.'

Just different: She looked markedly different to her current blonde-and-busty style, but her fans would likely attest she was far from an 'ugly kid'

On The Bachelor last year, Simone confessed to having breast enlargement surgery at age 22.

An ex-boyfriend paid for her to have the surgery in Thailand.

She later regretted the surgery, telling TV WEEK magazine last August: 'I don't really like them anymore. My tops don't really fit me and I think natural looks better.'Nagorno-Karabakh is not a Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member, and therefore the organization will not provide military assistance to Stepanakert.

March 6, 2018, 14:12 CSTO Joint Staff chief says they will not help Karabakh in case of war

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 6, ARTSAKHPRESS:Anatoly Sidorov, Chief of the CSTO Joint Staff, stated about the abovementioned at Tuesdays videoconference devoted to the main military security threats to the CSTO member countries.

He noted that a CSTO agreement is signed with Armenia, and, correspondingly, the CSTO has certain commitments to Yerevan.

Armenian citizens should be rest assured that in case of a threat, the CSTO will not leave them in danger, Sidorov added.

Also, he noted that even though Armenia-Azerbaijan relations are quite tense, they are not so tense that the two countries will seize capital cities from each other.

In addition, Anatoly Sidorov stressed that the CSTO does not have the authority to intervene in a conflict without a respective request by the organizations member country which is a party to this conflict.Viewers finally saw the hotly-anticipated marriage between Prince McQueen and Lily Drinkwell on Monday's edition of Hollyoaks.

However, shortly before the romantic ceremony, the student - played by Malique Thompson-Dwyer - was locked in the back of his father Shane's van as his partner prepared for the big day.

After listening to Prince profess his love for his partner, Shane Sweeney - played by Michael Salami - agreed to take his son to the wedding, but the pair were held back as the van battery died.

Sweet: Viewers finally saw the hotly-anticipated marriage between Prince McQueen and Lily Drinkwell on Monday's edition of Hollyoaks

In his honest admission, Prince made a plea to his father about Lily - played by Lauren McQueen: 'Dad I love Lily! She makes me the happiest I've ever been!'

He continued: 'if I don't get married today, it'll be another day. I'd marry her every single day of the week if I could. And there's nothing you can do that will stop that!'

To his own surprise, Shane finally agreed to their marriage: 'Right, let's get you to that church then ey?'

'I do!': Guests looked on at the beaming couple as they said their powerful vows, shortly after Prince's dramatic entrance

However, following a paint accident in the back of the van, Prince had to find new clothes before he got to the church.

Shane offered Prince a lift but as the vehicle battery died, Prince was forced to make a run for it to get to the wedding in time.

Nana McQueen - portrayed by Diane Langton - returned for the special day but made a scene about the wedding not being 'proper'.

Lily's auntie Diane O'Connor (Alex Fletcher) discovered Shane had trapped Prince in the van to stop the wedding.

Meanwhile, the McQueens panicked as Lily made it to the church.

However, Lily knew something wasn't right, leaving hopeful character heartbroken.

Prince arrived at the building just as Lily proceeded to call off their wedding.

After explaining what had occurred, the pair agree to tie the knot. However, Prince refused to tell his bride about Diane's involvement in holding up the wedding.

On her way! Club owner Tony (Nick Pickard) walked Lily down the aisle, shortly before the newlyweds shared a passionate kiss

Club owner Tony (Nick Pickard) walked Lily down the aisle, shortly before the newlyweds shared a passionate kiss.

Following the death of Neeta Kaur, Prince's brother Hunter (Theo Graham) was extremely sad at the ceremony, leading him to break down.

Lily and Prince married with no further disruptions but will Prince eventually reveal the truth about Diane to Lily?

Tragic: Following the death of Neeta Kaur, Prince's brother Hunter (Theo Graham) was extremely sad at the ceremony, leading him to break downShe's the outspoken actress and film producer who recently donated $500,000 to the Time's Up legal defense fund.

But according to Reese Witherspoon, she hasn't always been that way.

Speaking to Marie Claire Australia ahead of International Women's Day, the 41-year-old Cruel Intentions star credited Oprah with boosting her confidence.

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Women supporting women: Speaking with Marie Claire Australia, Reese Witherspoon revealed that Oprah encouraged her to 'be the best version of herself'

'Oprah encouraged me before I even met her to be the best version of myself, through her book clubs (and) the people I saw on her show,' said Reese.

'(She has been) an incredible advocate for me as a businesswoman.'

Reese also said her talent agent husband Jim Toth had encouraged her to be 'outspoken' when necessary.

Thankful: Reese also said her talent agent husband Jim Toth had encouraged her to be 'outspoken' when necessary

Support: While introducing Oprah before she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes, Reese thanked the US talk show queen for her 'powerful contributions'

'I get a lot of support from my husband, who cares deeply about equality and tells me, "Why wouldn't you call the person in charge of a company and have a personal relationship with them?"' she added.

It's not the first time Reese has praised America's talk show queen.

While introducing her before she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes, Reese thanked Oprah for her 'powerful contributions' and for being such an 'icon and inspiration to women'.

After starting her own female-focused production company, which is responsible for Big Little Lies (pictured) , Reese's new movie A Wrinkle In Time will see her star alongside Oprah

'Thank you for your grace, generosity, your wisdom,' she began.

'Thank you for your powerful contributions to the world of film and television. In this and everything you do, you've changed our lives.'

After starting her own female-focused production company, which is responsible for Big Little Lies, Reese's new movie A Wrinkle In Time will see her star alongside Oprah.While he has declared his love for 'wife' Ashley Irvin on Married At First Sight, Troy Delmege was hesitant about sleeping with her on the honeymoon.

The lack of initial intimacy later proved to be a problem in their relationship, with the blonde flight attendant bringing up the issue in a dramatic commitment ceremony.

In an interview with this week's NW magazine, 35-year-old Troy confessed to the real reason he steered clear of any bedroom antics with Ashley on their first night alone.

'She's not the type of girl I'd usually go for': Married At First Sight's Troy Delmege reveals the REAL reason he wasn't that into 'wife' Ashley Irvin (and why he refused to sleep with her on their honeymoon)

'When I first saw Ash, even though I said I wanted a 'Barbie', she's not the type of girl I'd usually go for and I struggled with attraction. She's short,' the IT specialist told the magazine.

Troy added that it wasn't just Ashley's physical attributes that had turned him off becoming intimate with her.

'Ashley wasn't really herself then! She was superficial and reactive. I was looking for someone insightful and analytical, but she wasn't in that frame of mind,' he said.

'I struggled with attraction': Troy admitted that Ashley was too 'short' and he had been hoping for someone more 'insightful and analytical'

But as their relationship progressed, the tables turned, with Ashley refusing to sleep with Troy instead of the other way around.

The couple admitted that their turbulent relationship - replete with explosive arguments - played a part in their lack of affection for one another.

But Troy added that Ashley's lifestyle also had an effect on limiting them getting up and personal.

'Because she sleeps for 10 hours a day, and at night has such an extensive beauty regimen with her tanning products that I'm then not allowed to touch her until they dry!' he explained.

Not feeling it? Troy and Ashley's relationship has been under pressure due to their lack of sex

Meanwhile, in unaired Married At First Sight footage published on 9Now, Ashley could be seen telling the relationship experts she had to 'teach' Troy how to kiss.

In the chat, which occurred during last week's commitment ceremony but was not broadcast, Troy revealed to the MAFS experts that his wife allowed him to 'kiss her properly for the first time this morning'.

Elaborating on the situation, Ashley explained that Troy 'came at me real fast and I said, "No, no! This is how you do it. This is what I like".'Her most memorable moment on The Bachelor 2016 involved stripping down to a red bikini for a luxury yacht trip with Richie Strahan.

And while she didn't end up with a boyfriend, it seems Rachael Gouvignon may have raided the wardrobe before she left the mansion.

On Monday, the 31-year-old real estate agent shared a sizzling Instagram photo of herself posing in a very familiar looking scarlet two-piece.

That looks familiar! Former Bachelor star Rachael Gouvignon posed at Perth's Trigg Beach on Monday wearing a skimpy red bikini that fans of the dating show will no doubt recognise

In the photo, Rachael smiles while flaunting her toned and tanned figure at Trigg Beach in Perth.

She captioned the photo, 'Salt in the air, sand in my hair', and added the hash tags: 'Sun-kissed', 'Beach bum', and 'Monday vibes'.

It didn't take long for fans praise Rachael's beach style, with fellow contestant Tiffany Scanlon commenting: 'Hello, lady in red.'

Another follower simply wrote: 'Bellissimo!'

There it is! Eagle-eyed Bachelor fans will no doubt remember Rachael's single date with Richie Strahan on The Bachelor two years ago, which saw her wearing a similar bikini

Eagle-eyed Bachelor fans will no doubt remember Rachael's single date with Richie on The Bachelor two years ago, which saw her wearing a similar bikini.

At the time, the pair shared a 'Titanic moment' after climbing the yacht's mast and holding each other closely in the crow's nest.

Later on, they shared a romantic kiss after Richie confessed he found Rachael 'beautiful' and offered her a red rose.

Confident! Rachael didn't find love on The Bachelor, as Richie chose Alex Nation instead

Richie said: 'I came into this wanting to see if there's more of a romantic connection, and today just blew me away.

'Rachael, I've had the best day today. You've shown me an incredible side to you... You've just blown me out of the water.'

Eventually, Richie chose single mother Alex Nation as his winning lady - but the couple split after a few months.Emma Stone kept under the radar as she jetted out of LAX airport Monday, amidst backlash for referring to the Oscar nominees for Best Director as 'four men and Greta Gerwig' at Sunday night's awards show.

The Aloha actress, 29, covered up in a dark cap and long plaid coat, trying to remain out of the spotlight at the same time her Academy Award introduction from the night before was inciting the ire of many.

Online critics accused Stone of minimizing the achievements of Best Director nominees Guillermo del Toro, a Mexican immigrant, and Jordan Peele, a black man, and called the starlet an example of 'peak white feminism.'

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Low key: Emma Stone kept under the radar as she jetted out of LAX airport Monday, amidst backlash for referring to the Oscar nominees for Best Director as 'four men and Greta Gerwig' at Sunday night's awards show

Emma remained low-key as she left Los Angeles, pairing her smart coat with dark layers and a handsome brown doctor's bag.

The La La Land actress's face was well-hydrated and makeup free, appearing refreshed after Hollywood's biggest night out.

Sunday's 90th Academy Awards were filled with references to the Time's Up movement, but many people felt Stone's jab about gender disparity in Hollywood missed the mark because it dismissed the accomplishments of two men of color.

'It is the director whose indelible touch is reflected on every frame,' Stone started her speech. 'It is the director who, shot by shot, scene by scene, day by day, works with every member of the crew to further the story.

Casual: The Aloha actress covered up in a dark cap and long plaid coat, trying to remain out of the spotlight at the same time her introduction was inciting the ire of many

Cover up: The starlet pulled a dark felt cap over her face for a bit of privacy

In the bag! Emma paired her smart coat with dark layers and a handsome brown doctor's bag

Overlooking achievements? Online critics accused Stone of minimizing the achievements of Best Director nominees Guillermo del Toro, a Mexican immigrant, and Jordan Peele, a black man, and also called the starlet an example of 'peak white feminism'

Word choice: Many people felt Stone's jab about gender disparity in Hollywood missed the mark because it dismissed the accomplishments of two men of color

'And it is the vision of the director that takes an ordinary movie and turns it into a work of art,' she continued. 'These four men, and Greta Gerwig, created their own masterpieces this year.'

Although Stone's comment was met with laughter and shouts at the awards show, it caused quite a stir on Twitter as people debated whether it was an appropriate comment about the lack of female representation in the category or simply dismissive of the hardworking male nominees.

Many people noted that Peele was only the fifth black person to be nominated in the category and the only one in the running for the award that night.

Backlash: Emma Stone has been accused of 'white feminism' after she referred to the Oscar nominees for Best Director as 'four men and Greta Gerwig'

Not a fan: Many people felt Stone's jab about gender disparity in Hollywood missed the mark because it dismissed the accomplishments of two men of color

Under fire: Critics said Stone's comment was a prime example of 'peak white feminism'

Calling her out: Teresa Dowell-Vest was one of the many people who pointed out the category included Guillermo del Toro, a Mexican immigrant, and Jordan Peele, a black man

Meanwhile, Best Director winner del Toro spoke candidly about being a Mexican immigrant during his acceptance speech.

'TBH I wasn't a fan of Emma Stone presenting Best Director at the #Oscars by saying "The men nominated and Greta Gerwig,"' the Women Film Directors Twitter account commented.

'Gerwig is only the 5th white woman to be nominated but Jordan Peele is only the 5th black man. How many Mexican directors are nominated?'

Teresa Dowell-Vest added: '"These four men and Greta Gerwig." Nevermind that one of those men is Black and one of those men is Latino but ok...you go right on ahead, Emma Stone. I say ALL of OUR names.'

Wins: Guillermo del Toro (L) was the winner of Best Director and Best Picture for Shape of Water, while Jordan Peele (R) made history by winning Best Original Screenplay for Get Out

Sharing his story: Del Toro spoke candidly about being a Mexican immigrant during his acceptance speech for Best Director

Some accused Emma of 'white feminism,' a brand of feminism that focuses on the ideal and struggles of white women while failing to address the oppression of ethnic minorities.

'Peak white feminism from Emma Stone,' Nik Reed tweeted. 'Pointing out that 4 of the nominees are men while ignoring that 2 of those men are minorities.'

'I understand what #EmmaStone was trying to illustrated last night but to shun an African American, and Mexican immigrant, directors who also are underrepresented is just classless and disrespectful,' Sergio Serna commented.

Others called to attention to the fact that Emma played a Allison Ng, a character who was a quarter Chinese and quarter Hawaiian, in the 2015 film Aloha and has appeared in films by Woody Allen, a filmmaker accused of sexually abusing his daughter.

Hmm: While criticizing Stone, some called attention to her role in the 2015 film Aloha. She played Allison Ng (pictured), a character who was a quarter Chinese and quarter Hawaiian

Creative: One woman created a multiple choice question to hit back at Stone

Getting woke: Walter Chaw sarcastically called her a 'noted Chinese actress' because of her role in Aloha

Just wondering: A woman named April asked if Stone was the same actress who played a whitewashed character in Aloha

Just saying: April noted that Stone has also appeared in films by Woody Allen, a filmmaker accused of sexually abusing his daughter

Nope: Shannon O'Neill argued that the Best Director category 'didn't need a burn'

'This is the same Emma Stone who played a whitewashed character in Aloha, right? Or am I remembering wrong. NARRATOR: She wasn't remembering wrong. #OscarsSoWhite,' a woman named April tweeted.

'I'm not here for the participation trophies & partial credit some are so eager to give out,' she added. 'Emma Stone made a movie with Woody Allen, played a whitewashed character, and erased the importance of two men of color in a category. But she identified a woman, so.... yay?'

Walter Chaw added: 'Noted Chinese actress Emma Stone gets woke all of a sudden.'

Of course, Stone wasn't the only actress who focused on the achievements of the female nominees that evening.

Rachel Morrison made history by becoming the first woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, and when Sandra Bullock introduced the category, she said: 'Here are the four men, and the one trailblazing woman, who are nominated for achievements in cinematography.'

Missing the mark: Sergio Serna said he understood what Stone was trying to illustrate, but he found it disrespectful of her to shun the other underrepresented directors

Not quite right: Rachel Leishman pointed out that she stole the idea from Natalie Portman, who made a similar comment while presenting at the Golden Globes this year

Fire: There were also plenty of fans of Stone's not-so-subtle shade on Sunday evening

Fan club: Mackenzi Lee called it the 'most iconic awards show shade' since Portman's jab at the Golden Globes

However, Stone's comment was more reminiscent of Natalia Portman's dig at this year's Golden Globes.

Like Stone, Portman was presenting the best director category when she bluntly said: 'Here are the all-male nominees.'

Some people pointed out that Stone 'stole' the idea from Portman, but she failed to realize that she was being dismissive of the other nominees by only highlighting Gerwig's accomplishments.

'She stole the idea but even Natalie didn't dismiss the nominees, more the nominating committee,' Rachel Leishman tweeted. 'She simply said "the all male nominees" so Emma's was more a dismissal of the other nominees by highlighting Greta (who I love) when it isn't exactly fair to Peele or Del Toro.

Despite the controversy, there were plenty of fans of Stone's not-so-subtle shade.

'"These four men and Greta Gerwig..." [fire emoji] Emma Stone presenting the best director category. Greta didn't win but I love that heat Emma just brought,' Shannon Coulter tweeted.

And Mackenzi Lee called it the 'most iconic awards show shade' since Portman's jab at the Golden Globes.She is known for her killer body, and often shares her gruelling workouts on social media.

And Lauren Pope was certainly confident to show off her figure on Monday, as she posed completely topless on Instagram.

The 35-year-old stripped to just a pair of silk shorts as she posed for the sizzling snap - with only her hands concealing her assets.

Sizzling: Lauren Pope set pulses racing on Monday, when she posed completely topless for a saucy snap on Instagram

The reality star flashed serious side-boob in the titillating snap, as she posed on her knees with her arms crossed across her bare chest.

Flaunting her enviably toned figure further, she slipped into only white silk shorts, which cinched in at her slim waist and cut off high at her thigh, to leave her long legs on show.

Styling her hair in loose waves and sporting a perfectly contoured make-up look and deep bronze tan, Lauren exuded her usual Essex glamour as she worked the camera.

Dedicated: The beauty is known for her impressively toned physique, and has previously admitted to working out four to five times a week in the gym

The beauty is known for her impressively toned physique, and has previously admitted to working out four to five times a week in the gym.

However, Lauren has always remained adamant that she would never reveal her biggest hang-ups or insecurities, as she accepts her body with all its flaws.

She told the Daily Star last year: 'I never tell people the parts I don't like about me as thats just noting out your flaws, I've learnt how to work with what I've got and accentuate the good parts, lets put it that way.'

The reality star is no stranger to sizzling social media snaps, having recently returned from Dubai - where she modelled an array of saucy swimsuits and bikinis for fans.

Seas the day: The reality star is no stranger to sizzling social media snaps, having recently returned from Dubai - where she modelled an array of saucy swimsuits and bikinis for fans

However, the topless snap was more eye-popping than usual, despite Lauren choosing to remove her E cup implants - the result of a second boob job - last summer.

Speaking to MailOnline at the time, she said of the move: 'I'm back to small boobies! I've thought about it for a long time.

'It's really hard to explain but it's not a big dramatic decision. It's just I feel like I am taken seriously now in the world of business.'

Lauren rose to fame glamour model and embarked on a career as a DJ over a decade ago, but became a series regular on TOWIE in 2010 when she started dating show original Kirk Norcross.

She has since gone on to launch her successful extension line Hair Rehab London.Collateral

Rating:

Action Team

Rating:

There has been a run of TV dramas that lure the viewer in with gripping early episodes only to deliver the most disappointing of endings. Channel 4s Kiri was the most recent offender.

But at least its not an accusation that could be levelled at Collateral (BBC2)  which was consistently awful from week one.

Last nights finale was actually the best episode of a bad bunch. Thanks to a dodgy deal she brokered with two illegal immigrants, Kip Glaspie (Carey Mulligan), the worlds most humourless detective, had cracked the case.

Collateral (BBC2) was consistently awful from week one but last night's episode, where Kip Glapsie (Carey Mulligan) cracked the case, was the best of a bad bunch

A mild-mannered travel agent by day, Peter Westbourne (Richard McCabe) was also the head of an international people smuggling ring. Abdullah, the assassinated pizza delivery boy, had discovered his secret identity and was attempting to blackmail him.

Which is why Westbourne had him bumped off by rogue army captain Sandrine Shaw (Jeany Spark). She suffered from PTSD and was conned into thinking Abdullah was a terrorist when, in fact, he merely delivered 10-inch Margheritas and had a sideline in drug dealing and extortion.

Captain Shaw spent most of last nights episode stomping around the Home Counties in her camouflage gear, brandishing a pistol and terrorising housewives.

A mild-mannered travel agent by day, Peter Westbourne (Richard McCabe) was also the head of an international people smuggling ring

She eventually holed herself up in a hotel room until DI Glaspie arrived to negotiate her surrender.

Except Glaspie accidentally let slip that Abdullah wasnt a terrorist after all and Shaw killed herself. Whoops.

In the end all the pieces of the jigsaw came together and Glaspie and her crew knew the identity of the main baddie, even if they didnt quite catch him.

The most ludicrous casting was John Simm, as Labour MP David Mars, whose character contributed nothing to the plot and only seemed to be there to deliver passionate speeches about the rights of refugees.

The subject of law enforcement was given much lighter treatment in Action Team (ITV2)

His sister, lesbian priest Jane Oliver (Nicola Walker) added nothing either  although she did have a lovely kitchen.

And we never did discover the significance of DI Glaspie being a former Olympic pole vaulter. Maybe it was a metaphor for the fact that the plot jumped all over the place. The subject of law enforcement was given much lighter treatment in Action Team (ITV2), a spoof spy thriller described by its makers as The Naked Gun meets The Bourne Identity.

Last night the series launched with two back-to-back episodes that followed the exploits of a not-so-crack team of MI6 agents led by Logan Mann (Tom Davis), a pound shop James Bond figure who frequently shot the wrong man and whose seduction techniques left a lot to be desired.

A spoof spy thriller described by its makers as The Naked Gun meets The Bourne Identity

The rest of the team comprises an oversexed female explosives expert, a needy sniper and a clueless work experience lad.

Luckily for Action Team their main Nemesis, Vladimir Schevchenko (also played by Tom Davis), was even more incompetent than Agent Mann.

The head of a tiny Russian republic, he desperately wanted to be the most evil man in the world but kept getting it wrong.

He made menacing calls to Ruth Brooks (Vicky McClure)  the teams Head of Operations  but forgot to hang up afterwards, meaning she heard the rest of his secret plot to blow up a peace convention. Totally silly with humour very much of the schoolboy variety but it provided some welcome light relief after the oh-so-earnest Collateral.As part of one of Married At First Sight's most strained relationships, lothario Nasser Sultan has been constantly clashing with 'wife' Gabrielle Bartlett.

But it appears the 50-year-old's stint on the Channel Nine dating show hasn't repelled attention from women in real-life.

Spotted in Bondi on Friday, Nasser was all smiles as he cosied up to two bikini-clad female fans.

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What would Gabrielle say? Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan lapped up the attention from two bikini-clad fans in Sydney's Bondi on Friday

Flanked by the two beauties, Nasser appeared in his element as he tightly gripped the women.

Wearing a white T-shirt, board shorts and sunglasses, the reality star placed his hands around the women's waists and happily posed for selfies in between them.

The brunette was dressed in denim shorts matched with a black and pastel bikini top, while the blonde opted for a black two-piece for the happy snap, with all three brandishing wide grins for the photo.

Strike a pose! The trio were all smiles as they took a selfie together, with Nasser's arms resting around the women's waists

However, Nasser's cheery disposition wasn't one he had been sporting all day.

Earlier, the reality star was snapped embroiled in what appeared to be an intense phone conversation.

While it is unknown who was on the other end of the line or what their topic of conversation involved, Nasser was seen with a serious facial expression and his free arm dramatically outstretched.

Everything ok? Earlier in the day, Nasser appeared to be in the midst of an intense phone conversation

During the outing, Nasser didn't appear to be wearing his wedding ring, which indicates he and his on-screen match Gabrielle may have called it quits for good.

The couple have come to blows numerous times throughout the series, with Nasser voting to 'leave' in the most recent commitment ceremony on Sunday night.

Unfortunately for him, Gabrielle voted to stay, declaring 'bad luck, Donald Duck' as she expressed her decision, meaning the pair had to stay in the show for another week.She juggles being a full-time mum, actress and radio host.

And on Tuesday, Kate Ritchie added Jockey Underwear model to her list of accomplishments - her second time shooting for the company.

The 39-year-old stripped down to her underwear for the brand's empowering new 'she wears the pants' campaign, sharing one of the snaps via Instagram.

She wears the pants! Home and Away star Kate Ritchie, 39, strips down to her lingerie as the face of Jockey's empowering new campaign

Kate wore a white T-shirt with the campaign title emblazoned on top, contrasting the obvious fact that she wasn't wearing pants.

The actress showcased her stunning physique in a pair of frilly blue briefs.

'Yes! This is me being thrilled to be back for my second campaign with @jockeyunderwear' she wrote in the caption.

'Its all about who wear the pants! Its so important to start the day feeling #confidfent and #comfortable and I love to start mine feeling this way.'

Stunning: The actress looks incredible in the campaign shots

Beautiful: The mother-of-one showcases her stunning physique in a pair of frilly blue floral briefs

The brand shared a second image of the beauty on their own Instagram, explaining the meaning behind their campaign slogan.

'Modern women are embracing their right to wear the pants. Which pants? Jockey Parisienne. The pants that cover your bum and don't ride up,' they explained.

The caption was shared alongside a second image of Kate, this time in a plain white shirt and pink briefs.

She posed triumphantly alongside a slightly modified slogan: 'For women who wear the pants'.

The shoot was an intentional shift towards empowering women not to feel pressured into wearing specific types of underwear.

Her first campaign for Jockey - in July last year - featured a set of racier images that saw Kate flaunting cleavage in a lingerie one-piece.

'Its all about who wear the pants! Its so important to start the day feeling #confidfent and #comfortable and I love to start mine feeling this way' she wrote of the campaign on InstagramAmerican by birth, Terri Irwin became an Australian citizen on November 15, 2009, in a tribute to her late husband Steve.

And on Tuesday, the wildlife warrior took to Twitter to praise Australian policies and point out the flaws in America's current gun control laws.

The mother of two, 53, clearly didn't agree with America's stance on the issue, suggesting the country follow in Australia's footsteps.

'Our gun ban has ended mass shootings here for 22 years!' Terri Irwin urges America to introduce stricter gun control policies

She wrote: 'I'm an Australian. I have a firearms license. Our gun ban has ended mass shootings here for 22 years. Not one.'

In a sassy sign-off, she continued: 'This actually works. Try it.'

The sentiment was widely appreciated, with more than 10,600 re-tweets and 48,000 likes.

'This actually works. Try it': Terri suggested America take note of Prime Minister John Howard's decision to enact tougher gun laws in 1996 after a gun massacre claimed the lives of 35

Australia was rocked in 1996 when gunman Martin Bryant went on the rampage armed with semi-automatic weapons at the historic Tasmanian colonial convict site of Port Arthur.

Then Liberal prime minister John Howard swiftly enacted tougher gun laws, including bans on certain weapons, a minimum ownership age, and licences.

More than 600,000 weapons were destroyed in the aftermath and while controversial at the time, gun control measures now have strong public support.

Iconic duo: Terri became a widow in 2006 when her Australian Crocodile Hunter husband Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray barb while filming in Queensland's Batt Reef

Terri became a widow in 2006 when her Australian Crocodile Hunter husband Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray barb while filming in Queensland's Batt Reef.

Terri and Steve were the original Wildlife Warrior power couple, who lovingly worked alongside each other at Australia Zoo.

While without her rock and husband of more than 14 years, Steve, Terri continues that legacy alongside their children Bindi, 19, and Robert, 14.

Wildlife warriors: While without her rock and husband of more than 14 years, Steve, Terri continues that legacy alongside their children Bindi, 19, and Robert, 14

Terri recently told People magazine she hadn't been on a single date since Steve passed away 12 years ago.

'Ive already had my happily ever after,' she said.

'I think its wonderful when people who have lost someone find love again, but Im not personally looking, and I havent been on a date in 27 years.'Turkey will establish camps for 170,000 displaced people in the Idlib and Euphrates Shield region ahead of a possible refugee influx from Afrin, Hurriyet Dail News reports, citing the Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

March 6, 2018, 17:54 Turkey to establish refugee camp in Idlib

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 6, ARTSAKHPRESS:The camps will be established in nine different regions including Azez, Elbil, Tugli, Teleffer, Naddah, Bardakli and Mashad Rufi.

The spokesperson also said the Turkey-Iran-Russia trilateral summit aiming to discuss the Syrian crisis is set to be held in Istanbul in early April. The planned date is for April 4, a Turkish diplomat told Hurriyet Daily News.

The diplomats of the three countries will meet in Astana on March 16 for preparatory talks ahead of the summit, the spokesperson said.The Best Man

Rating:

Gore Vidal's presidential-politics play The Best Man feels startlingly current. It pits two candidates against each other.

One is an Ivy League liberal atheist who speaks the bloodless language of the elite. The other is a yackety-yack, church-going populist with a brassy wife and a firm belief that the people of America deserve better from their political class.

The two happen to be men, but it might as well be Trump v Mrs Clinton.

Conssumate professional: Martin Shaw plays a US Secretary of State

Cast members Martin Shaw, Jack Shepherd and Jeff Fahey bow at the curtain call during the press night performance of 'The Best Man' at The Playhouse Theatre

And yet The Best Man was written in 1960, which might tell us that President Trump is not the unprecedented ogre his enemies claim, or might tell us that Vidal was a good playwright who saw that politics has eternal truths (or lies).

Bill Kenwright's production of this entertaining but occasionally far-fetched yarn is good fun. The two protagonists are Secretary of State Russell (Martin Shaw) and Senator Cantwell, whose surname points to his grotesque tendencies.

Jeff Fahey gives the evening's strongest performance as this chest-puffing dynamo of instant opinions and ruthlessness. It helps that Mr Fahey is American.

Glynis Barber, Martin Shaw and Jack Shepherd bow at the curtain call

Some of the other actors speak with iffy American accents. Russell and Cantwell are staying in the same Philadelphia hotel for their party's convention.

Cantwell has some dirt on his rival and is threatening to use it. Should the cerebral Russell follow him into the gutter? 'Your conscience is my enemy,' a despairing aide tells Russell. But his boss holds that 'one by one these small corruptions (of the campaign trail) destroy character'.

Actually, it is hard to believe that a candidate could ever reach the convention with such virgin principles.

Jack Shepherd, much though I like him, is miscast as the shrewd old man who is about to step down as president. Glynis Barber and Honeysuckle Weeks have their moments as the candidates' wives. Maureen Lipman does her normal over-acting as a party grandee.

The first-night audience enjoying this watchable depiction of political low jinks included a certain Ed Miliband. Not even Gore Vidal could have imagined two brothers competing against each other for a party nomination. But it could make a heck of a play, surely.She recently revealed she was forced to share her affair to Sam Thompson on Made In Chelsea.

But Tiffany Watson appeared to have forgotten about her previous troubles as she gave her Instagram followers a peek into her picturesque Tulum getaway on Monday.

The television personality, 24, showcased her svelte physique in a sizzling selfie as she donned a sizzling leopard print bikini.

Sizzling: Tiffany Watson appeared to have forgotten about her previous romance troubles as she gave her Instagram followers a peek into her picturesque Tulum getaway on Monday

Posing up a storm in her hotel room, the fitness enthusiast ensured all eyes were on her as she boasted her busty cleavage and rock-hard abs.

The blonde beauty ensured attention remained on her bikini-clad appearance as her tousled tresses grazed her shoulders.

Tiffany gave the camera a smoldering gaze and showcased her fresh face as she went makeup free.

Candid: The television personality spilled the beans on the inner-workings of the Made In Chelsea and discussed how producers covered up the most shocking scandals hit by the cast

This racy display comes after the star spilled the beans on the inner-workings of Made In Chelsea and discussed how she felt forced into sharing every part of her life even when she didn't want to.

Tiff - who's sister Lucy left the show in 2016 - left behind a rocky year on the show which saw the demise of her romance with Sam Thompson, 25 - whom she dated for three years.

The London native reflected on having to share her private life with Sam on the series and admitted everything boiled over between the two in 2016 during a trip to the Maldives when she had to tell him she had slept with someone else.

Tough: Tiff - who's sister Lucy left the show in 2016 - leaves behind a rocky year on the show which saw the demise of her romance with Sam Thompson, 25 - whom she dated for three years

Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, the reality star revealed she found it 'stressful' to play out that part of her relationship on TV after she was faced with having another cast member reveal her lie to Sam when she wanted to protect him.

She told the publication: 'I said we just kissed when actually we slept together. I had told one of the other cast members and she was going to tell him, so I had no choice but to admit what happened.

'I flew back to London sitting next to Sam and he wouldnt talk to me for the whole 22-hour flight. They didnt film that part but the whole thing was very stressful.

Frank: The blonde beauty reflected on having to share her private life with Sam on the series and admitted everything boiled over between the two in 2016 during a trip to the Maldives when she had to tell him she had slept with someone else

'I was in love with Sam, we even discussed getting married, and being on TV put pressure on the relationship. There were some things I didnt want to film because I wanted to protect him, but I knew I had to.'

At the end of season 13, Tiffany and Sam decided to go on a Ross and Rachel-style 'break', and agreed to see other people which appeared to be the beginning of the end.

Despite them being 'allowed' to do this, things turned nasty when Sam had a fling with fellow MIC cast member Mimi Bouchard.

While Mimi was never Tiff's 'friend' this caused much drama, and there were many tears when the pair reunited in Ibiza and back in London for season 14.

Moving forward: Speaking to The Sun on Sunday , the reality star revealed she found it 'stressful' to play out that part of her relationship on TV after she was faced with having another cast member reveal her lie to Sam

'Stressful': She told the publication: 'I said we just kissed when actually we slept together. I had told one of the other cast members and she was going to tell him, so I had no choice but to admit what happened' (Pictured in 2017)

In February, Tiff - who is a fitness enthusiast and a vegan activist on the side - confirmed that she is set to leave via a spokesperson to MailOnline but suggested it's more of an open-exit.

'Tiff has taken a break for now to concentrate on a number of exciting projects including TV as well as the opening of her vegan restaurant with her sister and her lifestyle/stationary business 365 which she launched a few months ago,' the spokesperson said.

'She also has a number of trips coming up for work and leisure as well as her best friend's wedding where she is her maid of honour so its a busy few months and seemed the right time to step back and work on all the exciting things she has coming up and give them her all,' they added.

Going: In February, Tiff - who is a fitness enthusiast and a vegan activist on the side - confirmed that she is set to leave via a spokesperson to MailOnline but suggested it's more of an open-exit

A spokesperson for MIC added: 'Whilst shes yet to film in series 15, its never goodbye in Chelsea.'

Tiff mentioned on numerous occasions during the 14th season of MIC that she is opening a vegan restaurant with her sister and family.

Their father - Clive - is already a restaurateur, and is said to be helping them put the business together.She had a terrifying health scare she described as a 'mini-stroke' last year.

But that didn't stop Channel Ten newsreader Sandra Sully from entering the South African jungle on I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, on Monday night.

Initially surprising the camp mates behind a wooden box, the popular newsreader dove straight to the country's biggest headlines.

This just in! Ten newsreader Sandra Sully enters the South African jungle on 'I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here'... after revealing details of her own health crisis

Her top stories being the resignation of deputy PM Barnaby Joyce and the latest American school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which was met with shock and surprise.

Appearing emotional, boxer Danny Green was in a state of disbelief at the school shooting, which saw 17 people dead.

'It just blew me away,' he said.

What's the latest? The newsreader's top stories were the resignation of Barnaby Joyce as leader of the Nationals and deputy PM, along with the latest US school shooting

While lingerie model Simone Holtznagel said she lives in America and so many people have no 'want or need for a gun,' yet still have them.

She then appeared to endorse Australia's gun buy back scheme after hearing the news, which took place after the Port Arthur massacre.

Sandra's visit to the jungle comes after she spoke candidly to the Australian Women's Weekly in January about doctors finding white spots on her brain.

Heath crisis! It comes after the veteran newsreader revealed the details of her own health crisis, saying doctors found white spots on her brain

The well-respected journalist said she thought something was wrong when she was struggling to read autocue lines and became uneasy on her feet.

After waking up one day feeling uneasy, she almost collapsed.

I'd lost my balance. I had to hold the wall,' she explained.

Warning signs! The glamorous newsreader said she was first alarmed after struggling to read the autocue and being uneasy on her feet

However, despite her left arm going dead and a niggling pressure point in her head, she soldiered on and attended the Logies.

'The next day I just knew I wasn't right. It took me forever to mouth a sentence and I just didn't feel sharp,' she admitted.

As an ambassador for the Stroke Foundation, Sandra knew she had to listen to her body and seek medical attention sooner-than-later.

'I thought I was having a mini-stroke,' she said.

The media personality said the MRI revealed white spots on her brain and she was suffering migraines without a headache.

Sandra has since told Daily Mail Australia that while 'some days are better than others' she is feeling a lot better and is regularly monitoring her health and checking in with her GP.

She said doctors gave her the 'thumbs up' and were 'really excited about 2018 and being back at the News desk.'She was a scene-stealer at Sunday night's Academy Awards, where she gave an expression of shock in the audience that went viral as a meme.

But by Monday, Jennifer Garner was back to pedestrian family life, joining her estranged husband Ben Affleck with their children in Brentwood.

Jen and Ben, both 45, were snapped out in Los Angeles with their 12-year-old daughter Violet, nine-year-old daughter Seraphina and six-year-old son Samuel.

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Morning after the Oscars: On Monday, Jennifer Garner was back to pedestrian family life, joining her estranged husband Ben Affleck with their children

After dazzling on Sunday in a blue Versace gown, Jennifer opted on Monday to ward off the February chill in a simple sand-colored sweater.

She emphasized her enviably svelte legs in a pair of tight torn jeans, pulling on white sneakers and shielding her eyes from the rays with sunglasses.

Meanwhile, Ben wore a black and white T-shirt advertising Virunga National Park, which is located in the Democratic Republic Of The Congo.

Party of five: Jen and Ben, both 45, were snapped out in Los Angeles with their daughters Violet, 12, and Seraphina, nine, and with their son Samuel, six

Back to basics: After dazzling on Sunday in a blue Versace gown, Jennifer opted on Monday to ward off the February chill in a simple sand-colored sweater

Step lively: She emphasized her enviably svelte legs in a pair of tight torn jeans, pulling on white sneakers and shielding her eyes from the rays with sunglasses

Ben, the founder of the nonprofit Eastern Congo Initiative, teamed the top with an open black hoodie, charcoal jeans and a pair of olive green sneakers.

The grizzled movie star carried a cool beverage from Starbucks as he headed down the sidewalk with his ex and their children.

Jennifer married Ben in 2005, and though they split up in 2015, the amicable co-parents waited until last April to jointly file for divorce.

At Sunday's Oscars, Jennifer was sitting in the crowd during an applause break when a look of something resembling mild horror spread across her face.

The camera picked up this moment and Twitter went into a frenzy.

Jezebel writer Bobby Finger shared the clip and wrote: 'What realization did Jennifer Garner just come to?,' earning more than 141,000 likes and 26,000 retweets.

Something the matter?: At Sunday's Oscars, Jennifer was sitting in the crowd during an applause break when a look of something resembling mild horror spread across her faceAfter winning the hearts of many at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, Team USA figure skater Adam Rippon made a bold fashion statement at Sunday's Oscars, where he broke the mold in a bondage-inspired take on black tie.

Adam turned heads in a unique Moschino suit jacket that featured a provocative leather harness and exposed shoulder cut-outs.

Though many had opinions about the look, the openly gay Olympian wasn't entertaining any haters, clapping back at critics in a tweet that read: 'Everyone should take risks, be bold, and not give a [poop emoji.]'

Pushing boundaries! Adam Rippon tweeted a message to critics of the edgy look he wore to Sunday's Oscars, writing 'Everyone should take risks, be bold, and not give a [poop emoji]'

The bronze medalist began with a message of self-confidence: 'I think fashion is all about self expression and I chose to wear what I wore on the red carpet because I felt cool AF.

He urged followers to 'be bold' and let themselves have fun with whatever they want to wear.

'Everyone should take risks, be bold, and not give a [poop emoji.] Its LOTS of fun.'

He finished the tweet with gratitude for his team, writing: 'Huge thanks to my team for dressing me and make me feel like a sexy MF.'

You wish you were this sharp! Though many had opinions about the look, the openly gay Olympian wasn't entertaining any haters and clapped back at critics in a tweet

A look of his own: The Team USA talent turned heads in a unique Moschino suit jacket that featured a provocative leather harness and exposed shoulder cut-outs

Express yourself! The bronze medalist wrote about self-confidence: 'I think fashion is all about self expression and I chose to wear what I wore on the red carpet because I felt cool AF'

The confident skater graced the event with fellow Team USA talent Mirai Nagasu, who looked ravishing in blue lace.

After the main event at Hollywood's Dolby Theater, the athletes headed to the exclusive Vanity Fair after-party.

Adam dressed down his formal-wear with a pair of Gucci sneakers, but kept fierce with his leather daddy details.

Mirai made a complete outfit change, trading her first look for a champagne colored dressed with feathered skirt.

Skate date! The confident skater graced the event with fellow Team USA talent Mirai Nagasu

After the show, it's the after party... After the main event at Hollywood's Dolby Theater, the athletes headed to the exclusive Vanity Fair after-party

Adam made an entrance in his fashion-forward suit during the main event earlier in the evening.

The sassy skater's suit jacket had cut-outs at the shoulders, allowing his plain white shirt to show through, while also highlighting the leather straps across each gap.

He finished off the ensemble with a shiny pleather bow tie, and a more traditional cummerbund and plain black trousers, while also adding some gold jewelry at his wrists - including a Cartier Love bracelet - and several rings.

Style statement: Figure skater Adam Rippon, 28, wore a rather unique bondage-style suit featuring several leather straps and buckles at the Oscars

Shaking things up: Instead of a traditional tuxedo, Adam opted to wear a cold-shoulder jacket that had leather accessories over each arm, as well as a crossed harness over his chest

Designer duds: The harness, which is from Moschino, was paired with a pleather bow tie

Although Adam did not find any gold medal success in PyeongChang, he found himself quickly thrust into the spotlight thanks to his outspoken attitude, and his history-making medal win, which saw him become the first openly-gay man to stand on the podium for the US at any Winter Olympics.

During an interview with USA Today, the athlete took issue with Vice President Mike Pence leading the U.S. delegation in South Korea.

'You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy?' he said. 'I'm not buying it.'

He also spoke out to confirm that he would be one of a few athletes who wouldn't attend a post-Olympics celebration hosted by President Trump at the White House.

Excited: Adam shared several snaps on his Instagram Story as he made his way to the award ceremony to walk the red carpet

Stylish: On Friday, Adam attended a pre-Oscars fitting with Moschino designer Jeremy Scott, sharing an image of them together on his Instagram

Before he got bronze, Adam and freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy this year became the first open gay men to even compete at the Winter Olympics for the United States.

Rippon finished in 10th place at the Men's Single Free Program this Saturday.

Supermodel and Americas Next Top Model host Tyra Banks was clearly a firm fan of Adam and his ensemble, and even tweeted her support, writing: 'Hoe, but make it fashion @Adaripp!' before adding the hashtag #YouAreFierce.

The outfit choice almost didn't make it to the red carpet, however, as Adam revealed on his Instagram account earlier in the day that it was still being sewn together ten minutes before he was due to walk out of the door.

Olympic stars: He was joined on the red carpet by fellow figure skater Mirai Nagasu

Close: The duo were both part of the US team that brought home a bronze medal in the group competition, but neither managed to medal individually

All smiles: Adam proved himself to be the darling of the Olympics, however, particularly thanks to his outspoken critique of Donald Trump and Mike Pence

Beauty in blue: Mirai, 24, went with something slightly more traditional, looking elegant in a long pale pastel number

This is despite the fact that Adam attended a final fitting for the ensemble on Friday with Moschino designer Jeremy Scott.

Adam shared an image of himself with Jeremy, 42, on his Instagram on Friday, thanking the designer for dressing him for the star-studded occasion.

'Dressed to impress in @moschino,' he captioned the snap. 'Getting ready for the Oscars! Huge thank you to the brill, beautiful, and kind, @itsjeremyscott.'

Mirai, meanwhile, who charmed the world when she became the first American woman to land a triple axel in an Olympic competition, looked beautiful in a floor-length pale blue dress.

The design featured a plunging neckline and long sleeves, as well as the sexy addition of a sheer floor-length skirt, showing a flash of the shorter slip she was wearing underneath.

She carried a small white box clutch in one hand, and left her neck and wrists free from accessories.

Ice, ice, baby: Adam wowed the world while competing at the Olympics - thanks in large part to his outspoken attitude, particularly in relation to President Trump and Vice President Pence

History-maker: Mirai, meanwhile, became the first American woman to ever land a clean triple axel in Olympic competition during the team event

The California resident did add a pair of dainty dangly earrings to the ensemble however, and a chunky ring, while her long dark hair was pulled back from her face in an elegant, but slightly undone, up-do.

Adam and Mirai have clearly remained close throughout the Olympics - where both were part of the team that brought home a bronze medal, although neither managed to land an individual spot on the podium, despite high hopes going in.

Indeed, Mirai in particular faced bitter disappointment in the ladies' competition, having arguably been the favorite US athlete going into the figure skating competition.Kate Bosworth held hands with her husband of four years, Michael Polish, before catching a flight out of LAX Airport in Los Angeles on Monday.

At 47, the Independent Spirit Award-winning director is 12 years older than the Long Road Home actress.

The Cali-born, Montana-based couple - both sporting sunglasses - have been inseparable since meeting in 2011.

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United front: Kate Bosworth held hands with her husband of four years, Michael Polish, before catching a flight out of LAX Airport in Los Angeles on Monday

Michael looked every bit the aging hipster in his black motorcycle jacket over a green plaid shirt, grey beanie, black booties, and dark rinse cuffed jeans.

And Kate (born Catherine) - with her strawberry blonde locks in a messy bun - rocked black PVC kinky boots over spandex leggings and a navy Supreme-brand SS/17 T-shirt.

R&B belter Sade was an interesting choice for Bosworth to highlight considering how the Nigerian-British 59-year-old's music affected her 19-year-old stepdaughter Jasper.

In a May 19 post, Polish's ex-wife Jo Strettell revealed how he used to play Sade (born Helen Adu) for their baby in order 'to stop her from crying.'

Still going strong! At 47, the Independent Spirit Award-winning director is 12 years older than the Long Road Home actress

Reaching out to him: The Cali-born, Montana-based couple - both sporting sunglasses - have been inseparable since meeting in 2011

Escalating: Michael looked every bit the aging hipster in his black motorcycle jacket over a green plaid shirt, grey beanie, black booties, and dark rinse cuffed jeans

Casual: And Kate (born Catherine) - with her strawberry blonde locks in a messy bun - rocked black PVC kinky boots over spandex leggings and a navy Supreme-brand SS/17 T-shirt

The Hot Bot filmmaker divorced the silver-haired celebrity make-up artist in 2004 after five years of marriage.

Hours earlier, Kate and Michael attended the star-studded Vanity Fair Oscar Party where she looked lovely in a strapless beige Dior gown, Jimmy Choo clutch, and Piaget jewelry.

Make-up artist Pati Dubroff gave the SS-GB stunner orange eye shadow and a coral pout while hairstylist Dennis Gots coiffed her sleek updo.

On Friday, the Time's Up activist - who boasts 773K social media followers - shared a behind-the-scenes snap from the set of Edward James Olmos' dark comedy The Devil Has A Name.

No ordinary love: Sade was an interesting choice for Bosworth to highlight considering how the Nigerian-British 59-year-old's music affected her 19-year-old stepdaughter Jasper

'#fbf': In a May 19 post, Polish's ex-wife Jo Strettell revealed how he used to play Sade (born Helen Adu) for their baby in order 'to stop her from crying'

Mother-daughter 'night out': The Hot Bot filmmaker divorced the silver-haired celebrity make-up artist (L) in 2004 after five years of marriage

'You'll probably see it in 2019,' Bosworth told Boise Weekly on February 28.

'It's a spectacular experience. I'm co-starring with Pablo Schreiber, Alfred Molina, David Strathairn and Martin Sheen. It's a bit of a master class.'

According to Deadline, Kate portrays 'ambitious, arrogant' Shore Oil and Gas regional director Gigi Cutler, whose 'failure to cover up the pollution of the farm has curbed her climb up the corporate ranks.'

The Blue Crush alum will next receive the Pioneer Award at the Sun Valley Film Festival on March 16 for her work producing and starring in Polish's sex-trafficking drama Nona.

Date night! Hours earlier, Kate and Michael attended the star-studded Vanity Fair Oscar Party where she looked lovely in a strapless beige Dior gown, Jimmy Choo clutch, and Piaget jewelry

Pretty: Make-up artist Pati Dubroff gave the SS-GB stunner orange eye shadow and a coral pout while hairstylist Dennis Gots coiffed her sleek updo

Nona marks the showbiz couple's sixth film collaboration together.

'My husband and I heard a story on NPR that spoke to the number of known sex houses in the Los Angeles area,' Kate said of the inspiration.

'It was shocking because some were not so far from our house...It's one of the world's biggest epidemics. For Michael and me, it was important to make a movie that is first and foremost about humanity.'

'You'll probably see it in 2019!' On Friday, the Time's Up activist shared a behind-the-scenes snap from the set of Edward James Olmos' dark comedy The Devil Has A NameShe recently returned from a tropical getaway in Mauritius.

And Skye Wheatley, 24, returned to more than just her beau Lachlan Waugh, making a public announcement that she has a urinary tract infection (UTI).

Taking to Instagram stories on Tuesday morning, the busty blonde posted a picture while sitting on her toilet in pale pink pyjamas, sharing: 'Is lemon juice bad or good to drink if you have a UTI?'

TMI? Skye Wheatley, 24, returned from Mauritius to more than just her beau Lachlan Waugh, making a public announcement that she has a urinary tract infection (UTI)

At the bottom of the post, she added: 'HELP!!!'

It would have taken the former Big Brother star a quick Google to discover that lemon juice can serve as a natural remedy for a UTI.

However, the fame-hungry star sought advice (rather, attention) from her unqualified fan pool of 411,000 followers.

Has she gone too far? The busty blonde posted a picture while sitting on her toilet in pale pink pyjamas, sharing: 'Is lemon juice bad or good to drink if you have a UTI?'

Prior to announcing her infection, Skye uploaded a series of snaps and video clips to her Instagram story in her bed-time ensemble from Monday.

The first post featured a full-body mirror selfie of the social media sensation, captioning the post: 'PJ kind of day!'

The next picture featured the bikini model in bed with a block of Whittaker's butterscotch chocolate, writing: 'Waiting for hubby to come home like'

Tropics babe! Prior to announcing her infection, Skye uploaded a series of snaps and video clips to her Instagram story in her bed-time ensemble from Monday

The next two video clips show the happy couple lounging in bed while feeding each other hot-cross buns, taking care to document a few pashes in between.

It would seem Skye is bed-ridden, having taken to Instagram to upload a series of modelling pictures from her trip in Mauritius.

Posing on a boat with a life raft and in a signature skimpy bikini, the social media star captioned the post: 'Rocked the bottom of the ocean in my @motelrocks swimwear. That's why that those funny sea slippers are guys, just FYI. We went ocean walking along the sea sand'He's earned the reputation of Australia's shock jock for his no-holds-barred attitude and his willingness to share intimate stories that most would scarce discuss.

And on Tuesday, KIIS FM radio star Kyle Sandilands offered up another embarrassing tale live on air without hesitation.

The Sydney host recalled an unfortunate incident where he soiled himself at London's Heathrow airport before a long-haul flight home.

Did we really need to know? Shock jock Kyle Sandilands reveals he soiled himself in a British Airways first class lounge before boarding a 22-hour flight to Sydney

'I sharted once in the British Airways first class lounge in London,' he began his tale to listeners tuning in across the nation.

'Sharted' is the slang term for accidentally defecating while attempting to pass gas.

Kyle continued: 'I ditched the undies in the bin and I had to ride all the way home - 22 hours on the plane - just with no undies on under my jeans.'

The media personality joked: 'When I was younger, I could trust that fart, but now....'

'I ditched the undies in the bin': After accidentally defecating in his underwear, Kyle said he flew home on the 22-hour flight without undies under his jeans

Last year, Kyle was accused of breaking wind on air by his co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson.

While not audible on-air, Jackie cried: 'You just let it come out!'

Having been on-air for a little over thirty minutes, everything appeared to be running smoothly.

But then, without explanation, Jackie cried out: 'Not again, we've talked about this!'

'You just let it come out!' Last year, Kyle was accused of breaking wind on air by his co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson

After a few moments of silence, Kyle let out a sinister, almost maniacal cackle - his shocked co-host, however, did not appear to see any humour in the situation

After a few moments of silence, Kyle let out a sinister, almost maniacal cackle - his shocked co-host, however, did not appear to see any humour in the situation.

'You don't try and you never try,' she began, before adding - perhaps crucially - 'you just let it come out, it's like you don't care anymore.'

Kyle has certainly belched on-air before, but information on whether he's expressed gas at the business end of town is scarce and inconclusive.As cracks begin to show in their 'marriage' and persistent breakup rumours make headlines, it looks like Married At First Sight fans don't know what to believe when it comes to Telv Williams and Sarah Roza's relationship.

In an exchange which surfaced on Tuesday on the MAFS Australia Fans Facebook page, a person claiming to know Sarah 'quite well' accused the 38-year-old beauty therapist of not being 'as sweet as people make her out to be'.

The Facebook user also claimed that Sarah is 'not with Telv' anymore and that the FIFO worker, 33, 'is actually celebrating the fact' they are no longer together.

Who do you believe? Contradictory claims about Married At First Sight stars Sarah and Telv's (pictured) relationship surfaced online this week

They added: 'Any bloke that's escaped Sarah would do the exact (same) thing.'

However, this person's version of events was later contradicted by a Facebook user claiming to be Telv's sister.

'I'm Telv's sister and I'm afraid to say you are incorrect,' they replied, suggesting the characterisation of Sarah and 'confirmation' the couple had split were both false.

Clash: A Facebook user claiming to know Sarah 'quite well' accused her of not being 'as sweet as people make her out to be' - but someone claiming to be Telv Williams' sister disputed this

It appears the exchange took place in the comments section below a post from the official Kyle and Jackie O Show Facebook page.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment.

It comes a day after Woman's Day published footage of Telv appearing to snort white powder of a stripper's bottom.

Gossip: It appears the exchange took place in the comments section below a post from the Kyle and Jackie O Show Facebook page. Pictured: Kyle Sandilands (left) and Jackie O (right)

An anonymous source quoted in the magazine said: 'Telv wasn't at a bucks party in the video, he was hanging out at a mate's place. They were bored and decided to hire a stripper to party with.'

After Monday's episode of MAFS aired, Sarah tellingly 'liked' a fan's Instagram comment which suggested she should 'walk away' from her onscreen husband.

During that episode, the couple had what was described as their 'first fight'.

What's going on? After Monday's episode of Married At First Sight aired, Sarah 'liked' a fan's Instagram comment which suggested she should 'walk away' from her onscreen husband

Tense: During that episode, the couple had what was described as their 'first fight' - but MAFS fans later questioned if the final edit reflected what they were really arguing about

The way the show was edited suggested that Sarah had lost her temper with Telv because he was using Snapchat and not paying enough attention to her.

However, viewers later questioned if the final edit reflected what they were really arguing about.

Last week, Daily Mail Australia published a leaked email Telv appeared to have sent to a MAFS producer on February 17, in which he claimed to have split with Sarah.

He later denied sending the email altogether in an interview with KIIS 106.5.It was the contentious move that threatened to derail his relationship with on-screen 'wife' Gabrielle Bartlett, 45.

During homestays week, Nasser Sultan, 50, deemed the property he was staying in with Gabrielle not up to scratch and he fled, abandoning his on-air partner.

After making the dramatic departure, the couple's relationship was seemingly beyond repair - but now it seems there may have been a good reason Nasser was so uncomfortable in the house.

Was he right to flee after all? Inside the HAUNTED house in Sydney's northern beaches that caused Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan to abandon 'wife' Gabrielle Bartlett during homestays

Taking to Instagram, one fan questioned whether the property was a specific address in Balgowlah in Sydney's northern beaches.

'If so then that's my old nana's house and Nasser is right, it would be haunted lol,' the viewer wrote.

Located in Sydney, an apartment in this area is priced around the $690,000 to $870,000 mark.

In the online photos, rental apartments indicative of the one Nasser and Gabrielle stayed in features two moderately sized bedrooms.

The living room area appears to be slightly more spacious with with an entrance to a kitchen.

In the kitchen, the renovated space features modern appliances and expert finishes and is similar to what the couple had at their disposal on the show during homestays week.

The living room area appears to be spacious with with an entrance to a kitchen

The renovated space features modern appliances and expert finishes and is similar to what the couple had at their disposal on the show during homestays week

In the online photos, rental apartments indicative of the one Nasser and Gabrielle stayed in features two moderately sized bedrooms

In a previous episode of Married At First Sight, Nasser had bizarre meltdown which kicked off after the slats in his bed broke.

'Where did this come from? Trash 'n' Treasure? Side of the road? They bought this bed from where?' he wailed at Gabrielle.

The reality star was convinced there were spiritual entities lingering, dramatically stating: 'This place is possessed. The windows were crackling. The door opened by itself!'

Nasser also found issue with the location, complaining: 'I'm way over this stuff! I'm nowhere near a shop, I'm nowhere near anything. I don't have a vibe.'

After Gabrielle expressed her frustration that he didn't want to spend time with her in the house, Nasser lost his cool and stormed out

'See ya!' he said.'I'm not gonna stay here and deal with this s**t!'It's the controversial reality show that has offered-up one saucy scandal after the next.

And now, Married At First Sight fans now get to see what it takes to be the next Davina Rankin or Dean Wells.

This week, the top-rated show released its application form for season six, which asks contestants a slew of questions on subjects ranging from cosmetic surgery to criminal convictions.

Could you be the next Davina Rankin? Producers for Married At First Sight have released the show's application form for season six. With contestants asked a slew of questions about comestic surgery and criminal convictions

Obviously not shy, producers of the show leave no stone unturned on the three-page electronic form, asking applicants about their 'upbringing,' and their 'relationship with their parents.'

Perhaps looking for drama, producers then check if applicants would describe themselves as 'lonely' and if they have ever cheated on a partner, asking for them to give details.

Probing further into their personal life, the application then asks to list any AVOs and asks for consent to do a federal criminal record check.

'Tell us about your upbringing with your parents': Producers were interested in a number highly personal questions

They finally finish by asking the applicant about 'skeletons in their closet.'

The application form raises eyebrows, given the scandal prone season the reality show has had - particularly with groom Telv Williams having pleaded guilty to assaulting a man in a violent street brawl.

The 33-year-old, known as Telverne Onus at the time, was charged with five offences over the November 20, 2002, fight in Portland, Victoria, when he was just 18.

On screen matches! This year has seen a number odd types includes IT special Troy Delmege

Shocking footage also emerged of the FIFO worker appearing to snort white powder off a stripper's bottom - while holding two bags of unidentified white powder in his mouth.

The release of the application comes as the drama continues heating-up on Married At First Sight - with news bikini model Davina Rankin could make a comeback to the show.

According to NW magazine, the 26-year-old bikini model will return at an upcoming dinner party to 'say her piece' and 'settle her score' following the affair.

Questions, questions: Perhaps looking for drama, producers then check if applicants would describe themselves as 'lonely' and if they have ever cheated on a partner, asking for them to give details

What have you never told anyone about yourself? Producers of the hit show want to know everything about possible contenders

'Not one person at that dinner table would be expecting to see Davina again - especially after she burnt her relationship with Ryan (Gallagher) to the ground,' a source told the magazine.

'She never really got to say her piece. During that commitment ceremony (in which her affair with Dean was exposed), she felt so overwhelmed and betrayed that she could barely string two real thoughts together.'

And with her return guaranteed to bring drama, it appears as though no-one is safe.

Married At First Sight continues Monday 7:30pm on Nine

She's back! The release of the application form comes after it was reported highly controversial Davina Rankin, 26, will make an appearance back on the showShe shock everyone when she announced she wanted to file for divorce from husband David following her exit from I'm A CelebrityGet Me Out Of Here!.

And Lisa Oldfield appears to be detoxing her life in more ways than one way.

On Tuesday, she announced she pulled a cockroach leg out of her ear following last week's tucker trial.

'I just pulled a cockroach leg out of my ear': I'm A Celebrity's Lisa Oldfield finds insect body part lodged in her ear... FOUR DAYS after being eliminated from the jungle

Taking to Instagram, The Real Housewives of Sydney star posted a picture of herself, captioning the image: 'Will spare you the gory image, but just pulled a cockroach leg out of my ear from last week's tucker trial.'

Continuing, she added: 'That's one souvenir I won't be keeping from @Imacelebrityau'

'Don't forget to tune in tonight. My money is on @dannygreen.boxer or @jackiegilliestv for the win. Who are you voting for?' The 43-year-old completed the post.

Fans were quick to comment: 'That is so nasty  you were so amazing in there!'

What a souvenir! Taking to Instagram , The Real Housewives of Sydney star posted a picture of herself, captioning the image: 'Will spare you the gory image, but just pulled a cockroach leg out of my ear from last week's tucker trial'

While the majority of fans seemed more interested in who will be next to leave the jungle, with one fan saying: 'I don't think Jackie will win. It's got to be Danny or Fiona!'

Another wrote: 'It's got to be Jackie! Get rid of Danny!'

The Australian presenter recently opened up about her struggle with alcohol, admitting that it was her eldest child Harry, six, who finally made her address her drinking 'problem'.

Glamping in all its glory! Fans were quick to comment: 'That is so nasty  you were so amazing in there!'

'I was misusing and abusing alcohol. I was medicating my anxiety with alcohol,' Lisa shared, after admitting to drinking a bottle of wine every night alone.

She has since reported she's been sober for nearing three months, saying: 'I'm never ever going to let alcohol come between Bert or Harry or me'

And it seems the clear-headed reality star's talk of splitting with husband David is now 'off the table'.

On the rise! The Australian presenter recently opened up about her struggle with alcohol, admitting that it was her eldest child Harry, six, who finally made her address her drinking 'problem'

Speaking on The Project to Waleed Aly, Lisa joking commented: 'Look, it's early days  I'm still tossing up: do I want to be a divorcee and take half or do I want to be a widow and take 100 per cent?'

Following her elimination from the South African jungle last week, Lisa slammed her husband during her exit interview, calling him a tw*t, while confirming that she would be 'speaking to a divorce lawyer' after realising their 17-year-long marriage was irreparable.Demi Rose Mawby put her best assets on display in a crimson cocktail dress while attending a packed reception at a winery located in South Africa's Western Cape on Monday.

The British 22-year-old swung around a sparkler outside the venue while showcasing her curvaceous 5ft2in figure in the plunging A-line frock likely selected by stylist Laurie London.

The S66 MGMT Model - who arrived in Clifton on Friday - matched her lipstick to the scarlet full-skirted creation and wore her dark locks in a sleek updo.

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'Living my best life!' Demi Rose Mawby put her best assets on display in a crimson cocktail dress while attending a packed reception at a winery in South Africa on Monday

Earlier that day, Demi gave her 7.2M social media followers a long, lingering look at her cleavage and suspiciously-round derriere while clad in only a pink-lace bra and panties.

'I try to keep as healthy as I can,' Mawby told MailOnline of her globetrotting lifestyle back in September.

'With traveling, it's hard to work out, I travel across the world but try to keep my routine. Everyone says I'm the healthiest person [they] know. The fattiest thing I will ever eat is nuts and peanut butter.'

The brunette bombshell continued: 'My figure just gains weight so fast. Any bad thing I eat my body isn't used to it and just puts on the weight. That means no birthday cake! All I've eaten today is nuts. I've managed to eat a whole pot. I feel guilty as there's a lot of fat in the nuts. That's my treat! So I'm happy!'

Playing with fire: The British 22-year-old swung around a sparkler outside the venue while showcasing her curvaceous 5ft2in figure in the plunging A-line frock

Arrived in Clifton on Friday: The S66 MGMT Model matched her lipstick to the scarlet full-skirted creation and wore her dark locks in a sleek updo

Pink-lace lingerie: Earlier that day, Demi gave her 7.2M social media followers a long, lingering look at her cleavage and suspiciously-round derriere

Mawby told MailOnline of her globetrotting lifestyle back in September: 'I try to keep as healthy as I can. With traveling, it's hard to work out, I travel across the world but try to keep my routine. Everyone says I'm the healthiest person [they] know'

The brunette bombshell continued: 'The fattiest thing I will ever eat is nuts and peanut butter. My figure just gains weight so fast. Any bad thing I eat my body isn't used to it and just puts on the weight. That means no birthday cake!'

Missing from the selfie enthusiast's side Monday was her boyfriend Chris Martinez of the DJ duo The Martinez Brothers, whom she went public with in December.

The Bronx music producer and his brother Steven will next man the decks March 25 at Miami hotspot Space.

Demi first found fame in 2016 after being romantically linked to Grammy-nominated rapper Tyga, who used to date Kylie Jenner and has a son King with ex-fiancee Blac Chyna.

'My valentine!' Missing from the selfie enthusiast's side Monday was her boyfriend Chris Martinez of the DJ duo The Martinez Brothers, whom she went public with in December

Sibling act: The Bronx music producer and his brother Steven will next man the decks March 25 at Miami hotspot SpaceShe insisted the 'door was firmly closed' to a return in sex work after walking away from the profession in 2017.

But on Tuesday, former high class escort Samantha X (Amanda Goff) appeared happy to train and prep a new batch of women wanting to experience 'a sexy double life'.

The 43-year-old shared a cryptic post on Instagram with her 'Angels', offering up a picture of their legs and the names of their professions to her followers.

From a media personality, to a forensic detective and a primary school teacher: Can you guess who former high-class escort Samantha X is training to enter the profession?

'No one would ever guess this was a secret escort meeting!' Samantha X began the post.

'Training the Angels.. a mix of married mums, single mums and professional women who want to have a sexy double life...!' she continued.

She later gave away more information in the comment section, offering: 'Should add we have women who work in media, a forensic detective, a primary school teacher, plus more!'

The mother-of-two previously worked as a journalist at InStyle, Prevention and New Idea magazines, before becoming a high-class escort in Sydney.

Her former husband told Daily Mail Australia in 2014, when she came clean about her escorting: Its a disgrace. I have had to explain to my kids whats going on.

'No one would ever guess this was a secret escort meeting!' Samantha X shared a cryptic post of women's feet, who she claimed she was train to become escorts

'Professional women who want to have a sexy double life': Samantha X kept the single and married mothers named and identities out of the post

Samantha was thrust into the spotlight upon announcing she had quit the industry to be with Channel Seven newsreader Ryan Phelan last year.

Now, in the wake of Samantha X's shock split with Ryan last month, she has admitted to missing 'certain aspects' of the industry.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia last month, Samantha then clarified that 'the door was firmly closed' to a return to sex work.

EXCLUSIVE: 'I am someone who never goes back': Samantha X admits she misses 'certain aspects' of escorting but insists 'the door is firmly closed' to a return following her shock split with Seven journalist Ryan Phelan

Her comments were in response to an Instagram post she shared, where she appeared to express regret over her decision to quit.

'You can take a girl out of the industry...' she captioned an image of herself and Perth escort Sienna James.

Sienna had just returned from a lavish business trip to the Maldives - a revelation that caused Samantha to conjure fond memories of her time as a sex worker.

'So many memories of how lousy escorting was.......ahem,' Samantha captioned an image of the pair.

Regrets? Her comments were in response to an Instagram post she shared earlier on Thursday, where she appeared to express regret over her decision to quit

The retiree was clearly joking, expressing jealousy over the all-expenses-paid trip Sienna's job afforded her.

'While I miss certain aspects of escorting, the door (to a return to the industry) is firmly closed,' she clarified to Daily Mail Australia.

'Escorting gives you freedom and flexibility, away from the constraints of a "normal job" and while that was exciting and fun, my needs have changed.'

A return? Samantha's friend - Perth escort Sienna - had just returned from a lavish business trip to the Maldives - a revelation that caused Samantha to conjure fond memories of her time as a sex worker

'Im looking for stability now.'

Expanding upon the 'aspects' she missed, Samantha said: 'I miss the friends I made in this colourful industry, particularly the women, and catching up with them for a drink reminds me just how strong and special these women are!'

'I still mentor women in this industry and I still have my escort agency Samantha X Angels, where I employ mostly women over age of 30, who choose to escort as a hobby rather than full time.'

'The door is closed': 'While I miss certain aspects of escorting, the door (to a return to the industry) is firmly closed,' she clarified to Daily Mail Australia

The personality said she was looking forward to the next chapter, having just returned from her first day of University.

Samantha is positively embracing the 'daunting' task of studying a masters in counselling and psychology.

Samantha made headlines late last year, after announcing she'd be leaving the industry to be with Seven journalist Ryan.

'My needs have changed': 'Escorting gives you freedom and flexibility, away from the constraints of a "normal job" and while that was exciting and fun, my needs have changed... I'm looking for stability now'

However, the relationship ended abruptly, with Samantha confirming the split to Daily Mail Australia last month.

Following the break-up, she insisted she would not return to the industry.

Despite admitting to missing the profession on Thursday, she reaffirmed: 'I am someone that never goes back - Im going to keep moving forward.'

Headlines: Samantha made headlines late last year, after announcing she'd be leaving the industry to be with Seven journalist RyanShe suffered an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction at Sunday night's Oscars, when one of the straps of her Chanel frock snapped off.

But Margot Robbie's stylist went to extreme lengths to ensure the A-list actress could party the night away in her Jimmy Choo's, at the Vanity Fair after party.

It's been revealed by Nine Honey, that Kate Young sprayed anti-inflammatory product Still Standing, onto the 27-year-old's feet, prior to walking the red carpet.

Still Standing! The VERY surprising beauty hack used by Margot Robbie's stylist to ensure the A-list actress could party the night away at the Oscars

The website reports on Tuesday, that the Suicide Squad star's stylist sprayed the tops, sides and bottoms of her feet with Still Standing, an anti-inflammatory product and pain reliever.

Containing menthol, certified organic eco-distilled Amica, Aloe and Ilex, the miracle product is said to only require a few minutes to dry, before popping on one's heels.

Sunday night's Academy Awards saw Margot stun on the red carpet in a custom white Chanel gown that featured a fitted corset and beaded straps across the bust and shoulders.

Mystery solved: It's been revealed by Nine Honey, that stylist Kate Young sprayed anti-inflammatory product Still Standing, onto Margot's feet, prior to walking the red carpet

Vision in white: Sunday night's Academy Awards saw Margot stun on the red carpet in a custom white Chanel gown that featured a fitted corset and beaded straps across the bust and shoulders

However, according to PEOPLE, the blonde beauty urgently required a sewing kit when one of the straps broke off, after her appearance on the red carpet.

Margot is said to have obtained a kit from an assistant and mended the dress herself, telling the magazine: 'Oh, ain't got time for that!'

The Queensland-born actress later stunned at the Vanity Fair after party in a heavily embellished ivory dress.

Oscar-winning look: The Queensland-born actress later stunned at the Vanity Fair after party in a heavily embellished ivory dress

Margot's frock boasted a distinctive sheer overlay and fully exposed her legs as she posed for photos.

Allowing her outfit to dominate, the former Neighbours star opted for minimal accessories on the night, amongst them a globe-shaped handbag.

While her outfit had changed, Margot sported the same cropped wavy locks and subtle make-up she chose to grace the red carpet earlier that night.He's the self-proclaimed 'millionaire' who recently raised questions about his lavish lifestyle, after making his debut on Married At First Sight.

And on Tuesday, Justin Fischer was spotted flashing his wealth as he cruised the streets of Sydney in a sleek, black BMW 640i Convertible, which retails for upwards of $200,000.

The self-described 'Packer wannabe' oozed confidence while sporting mysterious shades, as he drove through the leafy, affluent Sydney suburb of Double Bay.

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Does he own that car? Married At First Sight's Justin Fischer was spotted flashing his wealth on Tuesday, as he cruised the streets of Sydney in a sleek, black BMW 640i Convertible, which retails for upwards of $200,000

The MAFS entrepreneur cut a casual figure in less than ostentatious attire, as he donned a T-shirt and grey shorts.

The MAFS star, who owns three successful companies, dressed for comfort as he was photographed, sauntering down the exclusive Double Bay street in a pair of $116 black Birkenstock sandals.

He was seen dropping off and later picking up his dry cleaning from a store located on a lavish tree-line boulevard, in the Eastern Sydney suburb.

Dressed for comfort: The MAFS entrepreneur cut a casual figure in less than ostentatious attire, as he donned a T-shirt and grey shorts

Life admin: The MAFS star was seen dropping off his dry cleaning from a store located on a lavish tree-line boulevard, in the Eastern Sydney suburb

The 41-year-old didn't take his foot off the pedal, as far as his business is concerned as he was spotted answering a number of phone calls during his apparent day-off.

One of the phone calls appeared to be so important, that the self-made businessman continued the conversation as he clambered out of his luxury car.

The father-of-two beamed for photographers, as he incidentally stepped out of his luxury ride.

Expensive habit: The MAFS star was seen picking up his dry cleaning from a store located on a lavish tree-line boulevard, in the Eastern Sydney suburb

He was seen casually sliding his hands into the pockets of his shorts, giving onlookers a brief glimpse of his tattoo-laden upper arm.

After the ice-cream engineer completed his life admin in Double Bay, he proceeded to cruise to one of the world's most famous destinations, Bondi Beach.

All business: The 41-year-old didn't take his put off pedal, as far as his business is concerned as he was spotted answering a number of phone calls during his apparent day-off

Chatting away: One of the phone calls appeared to be so important, that the self-made businessman had to carry out the conversation as he clambered out of his luxury car

Luxury ride: The father-of-two beamed for photographers as he casually slid his hands into the pockets of his shorts, giving onlookers a brief glimpse of his tattoo-laden upper arm

Crusing the Eastern suburbs: After the ice-cream engineer completed his life admin in Double Bay, he proceeded to cruise to one of the world's most famous destinations, Bondi Beach

The devoted father-of two made a pit stop at the glamorous, Bucketlist Bar Eatery in Bondi, where he wolfed down a burger and a beer.

During his solo lunch at the hip and happening venue, Justin couldn't tear himself away from his phone, as he was spotted staring intensely at his smartphone.

Date with his phone: During his solo lunch at the hip and happening venue, Justin couldn't tear himself away from his phone, as he was spotted staring intensely at his mobile device

Showing off his wares! The businessman is the founder and CEO of Brullen, which makes the soft-serve ice cream and frozen yoghurt machines

And THIS is where I make all the money: Justin's lavish lifestyle has been something of a key feature on this season of Married At First Sight, with his numerous successful companies and regular travelling a constant talking point

Justin's lavish lifestyle has been something of a key feature on this season of Married At First Sight.

The businessman is the founder and CEO of Brullen, which makes the soft-serve ice cream and frozen yoghurt machines.

He established the business in 1998 and works on it with his brother, Scott.

Rented? Justin and his groomsmen were seen boarding a luxury Murcielago yacht prior to his wedding

A taste for the finer things: During his time on Married At First Sight, the star has been portrayed as a successful businessman with a taste for the finer things in life

He also owns Ruggito Coffee, a coffee supplier with clients purportedly including McDonald's, and Cafequip, which provides equipment for hospitality businesses.

However, according to a source, the entrepreneur is listed on a couch surfing website and may have rented the yacht he used to cruise into his wedding on.ABC has come under fire for this season's shocking Bachelor finale which saw a contestant callously dumped on live TV by the man who weeks earlier had asked her to marry him.

The much-hyped season finale of this year's Bachelor saw former race car driver Arie Luyendyk Jr, 36, sensationally taking back his proposal to contestant Becca Kufrin, 27, to pursue a relationship with runner-up Lauren Burnham, 25.

And the network and show producers have come under fire for filming and airing the excruciating moment Luyendyk broke the news to his completely unaware bride-to-be - after he informed producers and even discussed his plans with the show's host Chris Harrison in a pre-recorded segment.

ABC cameras documented the moment Bachelor Arie blindsided his bride-to-be and called off their engagement

A devastated Becca Kufrin is seen breaking down on camera in complete shock at the news

Sobbing: The heartbroken star is left distraught after being told she will no longer marry the Bachelor

The Minnesota publicist tries to walk away from the cameras and tells Arie not to touch her but they follow her around the apartment

'I told Becca I would choose her every day and I know I made that commitment, and it kills me that I'm going back on that, but I have to follow my heart,' Arie says on camera. 'Just thinking about the possibility of something with Lauren is making me want to risk it all, because I really feel like I made a mistake.'

The footage that follows sees a blindsided Kufrin breaking down crying and trying to escape the cameras pointed on her throughout. ABC made a point to giddily promote the scene as 'uncut, unedited and unbelievable'.

Many fans said it was a step too far.

'ABC, this is really, REALLY exploitative and it's gross the show sprang it on her on camera,' Danielle Tom tweeted.

'This is so exploitative and tacky and I hope ABC gets so much heat for this cruel stunt', TV OMG added.

'Don't film this you rats. Just show the conversation with Lauren and leave Becca w some dignity. This is filthy,' Jennifer Faye wrote.

Famous fans also joined the discussion.

Meghan McCain called it 'hard to watch' while Andy Cohen begged for the footage to be edited down.

Harrison defended the decision to film the moment on ABC's Good Morning America on Tuesday.

He said: 'In my opinion, you don't get to just tell the fairytales.'

'That was wild,' he added. 'Sixteen years of this and that was breathtaking. It's going to take a little bit of time to process all of that even for myself.'

The three hour special had been repeatedly promoted and hyped by the network.

The show's producer Mike Fleiss repeatedly tweeted in the build up.

'You are about to witness true television history. The first completely unedited scene - EVER!!'

'Two hours til the historic season finale of The Bachelor'

'The energy in the studio is incredible. Something very big is about to happen. The fans can sense it.'

And ultimately: 'Please try to have sympathy for all involved tonight. These are real people with real emotions'.

One knee: Arie dropped down to one knee as he formally proposed to Becca

Happy moment: Arie celebrated with Becca after giving her the final rose

Becca is seen showing off her ring, happily discussing her proposal in footage just before Arie dumps her on television

The couple's engagement was kept a secret while they awaited the show's finale to air but weeks before Arie called it off

News that Luyendyk had a change of heart was even leaked in the run up to the finale in order to ensure maximum publicity and fan interest.

And it worked. 7.8 million tuned in to watch the show, according to Nielsen figures promoted by the network on Tuesday afternoon. That was a 22% increase in the key demo of adults aged 18 to 49 compared to last week's show, according to the network.

The heavily produced set-up of the finale show included pre-recorded scenes, spliced with commentary from Harrison in a studio in front of a live TV audience - building suspense about the dramatic moment to come.

It first aired the traditional finale when the Bachelor contestant selects from the final two and proposes. After sending heartbroken runner-up Lauren home, Luyendyk is seen choosing Becca and asking her to marry him.

'You are beautiful and elegant and in that first conversation, I knew you were an incredible woman and I needed to know more... We're a team, and I'm very lucky that you've been on this journey with me, and through all of it, you've given me so much confidence. My love for you is unmeasurable,' he tells Becca. 'I choose you today, and I choose you every day from here on out.'

Romantic scenes of the happy couple follow as well as videos of the pair living out their relationship in secret while they wait for the series to be aired and the news of their engagement to be revealed.

Torn: The reality star revealed he changed his mind to producers before his fiancee

However, Luyendyk suddenly declares his change of heart - not to the woman he has told he loves and 'can't wait to have babies with' but to the show's production staff.

The cameras then follow him to meet his fiancee, who believes they are meeting for a romantic weekend. As he sits her down, the cameras are rolling as she says, 'You're making me nervous right now.'

She breaks down in tears as he tells her he 'still thinks' about rejected candidate Burnham.

As an evidently heartbroken Kufrin tries to come to terms with the news, seeking a moment to herself - the cameras follow her around the apartment and Luyendyk repeatedly tries to get her to discuss her response.

'Just leave. What are you still doing here?' she says. 'Just go.'

'I feel like my future was ripped away. I love you and I can't imagine my life without you.'

When the show cuts back to Harrison he is keen to point out the splash it has made.

'To say this is trending and blowing up social media right now is a gross understatement,' he said.

Whether that is the kind of publicity ABC wants remains to be seen.

Even former Bachelor candidates attacked the decision to air Kufrin's heartbreak.

Series alum Ben Higgins tweeted: 'How did this breakup end up on camera? Seems like a private conversation.'

How'd this happen? Series alum Ben Higgins knocked the salt-and-pepper gent for putting such a 'private' moment in the spotlight

Her commentary: Taylor Nolan, who found love with Derek Peth during season four of Bachelor In Paradise, also called out Arie for filming his breakup with Becca for the show

Heartbreak hotel: Former Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristow didn't mince words, writing: 'This is just MEAN'

Ouch: JoJo Fletcher offered some earnest commentary as she watched the relationship equivalent of a slow-motion car crash in live time

Inside tip: JoJo offered a bit of behind-the-scenes insight about why cameras joined Arie to visit Becca weeks after their romantic proposal in Peru

Displeased: Vanessa Grimaldi wasn't happy with the show, tweeting: 'GET THESE CAMERAS OUT!'

The blindside: Season 17 Bachelor Sean Lowe wrote: 'Please don't tell me they blindside this poor girl'

Nope: He continued, adding: 'I don't like this one bit. Shouldn't have filmed'

Former Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristow didn't mince words, writing: 'This is just MEAN.'

The starlet tried to offer some perspective, adding: 'But let's all keep in mind these are real people with real feelings...keep that in mind while we humiliate them.'

Another Bachelorette JoJo Fletcher adds: 'My heart already hurts watching this'.

She also added some insight to the show's production saying that typically the reality series doesn't shoot footage of couple weekends, suggesting this could have been added in to keep Kufrin in the dark.

Taylor Nolan, who found love with Derek Peth during season four of Bachelor In Paradise, also called out Arie for filming his breakup with Becca for the show.

She tweeted: 'Arie: 'I wanted to do this in person cause I figured it'd be good for us to face now'

'Reality: I wanted to do this in person, catch you off guard ON CAMERA to make my season memorable.'

Nolan was frank with her distaste, concluding her tweet by saying: 'This is f***ed up.'

Season 17 Bachelor Sean Lowe wrote: 'Please don't tell me they blindside this poor girl.'

He continued, adding: 'I don't like this one bit. Shouldn't have filmed.'

Vanessa Grimaldi, who broke off her engagement from series 21 Bachelor Nick Viall after less than six-months together, wasn't happy with the show, tweeting: 'GET THESE CAMERAS OUT!'

'It is embarrassing. It's not fun. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. It was like a slap in the face,' Becca said of Arie's decision to televise dumping her

Luyendyk was choosing a bride from the final two contestants Lauren Burnham, left, and Becca Kufrin, right

Back together? Having dumped his fiancee Arie Luyendyk will now try and rebuild a relationship with rejected contestant Lauren

'You. Do. Not. Play. With. Someone's. Heart. Like. That. SPEAK ARIE! SAY SOMETHING MEANINGFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' the French-Canadian beauty wrote in another tweet.

This isn't the first time ABC's popular Bachelor franchise has found trouble.

Last summer production was temporarily halted on sister show Bachelor in Paradise over claims of sexual misconduct against a male contestant.

He was ultimately cleared and the series soon resumed but not before ABC encouraged fans to learn the full story - by tuning in.

Last year's Bachelorette also came under fire for exploiting a race row by putting two candidates - one white and one black who had repeatedly argued about racism - in a head-to-head date.

The two-night finale continues into Tuesday night with all three contestants due to appear on the show together.

It has not yet been revealed if Lauren and Arie are engaged.

Kufrin has spoken of her heartache and criticizes Luyendyk rather than the network for the decision to do it on live TV.

'There was a better and more tactful way to do it,' she told People.

'A breakup is hard enough, and to have it all filmed and have to re-watch it and know that people all across the country are watching you get your heart broken, it is embarrassing. It's not fun. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. It was like a slap in the face.'

ABC refused to comment.She's the former Geordie Shore star who traded a partying lifestyle for the South African jungle.

And I'm A Celebrity fans commended Vicky Pattison's hilarious antics during Tuesday night's episode, as the 30-year-old feasted on dried critters, cockroaches and mites.

'Vicky's facial expressions are EVERYTHING,' one viewer posted to Twitter.

Scroll down for video

'Her facial expressions are everything!' Fans commend Vicky Pattison's hilarious antics on Tuesday's episode of I'm A Celebrity, as the 30-year-old feasted on cockroaches and mites

'I LOVE Vicky oh my lord,' an I'm A Celebrity fan shared after Vicky indulged in the less-than-savoury meal.

One wrote 'Vicky is so classy..Love it! "get in me mouth" [sic],' and another with 'Vicky's such a trooper!'

The episode saw Vicky dine on dried fish and critter bread filled with cockroaches, maggots, mites, worms and blended grub chutney.

Hilarity: One viewer loved Vicky's antics on Tuesday's episode

Bon Appetit! The episode saw the reality star dine on dried fish and critter bread filled with cockroaches, maggots, mites, worms and blended grub chutney

Leaving no time to waste, the brunette is seen shovelling the meal down her throat, providing plenty of amusing facial expressions for viewers.

'Get in my mouth!' Vicky enthusiastically shared on camera.

The antics follow Monday night's episode that saw the British lass being hurled down a hill while encased in a steel cage.

Vocal: 'I LOVE Vicky oh my lord,' shared another viewer to Twitter

What a lass: Another fan found humour in Vicky's one-liners

Vicky was required to hold onto a chocolate cake and deliver it in tact, to co-hosts Julia Morris and Dr Chris Brown.

However the social media star couldn't resist indulging in the sweet treat, seen tucking into the cake while being hurled down the hill.

With ganache and sponge smeared all over her face, Vicky said to camera: 'This is what I always look like after a meal.'

Vicky became a household name in the UK with her debut on reality series Geordie Shore.

She's gone on to become a brand ambassador and television personality.41-year-old actress Ali Larter stepped out in West Hollywood, California on Monday looking smiley and fresh-faced.

The Cherry Hill, New Jersey native rocked s dove grey ensemble, featuring a semi-sheer sweater and baggy velour trousers.

The casual look was classed up with a peek at her black bra underneath her jumper and grey leather heeled ankle boots.

Smiley: Ali Larter made casual look chic as she sauntered through West Hollywood in comfy velour trousers and a semi-sheer sweater

She slung a navy jacket leisurely over her shoulders and swung a black studded leather bag alongside her.

She also wore a pear necklace around her neck and aviator shades.

She kept make-up clean and minimal and wore her blonde locks loosely around her features.

Out of her bag peeped a macbook computer, which Ali swung casually around for her day of errands.

She has been married to husband Hayes MacArthur for nearly a decade now.

Beaming: The Resident Evil actress looked happy as she walked along through the sunny street

Fab fashion: The entertainer was decked out in style as she made her way through the well-heeled locale

He's an actor as well, currently appearing on TBS series Angie Tribeca.

They share two children: son Theodore, seven and daughter Vivienne, two.

Ali has past been outspoken in her support for the organization Planned Parenthood - and the efforts of President Donald Trump and his administration to strip it of funding.

She lent her celebrity to a gathering in support of Planned Parenthood a year ago at the Philadelphia Action Forum.

Casual: The Cherry Hill, New Jersey native rocked s dove grey ensemble, featuring a semi-sheer sweater and baggy velour trousers

A twist: The casual look was classed up with a peek at her black bra underneath her jumper and grey leather heeled ankle boots

There, she opened up on why she feels 'its an essential part of health care for so many women in this country,' according to People.

She told a crowd of 400 attendees, 'I am one of the one-in-five women that will use a Planned Parenthood health center in their lifetime,' emphasizing how helpful it is to those who employ its services.

She stressed that no matter who's in charge, the efficacy of Planned Parenthood 'shouldnt be a political issue,' adding that 'it doesnt matter if youre a Republican, Democrat or Independent.'They tried to up the intimacy in their relationship with an X-rated massage on Monday night's episode of Married At First Sight.

And now Justin Fischer and Carly Bowyer have taken the experts' advice a step further, going shopping for lingerie and sending each other sexy texts.

However viewers were less than impressed with the attempts to spice things up on Tuesday night's episode, with Justin sending Carly a photo of him in mesh male lingerie.

'What has been seen cant be unseen': Social media savages MAFS star Justin's attempt at sexting after the millionaire sends 'wife' Carly a photo of himself wearing mesh LINGERIE

Along with viewers, Carly also appeared puzzled by the soft serve millionaire's attempts to woo her.

Visiting a shop solo, Justin got a middle-aged store employee to take a photo of himself trying on a see-through mesh shirt and shorts.

While initially pleased with his attempts to spice things up with flirty texts, Carly seemed confused when Justin sent a photo of him wearing the racy outfit to her phone.

That's different! Visiting an adult shop, Justin tried on a see-through mesh shirt and shorts

Igniting that spark: Justin's visit was part of his attempt to spice things up in the bedroom

Not what she had in mind? Carly seemed confused when Justin sent a photo of him wearing the racy outfit to her phone

'It's supposed to be reigniting the spark, you know?' She confessed to producers, admitting the pictures didn't make her feel attracted to Justin.

'I have been trying the best with what I have currently got in front of me ... Oh, God, I feel dirty.

'I don't want to waste time with the wrong person and if I'm never gonna find him attractive maybe it's not worth it at this point. This is lame.'

'It's supposed to be reigniting the spark, you know?' She admitted that the photo didn't make her feel attracted to Justin

'I have been trying the best with what I have currently got in front of me ... Oh, God, I feel dirty': The marketing executive admitted the photo wasn't working

Unfortunately for Justin, Twitter seemed in agreement with Carly that the outfit had misfired, with some writing that the photo had made them 'ill'.

'What has been seen cant be unseen,' one person tweeted, alongside a cartoon gif of someone rinsing out their eyes.

'"I feel dirty" says all of Australia,' another wrote, with one person adding: 'Even if Carly found Justin attractive before that little outfit was put together, she surely as hell couldn't find him attractive now.'

Not popular: Unfortunately for Justin, Twitter seemed in agreement with Carly that the outfit had misfired, with some writing that the photo had made them 'ill'

'This #mafs gets even funnier': Viewers couldn't believe their eyes at Justin's attempt at being sexy

'I think I now need therapy after seeing Justin in that,' a viewer tweeted.

Another person could only think of the shopkeeper forced to take the photo: 'I have an entirely new sympathy for retail workers after watching the saleswomen take pictures of Justin in his man lingerie.'

Meanwhile one viewer wondered if Justin realised he had posed in the lingerie while being filmed.

'Dear Justin, the bit in the contract that said that #MAFS will be broadcast nationally is real,' they wrote.

'Dear Justin, the bit in the contract that said that #MAFS will be broadcast nationally is real': One viewer wondered if Justin realised he had posed in the lingerie while being filmedThey've been working hard to repair their relationship after Dean Wells cheated with Davina Rankin.

But on Tuesday night's episode of Married At First Sight. Tracey Jewel's relationship with Dean was dealt another devastating blow.

During a 'boys night' of boozing, Dean offered Tracey to the other male contestants to 'bang' while admitting he was attracted to Justin Fischer's 'wife' Carly Bowyer.

'Could someone just say they want to bang Tracey?' Married At First Sight's Dean offers his 'wife' up to the other male contestants

As the night wore on, talk turned to what the men thought of the other brides on the show.

'Mate, I'll say it straight up. At the start, no disrespect, Justin, I said Carly,' Dean confessed.

'Judging solely on looks. I don't know her that well as a person.'

Dangerous topic? As the night wore on, talk turned to what the men thought of the other brides on the show

'Carly's like a little sister to me': Appearing somewhat shocked by Dean's revelation, the soft serve millionaire admitted he wasn't surprised

Appearing somewhat shocked by Dean's revelation, the soft serve millionaire admitted he wasn't entirely surprised.

'Carly's like a little sister to me. ... Carly's running around telling everybody she wants Dean as well,' Justin said.

'Carly's honest, and she fancies... Her type of guy is Deano and Troy.'

Meanwhile, Justin admitted he also had his eyes on someone else on in the social experiment.

Wanted another wife swap? Deana admitted to preferring Carly over Tracey at first

'Carly's running around telling everybody she wants Dean as well': Justin claimed Carly was also interested in Dean

'Her type of guy is Deano and Troy': Justin claimed Carly was also interested in Troy

'Tracey's attractive, yeah, but I'm more attracted to people... to girls like Ash,' he admitted.

'I did say to the experts I do like the blonde beach babe Aussie type girl, and that's Ash.'

Not satisfied with Justin's answer, Dean asked whether any of the other male contestants wanted to 'bang' his 'wife' Tracey.

'What about Tracey, guys? She's hot': Dean asked whether any of the other male contestants wanted to 'bang' his 'wife' Tracey.

His ideal woman? Justin confessed to finding Troy's bride Ashley the most attractive

'What about Tracey, guys? She's hot,' he asked. 'Could someone just say they want to bang Tracey? Please!

While the rest of the guys laughed at Dean's confession, Patrick and John were furious at where the conversation had turned.

'He's offering his wife out freely. Jesus!' John remarked, clearly shocked by the discussion.

'The guys are really putting on a show tonight. The conversations are really over the line. You know, it made me feel really uncomfortable,' Patrick told producers.Advertisement

Karl Lagerfeld's muses came out in force on Tuesday as they attended his autumn/winter woodland-themed Chanel show held at the iconic Grand Palais.

Among them were singer Lily Allen, 32, Vanessa Paradis, 45, Lara Stone, 34, and Keira Knightley, 32, who came to watch the show with Kaia Gerber, 16, among the famous faces who walked the runway amid a backdrop of trees.

Lily, who was recently pictured at the Chanel headquarters where she was no doubt selecting her look, opted for a sequin culottes, worn with a simple black T-shirt.

Muses: (L-R) Lily Allen sparkled in berry coloured sequins as she joined a 'newly-engaged' Vanessa Paradis and Lara Stone at the Chanel autumn/winter woodland themed fashion show held at the Grand Palais in Paris on Tuesday

If you go down to the woods today... Karl Lagerfeld dreamed up a woodland catwalk on a bed of leaves, set against giant real-life trees for his latest vision

Her short pink locks were adorned with a black ribbon headband and her make-up was centred around a palette of pastel colours.

She completed her look with a simple pair of burgundy leather heels, replacing her favourite Nike Air trainers for the day.

Vanessa's outing comes amid claims she has become secretly engaged to her boyfriend, filmmaker Samuel Benchetrit. The French beauty concealed her ring finger at the event, where she wore a simple yet chic look.

Offspring: Cindy Crawford's daughter Kaia walked a leaf-strewn runway wearing a vintage looking black mini dress with tights and patent black brogues

Very animated: Lily appeared in high spirits as she posed for snaps in her beautiful sequin culottes

Working the trend: Lara teamed her jumper dress with a Chanel branded necklace and tied her famous blonde locks up in an elegant chignon

Loving life: When she left the show, she was pictured walking hand in hand with the same hunk she was pictured with in Paris just the day before

Both Vanessa and her daughter with ex-husband Johnny Depp, Lily-Rose, are muses of Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld.

At a photocall before the show, Vanessa stood with her hands in her pockets as she posed for snaps, wearing a grey waistcoat with skinny jeans. She wore an overcoat in a muted tone and completed her look with a pair of simple boots.

According to VSD, Vanessa and Samuel are set to marry on the ile de Re this summer in front of close friends and family.

Bursting onto the scene: Keira Knightley added a pop of colour to proceedings, wearing a purple loose-fitting dress with a pair of golden velvet Mary-Jane heels

Her man: Beautiful Keira brought along her husband, musician James Righton, for the ride (left) as they sat in the FROW, before posing together for yet more snaps (right)

Vanessa - who was in a 14-relationship with Johnny Depp, with whom she raises children Lily-Rose and Jack - has never been married before.

She previously said she had no interest in tying the knot in a 2011 interview - before she met Samuel.

The star explained: 'It's romantic and the party part is fun, but it's a bit like the idea of a soulmate: I can't picture it for me.

'I know so many married people who tear each other apart. Ceremonies don't matter to me, love is all I need.'

Chic: Leaf prints and pinks were all the rage on the day, with models walking through the foliage in golden boots

Making a mark: Models walked the woodland themed runway wearing quilted bright fabrics, metallics, with greens, navy, berry colours and gold being the key palettes

Friends in high places: Edie Campbell (left) and Adwoa Aboah (right) shone on the catwalk in their get-ups

Leaps ahead: All eyes were on Kaia as she worked her magic in front of the FROW

Mix and match: Leather and lace were also key fabrics as the models walked in single file, showcasing the latest trends

Moving things on: Traditional fabrics were livened up with bright scarves and other accessories

Meanwhile, Lara was also decked in Chanel attire, opting for a grey knitted jumper dress and going bare-legged in black ankle boots.

She wore a Chanel branded necklace and tied her famous blonde locks up in an elegant chignon as she waved to fans.

Adding a pop of colour to her look, she wore a slick of berry-coloured lipstick, while wearing a big smile on her face.

Going, going, gone: Lily was pictured wearing designer shades before heading into the venue (left and centre), but removed them as she was seen leaving, (right)

One final wave: Still smiling, she headed into her car after the show came to a close

Knit a bad look: Carla Bruni teamed a simple black jumper with sexy leather trousers and a quilted Chanel handbag

Firm friends: Carla and Lily caught up for a quick snap before the show started, while wielding their luxury Chanel bags

Stark: Carla looked incredible in her understated get-up as she posed against one lonely tree

Wedding bells? Vanessa was joined by her partner Samuel Benchetrit at the Paris premiere of their film Chien on Monday night, amid reports in the French media that the pair are secretly engaged

Keira Knightley added a pop of colour to the event, wearing a loose-fitting purple dress and golden velvet Mary Jane heels as she arrived with her husband, musician James Righton, 34.

Walking the runway was Kaia Gerber, 16, daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber. She looked incredible wearing a black mini dress with bright pink leather gloves and carrying an oversized clutch bag.

Also present was Nicolas Sarkozy's wife, Carla Bruni, wore arrived wearing a simple black knit with cream cuffs, leather trousers and carrying a black quilted Chanel bag.

Models walked the woodland themed runway wearing quilted bright fabrics, metallics, with greens, navy, berry colours and gold being the key palette.

The man of the moment: Bearded designer Karl Lagerfeld emerged with a beautiful model at the end of the show, to rapturous applause

No expense spared: Karl is well known for his elaborate show settings, putting on an almost theatrical production for every show

Fierce: US Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour also made an appearance in a boucle coat with statement multi-coloured feathered pockets (left) as did fashion designer Marc Jacobs (right)She's the Channel Nine presenter, who made headlines last year when she lost her cool during the infamous 'jacketgate.'

But on Tuesday, Amber Sherlock showed fans her softer side while celebrating her 14th wedding anniversary.

The 42-year-old shared a romantic snap to Instagram while holding a celebratory cake alongside her husband Chris, and she recalled their wedding day as being 'the best day of her life.'

'Best 14 years of my life': On Tuesday, Amber Sherlock showed fans her softer side while celebrating her 14th wedding anniversary with her husband Chris

'Best 14 years of my life, thanks babe,' she captioned.

'Walking down the aisle in Thredbo feels like a lifetime ago, but still one of the best days of my life #happyanniversary #wedding #love.'

It comes after the TV host recalled the shocking moment that her water broke while she was live on-air.

Calm under pressure: Amber managed to maintain her composure despite going into labour on live television seven years ago. 'I was reading the news on the Today show when my waters broke,' she told Nine's Supermum's podcast last year

'I was reading the news on the Today show when my waters broke,' she told Nine's Supermum's podcast last year.

'It was six weeks before my due date. First child, no thought of maternity leave.

She continued: 'My husband was away on a boys' footy trip in Canberra  I was working away  my waters broke  and I thought: 'what do I do?''

Memories: The mother-of-two swiftly contacted her husband Chris Sherlock to let him know she was about to give birth and later delivered daughter Piper, seven, who was born six-weeks premature

The mother-of-two swiftly contacted her husband Chris Sherlock to let him know she was about to give birth and later delivered daughter Piper, seven, who was born six-weeks premature.

Amber and Chris, who have been married for 20 years, also share a three-year-old son Zachary.

Happy family: Amber and Chris (R), who have been married for 20 years, also share a three-year-old son Zachary and seven-year-old Piper

She previously told The Daily Telegraph that that Piper had to spend the first four-weeks of her life in a humidicrib.

'I was a first-time mother and it was quite a traumatic experience,' she explained.

'I only have the highest of praise for the doctors and nurses and the medical equipment that ultimately saved my daughter's life.'

Difficult: She previously told The Daily Telegraph that that Piper (pictured) had to spend the first four-weeks of her life in a humidicrib

Raise it up! The 'jacket-gate' instigator will use her increased fame for good, preparing to run to raise funds for people like her daughter Piper, now seven who was born six-weeks premature

Amber's public profile was bolstered after leaked footage revealed her disagreement with fellow newsreader Julie Snook over her similar outfit back in January.

In a tell-all interview with The Daily Telegraph in March, the Nine News reporter admitted she 'possibly overreacted,' after getting upset at Julie for wearing the same colour outfit.

The leaked footage showed her demanding Julie put on a jacket so the two women were not both wearing white on screen.She is a talented actress who has won acclaim for her powerful portrayal of Drizella, AKA Ivy in hit NBC show, Once Upon A Time.

And Adelaide Kane looked impossibly chic as she made a dazzling entrance to the Shiatzy Chen Paris Fashion Week show on Monday.

The 27-year-old Perth native, showed off her hourglass curves in a stunning couture halterneck jumpsuit, which featured a daring semi sheer black and grey lace bodice, which clung to her slender midriff.

Fairytale: Once Upon A Time star Adelaide Kane looked impossibly chic as she made a dazzling entrance to the Shiatzy Chen Paris Fashion Week show on Monday

The sizzling outfit flowed into a floorsweeping palazzo pants, which featured elegant silk panels down the sides, with a ribbon cinching the garment in at the waist.

She teamed the glamorous jumpsuit with tan stilettos.

Her caramel flecked brunette tresses were styled in loose waves and parted in the middle.

Highlighting her stunning features as she took her seat in the FROW, the Teen Wolf star opted for a rich palette of make-up including fuschia pink eyeshadow, fluttery lashes and a glossy coral lip.

Wow factor: The 27-year-old Perth native, showed off her hourglass curves in a stunning couture halterneck jumpsuit, which featured a daring semi sheer black and grey lace bodice, which clung to her slender midriff

Breathtaking:The sizzling outfit flowed into a floorsweeping palazzo pants, which featured elegant silk panels down the sides, with a ribbon cinching the garment in at the waist

Flawless: Highlighting her stunning features as she took her seat in the FROW, the Teen Wolf star opted for a rich palette of make-up including fuschia pink eyeshadow, fluttery lashes and a glossy coral lip

Keeping her accessories simple, she carried a tan leather bag and sported silver dropper earrings.

Adelaide first shot to fame in Neighbours when she appeared as Lolly Allen in 2006.

She broke through into American television in 2013 when she landed a 12 episode stint as Cora Allen in Teen Wolf.

She has also appeared in phenomenally successful 2013 horror film The Purge alongside Ethan Hawke.

Work it: Her caramel flecked brunette tresses were styled in loose waves and parted in the middle

Stunning: The star wowed in her stylish outfit as she took to the FROW

Adelaide took on a starring role in CW historical romantic drama Reign, where she played Mary, Queen of Scots from 2013-2017.

In July 2017, she joined the rebooted Once Upon A Time series, as Drizella, one of Cinderella's wicked stepsisters. The series recently returned for the remainder of its seventh season.

She told NKD Magazine about the role: 'You hate her but you kind of love her at the same time. I like her a lotgoing into this, I wanted to make sure she was her own person and had her own motives, and her own reason for what she did outside of Cinderella and her storyline.

'It was fun to play her as this dumb, ditzy, petty, damaged young woman, and then to have that be the kicker. Surprise, surprise! Smarter than you think.'She's a talented actress and producers with a string of hits under her belt.

But Naomi Watts was in her role as doting mother as she took sons Sasha, 10, and Kai, nine, on the school run in New York City on Monday.

The Gypsy star, 49, planted a tender kiss on her youngest as she waved her boys off for the day.

Goodbye: Naomi Watts planted a sweet kiss on her youngest son Kai, nine, as she took him and son Sasha, 10, to school in New York on Monday

The actress - who shares her two sons with actor ex Liev Schreiber - bundled up in an off-white scarf draped across her shoulders and an on-trend navy blue coat.

Naomi kept cosy in a magenta knitted beanie, while sheltering her eyes from the winter sun with a pair of retro-style dark shades.

Holding on tight to her youngsters, the King Kong star appeared ready to work out after the school run in sporty black leggings and black New Balance trainers.

Naomi toted her belongings with a chic black cross-body bag.

Winter warmer: The Gypsy star, 49, bundled up in an off-white scarf draped across her shoulders and an on-trend navy blue coat, while keeping her boys cosy in beanie hats

A sporty night out: Liev was pictured enjoying a tennis match at Madison Square Garden in the company of a mystery blonde on Monday night

The fresh-faced screen queen ditched the make-up for the school run and kept her blonde tresses locked down underneath her hat.

The Ophelia actress made sure her two boys were equally wrapped up in their own woolen beanie hats, before sending the pair on their way with a sweet kiss.

Naomi and Ray Donovan actor Liev were together for 11 years, before putting an end to their relationship in September 2016.

The couple happily co-parent their sons and are often seen spending time together in New York, where both actors live.

Co-parents: Naomi and Ray Donovan actor Liev were together for 11 years, before putting an end to their relationship in September 2016 (pictured in September 2016)

The English-born beauty is rumoured to be dating her Gypsy co-star Billy Crudup, 49, and were recently spotted holding hands a Vogue party in February.

The two got close while filming the Netflix series, which centres on a married psychologist (Naomi) who becomes obsessed with one of her client's ex-girlfriends.



A source confirmed to PEOPLE in July that the pair were 'dating' in real life.

An eye witness also Page Six: 'They were spotted holding hands in New York City last year and an eyewitness told , they 'looked happy and were laughing a lot, then left again holding hands.'

'We didn't know they were a couple. Pretty cool seeing two big stars so into each other.'They've been happily married for four years, and raise daughter Edie, two, together.

But Keira Knightley made a rare public appearance with her husband James Righton as they attended the Chanel ready-to-wear fall/winter 2018/19 presentation as part of Paris Fashion Week at Le Grand Palais in the French capital on Tuesday morning.

The actress, 32, injected a bolt of colour to the front row as she turned heads in a classic Chanel loose-fitting flared midi-dress in an unusual purple tweed while sitting alongside her rocker other-half, 34.

Front row romance: Keira Knightley made a rare appearance with husband James Righton aT the Chanel ready-to-wear Paris Fashion Week presentation at Le Grand Palais on Tuesday

Fashion moment: The fall/winter 2018/19 showcase was executed in typically-stunning Chanel style by taking over one of the most iconic venues in Paris

The Imitation Game star kept her slim form hidden in the three-quarter sleeve number, which she teamed with a pair of kooky mustard-coloured velvet Mary-Jane shoes.

Keira - a Chanel ambassador - wore her long brunette locks loose around her shoulders and accentuated her naturally stunning features with low-key make-up.

Former Klaxons keyboardist James looked every inch the rocker, teaming a salmon pink shirt with a slick dark suited and tinted aviator shades.

The couple joined the likes of Dutch supermodel Lara Stone, pop princess Lily Allen, French actress Vanessa Paradis, as well as former French First Lady Carla Bruni and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, at the star-studded Chanel presentation.

Smitten: Keira and James giggled and joked like a pair of newlyweds as they sat front row among the style elite at the exclusive fashion presentation

The colour purple: The actress, 32, injected a bolt of colour to the front row as she turned heads in a classic Chanel loose-fitting flared midi-dress in an unusual purple tweed

Snap happy: James held his wife's hand as they left Le Grand Palais after the show

Chic: The Imitation Game star kept her slim form hidden in the three-quarter sleeve number, which she teamed with a pair of kooky mustard-coloured velvet Mary-Jane shoes

Cute couple: Keira - a Chanel ambassador - wore her long brunette locks loose around her shoulders and accentuated her naturally stunning features with low-key make-up

Model of the moment Kaia Gerber and fellow catwalk queen Edie Campbell were among those to storm the runway at the stunning, forest-themed presentation, which saw Le Grand Palais transformed into an elegant woodland.

After the show, the couple went back to L' Reserve Hotel for a quick outfit change as they continued their Parisian adventure.

Keira opted for a more casual look than her chic Chanel number, teaming a grey plaid wrap-front jacket with an elegant gunmetal wool coat and turn-up 'mom jeans'.

The actress strutted her stuff in black lace-up heeled boots and accessorised with a pair of dark shades.

Dapper dude: Former Klaxons keyboardist James looked every inch the rocker, teaming a salmon pink shirt with a slick dark suited and tinted aviator shades

Doting parents: Keira and James have been happily married for four years, and raise daughter Edie, two, together

Stunning: The forest-themed presentation saw Le Grand Palais transformed into an elegant woodland for a major fashion event

Iconic: Model of the moment Kaia Gerber and fellow catwalk queen Edie Campbell were among those to storm the runway

A rare day off: It looks to be a busy year ahead for working mother Keira, with five movies due for release in 2018 alone

James switched into a bright cobalt blue knitted sweater, black skinny jeans and a tan coat with shearling lapels.

The father-of-one accessorised with his trusty tinted aviators and a navy beanie hat, while carrying a black backpack in one hand.

It looks to be a busy year ahead for working mother Keira, with five movies - Colette, The Aftermath, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Berlin, I Love You and Official Secrets - due for release in 2018 alone.

The actress has previously revealed motherhood has helped her put everything in perspective, and made her even more grateful that she is in a position where she is able to work and raise her daughter.

Plenty to smile about: The talented actress seemed to be in good spirits as she emerged from Le Grand Palais after sitting on the front row at the showcase

Elegant: Keira's choice of dress was a modern take on a Chanel classic

Working mother: Keira has made no secret of the fact that she wouldn't want to be a stay-at-home mother to daughter Edie

Loved-up: Keira and James tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in the South of France in May 2013 after two years of dating

She said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph newspaper in 2015: 'I think motherhood puts everything into perspective, I really do.

'I'm very grateful to become a mother while doing something this unbelievably difficult, because honestly the worst that could happen is that you fail.

'You try your best and I've been really lucky that I have had the opportunity to be working and finding interesting things, and working with interesting people while being a mom at the same time.

'Ultimately as long as my kid is all right, everything is fine.'

Keira has made no secret of the fact that she wouldn't want to be a stay-at-home mother to Edie.

City of Lights: After the show, the couple went back to L' Reserve Hotel for a quick outfit change as they continued their Parisian adventure

Outfit change: Keira opted for a more casual look than her chic Chanel number, teaming a grey plaid wrap-front jacket with an elegant gunmetal wool coat and turn-up 'mom jeans'

She told Vogue magazine in 2012: 'I don't want to deny my femininity. But would I want to be a stay-at-home mother? No.

'On the other hand, you should be allowed to do that, as should men, without being sneered at.'

Keira and James tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in the South of France in May 2013 after two years of dating.

The couple welcomed daughter Edie into the world two years after their wedding in May 2015.

Alone time: The actress strutted her stuff in black lace-up heeled boots and accessorised with a pair of dark shadesShe rose to fame on the 2016 series of The Bachelorette, finding lasting love and forging a successful television presenting career.

And Georgia Love looked closer than ever to beau Lee Elliott as the pair cosied up for a sweet snap at the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival on Tuesday.

Reality darling Georgia, 29, and her hunky beau, 37, were the picture of romantic bliss as they posed arm-in-arm for the cute photo and cracked identical beaming smiles.

Cute couple: The Bachelorette star Georgia Love looked closer than ever to beau Lee Elliott as the pair cosied up for a sweet snap at the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival on Tuesday

Channel 10 roving reporter Georgia flashed her toned legs in a flirty thigh-skimming floral dress, which featured a blue, orange and white pattern, statement ruffled shoulders and a belt which cinched in at her slender waist.

The plunging dress also revealed her ample cleavage as she completed her look with cream stilettos.

Her caramel flecked tresses were styled in loose waves while smoky eye make-up and a slick of frosted pink gloss completed her look.

She accessorised with glittering gold chandelier earrings and a coral strappy bag.

Leggy display: Channel 10 roving reporter Georgia flashed her toned legs in a flirty thigh-skimming floral dress, which featured a blue, orange and white pattern, statement ruffled shoulders and a belt which cinched in at her slender waist

Sweethearts:Mechanical plumber Lee looked typically stylish in a navy blue suit, paired with a simple white tee and white trainers as he wrapped an arm around his lady love

Mechanical plumber Lee looked typically stylish in a navy blue suit, paired with a simple white tee and white trainers as he wrapped an arm around his lady love.

It may have been a slightly awkward day for Georgia as her former love interest Matty J, who she dumped for Lee on the show finale, also attended with his partner Laura Byrne. The pair met on the 2017 series of The Bachelor.

Last month Lee and Georgia made the most of the scorching Sydney sunshine with a sizzling beach date.

Georgia appeared to have dozed off during the outing to Bondi Beach, and her handsome boyfriend didn't waste the opportunity to poke fun at her.

Strike a pose: The plunging dress also revealed her ample cleavage as she completed her look with cream stilettos

'You snooze you lose' Last month Lee Elliott poked fun at Georgia for falling asleep during their sizzling beach date

Loved up: The couple found love and fame on the 2016 series of The Bachelorette

Sharing a selfie where Georgia looked asleep on a towel in the background, a shirtless Lee wrote: 'You snooze you lose.'

It's been a loved-up week for the smitten couple, with Georgia and Lee going all out for Valentine's Day.

On Friday, the brunette beauty told the Studio 10 panel that she and Lee enjoyed an extravagant 'glamping' experience atop a Melbourne hotel rooftop.

Loved up! Georgia told Studio 10 on Friday that she organised an extravagant 'glamping' experience atop a Melbourne hotel rooftop to celebrate Valentine's Day

'I had a beautiful Valentine's Day. I planned everything for Lee this year,' Georgia explained.

'There's this really cool place in Melbourne. It's a hotel but it's glamping tents on a rooftop in the city.'

The former reality star also admitted that she gifted Lee a weekend away at a winery for Valentine's Day.

The look of love! The duo are no strangers to flaunting their affection for one another publicly

Meanwhile, Lee took to Instagram on Wednesday to share his affection for Georgia with a sweet post.

'Everyone says you only fall in love once but that's not true because every time I see you, I fall in love all over again,' Lee wrote.

Lee even hinted at a more permanent union with Georgia by adding the hashtag #herestothenextfiftyorsixtyyears.

The photo showed the happy couple sitting on a sandstone step in the romantic Italian city of Florence.For weeks, Chris Harrison has been promising viewers of The Bachelor that 2018 was going to be the most dramatic finale ever  which every fan of the show knows is something he says every year. Except this time he wasn't lying.

Last night, Bachelor Nation watched open mouthed as Arie Luyendyk Jr. dumped runner up Lauren B., right after she professed her undying love for him, then got down on one knee and asked Becca K. to marry him, saying: 'I choose you today and I choose you every day from here on out.' Only he then dumped Becca a month later because he wanted to go back to Lauren B. Move aside Juan Pablo, Arie is officially the most hated man in Bachelor history.

Needless to say, Twitter was ablaze with fans live tweeting throughout the three-hour finale with more than 250,000 posts on the subject this morning  and we still have the After the Final Rose special to go!

Arie Luyendyk Jr dumped Lauren to propose to Becca, before dumping Becca for Lauren

ABC is being slammed by fans for airing footage of Arie dumping Becca K in Los Angeles

As well as fans, former Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants were suitably enraged by what unfolded last night, particularly that ABC would allow Arie blindsiding and dumping Becca K. to be aired completely unedited on national TV. Kaitlyn Bristowe said: 'This is just mean. Let's all keep in mind these are real people with real feelings...keep that in mind while we humiliate them.' J.P. Rosenbaum tweeted: 'Not in agreement with this made for TV moment.'

Bachelor fans however had the most visceral reactions. Here are some of the best ones.

Me watching the last 40 minutes of #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/SfVTSH5tg2  Tara Lipinsky (@TaraLipinsky) March 6, 2018

When you realize Krystal was onto Arie the whole time....she called him out for changing his mind at the bowling alley..and here he does it again to Becca #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/650gWeAhWl  Yeni_S_Ella (@SplitLifeLvin) March 6, 2018

#thebachelor My favorite show has sunk to all time low. Putting the camera in Beccas face during such a difficult situation was tasteless. There is tv and human decency. #sowrong. #Arieisajerk  1crazygirl (@1crazygirl7) March 6, 2018

I hope #Lauren rejects #Ariejr ! (Such a wimp) He deserves it after what he did to #Becca! And shame on you @BachelorABC for exposing that poor girl after she is engaged! #thebachelor  mdg (@mygammon) March 6, 2018

Please oh please oh please Lauren, tell Arie to F off on, 'After AFTER The Final Rose' - literally begging you. #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/Z6olXifuph  Tracy Thorpe (@TheTracyThorpe) March 6, 2018

#TheBachelor #TheBachelorFinale @ariejr is trash.@ABC is trash for making us watch this break-up.

This whole season has been a literal dumpster fire.

We could've had Peter.

Goodnight. pic.twitter.com/7NnpHswscv  arf527 (@AmberRenae88) March 6, 2018

This is just awful..... why are they filming this https://t.co/1w6O8Rzqz6  Kaitlyn Bristowe (@kaitlynbristowe) March 6, 2018

What time does After the Final Rose start?

The Bachelor finale drama is not done yet, as the two-night special concludes tonight with the After the Final Rose. The two-hour episode will air tonight on ABC at 8pm ET. The Bachelorette 2018 is also expected to be announced on tonight's show.

Will Becca Kufrin be the next Bachelorette?

After that gut-wrenching finale last night, it only seems fair that Becca gets a second chance at love and is the least ABC could do. She is currently favorite to be named The Bachelorette 2018 and fans love a redemption story. Many people took to social media last night to voice their support for the Minneapolis girl. But the question is, will Becca even want it after everything that has happened to her on the show? We sure hope so!

If Becca isnt Bachelorette after this then @fleissmeister and everyone associated with this show deserves bad juju #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/eSW5TqzerU  Rachel Quigley (@rachelquigs) March 6, 2018She's the former Bachelor star who is now engaged to real estate agent Pierre Ghougassian.

And Emily Simms revealed the designer of her wedding dress in her Instagram Story on Tuesday, captioned '5.5 months til the big day!'

The 34-year-old shared a series of throwback snaps of herself in glamorous gowns by Tanya Didenko Couture.

'5.5 months until the big day!' Ex-Bachelor star Emily Simms, 34, revealed the designer of her wedding dress, in her Instagram Story on Tuesday, as she prepares to marry fiance Pierre Ghougassian

'@tanyadidenkocouture designs are simply divine, I've loved everything she's made for me, and now I am so excited to have my wedding gown created by this talented lady,' Emily captioned a photo of herself in a bustier frock with a layering of tulle.

'5.5 months til the big day!' the brunette beauty shared with her legion of fans.

Emily continued to post other gowns by the designer she's previously worn, one of which featured a plunging neckline and intricate bead detailing.

Gushing post: '@tanyadidenkocouture designs are simply divine, I've loved everything she's made for me, and now I am so excited to have my wedding gown created by this talented lady,' Emily captioned a photo of herself in a bustier frock with a layering of tulle

Glamorous: The stunner shared a throwback snap of herself in a gown by the designer, which featured a plunging neckline and intricate bead detailing

Beautiful: Another throwback snap saw Emily offer a glimpse of her toned back in a semi-sheer number with a subtle train

Another saw the Melbourne-based beauty offering a glimpse of her toned back in a semi-sheer number with a subtle train.

Emily took to Instagram last month to share several romantic photos from the moment the real estate agent Pierre proposed on Valentine's Day.

'He put a ring on it! We're engaged,' the socialite excitedly revealed.

'He put a ring on it!' Emily surprised her fans last month by announcing that she got engaged to boyfriend Pierre

In her post, Emily explained she was wearing her red alice McCALL dress for the occasion.

She assumed the couple would just be celebrating Valentine's Day and Pierre's birthday at swanky Melbourne restaurant The George on Collins.

'And the love of my life proposed to me!' Emily wrote. 'I couldn't be happier! Love this silly, funny, thoughtful, caring, loving, handsome man so much!'

'I can't wait to be your wife,' she added.

Emily's social media followers expressed their delight, and even her former Bachelor co-star Zilda Williams commented: 'Your happily ever after... how wonderful!'

New mother Bec Chin also wrote: 'Can' t stop looking at these pics.'

Sarah Mackay, another contestant from Sam Wood's season of The Bachelor, sent her congratulations too.

Loved up: Emily only publicly debuted her relationship with Pierre in May 2017, in a post shared to Instagram on her birthday

'Oh Em! Congratulations to you and Pierre,' she commented.

Meanwhile, former My Kitchen Rules star Zana Pali wrote: 'Congratulations Emily this is the best news. Maybe a munchkin soon too so happy for you! You deserve this.'

Emily only publicly debuted her relationship with Pierre in May 2017, in a post shared to Instagram on her birthday.

Pierre appears to be Emily's first boyfriend since her headline-making departure from The Bachelor Australia in 2015.The Olivier Awards with Mastercard return next month to recognise the theatre industrys best-of-the-best of 2017.

The nominations were revealed in a live stream and included nominations for big-hitters such as Ciaran Hinds, Imelda Staunton, Sam Mendes and Rupert Goold.

Unsurprisingly, following Hamiltons incredible Broadway performance, the West End production bagged a record 13 nominations at the Olivier Awards, becoming the most nominated production in the history of the awards.

Not too far behind with eight nominations is Jez Butterworths The Ferryman.

Charlotte Ritchie attends The 2017 Olivier Awards ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London

Here is everything you need to know about the Olivier Awards 2018.

What are the Olivier Awards?

The Olivier Awards werent called that when they first created in 1976 by the Society of West End Theatre (now the Society of London Theatre). They were initially known simply as the Society of West End Theatre Awards.

It was only in 1984 that the awards became known as the Olivier Awards, after the great stage actor Laurence Olivier gave his permission to use his name.

The name change also signified a physical change as the award was changed from a blue Wedgewood urn, named Urnie, to a bronze statuette of Olivier himself.

As the awards went on, they got bigger and bigger. The inaugural Olivier Awards only had 12 categories. In the second year the number of categories increased to 16. At the Olivier Awards 2017 there were 26 categories.

Who is 2018 Olivier Awards host?

The comedian and actress Catherine Tate will host the 2018 Olivier Awards.

Im delighted to be hosting this years Olivier Awards. Theatre has always been a big love of mine both as a performer and as an audience member, Tate said.

Comedian and TV star Catherine Tate has been revealed as the host of the 2018 Olivier Awards

The actress revealed the hilarious way she landed the gig. She said she was sitting at the theatre next to someone when she kept being approached by fans.

She said: 'I was in the theatre and unbeknownst to me sat next to someone who works at the Oliviers.

'Lots of people were coming over and I was really disturbing this man, so I said "Im really sorry everyones out tonight" and he said, "Yeah I know, its a whos who of who cares," which I thought was a great line.'

As it turned out, the team member revealed that the Oliviers were actually thinking about getting Tate to host and when I sat down he thought it must be a sign.

2018 Olivier Awards nominations

The Olivier Awards 2018 nominations were announced on March 6, 2018 by Elaine Paige and Alexandra Burke.

Lin-Manuel Mirandas Hamilton dominated most categories after racking up 13 nominations including three in the Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical category and two in the Best Actor in a Musical. Miranda himself was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Music.

Everybodys Talking About Jamie saw John McCrea score a nomination in the Best Actor in a Musical, while Josie Walker got nominated for Best Actress.

Tony Kushners Angels in America got nominated for Best Revival in a tough category that also includes Hamlet, Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Witness for the Prosecution.

Doctor Fosters Bertie Carvel scored a Best Actor in a Supporting Role nomination for Ink and will square off against The Ferrymans John Hodgkinson, Angels in Americas James McArdle and Oslos Peter Polycarpou.

In the Best Actor category Bryan Cranston is nominated for Network and faces tough competition from Hamlets Andrew Scott, Angels in Americas Andrew Garfield and The Ferrymans Paddy Considine.

Best Actress in a Musical nominees: @deejanie, Shirley Henderson, Imelda Staunton and Josie Walker #OlivierAwards pic.twitter.com/0IkrzuYzOJ  Olivier Awards (@OlivierAwards) March 6, 2018

Imelda Staunton is nominated twice for Best Actress, once in the Musical category for her role in Follies and once in a play, for Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

Shes nominated alongside Lesley Manville for Long Day into Journeys Night, The Ferrymans Laura Donnelly and Audra McDonald for her role in Lady Day at Emersons Bar & Grill.

Sam Mendes is nominated for Best Director for The Ferryman and will go up against Rupert Goold (Ink), Marianne Elliot (Angels in America), Dominic Cooke (Follies) and Thomas Kail (Hamilton).

The American Airlines Best Play nominees are: The Ferryman, Ink, Network, and Oslo.

The Mastercard Best New Musical nominees are: An American in Paris, Everybodys Talking About Jamie, Girl from the North Country, Hamilton and Young Frankenstein.

When are the Olivier Awards 2018?

The 2018 Olivier Awards will be held on Sunday, April 8 at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

How to watch the Olivier Awards on TV

The Olivier Awards 2018 will be broadcast on ITV1 on Sunday, April 8. Catherine Tate joked: Going out live on ITV on 8th April and being transmitted into every country apart from North Korea.

How to buy Olivier Awards 2018 tickets

Tickets to attend the Olivier Awards 2018 can be bought on Mastercards Priceless website, with prices starting at 30.Becca Kufrin was presented with a diamond engagement ring from Arie Luyendyk Jr when the finale of The Bachelor aired on Monday.

But soon after the race car driver from Arizona changed his mind and she took off the $80,000 Neil Lane rock.

The current whereabouts of the bling is not known, but according to California law the fiancee gets to keep the ring whether she gets married or not. That's because in the eyes of the law, the item is considered a 'gift,' according to lawyers.com.

Scroll down for video

Her rock: Becca Kufrin was presented with a diamond engagement ring from Arie Luyendyk Jr when the finale of The Bachelor aired on Monday

So romantic: He got down on one knee as he gave her the diamond ring

A closer look: The spectacular ring is over four carats and is worth about $80,000

'An engagement ring is generally considered a "gift," which is an object given by one person (the donor) to the other (the recipient),' it is stated on the site.

'Typically, once given, a gift cant be taken back,' it was added.

'For an engagement ring to qualify as an outright gift, the following three requirements must be met: you intended to give the ring as a gift, you gave the ring to your fiancee, and your fiancee accepted the ring.'

But according to a former contestant, ABC likes to keep the rings.

Nice choice: The ring had an oval shape and the main diamond is surrounded by smaller diamonds

The designer: The ring was made by Neil Lane, who has made all the rings for The Bachelor franchise

Sealed with a kiss: The piece of jewelry fit her nicely and she wore it proudly

Jesse Csincsak, who appeared on The Bachelorette and got engaged to DeAnna Pappas in 2008, said at the time that the network had demands.

'In the contract, it says if you are not together for two years after the final day of the show airing, you have to give them the ring back,' he said.

The ring appeared to be over three carats and set in white gold. The value is around $80,000.

Not on her finger anymore: But soon after the race car driver from Arizona changed his mind and she took off the Neil Lane rock

Just a memory now: The two cuddled on a hammock before she took off the ring

On Tuesday Becca talked about the change of events.

'I wish he hadn't proposed,' the 27-year-old publicist admitted in this week's issue of People (on newsstands Friday).

'He's a good person, I don't think he's a monster and purposely did this to hurt me and make me feel this way...I don't think he thought it through, but I don't think he did it maliciously to break my heart.'

The next Bachelorette? Kufrin might have been jilted by The Bachelor 22 Luyendyk Jr. on Monday's shocking episode, but she still forgives him

The Dutch-born 36-year-old originally popped the question to the Skyya Communications account executive with a Neil Lane engagement ring in Peru.

But the real estate agent later 'blindsided' Becca in Los Angeles with a break-up, and he then started dating runner-up Lauren Burnham.

'There was a better and more tactful way to do it,' Kufrin explained.

'A breakup is hard enough, and to have it all filmed and have to re-watch it and know that people all across the country are watching you get your heart broken, it is embarrassing. It's not fun. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. It was like a slap in the face.'

The 27-year-old publicist admitted to People: 'I wish he hadn't proposed. He's a good person, I don't think he's a monster and purposely did this to hurt me and make me feel this way'

'There was a better and more tactful way to do it': But the race-car driver-turned-real estate agent later 'blindsided' Becca in Los Angeles with a break-up, and he then got engaged to runner-up Lauren Burnham (R)

Although the Minnesota State University grad realized there were red flags when she noticed he was liking the 25-year-old tech salesperson's Instagram photos.

'He did get down on one knee, he did propose to me, he did say, "I'm committing to you, I choose you every day,"' the 5ft7in brunette noted.

'That's something that I only wanted to happen once in my life, and it's been robbed from me, and I can never have that one time moment again. And the second part is that he lied or hid his true feelings and emotions for weeks and weeks and weeks.'

Becca continued: 'I want to be done and not have to worry about them anymore...At the end of the day, I do forgive him.'

Kufrin explained: 'A breakup is hard enough, and to have it all filmed and have to re-watch it and know that people all across the country are watching you get your heart broken, it is embarrassing. It's not fun. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. It was like a slap in the face'

'He lied or hid his true feelings': The Minnesota State University grad realized there were red flags when she noticed he was liking the 25-year-old tech salesperson's Instagram photos

Devoted fans knew what was brewing since Arie admitted back in December that he 'fell in love' with two of his 29 potential brides on the ABC dating competition.

'I didn't know I was capable of that,' Luyendyk Jr. told People at the time.

'I've never been in that situation, and it was really hard. And they were two very different women, and that's what made it even harder.'

Kissing Bandit: This, after Luyendyk Jr. also 'fell in love' with The Bachelorette 8 Emily Maynard, The Bachelor 16's Courtney Robertson (R), and The Bachelor 8's Selma Alameri

This, after the Kissing Bandit also 'fell in love' with The Bachelorette 8 Emily Maynard, The Bachelor 16's Courtney Robertson, and The Bachelor 8's Selma Alameri.

But the odds are against the X-Games bronze medalist and Lauren since out of of the 30-some betrothed duos from The Bachelor/The Bachelorette franchise, around six have remained together.

Catch more of the love triangle drama on the live two-hour After the Final Rose special, which airs Tuesday on ABC.

Good luck! But the odds are against Arie and Lauren since out of of the 30-some betrothed duos from The Bachelor/The Bachelorette franchise, around six have remained togetherShe received a lukewarm response to her red carpet reporting skills for This Morning, with viewers branding her Oscars coverage 'cringe'.

But Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo put on a brave face as she returned home to London's Heathrow Airport on Tuesday after living her Hollywood dream.

The Made In Chelsea star, 23, looked a little tired after her long flight as she flashed a sweet smile after touching down in the UK fresh from the Academy Awards.

What criticism? Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo put on a brave face as she returned home to London's Heathrow Airport on Tuesday after living her Hollywood dream at the Oscars

The I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! winner readjusted to the cold climes of London in a pastel green coat and cosy cream knitted jumper.

The reality star kept it casual for her travel day in a pair of dark skinny jeans and blush pink silk moccasins.

Toff draped a charming constellation-print scarf across her neck as she strolled through the terminal, and carried her belongings in a stylish nude shoulder bag.

The newly-appointed daytime showbiz correspondent opted for a fresh faced make-up palette as she left her hair to its naturally straight style.

No jet-lag here: The Made In Chelsea star, 23, looked a little tired after her long flight as she flashed a sweet smile after touching down in the UK fresh from the Academy Awards

Toff's hosting duties were called into question on Monday as her Oscars coverage received considerable backlash from viewers and fans.

The aspiring presenter streamed live to the ITV studios but struggled to communicate with hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield as she reported back on her interview with Gary Oldman.

Toff's red carpet stint even saw her receive a ticking off from the Oscar-winning actor's wife Gisele Schmidt after the blonde asked if she could be his date.

She made another gaffe when she asked Andy Serkis what his hangover cure is, to which revealed he is fond of a Prairie oyster - a cocktail comprising of a raw egg, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, salt and black pepper.

California dreamin': The I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! winner readjusted to the cold climes of London in a pastel green coat and cosy cream knitted jumper

Starry-eyed: Toff draped a charming constellation-print scarf across her neck as she strolled through the terminal, and carried her belongings in a stylish nude shoulder bag

'Ooh, a man after my own heart!' she giggled.

Once she began chatting to the studio, Holly and Phil grilled the star on the drink. However it soon became apparent that she believed the cocktail was a form of actual oyster - much to both the hosts' and viewers' amusement.

She swiftly attempted to cover her tracks by stating: 'Oh I dont know, I just thought it was an oyster. I thought thats one way to get over a hangover'.

Users soon swarmed Twitter to pen: 'A Prairie Oyster is a RAW egg you stupid Toff ....it's what real people eat instead of you posh t**ts that only know the ones from the sea... #ThisMorning.'

A laugh a minute? Toff's hosting duties were called into question on Monday as her Oscars coverage received considerable backlash from viewers and fans

'A prairie oyster is a f**king egg.....what Toffs just got on her face!' another raged.

Later on, Toff was seen trying to speak to Gary Oldman and his wife Gisele Schmidt, when she asked if she could be his plus one.

'His wife told me off' she said, laughing, as Gary and Gisele disappeared up the red carpet.

'Gary Oldman is your favourite. Toff is such a liar! #ThisMorning,' came another random tweet, seeming to believe she was 'pretending' to like the eventual Best Actor winner.

This aside, Toff recounted what she'd been up to in the run up to the Oscars.

Mingling: The Made In Chelsea star struggled to communicate with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield as she reported back on her interview with Gary Oldman

Slapped wrist: Oldman's wife scolded her for asking if she could be his date

'I went to a party at the British Consort for all the British nominees the day before,' she gushed.

'And then tonight [Sunday] I was lucky enough to go to Helen Mirrens house after the Oscars  she wasnt actually there but Paris Hilton was. And it isnt a party without Paris there!'

Still in her garb from the event, Toff lifted her arm up to show the camera that her dress was ripped.

'I danced so much and ripped my shirt sleeve!'

Toff also admitted that she indulged in a burger on her way back from the party and that she had been on her 'best behaviour', knowing she was on presenting duties that night.She has been spotted enjoying a number of dates with a mystery man since late last year.

And Lara Stone looked in the throes of love as she held hands with her handsome beau as they left Chanel's fashion show at the iconic Grand Palais in Paris on Tuesday.

The model, 34, cut a chic figure as she flaunted her leggy frame in a grey knitted mini-dress, while her suitor was casually-clad in a navy jacket, black jumper and grey skinny jeans.

Smitten: Lara Stone looked in the throes of love as she held hands with her mystery man as she let Chanel's fashion show at the Grand Palais in Paris on Tuesday

The Dutch-born beauty appeared thoroughly relaxed as she strolled through the romantic city, stopping to puff on a cigarette while her squeeze wrapped his arms protectively around her.

Lara accentuated her tremendous pins with black heeled boots and accessorized the look with a grey beaded necklace and small black-studded bag.

She tied her platinum blonde locks in a high bun and amped up the glamour with a deep burgundy lip.

Blossoming romance: Lara seemed thoroughly relaxed as she strolled through the romantic city, stopping to puff on a cigarette while her squeeze wrapped his arms around her

Lithe limbs: The model, 34, cut a chic figure as she flaunted her leggy frame in a grey knitted mini-dress as she headed to the venue with her handsome beau

The couple arrived in Paris on Monday and were spotted laughing and joking as they left Gare du Nord Station and headed out into the city.

The pair most recently attended the Naked Heart Foundation's Fabulous Fund Fair in February, and were spotted heading home hand-in-hand.

The cosy date night came two weeks after Lara and the hunk were seen departing Soho House together in the early hours.

MailOnline has contacted Lara's representatives for further comment.

Glam: Lara accentuated her tremendous pins with black heeled boots and accessorized the look with a grey beaded necklace and small black-studded bag

In terms of romance, Lara most famously started dating David Walliams in 2009, and they confirmed their engagement in January the following year.

The former flames, who share one young son Alfred, were married in a lavish ceremony at Claridges' hotel in London, in May 2010.

However, they went their separate ways for good in September 2015 when David filed for divorce from Lara.

Pop of colour: She tied her platinum blonde locks in a high bun and amped up the glamour with a deep burgundy lipShe's an in-demand model who's graced countless glossy magazine covers.

And Suki Waterhouse made it clear why she's a fashion house favourite as she turned heads in a stylish retro-inspired look while out on a stroll in London on Monday.

The model and actress, 26, headed out without a stitch of make-up and looked ultra cool in her drop-waist khaki green jacket.

Vintage vibes: Suki Waterhouse made it clear why she's a fashion house favourite as she turned heads in a stylish retro-inspired look while out on a stroll in London on Monday

The Love Rosie star teamed her chic look with a crisp white jumper and dark skinny jeans, before slipping her statuesque pins into a pair of 70s-inspired burgundy heeled boots.

The cover girl toted a stylish studded leather handbag, and injected a touch of glamour with retro gold earrings and a flashy metallic timepiece.

Suki's vintage vibe continued with tinted Ferragamo circular shades, with her blonde locks flowing in a pin-straight style.

Classy style: The cover girl toted a stylish studded leather handbag, and injected a touch of glamour with retro gold earrings and a flashy metallic timepiece

The Londoner has turned her talents to acting of late, having been cast in the serial killer drama Charlie Says.

Clearly dedicated to the craft, Suki revealed to Vogue that she has been growing out her leg and chin hair for her role as cult Mary Brunner.

'I'm growing all my leg hair out.' she told Vogue. 'I really don't mind it, I've done it lazily before. This is an opportunity to grow my chin hair out.'

Suki will star alongside Matt Smith - who will play psychopathic serial killer Charles Manson - in a new film focusing on the female Manson family members.

Walk this way: Suki teamed her chic look with a crisp white jumper and dark skinny jeans, before slipping her statuesque pins into a pair of 70s inspired burgundy heeled boots

Throwback style: Suki's vintage vibe continued with her tinted Ferragamo circular shades, with her mousy blonde locks flowing in a pin-straight style

She will play the first of Manson's cult followers and the mother of his third son, Valentine Michael, in the new feature from American Psycho director Mary Harron, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Manson was behind bars for more than four decades, since 1969, after he ordered members of his cult - which he dubbed 'the family' - to go on a murderous two-day rampage.

The film from American Psycho director Mary Harron and writing partner Guinevere Turner is based on material from Ed Sanders' 1971 book The Family, along with the 2001 book The Long Prison Journey of Leslie Van Houten, written by Faith.

Aside from her acting aspirations, Suki has already cemented her name in the fashion industry not just as a model, but also a designer.

Suki set up accessories brand Pop & Suki with gal pal Poppy Jamie and boasts a celebrity following, including Jessica Alba, Cara Delevingne and Taylor Hill.Kourtney Kardashian unfollowed boyfriend Younes Bendjima then briefly deactivated her Instagram on Monday.

But by Tuesday, the 38-year-old mother of three's social media account was back and running and she refollowed her model beau.

The reality star returned to Instagram with a sultry snap, while posing on a chair in sweats with a crop top and puffy jacket.

Strike a pose: Kourtney Kardashian returned to Instagram with a sultry snap, while posing on a chair in sweats with a crop top and puffy jacket

It started on Saturday when she unfollowed her toy boy boyfriend Younes, 24. For his part model Younes turned his account private.

Kourtney's sisters and mother Kris Jenner do not follow Younes.

She captioned the image Paris, Texas; she however used the Tokyo, Japan geo-tag.

Soon after Kourtney posted an image of her and sister Kim enjoying ice cream in Japan; she used the caption: 'We scream for ice cream.'

Not shy: Soon after Kourtney posted an image of her and sister Kim enjoying ice cream in Japan; she used the caption: 'We scream for ice cream'

Kim posted a similar photo just two hours before.

Meanwhile, Younes made his Instagram public again by Tuesday; he is currently following Kourtney.

He however made an interesting post on his Instagram stories, seemingly pointed at the star.

Close: Kourtney Kardashian, 38, briefly deleted her Instagram on Monday after unfollowing toy boy Younes Bendjima, 24, on social media; they are now currently following each other on Instagram ; the two are seen in Paris in September

In last Sunday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Khloe Kardashian got mad at Kourtney for not being present during their sisters trip with Kim to San Francisco.

Kourtney was distracted and on the phone most of the time, much to the dislike of her siblings.

Younes wrote on Monday: 'Feels good to stop looking at your phone and start looking at the world. Try. Even for a day.'

What are you really saying? He however made an interesting post on his Instagram stories on Monday, seemingly pointed at the star

Cheers: As fans picked up on the changes, Kim posted this picture with her sister on Mondy

The changes suggested there might be trouble in paradise for the May to December couple, who were first linked in 2016.

Twitter certainly thought so, with fans clamoring to suggest the pair had broken up.

Kourtney had previously admitted she was considering her options to preserve her fertility because thinking now about adding to her family is 'too much pressure.'

Moving on? Kourtney has been dating Younes since 2016; she is seen in Tokyo last week

Big change: Kourtney's boyfriend Younes Bendjima, 24, turned his account private before returning by Tuesday to making it public

She said she was wanted to freeze her eggs in case she wanted a future sibling for the three children she has with ex Scott Disick - Mason, eight, Penelope, five, and three-year-old Reign.

Speaking to her sisters Kim, 37, and Khloe, 33 on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, she said: 'I should just do it so I don't have to think, "Is this what I want, to have kids?" It's like, putting too much pressure.'

Meanwhile, Scott has moved on with model Sofia Richie and it was recently claimed his former partner has allowed her to meet their children now their relationship is looking serious.

'Don't crush my dreams!' Fans were quick to comment on the social media drama

'I'm going to be really sad': Everyone had an opinion on their fave reality starArie Luyendyk Jr has been sliding into Bekah Martinez's Twitter direct messages and she could not care less.

Martinez, 22, who said goodbye to Luyendyk Jr in Italy after a two-on-one date, shared screenshots of her 'friendly' conversations with the 36-year-old realtor who had reached out after filming of The Bachelor had wrapped.

'Yeah Arie was probably being friendly but guess what I DON'T CARE HAHAHA, BOY BYEEEE,' she tweeted on Monday after watching the dramatic finale of the reality show.

Fanning the flame! Arie Luyendyk Jr. has been sliding into Bekah Martinez's Twitter direct messages. She shared screenshots on Monday of her conversations with the 36-year-old realtor who reached out after filming

The conversations between Bekah and Arie seemed harmless, but it was curious as to why the former race car driver would care enough to reach out.

In one of the messages, Luyendyk Jr made a joke about their 14-year age difference when he shared an photo from his 8th grade school dance where he had his arm around two girls.

'Just realized you were born the same year as my first two-on-one,' he said.

Still in love? The conversations between Bekah and Arie seemed harmless, but it was curious as to why the former race car driver would care enough to reach out

But Bekah made it clear on Monday that she is over Arie when she tweeted 'Yeah Arie was probably being friendly but guess what I DON'T CARE HAHAHA, BOY BYEEEE'

Ciao! Martinez was sent home after a two-on-one date in Italy

In the past: Despite her feelings now, the breakup was extremely emotional for the Fresno native. She caught up with The Bachelor in LA just a week after leaving the show to talk about their relationship and gain some 'closure'

After being put on a plane home from Italy, Martinez had a chance to find closure with the reality star a mere week later.

The two met in Los Angeles at a hotel to talk about their emotional split.

'We were just able to talk for 30 or 45 minutes and just kind of hash out our relationship and what happened,' she shared with ET. 'It was filmed and everything, but it didnt make the cut.'

The last time the pair were in the same room was during the Women Tell All special that aired on February 25.

Moving on: The last time the pair were in the same room was during the Women Tell All special that aired on February 25

Better off! According to social media, The Bachelor contestant now feels like she has 'dodged a bullet' when it comes to Arie

At that time, Bekah took the opportunity to address Tia Booth who claimed that she wasn't 'ready for marriage.'

She explained to People in an interview that she thought her age kept Arie from investing in their relationship further.

'When I left, the oldest person there was still nine years younger than Arie,' she said. 'I think he was afraid of his feelings for me. I think he was looking for an out the whole time, and my age was the perfect thing.

'Had I been 27 or 28, he would have interpreted my energy and my attitude as part of my personality  whereas since he knew I was 22, he interpreted it as signs of immaturity. So it was frustrating.'

Heartbreaker! The finale aired on Monday with Arie proposing to Becca Kufrin, then breaking up with her. He is now dating runner-up Lauren Burnham

But according to social media, The Bachelor contestant now feels like she has 'dodged a bullet.'

The finale aired on Monday with Arie proposing to Becca Kufrin, then breaking up with her. He is now dating runner up Lauren Burnham.

'Arie is the biggest f**king tool I've ever seen. Becca is a queen. A goddess. Thank the LORD he's out of her life,' Martinez said angrily in a tweet after watching her former flame break off his on-camera engagement.He's busy working on a whole selection of movie and Gerard Depardieu was pictured being pushed along in a wheelchair for his latest offering, Convoi Exceptionnel.

The 66-year-old was wheeled along by his disgruntled looking co-star, Christian Clavier, late at night on Monday.

With one leg elevated off the floor, it is not known how Gerard's character Taupin came to have injured himself.

Quite the ride: Gerard Depardieu, 66, was pushed along in a wheelchair by co-star Christian Clavier as they filmed new movie Convoi Exceptionnel in Belgium on Monday night

Pushed along by his smartly dressed co-star, the pair looked rather down in the dumps as they go about their business without talking.

The movie is being directed by the iconic Bertrand Blier in Brussels, Belgium.

Translated into English as Exceptional Convoy, it will tell the story of how a man meets the owner of the script of his life.

What will happen next? Translated into English as Exceptional Convoy, it will tell the story of how a man meets the owner of the script of his life

Allocine reports that Gerard and Bertrand Blier have shot many times together, before for titles such as Les Valseuses, Buffet Froid or Tenue de Soir.

And Gerard and Christian have seven films together under their belt, working on adaptations of Asterix and Obelix, Napoleon and Les Miserables to name a few.

Meanwhile, Gerard was granted Russian citizenship by President Vladimir Putin in 2013, who reportedly personally delivered him the new passport.

The controversial actor recently described his usual day-to-day with So Film magazine, boasting that he can 'absorb 12, 13, 14 bottles [of wine] per day'.

He said: 'In the morning, it starts at home with champagne or red wine before 10am, then again champagne.

'Then food, accompanied by two bottles of wine. 'In the afternoon, champagne, beer and more pastis at around 5pm, to finish off the bottle.

'Later on, vodka and/or whisky. But Im never totally drunk, just a little p*****d. All you need is a 10-minute nap and voila, a slurp of rose wine and I feel as fresh as a daisy.'Sara Sampaio is worth millions of dollars thanks to her lucrative contracts with such high-profile companies as Victoria's Secret.

But when the pinup has a day off, the Portuguese Vogue model clearly likes to dress down.

And the looker did just that on Monday as she wore ripped jeans when holding hands with her boyfriend Oliver Ripley in Beverly Hills.

Day off from glam: Sara Sampaio dressed down when she went out in Beverly Hills on Monday

No gowns here: She wore ripped jeans when holding hands with her boyfriend Oliver Ripley

The siren had on a black-and-white striped hoodie by Sanctuary with the worn-in jeans,

And the Versace model added chunky boots that laced up for a grunge look. A black Chanel purse added some style as did cat-eyed sunglasses.

The lingerie model was holding hands with her beau, who was also grunged out in a rugged camo jacket with a black V-neck top and black jeans with white sneakers.

Sweet: On Sunday evening the catwalker looked dazzling as she hit the Vanity Fair Oscar party in Beverly Hills

Flirty look: She had on a white crop top with a big frill that showed off her abs and added a mini skirt with a black bow as a belt

Pretty pal: She posed with her good friend Alessandra Ambrosio who wore a sheer dress over a nude leotard

On Sunday evening the catwalker looked dazzling as she hit the Vanity Fair Oscar party in Beverly Hills.

She had on a white crop top with a big frill that showed off her abs and added a mini skirt with a black bow as a belt.

The nearly 6ft tall beauty had on black strappy heels too.

She posed with her good friend Alessandra Ambrosio who wore a sheer dress over a nude leotard.Human Ken Doll, Rodrigo Alves, revealed that intruders broke into his London home on Saturday, after he had flown to LA to attend the Elton John's Oscars afterparty.

The shaken-up TV star, 34, admitted he fears that the men may have entered his property to harm him as none of his property was taken.

Speaking to MailOnline, he said: 'I had to ditch going to Elton John's Oscar party and get an emergency flight back to London after the burglars broke in.'

'I'm worried they wanted to harm me': Emotional Human Ken Doll Rodrigo Alves told MailOnline that intruders broke into his home after he flew to LA for Elton John's Oscar party

'I hope they were just being opportunistic rather than trying to cause me harm, but it's a horrible feeling knowing that someone has invaded your personal space.

'I felt a bit scared sleeping there since but I have a friend with me and a really good security system, so I know I will be fine.'

Rodrigo says it was his high-tech alarm which deterred the intruders and says he doesn't think they knew it was specifically his home before breaking in.

He told MailOnline: 'I had to ditch going to Elton John's Oscar party and get an emergency flight back to London after the burglars broke in' (pictured at the Golden Globes in January)

He said: 'I'm worried that because people have seen my extensive Louis Vuitton collection or my Cartier jewellery that it made me an easy target but it's unlikely.

'There are other things dotted around that are personal to me, like the ribs I keep in a jar, [Roddy had four ribs removed in a bid to help his blazers fit.]

'I split my main time between London, Marbella and LA, but my London home is my pied a terre.'

He continued: 'I know I look different to other people but I am just a down-to-earth man underneath it all and feel the same things as other people.'

Busy man: Rodrigo, who has spent more than $580k on plastic surgery, will now be flying back to Russia to film a new television show for Channel 1 and TNT about and human dolls, but he won't be taking any chances

He said: 'I have six bodyguards now which have been supplied by the security company. Four of them will be coming with me to Russia and I'll be leaving two in my house to keep an eye on things'

Rodrigo, who has spent more than $580k on plastic surgery, will now be flying back to Russia to film a new television show for Channel 1 and TNT about and human dolls, but he won't be taking any chances.

He said: 'I have six bodyguards now which have been supplied by the security company. Four of them will be coming with me to Russia and I'll be leaving two in my house to keep an eye on things.

'One thing this experience has taught me is that you can't be too careful when it comes to safety.'Model Jessica Michibata revealed she has the same fears as any other mother when she took to Instagram on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old Japanese-Argentinian shared a picture of herself wearing a skimpy black swimsuit while holding her baby, Joy, while covered in sick from head-to-toe.

Taking it all in good spirits, the ex-wife of F1 driver Jenson Button, also 33, had it in her face, neck and all down her body.

Scroll down for video

'Yup, she's eating enough': Swimsuit clad Jessica Michibata shared a VERY honest and humorous picture of herself covered from head-to-toe in her baby, Joy's vomit on Tuesday

Holding her phone up to take a selfie, she wrote: 'Breastfeeding moms will be like, 'I don't know how much my baby is eating.'

She then wrote underneath it: 'Yup, she's eating enough.'

Jessica has shared a few pictures of her sensationally toned post-baby body on Instagram, as well as Joy, whose father remains a mystery to the public.

The brunette beauty gave birth to her baby daughter in October 2017 and has been since living in a blissful postpartum bubble.

Looking good: Jessica looked amazing as she showed off her sensationally toned post baby body in another Instagram post, shared in January

For her sexy selfie, Jessica slipped into a scanty white swimsuit which made the most of her sensational figure - on which she showed no signs of baby weight.

In another image shared on social media, she snapped her little girl who appeared asleep, while she herself appeared enamoured.

She added a caption reading: 'Words cannot describe how happy I feel and how much love I have for this beautiful soul...Welcome to the world Joy Thank you for choosing me as your mother, I will love you forever and ever and ever.'

Enjoying motherhood, she later posted an adorable snap with her dewy-eyed daughter with the caption: 'Morning like this'.

Enjoying motherhood: Jessica also posted an adorable snap with her dewy-eyed daughter with the caption 'Morning like this'

Who is papa? The Japanese-Argentinian ex-wife of F1 racing driver Jenson Button, 33, has chosen to keep the identity of the baby's father a mystery from the public

Jessica and Jenson - who tied the knot in a lavish Hawaiian ceremony in December 2014 - called time on their relationship just one year later but remain on good terms.

A spokesperson for Jenson told MailOnline at the time: 'Jenson and Jessica have decided to go their separate ways and it is very amicable. There is no one else involved.'

Jenson and Jessica first met in 2008 in a hotel bar in Tokyo and began dating eight months later. Their relationship experienced ups and downs and they split for a short time in 2011 before he proposed in 2014, with a ring worth 250,000.

Jenson has been currently dating former Playboy model Brittny Ward for over a year. And they appear to be going from strength to strength, having enjoyed a sun-soaked holiday back in October, with Brittny sharing snaps of the pair on Instagram.

The model shared an array of cosy pictures to her account, paying tribute to her partner of 18 months as she smooched him on a boat.Warning: May contain traces of soy, wheat, lecithin and tree nuts. That you are here

strongly suggests that you are either omnivorous, or a glutton.

And that you might like cheese-doodles.

Please form a caseophilic line to the right. Thank you.He is a disgraced reality star set to reveal his side of the story in a tell-all interview on Jeremy Kyle on Wednesday.

And Jeremy McConnell breaks down in tears over the lack of contact with his son Caben before admitting his late parents would be 'disgusted' with his behaviour in a dramatic first look at his appearance on the chat show special.

The 28-year-old model and former boyfriend of Stephanie Davis is seen being rendered speechless by host Jeremy Kyle, before crying when is he forced to admit he hasn't seen his one-year-old child in eight months.

Emotion: Jeremy McConnell breaks down in tears over the lack of contact with his son Caben before admitting his late parents would be 'disgusted' with his behaviour in a dramatic first look at his appearance on Jeremy Kyle

Kyle slams the star saying: 'You haven't seen your son for eight months, how can you be described as a good father?' as Jeremy wells up.

Opening the interview in typical no-holds-barred fashion host Jeremy:'Everybody Jeremy, right, makes mistakes.

'You have committed some of the worst and some of the most publicised of anybody that's ever been on this show.'

As a photo of him and son Caben flashed up on the screen, Kyle said:'What would your mum and dad say about the way you lived your life?'

No contact: The 28-year-old model and former boyfriend of Stephanie Davis is seen being rendered speechless by host Jeremy Kyle, before crying when is he forced to admit he hasn't seen his one-year-old child in eight months

A tearful Jeremy responded 'Disgusted.'

Jeremy's father died of cancer in March 2017- the star lost his mother, brother and sister within months of each other when he was a teenager.

Bringing up Jeremy's assault conviction for his attack on ex Stephanie, who he met on Celebrity Big Brother, Kyle said: 'Are you violent towards women Jeremy? Do you think you deserve what you got?'

Jeremy and Stephanie's relationship has never been far from the headlines since they met on Celebrity Big Brother in 2016.

The ex-couple are parents to one-year-old Caben-Albi and Jeremy's role as his father will no doubt be questioned during the hour-long special.

Drama: Kyle slams the star saying: 'You haven't seen your son for eight months, how can you be described as a good father?' as Jeremy wells up

Jeremy is also likely to be quizzed on his alleged drug use and the claims made by Stephanie than he smashed glass into her hand among other shocking allegations.

Stephanie recently revealed to MailOnline that reality star McConnell battered her as she held her baby son - and crushed a glass into her hand during a blazing row.

She allegedly suffered two severed tendons following the brutal attack and had to undergo surgery.

Stephanie, 24, told of her ordeal after McConnell claimed she begged him to visit her home and said she still loved him in a barrage of emails, despite having a restraining order against him.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, she said McConnell contacted her first and insisted: 'It's complete rubbish, I responded to him not the other way round.

Tearful: As a photo of him and son Caben flashed up on the screen, Kyle said:'What would your mum and dad say about the way you lived your life?' with Jeremy responding 'disgusted'

'The reason why I've always humoured him was because I've always been chasing that man I fell in love with on Big Brother. I always wanted to find that funny, charming guy but he is nothing but a narcissist and his mask slipped practically the moment we'd left the studio.

'When he got in touch blaming his problems on a drug addiction I wanted to believe him and did want to see him.

'But this was before I went into rehab and I'm now so much more stronger and I've realised that I don't need him any more. He has always got off on controlling me and using me to find fame and now that he can no longer do that, he's hitting out in the media.'

'For so long I felt like I didn't have a voice because I was too scared to speak out but I'm not going to be silent any longer.

Exes: Bringing up Jeremy's assault conviction for his attack on ex Stephanie Davis (above in feb 2016), who he met on Celebrity Big Brother, Kyle said: 'Are you violent towards women Jeremy? Do you think you deserve what you got?'

McConnell was sentenced to 20 months in prison suspended for 12 months in August last year for a separate assault on Stephanie in March that year at their home in Liverpool. He has always denied assaulting the actress.

The bloody attack was not a one-off, however, as McConnell continued with his violent and controlling behaviour, according to Stephanie.

She said he would fly into cocaine-induced rages and accuse her of cheating on him when I reality it was the other way round.

Happier times: McConnell was sentenced to 20 months in prison suspended for 12 months in August last year for a separate assault on Stephanie in March that year at their home in Liverpool. He has always denied assaulting the actress

The couple split in May 2016 but Stephanie fell pregnant with their first child. Their son, Caben-Albi George was born in January 2017 while McConnell was in Thailand on a lads holiday.

For a time, the couple rekindled their romance but Stephanie said his violent temper was never far from the surface, she claimed.

The Jeremy Kyle Show special Reality TV: The Price of Fame airs on Wednesday, March 7 at 9:25am on ITV.Kim Kardashian slurped on noodles while in the nude.

The 38-year-old reality star took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a racy snap of herself topless while enjoying some ramen.

She could be seen with her assets out while she slurped on long thick ramen noodles which hung from her mouth.

Enjoying her noods! Kim Kardashian took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a racy snap of herself topless while enjoying some ramen

Kim seemed really enjoy the meal as she already had a second helping of noodles between her chopsticks before even chewing on her first batch.

As she and her sisters recently took a trip to Japan no doubt this new social media posting was from that holiday.

Her newly-dyed pink locks could be seen worn down in a middle-part as it hung down to her chest.

Out and about: Kim recently returned from a sibling bonding trip in Japan with Kourtney and Khloe as she is pictured in Tokyo

Va va voom: She also sported a pair of skintight leggings featuring a ribbed detailing around the thighs, calves, and glutes

Showing off: The stunner enjoyed several outings in Tokyo in many different stylish looks including one where she wore a distressed, sheer Adidas top

Glow: As if that wasn't already flashy enough she also wore a pair of heels with reflective 3M material which shined bright whenever light touched them.

She matched her long locks with heavy pink blush and matching shiny lip.

Kim recently returned from a sibling bonding trip in Japan with Kourtney and Khloe.

The stunner enjoyed several outings in Tokyo in many different stylish looks including one where she wore a distressed, sheer Adidas top.

She also sported a pair of skintight leggings featuring a ribbed detailing around the thighs, calves, and glutes.

Moving fast: Kim also shared this snap at a train station which she captioned: 'Train Station in Keyoto'

Helping hand: Kylie Jenner's ex Tyga corrected Kim's spelling of Kyoto

Pretty in pink: She also shared this snap of herself puckering up while flashing two peace signs

As if that wasn't already flashy enough she also wore a pair of heels with reflective 3M material which shined bright whenever light touched them.

Her pink tresses were put up in a top-knot as she sported matching shiny lip for the night on the town.

She has since returned home to Southern California as she attended a release party for her pal Marina Acton in Hollywood on Monday night.Jade Goody's widower Jack Tweed has hit out at Jeff Brazier for claiming the star's 'forgetfulness and fear' stopped her from going to the doctor.

Speaking to the Daily Express on Tuesday, Jeff revealed organisation had not been one of Jade's strong points, and speculated whether it was the reason she failed to check her symptoms sooner.

However Jack, who married Jade in 2009 just weeks before her death from cervical cancer, was quick to hit out at Jeff's claims by sharing the interview to his Twitter page, with the caption: 'Well that's a lie ???'

Not happy: Jade Goody's widower Jack Tweed (L) has hit out at Jeff Brazier (R) for claiming the star's 'forgetfulness and fear' stopped her from going to the doctor sooner

Not happy: Infuriated by the claims, Jack shared Jeff's interview on his Twitter page with the caption: 'Well that's a lie ???'

Jade passed away in 2009, aged 27, following a short battle with cervical cancer - leaving Essex native Jeff full custody of their sons.

Looking back at the tough time, Jeff, 38, revealed his ex's death still makes him 'angry' sometimes, and questioned whether her worries had stopped her from getting a smear test which could have saved her life.

He said: 'We were no longer together when she got ill so I don't know whether it was forgetfulness or fear that prevented her from getting help sooner.

RIP: Jade passed away in 2009 following a short battle with cervical cancer, aged 27, leaving Essex native Jeff full custody of their sons (pictured together in November 2002)

'Jade was this amazing, larger-than-life character and she had so many wonderful qualities but organisation wasn't one of them.'

The television presenter, who welcomed sons Bobby, 14, and Freddie, 13, with Jade, added that her death still makes him 'angry' sometimes, as it has parted a devoted mother from her children.

'I try not to be bitter but sometimes I do get angry,' he added. 'I feel devastated for Jade and so sad for our boys. I do everything I can to love them and keep Jade's memory alive but I can never replace their mum.'

Heartbreak: Looking back, Jeff, 38, revealed his ex's death still makes him 'angry' sometimes, and questioned whether her worries had stopped her from getting a smear test

Staying strong: The presenter, who welcomed sons Bobby, 14, and Freddie, 13, with Jade, added that her death still makes him 'angry', as it has parted a devoted mother from her kids

Jeff started dating Jade in 2002, and they welcomed their boys before calling time on their romance in 2004.

The TV personality then found love with Jack in 2006, and the pair married in February 2009 - four weeks before her tragic death.

In 2011 Jeff revealed his sons had not been in contact with Jack, explaining at the time: 'He could sit and talk to them for days about her. And I really want that to happen, but not at the moment. Not until I feel it is the right time.'

However he confirmed his boys had started to see Jack as a step-father once again last year, proving there to be no bad blood.

Back in the day: Jeff started dating Jade in 2002, and they welcomed their boys before calling time on their romance in 2004

Heartbreaking: The TV personality then found love with Jack in 2006, and the pair married in February 2009 - four weeks before her tragic death

Jeff now works as a grief counsellor, and even released a book on dealing with bereavement last year.

The family are now looking forward to another wedding, with Jeff proposing to girlfriend of four years Katie Dwyer in October 2017.

Speaking on Loose Women last month, Jeff discussed his upcoming nuptials, and revealed his sons will act as best men.

He gushed: 'I'm very happy. Its come together really nicely. Kate's a wonderful woman. Shes got a great relationship with the boys. Freddie is hell-bent on having a stepmum it really means a lot to him.'

Before adding affectionately: 'There was a lot of pressure on Kate but shes done a great job.'They've been happily married for 15 years.

And Jennifer Connelly and her husband Paul Bettany were putting in a rare public appearance at the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2018/2019 show during Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday.

The couple, who met on the set of 2001's A Beautiful Mind, went hand-in-hand as they arrived at the runway show, looking more loved up than ever.

Loved up: Jennifer Connelly and her husband Paul Bettany were putting in a rare public appearance at the Louis Vuitton show during Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday

Jennifer was dressed to impress in a smart tweed top with ruffle detailing and billowing silk sleeves in a contrasting print.

She teamed her look with a billowing white skirt and a smart handbag, looking effortlessly chic.

Paul cut a dapper figure in a smart grey suit worn over a navy shirt, beaming as he headed into the venue with Jennifer.

The couple share two children, Stellan, 14, and Agnes, six. Jennifer also has a son Kai, 20, from her relationship with photographer David Dugan.

Chic: Jennifer was dressed to impress in a smart tweed top with ruffle detailing and billowing silk sleeves in a contrasting print

New role? It was recently revealed by the Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye that Paul is negotiations about the possibility of portraying Prince Philip, alongside Olivia Colman as the Queen, in the third and fourth series of The Crown.

It was recently revealed by the Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye that Paul is negotiations about the possibility of portraying Prince Philip, alongside Olivia Colman as the Queen, in the third and fourth series of The Crown.

The actor emerged as the leading contender to take on the role that Matt Smith  acting with Claire Foy as our sovereign  played in the initial 20 episodes of the 60-hour drama, that will cover six decades of Elizabeth IIs reign.

Andy Harries and Suzanne Mackie, two of The Crowns senior executive producers, met with Bettanys agents at a Hollywood club where they discussed the actors availability to attend rehearsals in June, and whether he could film from July until January or February next year.

Smitten: Paul cut a dapper figure in a smart grey suit worn over a navy shirt, beaming as he headed into the venue with Jennifer

Happy families: The couple share two children, Stellan, 14, and Agnes, six. Jennifer also has a son Kai, 20, from her relationship with photographer David Dugan

If a deal can be agreed, he will join Colman and Helena Bonham Carter  who has signed up to portray the late Princess Margaret, taking over from Vanessa Kirby.

Executives, and the shows casting director, are also busy finding the right actors to portray Charles, Camilla and Diana for the next 20 episodes that will cover the courtship and wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

It would be a big coup for The Crown if Bettany were to join the alternative Royal Family.Stranger Things fans are dying to return to Hawkins, Indiana, for more paranormal fun in season three.

While it'll probably be a while before that happens, new information continues to come out about who's been cast in the show, new plot points and more. Most recently, it was reported that Maya Thurman-Hawke had been added to the cast, according to TV Guide.

Netflix confirmed her casting, revealing that her character's name is Robin.

Fans of Netflix's Stranger Things are dying to get new details about season three of the series

Robin is new here and she's "alternative." We love a weirdo and a new resident. Welcome to Hawkins, Maya Hawke. pic.twitter.com/ngdm9j6A3K  Stranger Things (@Stranger_Things) March 2, 2018

Hawke will be playing an 'alternative girl who is equal parts sharp and playful. Bored with her mundane day job, she just wants a little excitement in her life...and gets more than she bargained for when she uncovers a dark secret in Hawkins.'

What else do you need to know about Stranger Things 3?

Stranger Things 3 premiere date

It's going to be a while before Stranger Things 3 is available for streaming on Netflix. Speaking with Deadline, Ross Duffer of The Duffer Brothers said the upcoming season is still in the 'early' stages.

'We are [in] very early days on season three and we're still figuring it out,' Ross Duffer revealed during Vulture Festival.

ST02 was my favorite season to film... why? you may ask... because I got to hit the slates with straight up passion and an eleven smile. pic.twitter.com/iSqeW1Eufx  Millie Bobby Brown (@milliebbrown) January 16, 2018

'I probably wasn't supposed to say that. That's not official, that wasn't an official announcement - we're just working on it, just for our own amusement...for fun!'

David Harbour echoed that sentiment, telling fans not to expect anything until 2019. Speaking with Variety, he said Ross and Matt Duffer 'need time' to write the show.

@GMA thanks for having us today!! We had a blast! pic.twitter.com/KNufcFXZ1y  Gaten Matarazzo (@GatenM123) October 31, 2017

Stranger Things 3 trailer

Netflix has yet to release a trailer or art for Stranger Things 3. Many believe the final scene in season 2 of the Netflix original series was setting up for what's to come, however.

Stranger Things 3 cast

Netflix confirmed Maya Thurman-Hawke's addition to the Stranger Things cast on Twitter on March 2, 2018. Although fans now know her name and a little bit about her, many details about her character remain a mystery. For example, it hasn't yet been revealed which crew she'll run with in Hawkins, Indiana.

It's also been confirmed that Priah Ferguson, will be getting a much larger role in Stranger Things 3. She was introduced to the show as Lucas's (Caleb McLaughlin) younger sister in season one. Fans immediately fell in love with her and Netflix finally heard their demands.

Happy Birthday Finn! @finnwolfhardofficial #enjoyyourday A post shared by Caleb McLaughlin (@therealcalebmclaughlin) on Dec 23, 2017 at 3:54pm PST

'Lucas's strong-willed little sister returns, only this time with an army of friends. No longer content with sitting on the sidelines, Erica finds herself on a wild mission to save Hawkins from a dangerous and unexpected new threat,' a character description posted by Deadline read.

Three new adults will also be added to the Stranger Things 3 cast, according to The Hashtag Show (via Screenrant). The characters names are Mayor Larry Kline, Bruce, and Patricia Brown. They're said to be a shady mayor, a problematic reporter and a sweet old lady who may or may not be an agent of the Upside Down.

Only the marvelous @milliebbrown can make #chiefhopper smile like that.... Great actress, better young lady! pic.twitter.com/C6XMkgHdoN  David Harbour (@DavidKHarbour) July 24, 2016

Naturally, fans will get reacquainted with their old favorites as well. Will (Noah Schnapp), Lucas, Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Max (Sadie Sink), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Chief Hopper (David Harbour), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Steve, Joyce (Winona Ryder) and more are all expected to return.

Pictures 1 A post shared by Joe Keery (@uncle_jezzy) on Oct 28, 2017 at 9:57pm PDT

Stranger Things 3 spoilers

Although Stranger Things 3 is still in production, viewers have some idea what's coming for them when the show returns to Netflix.

For one, we know the show will be set in 1985 thanks to a recent report from A.V. Club.

The outlet also reported that executive producer Shawn Levy made a reference to Back to the Future when speaking about the upcoming season of Stranger Things at PaleyFest. It's unclear, however, what that may signal moving forward.

Levy also sat down with The Hollywood Reporter recently. During that interview he discussed the inner workings of the main characters' core group and how they may change - or not - when the show returns to Netflix.

'Mike and Eleven are going strong, so that's a relationship that continues, and same with Mad Max and Lucas. But again, they're like 13-or 14-year-old kids, so what does romance mean at that stage of life? It can never be simple and stable relationships and there's fun to that instability,' he said.

Speaking with Vulture, Ross Duffer revealed the main goal of the beloved Stranger Things cast in season three: 'They're going to have to get the f**k out of this town.'

The day I shaved my head was the most empowering moment of my whole life. The last strand of hair cut off was the moment my whole face was on show and I couldnt hide behind my hair like I used to. As I looked in the mirror I realized I had one job to do. Inspire. pic.twitter.com/k65c7dGId1  Millie Bobby Brown (@milliebbrown) January 14, 2018

This makes sense, given the ominous scene outside Hawkins Middle School in the Stranger Things 2 finale.

Stranger Things 3 viewers may learn once and for all what happened to Chief Jim Hopper's daughter Sarah, according to an interview he did with Insider. Asked about the similar scenery in a season one shot of Hopper slumped in a stairwell and a season two scene where Dr. Owens (Paul Reiser) is cowering, Harbour said: 'It is the same location. So that's interesting. Or it's a similar location.'

No matter what happens in Stranger Things 3 viewers can count on more heartwarming moments between Dustin and Steve. In another interview, Levy told Glamour they'll be more connected than ever when the show comes back.

'In Season two, it was all very cute and there was a funny factor to it because it was unexpected, but now that it is expected, I want to see them connect more and be more familiar with each other,' Levy said.

'I want them to have a connection like they've really had a connection for a year - like they're brothers.'

Levy dove a little deeper into Steve's character development during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, saying: 'We'll definitely get to see some more of Steve Harrington in season three, and I'll just say we won't be abandoning the Dad Steve magic.

'I don't want to say much more, but I literally feel that we were walking along and we stumbled onto a gold mine with Dad Steve.'

Hey Internet. Happy Valentines Day pic.twitter.com/FIxixbK4RW  David Harbour (@DavidKHarbour) February 14, 2017

Viewers should also plan to see less of Will (Noah Schnapp) in the spotlight when Stranger Things 3 premieres. Speaking on his role in the upcoming season, Levy told Glamour: 'We're going to give Will a break.

'We're not going to put Will through hell for a third season in a row. He'll be dealing with stuff, but he won't be at rock bottom the way we forced the amazing Noah Schnapp to play.'Hilarie Burton announced on Tuesday that she and husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan welcomed their second child, a daughter George, in mid February.

But instead of sharing a simple announcement, the 35-year-old actress went the extra mile to tell her painful story about her journey to baby number two to help other women struggling with fertility.

The One Tree Hill star called the child her 'miracle baby' while confessing she at times felt 'bitter' when she couldn't add to her family before her luck turned.

Great news! Hilarie Burton revealed on Tuesday that she and husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan welcomed daughter George in mid February

Happy parents: The couple are seen here in September at the Emmy Awards in LA

The star wed Walking Dead actor Jeffrey in 2014 and together they already have son Augustus, aged seven.

Burton shared four photos of little George.

One was of the baby sleeping, another was with Dean, a third was with Augustus and the fourth was with her as she looked proud.

Her note began, 'As some of you know, @jeffreydeanmorgan is off in Europe getting ready to do some big conventions. And he's self aware enough to know his track record for "spilling the beans" isn't so great (bless his heart!).

So loved: The One Tree Hill star looked proud as can be as she held her little girl

'So before he starts tripping up in an attempt to maintain our privacy, he asked that I go ahead and post something about our little girl's birth,' said the TRL vet.

Then she laid out the background.

'But before I do that, there's something I really want to say to all the women out there who are trying.....

'It took a long time for Jeffrey and I to have this baby. The first time I got pregnant, it took a year and a half.

Already so loved: The TRL vet shared these two photos as well. On the left is Jeffrey with the baby and on the right is their son Augustus, aged seven, holding the newborn

'I surprised him on Christmas with baby Seahawk booties. We cried. We celebrated. We picked out names. And we lost that baby.'

She then added: 'More losses followed, and as so many couples know, it was heartbreaking. It still is heartbreaking.'

The White Collar actress admitted the struggle took its toll.

'And every morning of the five years it took us, I'd open my computer at the kitchen table and see the news and I'd grow bitter over the endless parade of celebrities showing off their bumps and babies.

The full note: Instead of sharing a simple announcement, the 35-year-old actress went the extra mile to tell her painful story about her journey to baby number two to help other women struggling with fertility

'I'd weep out of jealousy for how easy it was for them. Didn't they know something could go wrong? Didn't they know that there were other women out there struggling?'

Even the happy celebrations were hard to take.

'It pained me to see the corporate sponsored baby showers and magazine covers capitalizing on this human miracle that wasn't happening for us,' she admitted.

Hilarie added: 'So when this pregnancy started, we were cautious. I didn't want to celebrate for fear of jinxing it. I didn't want a baby shower. I checked her heartbeat every day, up until the day she was born."

Her full collage: 'Please meet George Virginia Morgan. She was born February 16th. Her daddy delivered her. We love her very much,' she ended her note

The star feels blessed her luck turned around.

'Now that she is here, I just stare at her in wonder all day. I see her in her daddy's arms and I don't take any of it for granted. She screams bloody murder and I smile because she is so wildly alive.'

The Virginia native then tried to reassure other women who were having a tough time.

He was supportive: The actors shared a kiss in March 2016 at the Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice premiere in NYC

Good daddy: Morgan having fun with his son; he captioned this 2017 image 'dudes day'

'So now that folks know she's here, I don't want her birth to cause any other woman to weep at her kitchen table.

'If anything, my wish is that she would restore hope for others.

'Fertility is a fickle thing. And for the other couples out there who have had dark days, we want to introduce our miracle baby to you and send you our love and support in finding yours.'

She ended with a sweet welcome to Morgan baby number two: 'Please meet George Virginia Morgan. She was born February 16th. Her daddy delivered her. We love her very much.'He is said to have recently split with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, after reportedly leaving his wife of 22 years, Eve Mavrakis, for the actress.

But Ewan McGregor is hitting headlines for his his onscreen drama, as the first teaser for his upcoming Disney film Christopher Robin has been unveiled.

The 46-year-old actor - who plays the titular character in the film, alongside Hayley Atwell as his wife, Evelyn - is seen as a grown-up Christopher being told by his boss, played by Mark Gatiss, that he needs to cut members of his staff from the payroll.

Scroll down for video

Clip: The first teaser for Ewan McGregor's new film Christopher Robin has been released and is shows him as the titular character, reuniting with Winnie The Pooh, voiced by Jim Cummings

As he worries about his dilemma in a park - after waving off his wife and their daughter after having to pull out of attending a weekend getaway with them - he is shocked when he is joined by Winnie The Pooh, whom he tells: 'Ive cracked!'

Without missing a beat during the brief teaser, the bear cheekily replies: 'I dont see any cracks, a few wrinkles maybe.'

The upcoming summer movie, directed by Marc Forster, features Jim Cummings lending his voice to Winnie the Pooh, Chris ODowd to Tigger, Brad Garrett to Eeyore and Toby Jones as Owl.

Family ties: The actor plays a grown-up Christopher Robin, with Hayley Atwell portraying his wife Evelyn and Bronte Carmichael taking on the role of their daughter Madeline

Unwelcome news: In the clip, he is seen being told by his boss Giles Winslow, played by Mark Gatiss, that he must cut members of his staff from the payroll

Nick Mohammed will voice Piglet, Peter Capaldi is Rabbit and Sophie Okonedo takes on Kanga in the film, which is due for UK and US release in August 2018.

The trailer comes hot on the heels of reports that Ewan has been dumped by Mary, 33, because she was unhappy with being dubbed a 'homewrecker'.

Ewan filed for divorce from wife Eve, 51, last month  six months after being spotted kissing Mary, his co-star in the cult TV series Fargo.

The Trainspotting and Star Wars actor blamed irreconcilable differences for the split from his wife, the mother of his four daughters who are aged between seven and 21.

Letdown: As the result of an emergency weekend meeting, he is forced to bow on plans for a family getaway with his wife and daughter - and looks disappointed as he waves them off

Surprise! As Christopher sits in a London park, he is shocked when Winnie The Pooh pops up

Eve was reportedly left devastated after pictures were published last October of Ewan kissing his co-star in a London cafe.

His 15-year-old daughter Esther later posted a song on Instagram about the s*** I found online, singing: Seeing those pictures, theyre making me cry And I dont know how to forgive. I dont know if I can.

The news of Ewans reported split from Mary is revealed in the latest edition of US magazine Star.

A source told the publication: Mary hated being labelled a home wrecker and the embarrassment it caused her.

Emotional reunion: Winnie The Pooh comforts Christopher as they enjoy an emotional reunion

Coming soon: The highly-anticipated Disney film is set for release in the US and UK in August

'Its sad because a year ago Ewan and his wife were in great shape and then he decided to throw it all away for Mary. Now it looks like hes lost them both for good.

Eve told The Mail on Sunday, No, I hadnt heard, when asked if she knew about her husbands split from his lover.

Asked for comment, she said: I really dont know. Sorry.

Production designer Eve was said to be furious when her husband won the Best Actor In A Limited Series award at this years Golden Globes and thanked both her and his mistress.

Split? The film teaser comes after reports Ewan has been dumped by Mary Elizabeth Winstead (left) because she hated being labelled a home wrecker

I want to take a moment to just say thank you to Eve who always stood by me for 22 years and our four children Clara, Esther, Jamyan and Anouk, he said. And there wouldnt have been any Ray [his Fargo character] without Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

When asked about his words, Eve said: No, I did not like his speech.

She called their divorce disappointing and upsetting before adding: My main concern is our four children are OK.

Mary announced she was splitting from her husband of seven years Riley Stearns last May  as she filmed the series.

Over: Mary announced she was splitting from her husband of seven years Riley Stearns in MayThe CW's reboot of Charmed has found its three witchy sisters - Madeleine Mantock, Melonie Diaz and Sarah Jeffery.

The web revealed the casting on Monday, according to E! News.

Described as 'fierce, funny, feminist,' the TV movie reboot centers on three sisters who discover that they are witches after the death of their mother.

Spirited siblings : From left, Brit Madeleine Mantock, 27, Melonie Diaz, 33, and Canadian Sarah Jeffery, 21, have been cast as the witchy sisters in the TV movie reboot of Charmed

Brit Madeleine, 27, will play oldest sister Macy, a brilliant geneticist who is shocked by the discovery that she's a witch.

Middle sister Mel will be played by Melonie, 33. The outspoken activist and lesbian loses her way after her mother's death.

Canadian Sarah, 21, has been cast as youngest sister, Madison, a bubbly college freshman whose new life as a witch conflicts with her goal of being a sorority girl.

Is he the Whitelighter? Brit Rupert Evans, 40, has joined the reboot as Harry, a 'handsome, grandiose' professor with a mysterious interest in the sisters

Brit Rupert Evans, 40, joins the reboot as Harry, a 'handsome, grandiose' professor with a mysterious interest in the three sisters.

This has caused many to speculate that he's the new Leo, a Whitelighter assigned to protect the sisters, according to E!.

Ser'Darius Blain, 30, has been tapped to play Galvin, Macy's aspiring filmmaker boyfriend.

Hunky beau: Ser'Darius Blain, 30, will play Galvin, Macy's aspiring filmmaker boyfriend

The movie comes from Jane The Virgin executive producer Jennie Urman, with the pilot script written by Jessica O'Toole and Amy Rardin.

The original Charmed ran from 1998 to 2006 and starred Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano and Shannen Doherty as the sisters with Rose McGowan replacing Shannen when her character died in the third season finale.

Meanwhile, the casting is unlikely to be good news for Holly Marie.

She made her opinion felt: Holly Marie Combs weighed in on the reboot on Twitter in January

White witches: Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan and Holly in Charmed in 1998

Back in January she weighed in on the reboot on Twitter, saying: 'Here's the thing. Until you ask us to rewrite it like Brad Kern did weekly don't even think of capitalizing on our hard work.

'Charmed belongs to the 4 of us, our vast amount of writers, crews and predominantly the fans. FYI you will not fool them by owning a title/stamp. So bye.'

Shannen took a much more hopeful stance at that time, tweeting: 'I'm intrigued by the idea that a new generation might be comforted, inspired like all you were. Charmed helped us all in some way.'She's settling into parenthood with her Love Island beau Nathan Massay.

And Cara De La Hoyde was enjoying a rare outing in London on Monday night, rocking a hot pink suit as she joined BNTM star Victoria Clay at the Tresor event in London.

The reality star showcased her enviable post-baby body in a caped jacket and matching trousers, ensuring she stood out from the crowd.

Think pink: Cara De La Hoyde was enjoying a rare outing in London on Monday night, rocking a hot pink suit as she joined BNTM star Victoria Clay at the Tresor event in London

Cara layered her statement blazer over a camisole and coordinated her black heels with the lacy garment.

She carried a matching black leather handbag and kept the rest of her accessories minimal.

Meanwhile, former Britain's Next Top Model contestant Victoria left very little to the imagination in a skimpy leotard.

Skimpy attire: Former Britain's Next Top Model contestant Victoria Clay left very little to the imagination in a skimpy leotard

Coordinating: Cara layered her statement blazer over a camisole and coordinating her black heels with the lacy garment

She showed off her long legs in the tiny garment, which boasted an entirely sheer skirt.

Victoria kept covered up in a leather jacket, despite braving the cold with bare legs.

Cara and Nathan welcomed their first child together in December and decided to give their relationship another go after splitting in April.

Risque: She showed off her long legs in the tiny garment, which boasted an entirely sheer skirt

Fierce: Victoria proved her model prowess as she posed inside

The couple shot to stardom on the second series of ITV2 dating series Love Island in 2016 where they went on to win the show.

They split last year, despite Cara revealing her pregnancy soon afterwards.

But they clearly have had a change of heart, with the pregnant reality star taking to Instagram to confirm they were back together.

Smitten: Cara shot to stardom on the second series of ITV2 dating series Love Island in 2016, winning the show with boyfriend Nathan Massay

Having a ball: Cara happily browsed the collection at the eventThey have both left their reality television careers on Made In Chelsea well and truly behind them.

But Binky Felstead and Lucy Watson were delighted to be reunited under the spotlight at The European Premiere of Tomb Raider at Vue, in London on Tuesday.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 27, wowed in her perilously plunging silk suit when she joined forces with her former co-star, also 27, on the red carpet.

Reunited! Former MIC star Binky Felstead wowed in a plunging silk suit as she reunited with Lucy Watson at glitzy Tomb Raider premiere at Vue cinemas, in London on Tuesday evening

Binky flaunted her fabulous figure, just nine months after giving birth to little India in June, thanks to her classy blouse cinched with an elasticated waistline.

The mother-of-one let her hair down on the occasion and she enhanced her features with heavy make-up for an attention grabbing display.

Standing tall, the reality star added to her height in sky-scraper high heels which featured a frilled strap for a feminine touch.

Check out her curves: Binky flaunted her fabulous figure, just nine months after giving birth to little India in June, thanks to her classy blouse cinched with an elasticated waistline

She's a natural! The mother-of-one let her hair down on the occasion and she enhanced her features with heavy make-up for an attention grabbing display

Binky was really in her element when she stormed the red carpet as she took a night off mummy duties to attend the event.

Also catching the eye, Lucy power dressed in a similar fashion as she donned a hot pink suit to best showcase her slender frame.

The ITV News personality showcased her eye-popping cleavage in the fabulous two-piece as she wore it over her skimpy bra.

Lucy put the emphasis on her accessories when she toted a dazzling beaded clutch bag, which paid a sparkling tribute to the gems embellished on her heels.

Double trouble: Lucy power dressed in a similar fashion as she donned a hot pink two-piece suit to best showcase her slender frame

With her hair pinned back in a single plait, the former reality star put the focus on her striking facial features which she touched up with strokes of make-up.

Alicia Vikander has stepped into the starry stilettos of Angelina Jolie as she takes over her iconic role of Lara Croft in the reboot of Tomb Raider.

Binky brushed off the cruel comments from trolls following her candid confession that she was a victim of cruel body-shamers on social media.

Speaking to The Sun at the Baby Show in London, the 27-year-old encouraged fellow mummies to be 'proud' of their bodies after birth.

Eye-popping: The ITV News personality showcased her gravity-defying cleavage in the fabulous two-piece as she wore it over her skimpy bra

Binky explained she was hit by trolls during pregnancy, who terrified her into thinking her life will be over when she has a child.

Recalling the tough time, she said: 'Obviously there were a lot of trolls out there that will try and scare you.

'Scare you about becoming a mum and how horrible your life will be. They say you'll never see any friends again. That really scared me.'

However, she revealed she has now learned to ignore other people's opinions as pregnancy affects everyone differently, and that having a healthy, happy child is all that matters.

How to accessorise: Lucy put the emphasis on her accessories when she toted a dazzling beaded clutch bag, which paid a sparkling tribute to the gems embellished on her heels

She went on to urge fellow mums to instead be proud of their bodies after birth, no matter what shape or size, and appreciate the fact it has created a child.

'Your body has done an amazing thing, having a baby,' she added. 'You've got to feel proud of yourself as a woman.'

Binky and JP have proved to be doting parents ever since they welcomed India in June last year, and often share tips as well as sweet selfies with the tot on their social media pages.

Close: The former Made In Chelsea girls wrapped their arms around each other as they were delighted to be reunited on the evening

Speaking to MailOnline in February, the brunette admitted the pair were in no rush to tie the knot - but are keen to settle down and add to their brood in the future.

She said: 'I would like a couple more one day. I want to give my children what I had growing up, which was the best childhood ever.

'I have such fond memories, so would love the same for India; a big house in the country with lots of animals.'

Although India's arrival came as a surprise, the fashion designer insisted being a mother hasn't changed her daily life too much, and confirmed she is 'much happier' since giving up her party lifestyle and leaving Made In Chelsea.

Binky added: 'I feel like it hasn't completely changed. I can take India to meetings and jobs, I've got a creche in my gym so try and go as much as I can in a week.

'I feel like I've found a really lovely routine going so that's quite important. I love getting up and knowing what I'm doing, it was all a bit hectic with filming but now I'm much happier.'The tax revenue for 10 counties in the Oneida Indian Nation's exclusive gaming zone didn't take a major hit after the opening of del Lago Resort & Casino in Seneca County last year.

Cayuga and other counties in the Oneidas' gaming territory received a combined $26,918,658.50 in 2017, according to records available on the state comptroller's Open Book New York database. The counties' share of the tribe's revenue decreased 2.7 percent from 2016, when the payments totaled $27,668,177.60.

Cayuga County received $518,287.75 last year compared to $536,858.11 in 2016. While the payments dipped by more than $18,000, the total is higher than the county's share of the Oneidas' gaming revenue in 2014 and 2015.

Oneida County, which is the host municipality for the Oneida Nation's Turning Stone Resort Casino, received $17,441,898.93 in payments last year. That's the most of any county in the exclusive zone.

The Oneida Indian Nation, which also operates Point Place Casino and Yellow Brick Road Casino in Madison County, expressed concern before del Lago opened that the new Seneca County casino would cannibalize its revenues.

Despite the Oneidas' efforts, the state Gaming Commission approved del Lago's license and the casino opened in February 2017.He has recently got engaged to the stunning Sabrina Dhowre, despite protesting he would never marry again.

But it was back to work for Idris Elba on Tuesday when he was seen shooting the scenes for the latest series of Luther, in East London.

The newly engaged star, 45, laughed as he took selfies with his fellow giggling cast member during their break from filming the crime thriller.

Some-ring to show off! Newly engaged Idris Elba took selfies with a cast member during a well-deserved break from filming crime thriller Luther, in east London on Tuesday

Clad in his signature costume, the actor dressed in a mid-length coat worn over a smart suit and red tie on the set of series five.

The leading actor stole a moment aside from the crime fighting action as he stepped out of the spotlight in order to make the phone call.

Idris kept warm between takes by taking a few sips on a hot beverage while waiting in the wings to film in the bitter cold temperatures in the British capital.

The Golden Globe winner was also spotted slumped against a vehicle while he waited for everyone to be ready to pick up their cues.

Look the part: Clad in his signature costume, the actor dressed in a mid-length coat worn over a smart suit and red tie on the set of series five

What a laugh! The newly engaged star, 45, chuckled as he took selfies with his fellow giggling cast member during their break from filming the crime thriller

Tuesday is the second time the actor has been spotted on set since he got engaged in real life to the glamorous Sabrina Dhowre.

It was confirmed last summer that he was to resume the role of DCI John Luther in the much-loved BBC One series Luther.

The envy-inducing role has already secured Idris both a Golden Globe and SAG award for his outstanding performance.

Following his battle with a cannibal serial killer in the last series, Luther was last seen walking through his native London.

Some-ring funny? The pair seemed to be incredibly close as they larked about between the takes for the latest series

The end of the series, which was aired in December 2015, left many questions unanswered including what really happened to sociopath Alice Morgan.

It is unclear what lies ahead for the detective, with John having to deal with the murder of his ex-wife Zoe and partner DS Justin Ripley and seeming loss of Alice.

After series four had aired, Idris spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the show without Alice and claimed it was possible for it to continue.

Quick call to Sabrina? He made a quick phone call on his mobile phone while he waited for the other actors to get ready for filming

Low-key: The leading actor stole a moment aside from the crime fighting action as he stepped out of the spotlight to make the phone call

Spotted: Between takes, the Golden Globe winner slumped against a vehicle while he waited for everyone to be ready to pick up their cues

He said: 'The truth is, the show is called Luther. It's not called Alice, or The Bad Guys.

'It's about Luther and the people he comes across and the people he tries to bring down. I think that world still remains intact, but it takes on a slightly different spin.'

But he was quick to add that it wasn't necessarily the last time we would see her: 'I'm not being deceptive or anything, but the truth is, John Luther isn't quite sure that she's dead!'

Brr-illiant! Idris kept warm between takes by taking a few sips on a hot beverage while waiting in the wings to film in the bitter cold temperatures in the British capital

On the move: Idris was spotted leaving a house in east London as he filmed his titular role part of Luther for the latest series

Initially series show runner Neil Cross and Idris were looking to take the character to the big screen.

But in June last year they revealed that they had decided on making a new series instead because there were so many unanswered questions.

Of the new episodes, Neil said in a statement: 'It's a question Idris and I get asked a lot. What happened to John Luther after we last saw him striding unbowed through the streets of his city, his blood red London?

'It can't be over, can it? There's so much we don't know. So much unfinished business. The thing is, we've been asking ourselves the same question.

Revealed: It is not known what will become of Luther and what challenges he will face in series five, which is currently being filmed (pictured)

'In the end, we picked up the phone to some old friends and asked if they'd like to find out what happens next. It turns out, they would. So that's what we're going to do.'

Idris also seemed keen to return to the character, as he added: 'Neil, the BBC and I have been talking about a further season and I am thrilled that we have been able to bring it all together. I look forward to putting the coat back on.'

He also told Radio Times that the new series is 'classic' before adding that they were 'not reinventing the wheel' when it comes to the story.

Pictured: It was confirmed last summer that he was to resume the role of DCI John Luther in the much-loved BBC One series Luther

Season five of the show will feature a four-episode story, which hasn't happened since series three.

Idris has resumed work since he got down on one knee to propose to Sabrina in front of a packed screening at the Rio cinema, Dalston, east London.

The cinema announced the news on its Twitter page with the post: "Another @riocinema first! Still 5 days to Valentines Day but @idriselba went down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend live on stage this morning before a preview of his film #Yardie ... She said yes and there was much clapping and cheering. (sic)"

What happens next? Following his battle with a cannibal serial killer in the last series, Luther was last seen walking through his native LondonThey are the famous A-list couple who tied the knot just months after meeting each other in 2010.

And on Tuesday, Australian actor Chris Hemsworth gushed over his Spanish actress wife Elsa Pataky, revealing details about their steamy kissing scene in the movie 12 Strong.

The Thor star, 34, joked on Sunrise: 'We'd been working on this relationship and the chemistry for this film for about seven years since we met.'

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'We knew this was coming, this opportunity': Chris Hemsworth speaks about his racy love scene with wife Elsa Pataky in 12 Strong and says their seven years of marriage was prep

Speaking fondly about his Too Fast Too Furious star wife, he added,: 'We knew this was coming, this opportunity, so we said, "Let's build on this and see if we can put it on screen."'

The couple shot the scenes together in early 2016, with Chris adding that it had felt like a vacation for the proud parents of three youngsters.

'My wife was great, we have three little kids so this felt like a holiday,' he exclaimed.

The former Home And Away star also joked alongside co-star Michael Pena: 'Michael helped choreograph some of the kissing scenes.'

'Michael helped choreograph some of the kissing scenes': The former Home And Away star also joked alongside co-star Michael Pena: 'Michael helped choreograph some of the kissing scenes'

'My wife was great, we have three little kids so this felt like a holiday': The couple shot the scenes together in early 2016, with Chris mentioning that it had felt like a vacation to the proud parents of three youngsters

Chris also appeared on the Today show at the same time on Tuesday morning to promote the film.

12 Strong tells the story of the first Special Forces team that's deployed to Afghanistan following the events of 9/11.

He said in the Nine interview: 'It was a true story and until very recently was highly classified.'

'We shot in Albuquerque in New Mexico and trained everyday together. Did military training, horseback and so on and formed such a great chemistry and bond I think, that was essential for us to then put on screen.'

In the film, Chris plays the role of Captain Mitch Nelson, who has the task of leading his team of 12 soldiers to take down the Taliban.

'It was a true story and until very recently was highly classified': 12 Strong tells the story of the first Special Forces team that's deployed to Afghanistan following the events of 9/11

'That was essential for us to then put on screen': Chris told Today that he and his co-stars did military training and horseback riding to bring the characters to life

Elsa plays the part of the captain's dutiful wife, who looks after their daughter while he is at war.

Chris and Elsa married in 2010, later welcoming three children, daughter India Rose, five, and twin sons Tristan and Sasha, three.

The family of five have lived in their Byron Bay retreat-style property since they moved from their Malibu home in 2015.

12 Strong is released in Australian cinemas from March 8, 2018His film The Shape Of Water may have been given Hollywood's top honor.

But instead of the glitz and glamour at the Dolby Theatre, Michael Shannon opted for a much more low-key setting.

The 43-year-old actor watched The Oscars on Sunday night at a Chicago dive bar while the telecast was on mute.

Bruce Ellis owns the famous Old Town Ale House and shared a photo of the talented actor watching the Academy Awards at the bar with beer in hand.

'No sound on the TV, just subtitles': Michael Shannon watched The Oscars on Sunday night at a Chicago dive bar while the telecast was on mute as Old Town Ale House bar owner Bruce Ellis shared this photo of him on Monday

He wrote: 'Michael Shannon watching the film he starred in, "Shape of Water", win best picture while sitting in the Old Town Ale House. No sound on the TV, just sub-titles.

'Of course the juke box was rocking, and the beer flowing. Where else would you want to spend Oscar night?'

Shannon starred as Richard Strickland in the film and is billed second from the top in the critically-acclaimed science drama.

He is currently in the Windy City to direct a production of Brett Neveu's Traitor at A Red Orchid Theatre which happens to be just a short walk from the Chicago bar staple.

Talented: The 43-year-old actor starred as Richard Strickland in the film and is billed second from the top in the critically-acclaimed science drama

Oscar winning movie: Shannon plays a chilling army colonel in the movie who sadistically tortures a mystical creature he captured from the Amazon river

Old Town Ale House is a favorite in both the theater and comedy communities in the city as it is also down the street from the Steppenwolf Theatre and directly across the street for improvisational comedy enterprise The Second City.

At the very end of the nearly four hour telecast The Shape Of Water was given the Best Picture Oscar much to the delight of director and writer Guillermo del Toro.

The 53-year-old Mexican filmmaker had nothing but wonderful things to say about Shannon as he replied to Ellis' now viral tweet: 'Shannon is a blessed singularity. There has never been, nor will there ever be, another one.'

'Shannon is a blessed singularity': The Shape Of Water was given the Best Picture Oscar much to the delight of director and writer Guillermo del Toro who later replied to Ellis' tweet with a nice message about the actor

Shape of Water stars (l-r) Michael Stuhlbarg, Michael Shannon, Guillermo Del Toro and David Hewlett on set

Only one: The film's director tweeted that Shannon 'is a blessed singularity'

Shannon has been recognized individually in previous years as he was nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category in 2017 for Nocturnal Animals and 2009 for his work in Revolutionary Road.

He is married to actress Kate Arrington and they have two daughters together named Sylvie and Marion.

Shannon has three projects in the works including an adaptation of 1953 dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 starring alongside Michael B. Jordan. It is set to be released on HBO sometime in May.South Australian Opposition Leader Steven Marshall has been asked to clarify his links to a Chinese businesswoman Sally Zou, after a possible $1.2 million donation to the SA Liberals.

Ms Zou tweeted a picture of the $1.2 million cheque - made out to the SA division of the Liberal Party - on Friday before Mr Marshall confirmed on Monday he had met with the businesswoman at his house.

"It's time Steven Marshall be up front with the South Australian people and answer all the questions that remain about his relationship with Sally Zou," Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis said on Tuesday.Family members of the elderly victims who died in a deliberately lit fire at a NSW aged care facility have filed a class action against the nursing home for failing to protect residents.

Quakers Hill Nursing Home nurse Roger Dean was jailed for life over the blaze which killed 14 elderly residents in 2011, with a coroner's inquest later finding that his employer, Opal Aged Care, did not conduct reference checks before hiring him.

Shine Lawyers have launched the class action against Opal Aged Care in the NSW Supreme Court.A dual engine failure forced the pilot of a light plane to make an emergency landing on a West Australian highway, air safety authorities have confirmed.

The turboprop Cessna's engines began to surge during descent into Broome Airport on Friday afternoon, prompting the Skippers Aviation pilot to shut one down and make a mayday call.

The other engine failed soon after, so the pilot brought the plane down on Great Northern Highway, leaving the aircraft undamaged, while the passengers were unharmed.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is still investigating the incident and expects to release its final report towards the end of this year.A Greens-led delegation is out to destroy the kangaroo meat industry as it lobbies key European decision-makers, a senior federal government minister says.

Greens senator Lee Rhiannon is in Brussels to discuss with European Parliament members what she terms the "major risk" culling and harvesting poses to the world's largest marsupials.

About five million roos were harvested in the three years to 2015 from a population of about 45 million, according to government data.

But the trip has been slammed by federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud and an Australian National University wildlife researcher.

"It's absolutely disgusting that she would go over there and try and destroy the kangaroo industry that has huge potential for jobs in regional Australia," Mr Littleproud told reporters on Tuesday.

"They are out there propagating false information."

The NSW senator argues kangaroo population and growth rates are inflated and that millions of dependent joeys are killed every decade.

She's joined in Belgium by NSW Animal Justice Party MP Mark Pearson and an ecologist who disputes the grounds supporting culling.

The trip coincides with the European premiere of controversial Australian documentary Kangaroo: A Love-Hate Story hosted by the EU parliament.

"We will use the evidence to show that kangaroos are in trouble," Senator Rhiannon said.

ANU zoologist George Wilson says animal activists' arguments against factory farming can be supported by some evidence.

But he said they resembled the "noisy minority" in the climate change debate when discussing the marsupials.

"In this case, all they have is their ideology running a line that really does not bear any scientific scrutiny," Dr Wilson said.A picky thief has stolen a car containing two pooches from a Bondi car wash, but abandoned both a short time later.

The Audi was taken after its 47-year-old owner left it unattended for a short time at the Crystal Car Wash in Bondi about 4.30pm on Monday.

The car was later found abandoned on a nearby street, but the two dogs were missing.

The pooches were subsequently found by two children, Police said in a statement on Tuesday.

Detectives are now searching for a tall man wearing a light grey hooded-jumper who is believed responsible.Queensland's Labor government has accused the Liberal National Party of dragging its feet to select George Brandis' replacement in the Senate.

The meeting to formally approve the replacement was on Tuesday pushed back a fortnight because the LNP has not yet selected its candidate.

Labor claimed the delay was because of an internal fight within the LNP over whether to choose a woman for the role, but the LNP hit back, claiming it was taking longer than Labor would to make the selection because it didn't rely on unions to tell it what to do.Fortunes went the way of three-time defending champions Victoria on the final morning of a tense penultimate-round Sheffield Shield match against NSW at Junction Oval in Melbourne.

With both sides desperate to keep their final hopes alive, momentum swung back marginally towards Victoria with NSW heading into lunch at 5-217, chasing 309 for victory.

NSW's final two recognised batsmen Moises Henriques (33 not out) and Peter Nevill (10 not out) remain at the crease, but with a long tail and challenging batting conditions, the match is in the balance.

NSW opened day four well set at 2-150, but Victoria quickly made a breakthrough with top-scorer Daniel Hughes out hit-wicket off the bowling of Peter Siddle for 59.

The other overnight batsman, Kurtis Patterson, was next to go, run-out for 53 thanks to brilliant work in the covers by Glenn Maxwell.

A congested Shield ladder means defeat will likely end that team's hopes of reaching the final.Trichter connected with Wilson in 2010 because of frustration with DiNapoli's job as comptroller. Wilson, a Republican, challenged DiNapoli in the election that year. Despite a significant Democratic enrollment advantage in New York, Wilson lost by only four points.

After the election, Trichter continued to work with Wilson. Wilson founded the MAEVA Group, a corporate restructuring firm. Trichter was tasked with running the firm's municipal restructuring line.

Trichter believes DiNapoli is "uniquely vulnerable" in this year's election.

"The more I thought about the kind of candidate who could beat him and do good for the people of New York, the more I realized I was the best candidate to prosecute that case," he said.

He had conversations with Republican and Conservative party leaders about a potential statewide campaign. He also discussed it with his wife, who was supportive.

"I am uniquely familiar and inspired by the potential for the office of the state comptroller to do so much good for New Yorkers," Trichter said.Tasmania have gained the upper hand against South Australia in their Sheffield Shield match, reaching 8-380 at lunch on day two at Bellerive Oval.

Wicketkeeper Matthew Wade continued his good form with the bat before being dismissed for 68, in a knock which included 11 fours.

The former Test 'keeper was dismissed by medium-pacer Kane Richardson (4-99), who has been the best of the SA attack.

Tom Rogers proved a valuable ally to Wade with the allrounder contributing 41 against the bottom-placed Redbacks.

This was after Jake Doran (74) and Tigers' captain George Bailey (55) built a strong platform on day one for the third-placed hosts.Female federal Liberal MPs are putting together a fighting fund to boost their ranks within parliament.

Minister for Women Kelly O'Dwyer says she will personally cross the country raising money to promote female conservative candidates at the next federal election.

She has acknowledged there is clearly much more work for the Liberal Party to do in encouraging women to put their hand up to run for parliament.

Ms O'Dwyer has regular meetings with female colleagues - "some of our male colleagues refer to it as secret women's business" - to examine the barriers, including a discussion over the past fortnight about putting their money where their mouths are.

"When women put their hand up, they need to be able to know that they have got the financial firepower behind them to run effective campaigns," she told the National Press Club in Canberra on Tuesday.

"And so we are talking about putting together a federal fighting fund for women and I have committed to them that I'm happy to go around the country fundraising for my colleagues for that purpose."

But she also says the party has to back women in order to lift their representation from its current dismal 21 per cent.

"We need to be pretty frank with the party organisation when we say, you know, the buck stops with you," she said.

"You need to highlight the fact that we need to get more women into parliament and we need to look at what barriers that are there and how we can eliminate them."

The Liberal Party recently adopted a non-binding target to increase its female representation to half of its seats in both houses of parliament by 2025.

Labor has had a quota for female representation since 1994 and increased this in 2015 to aiming for half of all MPs to be women by 2025.

It also ensures women are chosen to run for winnable seats and has had the financial backing of Emily's List for more than two decades.

At the moment, women make up 44 per cent of Labor's federal ranks.The world's oldest known message in a bottle has been found half-buried at a West Australian beach nearly 132 years after it was tossed overboard into the Indian Ocean.

The previous world record for the oldest message in a bottle was 108 years, four months and 18 days between jettison and discovery.

The bottle was found near Wedge Island, 180km north of Perth, and had been flung from the German sailing barque "Paula" in 1886 as part of a 69-year official experiment to better understand global ocean currents and find faster, more efficient shipping routes.

From 1864 until 1933, thousands of bottles were thrown into the sea from German ships, each containing a form on which the captain wrote the date it was jettisoned, the co-ordinates, the name of the ship, its home port and travel route.

On the back, the finder was asked to write when and where the bottle had been found and return it, either to the German Naval Observatory in Hamburg or the nearest German consulate.

Only 662 message slips were returned and none of the bottles.

The Wedge Island find takes that total to 663 and is the only known example of the type of bottle used.

The last bottle and note to be found was in 1934 in Denmark.

The latest find has been determined to be authentic by offshoots of the German Naval Observatory and the Western Australian Museum.

Perth woman Tonya Illman found the bottle and has loaned it to the museum to display for the next two years.Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has thrown his weight behind the South Australian government's healthcare policy during a visit ahead of the state election.

Mr Shorten on Tuesday joined South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill for a tour of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, before Mr Weatherill announced a $30 billion investment in the facility.

"Jay's got the vision for healthcare and I can work with Jay Weatherill to make sure that we properly provide the healthcare that South Australians deserve," Mr Shorten told reporters.Social media and tech giants will be hauled in for regular meetings as the Turnbull government's new minister for women seeks to crack down on online bullying and internet trolls.

Marking International Women's Day, Kelly O'Dwyer used her first major speech in the portfolio to announce she would hold quarterly meetings with Facebook, Google, Twitter, Microsoft and Instagram.

Also present at the meetings will be Communications Minister Mitch Fifield, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins and eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant.

"I think it's very important that they get a perspective from women and the impact that these online tools can have on women," Ms O'Dwyer told the National Press Club on Tuesday.

"Those regular meetings will mean that we hold their feet to the fire, we make sure that where they have policies (on bullying and abuse) that those policies don't sit on a shelf, that they are properly instituted and they're properly enforced."

The government was also not afraid of further strengthening laws if needed to protect vulnerable people online, as it is with revenge porn legislation now before parliament.

Ms O'Dwyer also announced a massive expansion of the sex discrimination commission's five-yearly survey on workplace sexual harassment to this year cover 10,000 participants, up from 2000 previously.

The survey results will be released in April and the minister said the government would examine in particular how workplaces are taking account of sexual harassment in the social media age.

"As the 'me too' movement continues to sweep the world, we need to think about the implications, both good and bad, that come with airing allegations in a public forum," she said.

"Social media is not a courtroom and complainants - and those who are the subject of complaints - can be subject to trial by keyboard warriors.

"We need to be careful that this public push doesn't silence the very women it wants to help."

Ms O'Dwyer also hinted the government may use the May budget to match Labor's pledge to re-fund the Australian Bureau of Statistics to conduct regular "time use" surveys, which allow for the economic benefit of unpaid caring and work in the home to be calculated.Canberra have thrown up a round-one NRL selection shock, benching former Dally M five-eighth of the year Blake Austin.

Returning Raider Sam Williams has won the battle for the No.6 spot, relegating Austin, who is out of contract at the end of this season, to the sidelines for Sunday's clash on the Gold Coast with the Titans.

Williams started in the Raiders' only trial game against Canterbury, but it was expected the 27-year-old Austin would get first crack at continuing his partnership in the halves with Aidan Sezer.The "mind boggling" sexual abuse John suffered as a child drove him to a life of crime.

How then, John asks, can Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and the federal government judge him as unworthy of its redress scheme for child abuse victims.

"I would have been alright in life if it hadn't been for the sexual abuse committed against me, and rejections by the system," the former ward of the state told a Senate inquiry on Tuesday.

"So how can you, Mr Turnbull, judge me as not being eligible for compensation on the grounds of criminality?

"I was a system-made problem."

The last time John (not his real name) committed a crime was 1986.

But his serious criminal history rules him out of receiving redress under the federal government's scheme.

After being made a ward of the state at 13, John was sent to the Victorian government-run Turana Boys' Home where he was molested by a staff member.

"After this happened my life spiralled out of control completely," John wrote in a letter to Mr Turnbull he read to the inquiry.

He learned how to survive from older boys at Turana, which led to a life of crime that, from age 16, included armed robbery and assaults.

John ended up in a Salvation Army institution at Bayswater.

"It seemed I was a magnet for pedophiles," he told Tuesday's public hearing.

"The abuse I suffered at Bayswater was mind boggling and sent me right over the top.

"...I was raped, bashed, tortured and traumatised so much that I wanted to die.

"I was ruined."

Lawyer Penny Savidis said John could not pursue civil action now because he signed away his common law rights when he settled a claim years ago, leaving the redress scheme as his only option.

Now close to retirement, John said the national redress scheme was the only way left to compensate him for the trauma.

"I just want you, Mr Turnbull, to judge those many victims of institutional abuse who ended up in prison as equals to all other victims, and in some cases more tragic."Melbourne's dumped East West Link needs to be revived by whoever wins government in November, the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry says.

In launching its 2018 election campaign on Wednesday the chamber has made the major road project one of its top election priorities.

It also wants to see progress on an airport rail line, a site selected for a third Melbourne airport, an increase to the payroll tax threshold from $650,000 to $850,000 and lifting of the moratorium on onshore conventional gas exploration.

"By adopting these policies the next state government can play a crucial role in keeping Victoria strong and growing," chamber chief executive Mark Stone said in a statement.

The Victorian Chamber launches its campaign eight months before the election so all political parties can consider and commit to its recommendations, he added.

The East West Link was controversially scrapped by the incumbent Labor government in 2015 at a cost of $1.5 billion because it said it was a dud deal and has even rejected advice from Infrastructure Victoria to reconsider the project.Australian farmers are facing more frosts for longer in a "climate surprise" which has been likened to the increase in cyclones and rainfall bombs.

Australian National University climate change scientist Steven Crimp said the increase in frosts would be most apparent in August when an average of up to five events could be expected.

The frost window is now up to four weeks longer in some parts of the country, with the extension driven more strongly by the period of the last frost, according to Dr Crimp's research.

"This change in frost characteristics represents a climate surprise," he told the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics Outlook conference in Canberra on Tuesday.

Other recent climate surprises include one in 1000-year rainfall rates of 96mm an hour seen in Hurricane Harvey which struck the United States and the simultaneous presence of three category four tropical cyclones in the Pacific Ocean last year.

Dr Crimp said the frequency of frosts and the window in which they occur are currently at levels which are predicted to continue until about 2030.

"After 2030 there tends to be a significant change in frost frequency as the warming signal overtakes the frost behaviour," he said.

Peter Holding, who crops and runs sheep on his family property at Harden on the NSW southwest slopes, is a long-time advocate for action on climate change.

He said if stagnating yields due to lower rainfall continued, cropping would become "extremely difficult".

"There's going to be large areas of the wheat belt which I predict will become unproductive," Mr Holding said.

"We need to act decisively and we need to stop emissions before it's too bad."Doughnut Time's jettisoned Sydney workers, who say they're owed thousands of dollars in unpaid wages, have vowed to disrupt the company's one remaining store in the city.

The trendy confectionary shop began life as a hole-in-the-wall in Brisbane under businessman Damian Griffiths in 2015.

Its quirky style endeared the chain to a generation of social media users and it quickly expanded to 30 stores and hundreds of employees at its peak.

But dozens of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne workers in February announced they were taking the chain to the Fair Work Ombudsman over $70,000 in unpaid wages.

Facing mounting lawsuits and business woes, Mr Griffiths has now sold the Doughnut Time empire to former chief executive Dan Strachotta.

Many of the outlets, including all the Sydney stores except one in Newtown, have closed prompting more NSW workers to join the Fair Work fight.

Former worker Laleh Bagheri told AAP Doughnut Time management began delaying paydays months ago and, recently, stopped paying some workers altogether.

After threatening to strike, Ms Bagheri said workers received a single week's pay from one of Mr Griffiths other businesses and reassurance from managers that back-pay was coming.

But former Manly store manager Chris Boucher said workers were told in a message on Sunday that many stores would close.

"There were tears," he said.

"One of the girls had to take out a personal loan to pay her rent."

Employees put a poster on the closed Queen Victoria Building outlet on Tuesday that read "Doughnut Time hasn't paid us in weeks!!! And now we all got fired".

Workers are urging Newtown store customers to take their business elsewhere.

"We've got a lot of free time without work so we'll keep disrupting the business as much as possible because the CEO promised we'd receive pay and we think he knew they were outright lies," Mr Boucher said.

Doughnut Time confirmed it had changed hands for an "undisclosed sum" in a statement that described Mr Strachotta as a "turnaround specialist" who "loves the brand".

The company blamed its troubles on rapid expansion, high rent, high labour costs and financial challenges.

It will now try to grow online without "crazy rents" and will attempt to keep on as many employees as possible.

Mr Griffiths has apologised to staff "for not being able to pay them in full" acknowledging it's a "terrible position for them".

"I expanded too quickly. I guess I had too many big ideas and dreams when I started," he said.

The Fair Work Ombudsman on Tuesday confirmed it was conducting inquiries into Doughnut Time.This simulation was ultimately an immersion experience where staff members realized that maybe some assumptions theyve had are not reality at all, and that poverty can be a vicious cycle. You try to get out, but sometimes you just cant. It allowed participants to reflect on the social and systemic aspects of health care  the things that are beyond ones control but might impede good nutrition, regular health exams or the ability to carry out the doctors recommendations.

East Hill President and CEO Keith Cuttler was very pleased to be able to provide this opportunity to his staff: While staff are certainly empathetic and understand that some of our patients live in poverty, in the day-to-day hustle it can be easy to lose sight of barriers poverty presents. Its very important that we all have a deeper appreciation of the challenges that people living in poverty face outside of the medical setting, and recognize how these challenges might affect their health and decision-making."Anti-bikie cops have targeted 150 riders on a Hells Angels run in NSW's north but members say their bikes were defected over a "harmless charity ride".

Multiple police strike forces conducted a mass vehicle stop in the rural village of Woodenbong on the NSW, Qld border, conducting 70 breath tests, 30 drug tests and 69 vehicle and person searches.

A prohibited weapon was seized while 21 defect notices and 50 traffic infringements were issued.

A 40-year-old man was given a court notice for offensive language.

One member of the ride, in a post on Facebook, said police "gave the Hells Angels fellas heaps" and over 20 bikes were headed back on tow trucks.

"Massive resources wasted on a charity ride," he said.

"Awesome ride yesterday boys," another said.

"Unfortunately got stuck in Woodenbong because my factory Harley handlebars are illegal good run nevertheless see yous (sic) next year."

But police say the move was designed to disrupt serious criminal activity.

"These guys aren't just misunderstood blokes who like to ride bikes together and raise money for charity," Tweed/Byron crime manager Detective Chief Inspector Brendon Cullen said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Any time outlaw motorcycle gangs conduct these runs across the border they can expect this sort of reception."

He thanked all the agencies who helped them conduct the operation.Restrictions on the sale of alcohol in Tennant Creek in response to an increase in alcohol-related offences, particularly domestic violence, have been extended for another week.

Licensing director-general Cindy Bravos says early indications suggest the restrictions, put in place last week, have alleviated conditions in the Northern Territory town.

"But the sale, provision and consumption of takeaway alcohol and its subsequent harm to the community is still of significant concern," Ms Bravos said in a statement on Tuesday.

"As a consequence, I have today determined to impose the same restrictions on the sale of takeaway alcohol for another seven days."

The restrictions apply to six venues in the town including the Tennant Creek and Goldfields hotels and will limit the amount of takeaway alcohol that can be bought and when it can be purchased.

Takeaway alcohol will only be sold from 3pm to 6pm, Monday to Saturday, with limits on the amount of beer, wine, fortified wine or mixed drinks that can be purchased in a single transaction.

The restrictions follow the recent sexual assault of a two-year-old girl at a home in Tennant Creek, with charges brought against a 24-year-old man, which prompted the Northern Territory government to launch an immediate investigation and send more police to the town.

National domestic violence helpline: 1800 737 732 or 1800RESPECT. In an emergency call triple-zero.Cardinal George Pell has spent a second day listening to evidence from people who accuse him of multiple historical sex offences.

The highest-ranking Catholic official to be charged with sex offences returned to Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday to continue a month-long committal hearing that will determine if he stands trial.

His pre-trial hearing is closed to the public and the media while the complainants give evidence, as required by law in sexual offence cases.

The complainants are giving evidence from a remote witness facility, and it's expected the hearing will remain closed to the public for two weeks.

As many as 50 people will be called as witnesses during the committal stage.

Pell was charged on summons in June 2017 while he was in Rome, and returned to Australia to face court.

The 76-year-old has taken leave from his position as Vatican treasurer to fight the charges.

Prosecutors on Friday withdrew one of the charges, relating to a complainant who died after the criminal proceedings began in 2017.

On Monday, Pell's barrister Robert Richter QC accused Victorian police of failing to follow guidelines for investigating prominent people because of a "presumption of guilt" against the cardinal.

Pell and his legal team will return to court on Wednesday.Today's birthday, March 7: American actor John Heard (1946 - 2017).

Actor John Heard, famous for playing the father in the Home Alone movies, died last year aged 71.

Heard was born in Washington DC in 1946 and was educated at Clark University in Massachusetts, and at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. He left the latter before graduating in order to take up work in regional theatre.

Heard's first on-stage appearance was in the play The Wager in 1974. He followed this up with the role of Guildenstern in Hamlet, where he was an understudy to actor Sam Waterston.

He won two off-Broadway theatre awards (Obies) for his performances in GR Point in 1977 and for his combined work in Othello and Split in 1980.

In 1977, Heard made the shift to film, taking the role of a disillusioned journalist in Between the Lines.

His other notable early film roles include playing Vietnam veteran Alex Cutter in 1981's Cutter's Way, Geraldine Page's son in 1985's The Trip to Bountiful, and Tom Hanks' rival in 1988's Big.

By the 90s Heard had become a regular supporting actor and appeared in an array of films, including Awakenings in 1990 and The Pelican Brief in 1993.

He took on his most well-known film role in 1991, playing Peter McCallister, the father of Macaulay Culkin's character, in the hit family film Home Alone. He reprised the role in 1994's Home Alone 2.

Over the next two decades, Heard continued to work steadily, although in later years moved increasingly into television including series such as CSI: Miami, Prison Break and Entourage, and starred in the trashy made-for-television film Sharknado.

In 1999 he earned an Emmy nomination for a guest role as a corrupt police detective in The Sopranos.

Heard was married and divorced three times, including briefly to actress Margot Kidder.

He died in July last year from a heart attack in a hotel room in Palo Alto, California.

Heard is survived by his daughter Annika from his second wife Sharon, and his son Jack from his relationship with actress Melissa Leo. His other son Max died in 2016.New research shows one in three Australian children do not brush their teeth twice a day and one in ten have had at least one decayed tooth pulled out before they turn nine years old.

One in three preschoolers have never seen a dentist, according to Royal Children's Hospital National Child Health Poll, released on Wednesday.

Paediatrician Dr Anthea Rhodes at RCH says the results show poor oral hygiene habits are being learnt from an early age and this is setting kids up for a lifetime of painful tooth decay.

"We know that in Australia that tooth decay in children is on the rise and it's in fact the most common cause of preventable hospital stay in children under 15, so we did expect that there might be some worrying findings but what we didn't anticipate was just how poor the habits are in many homes across Australia when it comes to looking after kids' teeth," said Dr Rhodes.

The poll of 2,000 parents, representing 4,000 children, was conducted in January to provide information on what parents understand about oral health.

Dr Rhodes says what they'e uncovered is widespread confusion and a need for better education.

The majority of parents were not aware that a child's first dental check-up should occur at around 12 months of age, while almost half (48 per cent) of parents did not know that tap water, which contains fluoride, is better than bottle water when it comes to protecting teeth.

Most of the confusion among parents was in regard to caring for the teeth of infants, said Dr Rhodes.

"Lots of parents didn't think that baby teeth needed to be brushed in the same way that older kids need their teeth brushed and weren't aware that things like putting a baby to bed with a bottle at night is strongly linked to tooth decay," she said.

The poll also showed that despite 85 per cent of parents knowing fruit juice is a sugary drink that can cause tooth decay, one in four children drank sugary drinks most days a week.Adani has taken Bill Shorten's latest stance on its Queensland coal mine as good news and says it remains optimistic it can find the money needed to get the $16.5 billion project underway.

The federal opposition leader gave an assurance on Tuesday that Labor would not reverse approvals if it wins the next election, despite Mr Shorten's personal scepticism.

His remarks came after months of flip-flopping on the project, leading to accusations he is simultaneously wooing coal miners and environmentalists.

The Indian mining giant has taken Mr Shorten's most recent position as good news, and says it is forging ahead in its attempt to find financial backers.

"We welcome the comments from federal Labor that it will not seek to overturn the project's 112 existing approvals," Adani said in a statement on Tuesday.

It also pointed to the 12 legal challenges that had so far been used to test those approvals, and insisted its confidence of financing the project.

The company also railed against the notion of phantom jobs, a theory previously raised by Mr Shorten.

"There are 800 people working with us now across our operations and projects in Bowen, Townsville, Brisbane and at our sites," the statement said.Katter's Australian Party is calling on politicians from all levels of government in north Queensland to respond to its call to split the state in half.

The minor party is writing to the MPs to sign its North Queensland Agreement, which calls for a feasibility study to be carried out into whether splitting the state would be economically possible.

The letters will be sent to all elected representatives in north Queensland at local, state and federal levels.

It is also asking for $250,000 to fund the study.

KAP Queensland leader Robbie Katter said this would allow the debate to be based on facts, not emotions.

Mr Katter and the KAP have been calling for a split for several years, because they believe the interests of north Queensland haven't been well-served by a parliament based in the southeast of the state.A man accused of flashing women jogging on Sydney's Bay Run is expected to appear in court.

The 29-year-old was arrested at Freshwater in the city's north on Tuesday afternoon, a week after police circulated images of a suspect with "very prominent teeth".

Three women reported being approached by a man who asked for sex before flashing them on the popular path in January and February.

The man was charged with a string of offences including five counts of stalking and is due to appear in Hornsby Local Court on Wednesday morning.Child sex abuse survivors will likely be given more time to consider redress offers under the federal government's scheme.

The redress scheme will begin on July 1, but it will be limited to Commonwealth institutions unless all states sign on "soon".

The government has taken on board criticism that giving a survivor of institutional child sexual abuse only three months to consider a redress offer is not enough time, after a royal commission recommended a year.

Senior Department of Social Services official Dr Roslyn Baxter said there was movement on that issue, although no final decision yet.

"We are certainly looking at lengthening that time period," Dr Baxter told a Senate inquiry.

But there was no movement on the maximum monetary payment of $150,000, amid criticism that it should reflect the child abuse royal commission's recommended $200,000 cap.

The redress scheme that begins in July will only cover about 1000 people abused in Commonwealth institutions, out of a potential 60,000 applicants, unless all states sign on.

No state, territory or institution has formally opted into the scheme, although the territories will be compelled by the Commonwealth anyway.

"We are very hopeful that we may get one soon," Dr Baxter said.

"To have a national scheme up by the first of July 2018 we would need to have a public announcement from a state very very soon."

South Australia was a strong opponent but during its election campaign Premier Jay Weatherill said the state had made an in-principle decision to opt in.

Social Services Minister Dan Tehan on Friday said the federal government hoped to finalise negotiations with NSW and Victoria in coming weeks.

The Catholic Church's Truth Justice and Healing Council CEO Francis Sullivan said there must be a direct opt-in by the states, not simply facilitating the non-government sector's participation.Businesses warn a new mega-union combining the CFMEU, dock workers and textile workers will leave Australia's supply chains at their mercy.

But the newly-christened CFMMEU - with the extra 'M' - says it will fight for workers to get pay rises and corporations to pay tax.

The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia, and the Maritime Union of Australia will become one union from March 27.

The Fair Work Commission on Tuesday approved the creation of the CFMMEU, which has added "Maritime" to the name and will have around 144,000 members.

"Big business has too much power, we have record levels of inequality in our community, and working families are finding it hard to make ends meet," secretary of the new union Michael O'Connor said on Tuesday.

But the Australian Logistics Council's managing director Michael Kilgariff says the unions making up the "mega-union" have shown blatant disregard for the law.

"Allowing these two unions to combine their resources and their appetites for militancy is not in the interests of freight logistics operators, consumers or the wider community," he said.

The Australian Mines and Metals Association told the Fair Work Commission in January the new union would have revenues of almost $150 million a year, and more than $300 million in assets.

"It beggars belief that the intention of our workplace laws is to allow two unions with a history of law-breaking and many outstanding (legal) proceedings to merge," the association's Amanda Mansini said.

Workplace Minister Craig Laundy said it was not unreasonable to ask if unions who regularly break the law and aren't deterred by fines should come together.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said if the government was so worried about unions it should look after workers better.Every year at Peachtown, we devote time during our all-school morning meetings to Black and Womens history months. This year, however, we were also beginning a unit of study on indigenous peoples, so we decided to expand our discussions to take a broader historical look at racial, ethnic, religious and gender bias in America. The underlying theme of our discussions is the importance of revisiting our history not just to fill in the blanks, but to own and understand the path our country has taken, our accomplishments and failures, and how to interpret contemporary issues in an informed way.

First and foremost, students need to understand that our American history was written by white Protestant men of European descent and subject to the bias and subjective interpretations of the individual authors. Generations of children have learned from texts that did not tell the whole story and new textbooks are still being published with factual inaccuracies and blatant biases. Incidentally, a study by Slate found that in 2015, of the 614 most popular history titles from 80 different publishing houses, nearly 76 percent were written by men.Jeff Horn's trainer Glenn Rushton doubts a rematch with Manny Pacquiao will eventuate.

Horn won his WBO welterweight title with a controversial unanimous decision victory over Pacquiao last July at Suncorp Stadium.

The Filipino great had indicated his willingness to fight Horn again almost immediately afterwards but, eight months later, it looks less likely than ever.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum had planned for the winner of Horn's mandatory title defence against Terence Crawford on April 14 in Las Vegas to square off against Pacquiao, who was slated to fight Mike Alvarado on the same card.

Arum's hope was that Crawford would win and then face Pacquiao in a marquee fight designed to 'pass the torch' to the unbeaten American.

But Pacquiao, 39, rejected the offer, which his media relations officer called an "insult" to the former eight-division world champion.

It's unclear what his next move will be - but Rushton anticipates it will have nothing to do with Horn.

"We're up for it but, honestly, we don't think Manny Pacquiao's up for it," he told AAP.

"They had their opportunity; they could have come straight back and done the rematch.

"If you really thought you could do it, you would have done it then.

"Realistically, as much as we'd welcome the fight, the chances of Manny Pacquiao fighting Jeff Horn again I think are slim to none."

Pacquiao cited a schedule clash with his political duties as the reason why he couldn't take up the Horn rematch.

Horn has moved on, Rushton says, and is deep in preparations for the Crawford bout - his first outside Australia and New Zealand.

Rushton called it the "biggest fight of the year", even though it was struggling to gain traction in the US because of Crawford's modest fanbase and relatively low profile.

"People think he's a certain winner. We're saying, 'no, you don't get this'," he said.

"People just haven't really acknowledged Jeff. I know it eats a little bit at him.

"This is going to be another huge war - a really, really tough, hard, close fight.

"We've got the best pound-for-pound in the world against a guy who's done just incredible things.

"How many guys have fought as many world-ranked fighters as Jeff in their first 19 fights? You'll be struggling to find one."Treasurer Scott Morrison will need to quickly dissect the latest economic growth results to find the good news, with economists predicting an overall sluggish outcome.

Wednesday's national accounts - a comprehensive guide to the wellbeing of the economy - are expected to show the economy grew by just 0.4 per cent in the final three months of 2017.

This would drag the annual growth rate down to 2.4 per cent from 2.8 per cent as of the September quarter.

It would be just below the Reserve Bank's own 2.5 per cent annual forecast for 2017.

Central Bank Governor Philip Lowe is sticking to his expectation that the economy will grow faster this year than it did in 2017.

The Reserve Bank left the cash rate at 1.5 per cent at its monthly board meeting on Tuesday, a record low rate which has been in place since August 2016.

Temporary disruptions to coal exports during the December quarter are partly blamed for the disappointing overall growth result.

Retail spending did pick up in the quarter, but construction work dropped sharply and business investment proved subdued, although spending by non-mining companies looks set to accelerate from here.Matt Lodge says tests after his arrest in New York showed he had mixed a "lethal dose" of sleeping pills with alcohol.

But Lodge, 22, said he could not remember the attack after waking up handcuffed to a bed.

Lodge revealed his battle with prescription drugs while giving his first insight into the 2015 controversy after Brisbane copped criticism for throwing the prop an NRL lifeline this year.

The backlash over his return threatens to overshadow the Broncos' NRL season opener against St George Illawarra on Thursday night after CCTV footage of his infamous attack was released last week.

Lodge avoided a 12-month jail term in the US with a plea deal but was hit with a $1.5 million damages bill.

The victims say they have not received any payment and claim he is trying to avoid justice by returning to the NRL.

Lodge said he no longer had "addiction issues" but revealed he had become reckless with sleeping pills at the time of the attack.

"When I went on that holiday (I was) probably ... trying to get away from everything that was happening badly here," Lodge told League Life on Fox League.

"I never got the help I needed and I was reckless with those substances and sleeping pills.

"I think the findings of my toxicology report after ... it was like a lethal dose of it so I would have had no idea what was going on that night.

"I don't remember that whole period, which is a scary thing.

"I woke up the next morning handcuffed to a bed pretty much crying because I didn't know what had happened."

Lodge agreed with the victims' claim he was "terrifying, aggressive, violent and erratic" after watching the CCTV attack footage.

"It is not the person I think I am but looking at that clearly I am off my head in that video and it is pretty embarrassing and upsetting watching it," he said.

"So I would have to agree with them and I am sorry for it.

"It was a pretty brutal night. Some of those facts I wouldn't agree with and didn't happen but it's still completely the wrong thing and it was pretty disgusting behaviour.

"You know the question gets asked 'what if that happened to my family?' - I'd be filthy, of course I would be.

"If I could take it back, I definitely would.

"It's not only affected their family but it's affected everyone around me as well - it's just embarrassing."

Lodge also detailed for the first time the steps he had taken to earn another NRL shot, saying he had undergone 18 months of counselling, spent six weeks in rehab and completed outpatient programs.

"I guess I understand that people aren't going to support me ... especially at the moment," he said.

"But I've got a goal to do more right things than I have done wrong.

"Hopefully later down the track in my career people can maybe support me or see that I have done something positive."A man, believed to be an unlicensed driver, has been charged after he allegedly crashed into two cars on the street before hitting three police cars during a pursuit.

The 30-year-old first crashed into a woman's car in Lismore on Monday at 10.50am. He didn't stop and was seen driving erratically.

Police were told he then crashed into a wall before evading police and crashing into a parked car. He then allegedly drove through a chain link fence and on to a sportsground.

When the police spotted the car a short time later, a pursuit began during which the driver allegedly drove through fences and across sportsgrounds, in the process hitting three police vehicles, one of which was stationary.

He was finally blocked in by two patrol cars and arrested. He was refused bail and will appear at Lismore Local Court on Wednesday.Travel cards issued to seniors, pensioners and war widows in NSW are breaching privacy laws by allowing travellers' movements to be tracked, a tribunal has ruled.

But Transport for NSW has not changed how it signs up seniors, arguing personal details are needed "to ensure only those entitled to the substantial benefits of concession fares can access the heavily reduced rate".

The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled Gold Opal cards breached privacy laws after an unidentified senior argued the system could be used to link his identity to his travel on trains, light rail, buses and ferries.

Seniors, pensioners and war widows must submit a valid entitlement card in order to be registered for a Gold Opal which caps travel costs at $2.50 a day.

The senior user, identified only as CNS, told the tribunal that being required to submit identification during the registration of his Gold Opal card, when paired with the card's travel history data, led to a form of "surveillance" which stripped him of the ability to travel anonymously.

The man said he had no problem showing his seniors card to purchase a ticket or to prove his identity while using public transport, but he objected to the data being collected and potentially linked to his travel across NSW.

TfNSW argued the identity data was stored in a secure database separate from travel data.

It said live tracking couldn't be performed and the two data sets were only linked when the customer or authorities made specific requests.

Transport for NSW also argued the data was needed to manage "fraud and loss" in a way the 300 ticket officers who travel the state's network could not achieve.

But senior tribunal member John McAteer, in a judgement handed down in mid-February, agreed the Gold Opal breached the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act and changes were needed.

He said details would be a matter for TfNSW to manage given their budget and technical limitations but suggested the Queensland, Victorian and Hong Kong models offered potential solutions.

He ordered TfNSW to refrain from breaching the privacy of CNS.

But a spokeswoman confirmed the application for Gold Opal cards will remain unchanged while the transport authority reviews the decision.

The spokeswoman said personal details were necessary to safeguard the "significant financial benefit" the seniors card provides.

"Transport for NSW aims to ensure only those entitled to the substantial benefits of concession fares can access the heavily reduced rate," the spokeswoman told AAP in a statement.

"The mandatory registration of concession Opal cards, including the Gold Opal card, has assisted in the reduction of concession misuse from $41 million in 2012 to $20 million in 2017."

TfNSW is yet to determine what action it will take next, the spokeswoman added.A fifth person has been charged over two suspicious fires at a Sydney reception centre linked to the Obeid family.

A 35-year-old man handed himself into police on Tuesday morning.

Police say he withheld information relevant into the investigation into the blazes at the Bellevue Reception Centre in Bankstown at the end of December 2016, and again eight days later in January 2017.

He has been charged with hindering an investigation of a serious indictable offence.

He was granted strict conditional bail to appear at Bankstown Local Court on May 2.

Three other men and a woman have previously been charged over the blaze and are before the courts.The deluge that has flooded some drought-stricken communities in Queensland's interior has missed others altogether.

Winton, in Queensland's central west, is surrounded by floodwaters with all but one access road cut after days of heavy rain.

No-one is complaining about the ocean of brown water that has the community hemmed in after years of severe drought.

But others haven't been so lucky, missing out on the big wet that's swept across much of Queensland over the past week or so.

Lachlan Millar is the MP for Gregory which takes in flood-bound Winton and other parched towns that are celebrating more than 400mm of rain in recent days.

"The Ilfracombe Dam had been bone dry since January. The town was staring down the barrel of having no water. A downpour over the weekend brought the first inflow into the dam since 2016," he told parliament.

But other communities are still waiting.

"Some people have seen 200-plus millimetres while their neighbours have had nothing. That is nature's cruel reality in drought-stricken Western Queensland."

He said drought-affected farmers in the interior would need support for some time and the drought was not over.

"Four days of rain does not undo seven years of relentless drought conditions. Now more than ever we need to support our farmers, graziers and our rural communities," Mr Millar said.

"The majority of graziers in Western Queensland are destocked. Many have not had an income for five-to-seven years and are struggling to put food on the table.

"Those lucky enough to receive rainfall are too scared to restock without the promise of more rain to come ... small businesses are struggling and families have left in droves chasing work and a reprieve from unrelenting drought conditions."

In Winton, where flood waters peaked at 3.7 metres on Tuesday night, locals are forgiving of inconvenience the floodwaters have brought.

The council will fly in supplies if the waters don't recede within a few days.

Winton Hotel owner Kevin Fawcett says locals are OK with the temporary disruption.

"We've been in drought out here for so long, so it's a bit of a novelty everyone's saying how great it is," he told the ABC.Two women have been injured after confronting three men who broke into their house in Sydney's inner west before stealing an Audi car.

The pair and another woman, aged between 35 and 60, were sleeping in the Rodd Point home when the robbers arrived early on Wednesday morning.

They were assaulted when they challenged the men, who then snatched keys to an Audi A1 and drove off, police say.

They were later treated at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for non life-threatening injuries.Malcolm Turnbull will use a major economic speech to warn the US any trade war is inevitably "a race to the bottom" that leaves everyone worse off.

The prime minister will also point to Thursday's signing of the 11-country Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal as an indicator the world recognises the importance of open trade, the Australian Financial Review reports.

"History teaches us that there are no winners in a trade war. A trade war is a race to the bottom that makes us all poorer, leaves our citizens with less choice and fewer opportunities," he will say in the speech in Sydney on Wednesday.Australia and East Timor have signed a treaty at the United Nations aimed at ending the long-running Greater Sunrise oil and gas reserve maritime boundary dispute.

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop and East Timor deputy minister for the Delimitation of Borders Agio Pereira signed the treaty in New York on Tuesday, despite tensions about where the gas will be processed.

East Timor succeeded in its bid to push the border out halfway between the two countries, placing much of the oil and gas fields, worth as much as $A56 billion, in its territory.Owasco is also challenging, DEC officials said, because it has the largest watershed to lake area of all the Finger Lakes at 17:1. Owasco has seen some of the most toxic blooms, too.

Scientists at the table speculated what makes blooms toxic. Microcystin is the most common toxin in Cayuga County lakes' blooms, and it can cause nausea, skin irritation, respiratory problems and even liver failure if consumed at high levels. The research about what causes toxicity is preliminary and divisive. Some feel that nitrogen plays a role. Others said lower temperatures may make the cells more toxic. It's a mystery researchers from the Finger Lakes to Germany to China are working to uncover.

The panel and audience also discussed the impacts of climate change. With an increasing number of 100-year and 500-year flood events across the country, lakes are getting inundated with heavy shots of nutrients coming from runoff and erosion. Several local farmers talked about cover crops, buffer strips and other best management practices they implement on their lands, many paid for out of their own pockets. Some audience members questioned whether what's being done is enough, and if those best management practices need to be strengthened for more intense storm events.SA-BEST party leader Nick Xenophon has proposed new laws to protect vulnerable South Australians from neglect as well as psychological, physical and sexual abuse.

The proposals come in the wake of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption's report into Adelaide's scandal-plagued Oakden nursing home, which revealed a shockingly poor level of care.

"If we win enough seats at the state election, one of our first priorities will be ensuring we move immediately to introduce measures to protect vulnerable adult South Australians, particularly the elderly, from abuse," Mr Xenophon said.Veteran Mississippi Republican Thad Cochran is retiring from the US Senate due to health issues

Veteran Mississippi Republican Thad Cochran announced Monday he is retiring from the US Senate due to health issues, setting up two Senate races in the southern state later this year.

Cochran, who chairs the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, said he would be stepping down on April 1, after 40 years in office.

"I regret my health has become an ongoing challenge," Cochran, who is 80, said in a statement.

"I intend to fulfill my responsibilities and commitments to the people of Mississippi and the Senate through the completion of the 2018 appropriations cycle, after which I will formally retire from the US Senate," he added.

"My hope is by making this announcement now, a smooth transition can be ensured."

Cochran has faced health issues since at least last year.

He is the 10th-longest serving senator in US history. A courteous southerner, he was first elected to the Senate in 1978, becoming the first Republican in more than a century to win a statewide election in Mississippi.

Cochran's retirement means Mississippi, which traditionally votes Republican, could face the rare prospect of holding elections for both of its senators in November, as Roger Wicker is up for re-election this year.

Under Mississippi law, the governor has 10 days to appoint Cochran's replacement, who will serve in the seat until a special election is held.Ahn had been tipped as a front-runner among liberal presidential hopefuls to succeed Moon Jae-in

A former South Korean presidential contender stepped down as a provincial governor Tuesday and announced his retirement from politics after a secretary accused him of multiple rapes.

The stunning fall of Ahn Hee-jung -- who came second to Moon Jae-in in the contest to select the Democratic Party's presidential candidate last year -- makes him the most prominent figure to face abuse allegations in a swirling #MeToo movement in what is still a male-dominated society.

One of his secretaries told a television interviewer on Monday that Ahn had raped her four times since hiring her in June.

Kim Ji-eun told JTBC that the last straw came when Ahn called her into his office on the night of February 25 and apologised for having hurt her, talking about the country's #MeToo movement.

"And then he raped me again," she said, holding back tears. She also accused Ahn of sexually assaulting others.

Following the TV interview, the ruling Democratic Party held an emergency meeting and expelled Ahn with immediate effect.

Hours later the 52-year-old announced his resignation as governor of South Chungcheong Province and retirement from public life.

"I apologise to everyone, especially to Miss Kim Ji-eun," he said in a Facebook post.

"I ask for forgiveness for my stupid action... it was all my fault," he said.

It is an astonishing turnaround for Ahn, who enjoyed huge popularity among young, liberal voters thanks to his wholesome image and good looks, which helped him earn the nickname "South Chungcheong's EXO" -- after a K-pop boy band.

Ahn threw his support behind the #MeToo campaign in a public speech made just hours before Kim appeared on TV to talk about the sex abuse she suffered at his hands.

"That he raped me again after mentioning the #MeToo movement and apologising to me made me think 'I may never be able to escape from this. How can I escape from him?'" Kim said.

- Fear and loathing -

The revelation sparked widespread anger, with one online commentator writing: "Shock, fury... no words will describe how we all feel right now."

A former Ahn supporter was arrested for throwing a baseball bat at his residence on Monday night, breaking a window, according to multiple reports.

Ahn was runner-up in the Democratic Party's contest to select a presidential candidate last year, losing to Moon, who went on to win the election in May.

He had been tipped as a front-runner among liberal presidential hopefuls to succeed Moon -- who can only serve one term -- with South Korean conservatives still reeling from the massive corruption scandal that led to the ouster of former president Park Geun-hye.

Moon last month threw his support behind the #MeToo campaign spreading across the country, urging measures to combat the widespread abuse of women and punish offenders.

A growing number of South Korean women have accused prominent figures of sexual abuse, making headlines in a country that remains deeply conservative despite economic and technological advances.

But many victims are still reluctant to speak out due to fears of relentless public shaming and online bullying.

Kim said in the interview that she had chosen to come forward publicly out of fears for her personal safety.

"I'm afraid of all the changes that may occur in my life after this revelation, but I'm more afraid of Governor Ahn Hee-jung," she said.

"I hope that people of South Korea can protect me... since Ahn and I are so different, I wanted to seek strength from other people and to stop him," Kim added.

South Korean police chief Lee Chul-sung said the police had launched a preliminary investigation into Ahn after contacting Kim's lawyers, and vowed to ensure her personal safety.US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, 2nd right, welcomes the foreign ministers of Estonia -- Sven Mikser, left -- Latvia -- Edgars Rinkevics, 2nd left -- and Lithuania Linas Linkevicius, right -- to the State Department on March 28, 2017

Foreign ministers from the Baltic states, three exposed allies on NATO's eastern flank, visited Washington on Monday to urge Western leaders not to respond naively to Russian threats.

The envoys from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania brought a stark message to meetings with top officials a city already gripped by political infighting and fears of Kremlin intrigue.

Sven Mikser of Estonia, Edgars Rinkevics of Latvia and Linas Linkevicius of Lithuania were careful to thank President Donald Trump's administration for its support for NATO.

But, in an interview with AFP after their joint meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the ministers shared their concerns about Russia'a "hybrid" threat to the West.

"I think what we have seen in the past four or three years is the community of democratic nations is under the attack," Rinkevics said of Russian interference and interventions.

"The very basis of our democratic institutions are under attack through social media by fake news, and also through the influence of money, and it is very important that we stick together."

The Baltic republics will be able to reinforce this message once more on April 3, when their presidents come to Washington for a White House summit with Trump they hope will send a message to Moscow.

- Soviet collapse -

Rinkevics dubbed the threat "unprecedented since the 1930s and 40s" -- the period during which the young Baltic republics fell under the control first of Nazi Germany then the Soviet Union.

Since the fall of the Soviets, the three have thrown their lot in with the West, turning away from Moscow's orbit by joining NATO's mutual defense pact and the European Union.

Russia's current president, Vladimir Putin, has never made any secret that he resents this and regards former Soviet republics as belonging in Moscow's zone of influence.

As recently as last week, when asked which single historical event he would most like to reverse, Putin replied: "The collapse of the Soviet Union."

To many, such a statement might seem like electoral bravado designed to play on Russian nationalism three weeks before an election that is expected to confirm Putin in office until 2024.

But the Baltic states cannot afford to be complacent.

Already in 2018, Russia seized de facto control of a large chunk of Georgia. In 2014, Moscow annexed the Ukrainian region of Crimea and it still supports pro-Russian rebels in the east of the country.

The Kremlin might think twice about directly confronting a NATO member on the battlefield, but Russia -- which has a struggling economy and stagnant population -- has other methods of wielding influence.

The visiting foreign ministers know this only too well, their countries having long complained of "hybrid warfare" -- military, financial and political manipulation backed by computer hacking and propaganda.

Putin continues to deny any involvement in the fighting in eastern Ukraine, for example, but US officials regard the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk as entirely Moscow-invented and controlled entities.

In Syria, Moscow's intervention has been accompanied by the operations of a mysterious Russian mercenary outfit, and in the West, intelligence agencies have warned of repeated attempts to undermine electoral democracy.

In Washington, a special prosecutor has already brought several charges against alleged Russian hackers and online propagandists and is probing allegations that Trump's campaign colluded with Russian agents.

The probe has angered Trump, who denies any collaboration and plays down the idea that Putin may have tried to swing the 2016 vote his way, as the White House staggers from one scandalous revelation to another.

- Hybrid warfare -

Tillerson's State Department has so far failed to draw up a list of targets for new sanctions on Russia despite Congress having passed a law authorizing tough new measures.

This week, it emerged that the department has yet to receive tens of millions of dollars that Congress wanted transferred from the defense budget to begin an anti-Russian counterpropaganda effort.

Trump has complained that the political focus on the scandal has undermined any effort he might have made to patch up ties with Putin and to work with Russia to fight terrorism and to isolate North Korea.

For the ministers, however, it would be a mistake to ignore one threat to deal with another, when cyberspace and the globalized economy and media marketplace are becoming one hybrid battlefield.

"Security these days is increasingly indivisible," said Estonian envoy Mikser. "There's no clear division between internal and external security, and also geographically. Security is becoming globalized."

The visiting trio urged Washington to look the threat to their own and to European institutions in the face.

"We're always suggesting to our colleagues in the United States and Europe to be more realistic, not to be naive. Dialogue is important as long as it doesn't serve as a smokescreen to do nothing," Linkevicius said.

The Lithuanian envoy noted Putin's recent belligerent speech in which he boasted that Russia had developed a new generation of nuclear arms to bypass missile defenses.

"That type of dialogue is not acceptable. And that's military power, it's not dialogue, it's something else," Linkevicius argued.

All three ministers agreed that they would like to see US troops based more permanently in the Baltics, alongside their British, Canadian and German allies.

"We really should act, and do this visibly with tangible means," the Lithuanian said.

"NATO will never escalate. NATO will never be aggressive, but nobody should be in any doubt that we will do whatever necessary to protect our territories."Vietnam's Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh (L) looks up as Japan's Economic Revitalization Minister Toshimitsu Motegi reacts during a Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) press conference in the central Vietnamese city of Danang on November 11, 2017

A year after an abrupt US withdrawal left a fledgling 12-nation Pacific trade pact for dead, the 11 remaining states will sign a re-vamped deal Thursday aimed at slashing tariffs.

The agreement -- rebranded as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) -- has been championed as an antidote to growing US protectionism under President Donald Trump.

"We are not going to be derailed by Trump's decision" to withdraw the US, said Felipe Lopeandia, Chile's top trade negotiator, ahead of the ratification ceremony in Santiago.

After years of negotiations, the original deal -- the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP -- was signed in February 2016 by 12 countries that border the Pacific Ocean.

But it fell victim to Trump's "America First" policy, when he removed the pact's major linchpin before the deal could get under way.

The CPTPP aims to slash tariffs between the 11 members and foster trade to boost growth.

It will "send a political signal to the world and to the United States itself, that this is a global agreement," said Lopeandia.

- Blow against protectionism -

Trade ministers and delegates from the remaining TPP members attend a ministerial meeting ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders summit in Danang on November 9, 2017

Coming in the same week that Trump risked a trade war over his decision to introduce tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, the deal is seen by some members as striking a blow against protectionism.

Washington's exit meant a drastic downsizing of the original agreement -- which with US involvement represented 40 percent of the global economy.

But the pact -- though a diminished one involving 13.5 percent of global GDP -- remains hugely significant, according to Ignacio Bartesaghi of the Catholic University of Uruguay's business school.

"There is no trade agreement involving that number of countries, and one that has 30 chapters which deal with all the most modern topics of international trade," Bartesaghi told AFP.

Last month, Trump told the World Economic Forum in Davos that the US might return if it got a better deal.

"Little by little, his advisors have managed to make Trump realize the role that the United States plays in Asia Pacific and the role played by the TPP in that region, not only in economic and trade terms, but in geopolitical terms," said Bartesaghi.

But Japan, a key driver behind the revised pact, is skeptical.

"If the United States returns to a more positive attitude toward the TPP, it is something we will welcome (but) it would not be so easy" to change the agreement again, said Tokyo's chief negotiator Kazuyoshi Umemoto.

- More balanced -

US President Donald Trump (C) signs an executive order alongside White House in the Oval Office on January 23, 2017

More than 20 provisions were suspended or changed in the new agreement, mostly rules over intellectual property originally inserted at the demand of US negotiators.

Analysts noted these provisions were not canceled, however, with some suggesting the door is being left ajar for the US.

Chilean authorities say the new chapter on intellectual property protection is now "more balanced."

"The CPTPP will establish a new standard for other regional economic integration agreements, and even for future negotiations in the WTO (World Trade Organization) and in APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation)," said Chile's foreign ministry, which is hosting Thursday's landmark signing.

Chile said membership of the new pact will improve access to markets currently responsible for 17 percent of its total exports.

The other two Latin American countries, Mexico and Peru, will also improve their access to countries on the other side of the Pacific, such as Vietnam and Malaysia.

"It means an increase in our potential market and the possibility that our people can access more products," said Mario Mongilardi, head of Lima's chamber of commerce.

The 11 states represent a market of 500 million people, greater than that of the European Union's single market.

The pact will come into force 60 days after it is fully ratified by six of the 11 members.

The 11 TPP countries are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.Emma Billet can fleece 130 sheep a day

In a sweltering shed on an Australian farm near the rural town of Trangie, Emma Billet drags a nervous sheep from a waiting pen to her shearing station.

She is the only female in her crew of five shearers, but attitudes on Australian farms are changing and training approaches are encouraging a gender rethink, with more women entering the profession Down Under.

"It is a physical job which I enjoy. I like to work hard," 28-year-old Billet, who can fleece 130 sheep daily, told AFP during her break.

"It is like a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day."

The number of skilled women working with farm animals -- including animal trainers, veterinary nurses and shearers and shearing hands -- has grown from close to 11,700 in 2006 to almost 19,200 a decade later, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

"It comes back to women being on the land as well," Billet said of the rise of women in the industry.

Although there are still fewer than 100 female shearers in Australia, experts say there has been significant growth in the past few years

"It has become more and more common now just to see women owning farms and running businesses and I guess times have just changed. It is good to see."

Although there are still fewer than 100 female shearers, experts say there has been significant growth in the past few years.

"There have been women in the shed for a long time, that have just been roustabouts (shed hands that collect the wool from the ground)," Glenn Haynes, a shearing programme coordinator at TAFE South Australia, a leading vocational training school, told AFP.

There was resistance in past, however, with a "pretty negative attitude towards women" from the older generation when it came to their ability to shear, Haynes added.

But this is changing and new approaches to training are being introduced, including female-only programmes, as demand among women grows, he said.

- 'Not for faint hearted' -

Australia is one of the world's largest wool exporters, producing around 25 percent of greasy wool sold on the global market

Haynes held a workshop in 2016 targeting women, in which just a few pursued a shearing career, but the annual event has recently seen close to 25 enter the trade.

Australia is one of the world's largest wool exporters, producing around 25 percent of greasy wool sold on the global market, in a multi-billion dollar industry. More than 70 million sheep are shorn each year.

Jim Murray, shearing development manager at industry group Australian Wool Innovation, said professional shearing sheds were much more inclusive now than they used to be.

Attitudes on Australian farms are changing and training approaches are encouraging a gender rethink

"There has been an increase in female shearers for various reasons -- better training, modern technologies and a more professional industry is part of the reason," he said.

"Women are much easier to teach to shear as they often do not come with pre-conceived ideas," he added.

"The advent of social media has also helped to celebrate the gender and ethnic diversity in shearing sheds."

Back on the farm, some 450 kilometres (300 miles) inland from Sydney, Billet, an industry veteran of 10 years, said improving facilities, like toilets and showers, remains an issue for all in the industry.

And upgrading farming equipment was critical, she added, after a friend was scalped in a horrific accident in a shed by decades-old machinery late last year.

Regardless of gender, shearing is "not for the faint hearted", said Billet, who will shear up to 130 sheep a day, but she welcomes more women into the shed.

"You will feel like you have never felt before, but if you want to be a shearer, if you want to be good at your job... no one or nothing will stand in your way," she said.A Congolese woman rests with her newborn child at a clinic for displaced in Bunia. Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes since fighting between rival ethnic groups flared last December

The assailants were methodical. They came in waves.

First came the ones who killed. Then came the ones who torched homes. And finally, the ones who looted anything of value.

Ahead of them, terrorised villagers fled for their lives -- the latest victims of the ethnic conflict that bedevils Ituri, the troubled northeastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The bloodshed is part of a cycle of violence between the Hema and Lendu communities, cattle herders and farmers who have long fought over land -- a conflict that has recently intensified as DR Congo struggles over its future.

At least 49 people were killed last week, bringing the death toll since mid-December to more than 100, while 200,000 people have fled their homes, according to estimates by humanitarian workers.

Many of them are women, frequently targeted for sexual assault, and children.

"The attackers were organised in three groups," said Francoise Malosi, 54, recalling an attack on the Lendu village of Blukwa early last month.

"The first line was young men, armed with machetes, spears and arrows, and they were the ones who cut people's throats," she said at the Bigo medical centre in Bunia.

"After them was a group which set fire to people's homes, and after that, there was a group which stole cattle and things of value," she said.

"We fled into the bush, and spent three days sheltering there."

- Flight into danger -

Doctors without Borders (MSF) last week said that in the previous month, around 40,000 people had fled across Lake Albert to neighbouring Uganda and 20,000 to Bunia, the capital of Ituri.

The Bigo medical centre is struggling with the human influx.

Nurse Baseke Kazimoto said the facility has treated 1,900 displaced people since February 9, including 450 pregnant women, 20 of whom have given birth.

At Lake Albert, the misery is complete. People fleeing the violence are crossing by canoe -- a trip that takes between six and 10 hours and is filled with danger. Some have drowned, witnesses say.

Those arriving gather at Sebarogo in Hoima district, where about 1,000 people have fallen sick with cholera, causing 30 deaths, MSF said last Wednesday.

Thousands of people are sheltering in a camp in Bunia -- feeding them and providing medical care is a massive challenge

In Bunia, most of those displaced are living with host families. About 2,000 are holed up in tents around the regional hospital -- six toilets and four showers are currently available for them, and more are being built.

There, a woman with five children, who had lost her husband, tried to build a shelter.

"I came from a village called Che, where attackers burned all our homes. We walked for three days -- we have been sleeping outdoors, exposed to the mosquitoes, the rain and cold."

- Children at risk -

Aid workers are deeply worried about food -- some children are clearly malnourished.

"Every day, we need on average 500 kilogrammes (1,200 pounds) of rice, 300 kilos of beans and 40 litres (10.5 US gallons) of oil to provide just one hot meal per person," said Pastor Ignace Bingi, a coordinator with a local NGO, Lasi.

Dirty children, barefoot and clad in dusty rags, wander around the camp.

Many have lost their parents or been separated from their families.

Lasi puts the figure at around 100. The UN children's agency Unicef on February 23 said it had identified 70 unaccompanied children and 245 children who had been separated from their parents and who "need urgent help" at the hospital site.

Children are bearing the brunt of the conflict. Dozens have lost their parents or become separated from their families in the rush to flee the massacres

Hema and Lendu groups have a long history of low-level violence over land disputes.

But in the late 1990s and early 2000s their fight became a broader, more brutal battle stoked by Rwanda and Uganda, which were eager to seize gold, diamond and timber along with influence as part of a wider war that played out inside DR Congo's borders.

The latest flare up is part of a patchwork of unrest in the vast country suffering from growing insecurity and political tension.

New conflicts are erupting and old ones are reviving as President Joseph Kabila seeks to maintain his grip on power two years after the legal end of his second term.

Presidential elections, twice postponed, are now scheduled to take place on December 23.Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, winner of the Best Director and Best Picture awards for "The Shape of Water," poses in the press room during the 90th Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood on March 4, 2018

In the charm stakes, he's hardly Cary Grant, but the goofy-looking amphibian in "The Shape of Water" upholds a tradition of monster movies that has captured the public's imagination since the early days of cinema.

Guillermo del Toro's genetically-modified story of love blossoming between his merman-like star and a mute human underscored the popularity of the genre on Sunday, with Oscars wins for best picture and director.

The old Universal creature features, modern Japanese ghost stories and innumerable gorefests involving the undead in various states of decay might trouble even the sturdiest constitution.

But the monster movie straddles numerous genres other than horror -- from comedy and fantasy to science fiction -- and Del Toro is capitalizing on cinema's love affair with the cuddly, loveable end of the market.

"Monsters aren't always frightening or evil. The monsters of Pixar's 'Monsters Inc.' and certainly the title character of 'Harry and the Hendersons' were charming and sweet," writes John Landis, director of "An American Werewolf in London" (1981), in his book "Monsters in the Movies."

"Even the most famous monster of them all, the Frankenstein Monster as portrayed by Boris Karloff in 'Frankenstein,' is vulnerable and sympathetic."

Paul Wegener's 1915 German silent film "The Golem" is widely regarded as the first creature feature, while "Nosferatu," still one of Germany's most iconic horror films, came along seven years later.

US filmmakers got the bug in the 1930s, producing a series of German-influenced gothic tales about Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy and the Invisible Man.

Spool forward a few decades and "Jurassic Park" (1993), "Cloverfield" (2008), "Troll Hunter" (2010) and Del Toro's own "Pacific Rim" (2013) have all proved critical and commercial hits.

"King Kong" (1933), perhaps the most popular behemoth of them all, has become a cultural icon through various Japanese and US movies, with the most recent iterations, "King Kong" (2005) and "Kong: Skull Island" (2017), recouping more than $1 billion worldwide.

- Nuclear paranoia -

Producer J. Miles Dale (L), Del Toro (at microphone) and cast/crew accept the Best Picture Oscar

Other milestones include the stop-motion monsters of visual effects guru Ray Harryhausen, from "Mighty Joe Young" in 1949 through "Jason and the Argonauts" (1963) and "Clash of the Titans" (1981).

Harryhausen's dinosaur flick "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" (1953) ushered in the wave of 1950s creature features capitalizing on the nuclear paranoia of the age.

"The Creature from the Black Lagoon" (1954) provided the inspiration for the look of Del Toro's amphibian humanoid in "The Shape of Water."

Kendall Phillips, a Syracuse University professor and author of the recently published "A Place of Darkness: The Rhetoric of Horror in Early American Cinema" said the "otherness" of monsters frightens us.

But it also provokes empathy, he maintained, because "deep down inside, all of us sometimes feel a little bit like a misfit and a monster."

"King Kong is a horrible threatening monster that does dangerous things, and yet one cannot help -- whether it's the 1933 version or the most recent version -- to have a certain level of sympathy," he told AFP.

Demons from the deep aren't always cinematic gold, of course, and among the failures Phillips highlighted Universal's "The Mummy" (2017).

The Tom Cruise actioner was was supposed to launch the studio's "Dark Universe" franchise, rebooting all its classic monsters, but it flopped spectacularly, scoring a 16 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and losing an estimated $95 million.

- 'Love letter' -

"It's funny that the same year, Guillermo del Toro releases a movie that is a beautiful love letter to that era, that really captures the spirit of all of those monsters beautifully," Phillips told AFP.

The academic said "The Shape of Water" proved to be the perfect antidote to America's divisive culture wars, with their unrelenting message from certain politicians and other public figures to "fear the other."

"Here we have this movie that tells a beautiful love story really, about two entities who feel disconnected and not part of the world, and are somehow able to bridge that gap," he said.

Not all resonant movies win Oscars, of course, and one of the main strengths of "The Shape of Water," according to many critics, is its middle-of-the-road inoffensiveness.

While it may not have been as beloved as the best picture favorite "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," it wasn't hated either, and likely didn't rack up last place rankings on voters' ballots.

"Three Billboards," was acclaimed by critics but is likely to have garnered as many last-place votes as top rankings due to a backlash over how it appears to absolve one of its main characters, a violent, racist police officer.

Daniel Montgomery, of awards website Gold Derby, said he had expected "The Shape of Water" to win best picture despite its "unorthodox interspecies romance."

"Granted, films don't always need to feel good to win Oscar. Just look at gritty best picture winners like 'The Departed' (2006), 'No Country for Old Men' (2007) and 'The Hurt Locker' (2008)," he wrote.

"'Three Billboards' would have fit that darker mold. But on a preferential ballot, it might help to be huggable."Former Congolese warlord fGermain Katanga at his trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague in 2014

International judges will Thursday rule in an appeal brought by ex-Congolese warlord Germain Katanga, who has protested an order that he pay one million dollars in damages to his victims.

In its first ever such award, the International Criminal Court in March 2017 awarded a symbolic $250 each to almost 300 people caught up in a vicious 2003 attack by Katanga's militia on their village.

It also awarded collective compensation for projects to help victims with housing, education and "income-generating activities" as well as counselling.

Katanga is now back in jail in the Democratic Republic of Congo completing a 12-year sentence handed down at the ICC in 2014 on five charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

This 2007 picture shows a man kneeling beside a human skull on a field in Bogoro where the massacre took place

He was convicted of supplying weapons to his militia, which went on a rampage in Bogoro, a village in troubled Ituri province, shooting and hacking to death with machetes some 200 people.

The court in The Hague found that the total damage caused by the attack was some $3.7 million.

But Katanga is appealing against the judges' ruling, which found that even though he was penniless, he is liable for $1 million in compensation.

- 'Court erred' -

His defence have contested Katanga's personal liability, saying the court "erred ... because it is not proportionate to, and does not fairly reflect the part played by the accused in the crimes."

The court also "has given too broad an interpretation of a parent whose death warrants reparations to the remaining children," said defence lawyer David Hooper in the written appeal.

Calling for Katanga's liability "to be reduced," Hooper argued that "compensation for the loss of a relative (should) be limited to close relatives" and that the amount of reparations should "not exceed" the victims' claims.

At the time of the ruling, presiding judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut acknowledged the amount of $250 to each of Katanga's 297 victims "does not make up for the totality of the crimes".

But he said he hoped the reparations would bring some "measure of relief" and help victims rebuild their lives.

Katanga's case will be one of three that judges at the ICC -- set up in 2002 to prosecute the world's worst crimes -- will wrap up on Thursday.

The separate appeals of former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba and a Malian jihadist, who ravaged the famous Timbuktu shrines, will also conclude at the fortress-like tribunal.

Bemba and four accomplices are appealing convictions for bribing witnesses in the former vice president's main war crimes trial.

Former Congolese vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba sits in the ICC courtroom where he was sentenced for war crimes

Bemba was sentenced to one year in jail to run consecutive to an 18-year sentence imposed earlier for war crimes carried out by his marauding troops in the Central African Republic in 2002 to 2003.

Bemba's four accomplices, lawyer Aime Kilolo, his legal case manager Jean-Jacques Mangenda, Narcisse Arido, a defence witness, and Congolese lawmaker Fidele Babala were sentenced to between six months and two-and-half years in jail. All have also appealed the March 2017 corruption judgement.

- Final hearings -

Ahmad Faqi Al Mahdi was sentenced tp 9 years jail for destroying the fabled shrines at Timbuktu

In the case of jihadist Ahmad Al-Faqi Al-Mahdi, sentenced to nine years for destroying the fabled shrines at Timbuktu, lawyers for the victims are seeking a tweak to the reparations order.

The ICC judges found in August that Mahdi was liable for 2.7 million euros in personal damages for the destruction of the site as jihadists swept across northern Mali in 2012.

But the victims' lawyers say the wording of the order risks excluding some people from compensation, and are asking for a slight amendment.

Reparations are the final stages of cases before the ICC, and so far only three such compensation awards have been made.

Apart from the Katanga and Mahdi cases, ICC judges in December awarded $10 million to the child soldier victims of another Congolese warlord -- Thomas Lubanga.

He was jailed for 14 years in 2012, convicted of abducting hundreds of boys and girls and press-ganging them into his Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) militia in eastern Ituri.Sharyari waits for customers at his coffee cart in Kabul

Afghans in need of a caffeine fix line up at Najibullah Sharyari's coffee cart in Kabul -- converts to the drink that is now percolating in a country obsessed with tea for centuries.

Standing on a noisy street among vendors hawking their wares, the 30-year-old barista serves takeaway instant coffee from a mobile machine at his New York-style cart for as little as 28 cents a cup.

Coffee is the "best medicine" to cope with the daily grind in the overcrowded, polluted and war-torn city, insists Sharyari, pouring Nescafe into a fake Starbucks cup for a customer as honking cars crawl past his stand.

The uninitiated often ask for tea, he says, before explaining: "We tell them they can have tea at home. There is a big difference between a cup of tea and a cup of coffee -- coffee is better."

Sharyari's coffee cart -- one of several he operates around the sprawling Afghan capital -- is an oddity in a city where most people drink tea and cafes are often protected by armed guards and hidden from view behind blast walls and steel doors.

Afghanistan was introduced to tea because of its location on the ancient Silk Road, and today remains one of the world's largest tea consumers per capita.

The drink is integral to the country's famed culture of hospitality, with guests offered a cup of green tea -- often infused with aromatic cardamom pods, and a piece of sugar on the side -- as they enter homes and offices.

It is ubiquitous at the table regardless of whether the meal being served is breakfast, lunch or dinner.

But coffee has the power to pull people out of their daily routine, according to the aficionados at Sharyari's cart.

"Whenever I go to university I take this street just to drink a cup of coffee while I'm walking," university student Sayed Millad Hashimi tells AFP.

- Getting creative -

Sharyari launched his business four years ago in the relatively prosperous northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, investing 50,000 Afghanis ($725) in a couple of coffee machines from neighbouring Uzbekistan.

Its success saw him expand to Kabul, where he says he has eight machines and serves more than 1,500 customers per day.

The sight of steam rising from the cart and the rich smell brew excitement apart from the impending jolt of caffeine, says a government worker named Mujiburrahman, rubbing his hands in anticipation.

"I am also happy to see our people getting creative and create job opportunities," the young and sharply dressed customer tells AFP.

Selling coffee on the streets of Kabul -- one of the deadliest places for civilians in the country, where blast walls and traffic choke the roads -- is a different prospect from Mazar, which Sharyari says is relatively peaceful and has a vibrant street life.

But in the capital there are grounds for buying your coffee at a street cart, which is accessible to residents in a way that fancier cafes hidden behind layers of security are not.

Rahim, a taxi driver, pulls up to the vendor and calls for coffee with milk without even leaving his car.

"There is no parking lot in this crowded downtown, we cannot park our cars to go to a coffee shop or restaurant," the 45-year-old says.

"But (it) is easy here, just slam the brake, stop, pick a cup of coffee and go," he adds.

Sharyari (C) prepares coffee as customers sample it next to his cart

Security remains a concern. On January 27 one of the deadliest bomb blasts in the capital since 2001 killed more than 100 people just a few hundred metres from Sharyari's cart, he says.

"I was shocked but Kabul is such a resilient city," he muses. "The next day the people were in the streets again and it was business as usual."A Port Byron school district student could face criminal charges and possible disciplinary action after allegedly falsely reporting a bomb threat Monday.

The unnamed student told administrators there was a Facebook post claiming that a bomb threat "would be carried out sometime this week at Port Byron CSD," according to a message posted on the district's website.

Port Byron administrators contacted the state police, which launched an investigation. The district said it was during the investigation that the student admitted to falsely reporting an incident and there wasn't a threat circulating on social media.

The student who falsely reported the claim will face disciplinary action for violating the district's Code of Conduct.

Superintendent Neil O'Brien said the Port Byron campus is safe.

"Please know that the safety of our students and staff is a primary concern for the district and any threats of violence, even when deemed not credible, are taken very seriously," O'Brien said.Gold prospectors work in the Pampana river near Makena in northern Sierra Leone. Sifting specks of gold from the sludge, these people expect little from a new government, whoever wins the general election

Down a dirt road that slopes off a bridge, hundreds of men and women waist-deep in the river sift through gravel, separating specks of gold from the sludge.

It may be the eve of a general election in Sierra Leone, but those who eke out a living here in Magburaka have few expectations from a new government, whichever party wins.

"I have no political party. The politicians don't help me," said Mariatu Bangura, emerging from the brown water to stand barefoot on the bank of the River Rokel in Tonkolili district.

As 3.1 million voters select a new president, parliament and councils on Wednesday, it will be just another day of work for this 30-year-old mother of four in this mineral-rich area of northern Sierra Leone.

"I started after Ebola, because I don't have anything. I don't have money and I am a single parent," she told AFP.

The haemorrhagic virus which killed almost 4,000 Sierra Leoneans between 2014 and 2016 also took her husband's life.

Bangura said she earns around 100,000 leones ($13) a week.

"Sometimes I feel pain in my body, I get cold and there is nowhere to sit down," she said quietly, admitting some relief came from her children, who help her after they finish school.

Although this West African country is strongly split between the ethnic and regional identities of north and south at election time, some feel left entirely outside of the political system.

It is dominated by two parties, the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) and opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP).

- Parallel economy -

No one knows the true number of people working in the informal mining sector in Sierra Leone.

They uncover diamonds and gold and dig sand from the riverbed as an ingredient for cement, before selling them to local dealers as part of a parallel economy.

The days of rebels forcing civilians to dig up "blood diamonds" during the 1991-2002 civil war are over, but absolute poverty remains widespread.

Most of the workforce, which is estimated in the thousands, operate without licences, according to the government.

It says these workers bypass the tax authorities through agents who smuggle the minerals out of the country.

A woman tends to the hair of one of the children while the artisanal prospectors work in the river

Joseph Tarawallie, 25, gave up his schooling when the Ebola virus first broke out in 2014 and all educational establishments were ordered to close. Since then he has worked in this gold panning area the locals call Masena.

"I was once a student, but because of a shortage of money I decided to take myself to the mine," he said. Most of his family also spend their days here.

"We work very hard and as you see we suffer a lot," Tarawallie added.

He gestured to children playing by piles of sand as their parents sorted through the earth on wooden structures hammered into the river floor.

"I would go back to school if I had a little money. I'm an art student," he sighed, squinting into the boiling midday sun.

Tarawallie had noted the posters with politicians' faces plastered all over Makeni, the nearby hometown of outgoing President Ernest Bai Koroma.

But he said without enthusiasm that he just planned to pick a candidate on voting day.

Koroma leaves behind a slumped economy battered by Ebola and flat commodity prices, but also marred by corruption and education standards that have declined during his 10 years in power.

- Diving in the dark -

One group of men in Masena work in the river's deepest parts, diving down to the silty floor with buckets attached to canoes to dredge up more soil.

People working in the informal mining sector in Sierra Leone uncover diamonds and gold and dig sand from the riverbed as an ingredient for cement

They told AFP they take sedatives or drink alcohol to ease the pain of cuts and bruises sustained in the murky water as they plunge blindly into its depths.

"We dig out canoes from the forest and transport them to this river so we can dive and dig out some gravel," explained Mohammad Fulleh, a brawny man who is mining to save money so he can study Arabic.

"Before we go in, we take painkillers so we are able to resist. The river is very dark and there are sticks and other objects that can cause damage.

"When I have enough I will go back to my village to continue school," he said.

But what Fulleh really wanted, he said, was a regular job, working out of the water.

"In the past we have had over 500 people here," all working at sifting gold because they had nowhere else to go, he told AFP.

"We want a leader that will support job creation in this country."The legislators convening in Beijing for the two-week congress have shown no signs they will vote down the revision

President Xi Jinping's bid to rule for life has stunned many people in China. It left retired state-owned newspaper editor Li Datong cursing in a foreign language in a crowded mall.

Belying Communist Party claims that "the masses" unanimously support the removal of presidential term limits, many Chinese like Li have disregarded censors to complain about the move as the rubber-stamp parliament prepares to approve it on Sunday.

Li was shopping for bread with his son last week when the announcement popped up on his phone. Shoppers stared at him as he cursed in English.

"It was so sudden. I didn't believe he would do it, but he did," said the 66-year-old former China Youth Daily editor.

Li garnered international attention after penning an open letter urging the National People's congress (NPC) to reject the constitutional amendment, warning that it would "sow the seeds of chaos".

"If you don't speak up, they will think we all agree," Li told AFP.

He is not alone. His missive ricocheted around social media last week -- until censors caught up.

The claim that the masses unanimously approve the measure is in the text of the amendment introduced at the opening session of the annual NPC meeting on Monday. The handpicked legislators are all but certain to vote "yes" on Sunday.

But many in China -- from businessmen and women to teachers, religious leaders and retired officials -- have been voicing discontent, either in private or through social media and interviews with foreign media.

- Stifling dissent -

The horrors of recent history -- unleashed on the populace by the unquestionable authority of Chairman Mao Zedong -- are remembered by many.

Censors have worked furiously to silence any voice of dissent since the official Xinhua news agency made the party's plans public on February 25.

Li said thousands of emails of support had flooded his inbox, until one day they all mysteriously disappeared. During the interview in a coffee shop, two policemen hovered outside, at one point inspecting a pot of flower tea ordered for the table. It was never served.

Sophia Huang Xueqin, a feminist activist based in the southern city of Guangzhou, saw Li's letter and reposted it to her WeChat social media account, adding her own take.

"Even my older relatives back home are talking about it," she wrote, "They called me to ask will Xi be the next emperor?"

Later that day, her WeChat account was shut down, with a message saying she had posted "illegal material".

Last week, China's internet censorship apparatus blocked phrases and words like "I disagree", "emigrate", "monarchy", "call me emperor" and "long live".

Han, an avid Weibo user, had built up an audience of more than 25,000 followers until he reposted the Xinhua story, adding "I earnestly don't agree." Two reposts later, his account was shut down, he said.

"We've seen many times the abuses that occur when a chairman rules for life," Han, who declined to give his full name, told AFP. "Every time there is huge national damage."

Religious leaders too are concerned about the decision to lengthen Xi's rule.

"We're regressing back to the period of the Cultural Revolution," said an Imam based in northwestern Gansu province.

"It's like the Deng Xiaoping era never happened, like the period of reform and opening up didn't do anything," he said, referring to the late leader who championed "collective" leadership and an orderly succession process following Mao's chaotic rule.

Beijing-based activist Hu Jia said the party will not allow any other voices to speak up.

"That's why I was cleared out of Beijing," Hu said of the security apparatus which he said sent him away to the southern city of Zhongshan for the duration of the two-week congress.

- 'There's no hope' -

The legislators convening in Beijing's Great Hall of the People have shown no signs they will vote down the revision as they enthusiastically applauded the amendment when it was presented on Monday.

"I'm very emotional. I think the current leadership has done so much to help ordinary people," said Tang Nong, a delegate from the southern Guangxi province.

"I firmly support Xi Jinping staying on as general secretary. His leadership has brought good, tangible results," Tang said, noting he had not heard any criticism of the changes.

"A stable leadership is important," said Ling Wen, an economic delegate to the congress.

"I support Xi serving longer. He's a good leader. There's no problem," he said of the constitutional changes.

Li, the retired editor, knows there is little chance that legislators will reject the amendment.

"Under this type of system can there be hope?" he asked, answering: "There's no hope."

"At the very least when they raise their hands, I want them to consider how this will be remembered by history," Li said.

"This will be a mark of shame on their voting record that they will have to tell their children and grandchildren about."Maria Chin Abdullah (R) will stand in upcoming polls

A prominent Malaysian rights activist Tuesday announced her candidacy in upcoming polls in what analysts see as a boost for the opposition's attempt to unseat Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Speculation has been rife that Najib will call elections within weeks as his ruling Barisan Nasional coalition inches closer to the end of its five-year term.

Najib is seeking a fresh mandate after being hounded by an international corruption scandal related to Malaysian state fund 1MDB in which he has denied any wrongdoing.

Maria Chin Abdullah, 62, head of the election reform group Bersih (Clean) that led major street rallies against Najib in recent years, said she would stand as an independent but under the banner of the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan.

The coalition is led by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, 92, who has come out of retirement to mount the challenge to Najib.

Chin was arrested ahead of a protest march in 2016 but was freed after ten days in police detention.

She is the latest high-profile civil society figure in Malaysia to join the electoral bandwagon after Wan Saiful Wan Jan, a former think-tank head who joined Mahathir's Bersatu party last week.

Some analysts said they expect more civil society activists to stand under the opposition banner.

"They're joining because there's a real chance now for Barisan Nasional to be defeated," said University of Tasmania's Asia Institute director James Chin, who is not related to the activist.

Other analysts however have said it would not be easy to unseat the ruling party due to unfavourable electoral boundary changes and divisions within the opposition coalition.Pony Ma says WeChat's accounts have crossed the one billion mark

China's ubiquitous WeChat social media platform has crossed the one billion accounts mark as its messaging, game and shopping services attract more and more users.

The symbolic threshold was announced by Pony Ma, the chief executive of its parent company Tencent, on the sidelines of China's parliamentary session on Monday.

The all-in-one app, known as Weixin in China, is a daily necessity for most Chinese, bringing together messaging, social media, mobile payment, games, news and other services.

Half of WeChat users spend more than 90 minutes a day on the app.

In its last company results in September, Tencent had reported that WeChat users had opened 980 million accounts, a 16 percent increase from the previous year.

"WeChat's worldwide monthly active users have surpassed the critical one billion mark," said Ma, who is a delegate at the two-week session of the Communist Party-controlled National People's Congress.

"In the future we hope to use technological innovation to push forward the next developmental step of reform and opening," Ma said.

He was referring to China's economic liberalisation policy that has fuelled four decades of breakneck economic growth.

Although Ma said WeChat's monthly active users had crossed the one billion threshold, a company spokesman told AFP he was referring to its total number of accounts.

Still, the one billion figure indicates the huge user base which Tencent has built up both inside and outside China for the app.

It compares with 2.1 billion monthly active users on Facebook and 1.5 billion on its messaging app WhatsApp.

The popularity of WeChat -- and profits from its addictive mobile games -- have pushed Tencent's earnings and share price sharply upwards.

The company surpassed Facebook in market value last year as it became the first Asian firm to break into the $500 billion league, while the 47-year-old Ma has rocketed to near the apex of China's rich list.

He is the wealthiest delegate to the parliamentary session, according to Shanghai-based luxury magazine publisher Hurun Report, which estimated his fortune at $47 billion.

- Privacy concerns -

Another popular feature of WeChat is its payment service, which allows people to pay at restaurants, buy goods from shops or even send money to friends.

Chinese tourists visiting Paris have been able to pay for their purchases in two of the city's famous department stores using the app on their smartphones since last year.

Most WeChat users are based in mainland China, though Tencent is trying to gain customers in other countries, especially among the Chinese diaspora.

But privacy concerns have plagued the app as Chinese authorities actively censor social media content that they dislike.

A 2016 study by University of Toronto's Citizen Lab found that WeChat censors content for all users registered with Chinese phone numbers, even if they travel overseas or switch to an international number.

Censorship for accounts tied to overseas numbers was limited to the intermittent blocking of gambling or porn-related content within the app's internal browser, the study found.

WeChat has a major advantage over WhatsApp: Beijing authorities have apparently disrupted the Facebook-owned service in China in recent months, with users often struggling to send messages or images.Sebastian Lelio (L) and Daniela Vega arrive for the 90th Annual Academy Awards on March 4, 2018

Everything seems to make Daniela Vega smile: her transition from male to female, her family's unwavering support, and her rise from hairdresser to actress with the backing of Chilean director Sebastian Lelio, who won the Oscar for best foreign film.

As Marina in the film "A Fantastic Woman" -- her fifth movie role -- Vega plays a transgender woman confronting discrimination and rejection by the family of her deceased partner. The role has thrust her into the international spotlight and made her a Hollywood darling.

And at Sunday's Oscar ceremony, she became the first transgender person ever to present a performance at the movie industry's most important event.

The 28-year-old's dignity and poise have caught the attention of media across the world, from Spain's El Pais to The Guardian in Britain and Vanity Fair and The New York Times in the United States. The US magazine W included her in its list of top 10 performances of 2017, featuring her in a photo alongside heartthrob Robert Pattinson.

The New York Times said Vega evinced "a charisma that defies pity and a sense of poise that can be both intimidating and heartbreaking."

The Guardian called Vega's performance "passionate, intelligent and with a certain understated dignity."

Friends and acquaintances describe Vega as an ambitious woman, determined to go far in her career, and one who throws herself fully into her work.

- From hairdresser to actress -

Vega was born into a middle-class Santiago family and began her acting career in theatre plays such as "Migrants" and "The Butterfly Woman" and by taking singing lessons.

Her aptitude for poetry led her into the arts world and she appeared in a video for the song "Maria" by Chilean musician Manuel Garcia and made her cinematic debut in the movie "The Visit" by Mauricio Lopez Fernandez, in which she also played a transgender woman.

But until Lelio -- an Argentinian-born Chilean director who initially hired her as a "cultural advisor" -- cast her in his Oscar-winning movie, Vega was earning her living as a hairdresser in a salon in Santiago.

- Seeking an answer online -

Vega's mother Sandra Hernandez told El Mercurio newspaper that when she was pregnant, doctors told her she was going to have a girl, and so she had bought earrings and pink girls' clothing in preparation.

Vega was bullied at school and under pressure from her mother. When she was 15, she turned to the internet to explore why she felt the way she did about her adolescent body, and her attraction to men. That's when she realized she was transsexual.

Those were hard times to face up to such a realization in conservative Chile, still struggling to escape the legacy of the dictator Augusto Pinochet, who ruled from 1973 to 1990, and shocked by charges of child sex abuse in the powerful Catholic church.

But shielded by her parents and her younger brother Nicolas, she began her transition to her new sexual identity. It took three years.

"I have known the love of my family, of a partner, I have been surrounded by a great amount of love," Vega told AFP.

- Transgender symbol -

Vega has not changed identity or gender on her passport because this is barred under Chilean law.

The team that made the movie will be received Tuesday by Chile's outgoing President Michelle Bachelet, who in August sent to congress a bill to authorise gay marriages and adoptions.

Chilean rights groups have expressed hope that the Oscar for "A Fantastic Woman" and the mounting global recognition for Vega will help the bill's passage.

But the new government of conservative Sebastian Pinera, who takes over the reins from Bachelet on Sunday, have not made encouraging statements in favor of the legislation.More than 700,000 Roghingya have fled violence in Myanmar since August, streaming over the border into Bangladesh where they now live in overcrowded refugee camps

Myanmar is continuing its "ethnic cleansing" of the Rohingya with a "campaign of terror and forced starvation" in Rakhine state, a UN human rights envoy said on Tuesday, six months after a military crackdown sparked a mass exodus of the Muslim minority.

Some 700,000 Rohingya have fled over the border to Bangladesh since August, with horrifying testimony of murder, rape and arson by soldiers and vigilante mobs.

While the majority of those refugees fled Myanmar last year, Rohingya are still streaming across the border by the hundreds every week.

"The ethnic cleansing of Rohingya from Myanmar continues. I don't think we can draw any other conclusion from what I have seen and heard in Cox's Bazar," UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour said after speaking to newly-arrived Rohingya in Bangladesh's crowded refugee camps.

"The nature of the violence has changed from the frenzied bloodletting and mass rape of last year to a lower-intensity campaign of terror and forced starvation that seems to be designed to drive the remaining Rohingya from their homes and into Bangladesh," he said in a statement, adding that new arrivals are travelling from towns in Rakhine's interior further from the border.

- Repatriation 'inconceivable' -

His statement also said it was "inconceivable" that any Rohingya would be able to return to Myanmar in the near future, despite its pledges to start taking back some refugees.

"The Government of Myanmar is busy telling the world that it is ready to receive Rohingya returnees, while at the same time its forces are continuing to drive them into Bangladesh," Gilmour said.

Rohingya in Bangladesh

"Safe, dignified and sustainable returns are of course impossible under current conditions."

Myanmar's military has largely closed off the north of Rakhine state to journalists, diplomats and most aid organisations apart from brief chaperoned trips.

It has justified the crackdown as an effort to root out Rohingya militants who attacked border police posts in August, killing about a dozen people.

But the UN, rights groups and many Western powers have accused the army of using those attacks as a pretext to expel a minority which has faced brutal discrimination for decades.

James Gomez, Amnesty International's director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said the UN's new findings "sadly echo our own".

"Fleeing Rohingya told us how they are still being forcibly starved in a bid to quietly squeeze them out of the country," he said.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has estimated that at least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in the first month of the crackdown alone.

Hundreds of Rohingya villages were torched, and recent satellite imagery showed at least 55 villages have since been completely bulldozed, removing all traces of buildings, wells and vegetation.

Myanmar's military has denied committing any abuses outside one incident in the Rakhine village of Inn Din, where it said security forces assisted with the killing of 10 unarmed Rohingya.

Rights groups say that is the tip of the iceberg from a force with a grim history of abuses around the country and open hostility towards the Rohingya.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, deputy army chief Soe Win reiterated the military's stance that the "Rohingya" are not a genuine ethnic group in Myanmar -- a view shared by many in the Buddhist majority, where there is broad support for the army campaign.

Myanmar's civilian government, led by former democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi, lacks control over the military but has been castigated by rights groups for failing to speak out in defence of the Rohingya.Allegations of corruption involving Lee's relatives and aides during his 2008-2013 presidential term have mounted in recent weeks

South Korean prosecutors on Tuesday summoned conservative former president Lee Myung-bak for questioning as a criminal suspect in a bribery scandal, the country's latest former head of state to be investigated.

The move means that all living former South Korean presidents have now either been convicted, charged or embroiled in criminal inquiries.

"We need to investigate former president Lee to find the truth (in the scandal) in a transparent and effective manner," Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified Seoul prosecutor as saying.

An official confirmed the move to AFP.

Allegations of corruption involving the 76-year-old's relatives and aides during his 2008-2013 presidential term have mounted in recent weeks as prosecutors investigate multiple cases of bribery amounting to millions of dollars.

Two of the ex-president's former aides have been arrested and the homes and offices of his brothers raided.

Lee was told to present himself to prosecutors on Wednesday next week to be questioned as a "suspect", Yonhap said.

South Korean presidents have a tendency to end up in prison -- or meet untimely ends -- after their time in power, usually once their political rivals have moved into the presidential Blue House.

Lee's successor Park Geun-Hye was ousted last year over a massive corruption scandal that emerged in 2016.

The verdict in her trial on charges of bribery and abuse of power is due next month, with prosecutors demanding 30 years in jail.

Lee's own predecessor, the liberal Roh Moo-hyun, committed suicide by jumping off a cliff after being questioned over corruption allegations in 2009.

- 'Political revenge' -

The allegations against Lee include claims that the Samsung Group bought a presidential pardon in 2009 for its chairman Lee Kun-hee, who had been convicted of tax evasion and given a suspended jail sentence.

Samsung reportedly paid six billion won ($5.6 million) in legal fees to a US law firm on the former president's behalf.

Both Samsung and Lee have denied the allegations as groundless.

Lee has dismissed the investigation into him as "political revenge".

"I feel saddened that the country is being shaken to its foundation by recent attempts to roll back history," he said in a statement in January.

His office said in a statement Tuesday that he would comply with the prosecutors' summons, but indicated that he wants to reschedule the date.

Current left-leaning President Moon Jae-in has vowed to "fix past wrongs" in the country's governance, calling them "accumulated evils".

Two other former conservative presidents, Chun Doo-Hwan and Roh Tae-Woo, have previously been jailed for corruption and subversion related to their 1979 military coup and a bloody 1980 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Gwangju.

According to reports, Lee is also accused of accepting 2.2 billion won from former state-financed Woori Financial Group CEO Lee Pal-sung in return for helping him assume the post.

He also allegedly pocketed 1.7 billion won of secret funds from the country's spy agency, received 400 million won in bribes from a lawmaker, and hundreds of thousands of won from a construction company as a kickback for awarding a government project.

In addition, Lee is said to be accused of embezzling millions of dollars from DAS, an auto parts company he allegedly owns under the names of his relatives.Mobile phones are a way of life in Bangladesh, but an Islamic school is clamping down on them

A hardline Islamic school in Bangladesh said Tuesday it had confiscated hundreds of mobile phones and torched them in a bonfire because they were distracting students from their learning.

Pupils at the seminary in southeast Bangladesh were ordered to hand over their cellphones Sunday to school administrators who then tossed the devices en masse into a fire in a nearby field.

"These devices are ruining their character," said Azizul Hoque, a spokesman for the Darul Ulum Moinul Islam madrassa, or Islamic seminary.

"The students use internet (on their phones) throughout the night and then doze during classes the next morning. Their parents are concerned."

Hoque said the seminary -- a 123-year-old institution with 14,000 registered students -- was not against technology "but the negative results of mobile phones far outweigh its positives".

"We are flooded with letters seeking fatwas (Islamic edicts) from Muslims against the use of mobile phones, as many complained that the gadgets were frequently used for extramarital affairs."

Muslim-majority Bangladesh is officially secular but Muslim clerics are hugely influential, particularly in the more socially conservative rural areas of the country.

The madrassa in Hathazari, outside the port city of Chittagong, is headed by Ahmad Shafi, the head of hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam.

The movement has evolved into a political force in recent years agitating for Islamic rule in the country of 160 million. The campaign has brought it into conflict with Bangladesh's secular government.

Hundreds of thousands of Hefazat supporters marched to the capital Dhaka in 2013 demanding implementation of religious laws including criminalising blasphemy and segregating genders in the workplace.

The protests triggered widespread violence and left nearly 50 people dead as police evicted demonstrators from Dhaka's commercial centre.

The movement has more recently struck an accord with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which has agreed to recognise academic qualifications from hardline seminaries, allowing their students to apply for government jobs.A general view shows several destroyed buildings in Douma, in the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus on March 5, 2018

At least nine civilians were killed Tuesday in Syria's Eastern Ghouta as fresh regime air strikes and clashes shook the rebel enclave outside Damascus, a monitor and AFP correspondents said.

Regime air strikes killed nine civilians in the town of Jisreen early Tuesday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

With the latest deaths, 95 civilians have been killed in regime bombardment of the battered enclave since early Monday, it said.

Russian-backed regime troops have advanced steadily since launching an assault on the last major rebel stronghold near the capital on February 18.

As of early Tuesday they controlled around 40 percent of the enclave after seizing a further area overnight, the Observatory said.

It reported clashes Tuesday in the northeast, centre and southeast of the enclave.

In total more than 780 civilians -- including 170 children -- have been killed in Eastern Ghouta since February 18, according to the Observatory.

The enclave's 400,000 residents have been living under siege since 2013, facing severe food and medicine shortages even before the latest onslaught. Aid deliveries on Monday had to be cut short amid continued fighting.

Regime warplanes pounded other areas of Eastern Ghouta including the main town of Douma early Tuesday, as well as the towns of Sabqa and Hammuriyeh overnight, the Observatory said.

The strikes on Douma reduced homes to piles of rubble on the sides of roads, an AFP correspondent there said.

An AFP reporter in Hammuriyeh said air strikes overnight targeted the town, with only a few residents emerging from the safety of their cellars after day broke.

Late Monday, the Observatory reported 18 people suffered breathing difficulties following a strike by a military aircraft in Hammuriyeh, without being able to specify the cause of the illnesses.

More than 340,000 people have been killed in Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) during a business summit in New Delhi on January 15, 2018

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saudi Arabia has agreed to allow Air India to use its airspace in flights to and from Israel in what could indicate a warming of ties.

But Air India said on Tuesday that while it had issued such a request, the regulator had yet to give it a positive answer.

The new Israel-India route was announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Israel in July.

In his January reciprocal visit to India, Netanyahu implied the route could pass over Saudi Arabia, which beyond significantly shortening flight time would be a public indication of a warming of ties with Israel.

Saudi Arabia and Israel have no official diplomatic ties, like much of the Arab world. Riyadh has consistently kept mum on Israeli hints of covert ties with the Sunni-ruled kingdom.

Speaking to reporters accompanying him in Washington on Monday, Netanyahu said that Air India had reached an agreement with Saudi Arabia to use their airspace.

Israel's national carrier El Al currently operates an India service that takes a detour over the Red Sea to avoid flying over Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Air India meanwhile said it was still waiting for an answer on its request.

"We have applied for the route with (India's) directorate general of civil aviation," a spokesman told AFP.

"It is for the them to decide on our request, but we haven't yet received any communication about it from the regulator."

Air India has not published when it would begin its flights to Tel Aviv, with media speculating they were due to start later in March.

A spokesman for the Israel Airports Authority confirmed Air India has received permission to land at Israel's Ben Gurion airport, but could provide no further details.Stores are closed March 5 along a street in Addis Abeba during a strike against the declaration of state of emergency

Ethiopia's governing coalition is facing an unprecedented tussle behind closed doors as it seeks a new prime minister after Hailemariam Desalegn's shock resignation from the helm of Africa's fastest growing economy.

With opposition parties enfeebled, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition wields absolute power, but Hailemariam's departure last month revealed yawning divisions within the party after more than two years of anti-government protests.

A date for the meeting to replace Hailemariam has not yet been announced, but the stage is set for the most contentious battle to elect a leader in the party's 27-year rule.

"We are in very uncharted territory, if you wish, and anything can happen," a political analyst at a western embassy in the capital Addis Ababa told AFP.

- A unknown process -

At the heart of the division are competing claims to power from the four ethnically based parties that make up the coalition, and differing visions of how the EPRDF, long accused by dissidents and rights groups of being authoritarian, should govern Ethiopia.

Members of parliament approved Ethiopia's state of emergency on March 2 in Addis Ababa. The governing coalition is facing an unprecedented tussle behind closed doors as it seeks a new prime minister after Hailemariam Desalegn's shock resignation

The latest sign of a schism came last week when 88 lawmakers in parliament, dominated by the EPRDF and its allies, voted against a nation-wide state of emergency decreed after Hailemariam's resignation.

It passed anyway, though dissidents claim the vote was manipulated.

"There's no candidate from Ethiopia, or outside, for that matter, who can unite Ethiopia," a western diplomat said.

It will be up to the 180-member EPRDF council, made up of 45 dignitaries from each of the four parties, to elect a new leader.

Awol Allo, an Ethiopian political commentator who teaches law in Britain, said little is known about how the selection will be made.

"We don't really have the clarity about the inner workings of party. There are no clear rules about how this individual is picked," Awol said.

EPRDF council members rarely talk publicly about party politics and government officials did not respond to AFP's request for comment.

- Three candidates -

Traditionally, the leader of one of the parties in the coalition is chosen as prime minister.

Analysts believe the chairmen of three EPRDF constituent parties are frontrunners to replace Hailemariam, who will stay in office until a successor is chosen.

Among the Oromo, Ethiopia's largest ethnic group which spearheaded the anti-government protests, much of the attention has focused on former science and technology minister Abiy Ahmed, the expected candidate of the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organisation (OPDO).

Stores are closed March 5 along a street in Addis Abeba during a strike against the declaration of state of emergency

Long seen as a powerless "trojan horse" that did the bidding of stronger factions, the OPDO dramatically increased its political capital last year by reaching out to protesters.

Many expect Abiy would move the EPRDF away from its authoritarian tendencies if elected, Awol said.

But if the Oromos are passed over, Awol warned the OPDO may leave the coalition.

"If OPDO doesn't get its way, I think there's a very serious risk that the EPRDF would unravel as a party," Awol said. "It would be very, I think, explosive for the country."

The western analyst doubts that Abiy, who came up through Ethiopia's hardline security agencies, or any other candidate, would bring the fundamental changes the protesters want.

"Whoever comes and whoever goes, I don't see any change to the establishment," said the analyst, who believes Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen has the best prospects.

Demeke is chair of the the Amhara National Democratic Movement, which represents the second-largest ethnicity, the Amhara, and is the only party which hasn't shaken up their leadership in recent months.

Meanwhile, Hailemariam's party, the Southern Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement, is expected to run their chairman, former education minister Shiferaw Shigute, on the argument that they should be able to finish Hailemariam's term.

"If the southerners have the position again, it will be seen as the same as it was when Hailemariam was in power," said Lovise Aalen, a political scientist at Norway's Chr. Michelsen Institute.

- The dominant party -

The only party analysts expect not to field a candidate is the one seen as the coalition's strongest: the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

Since leading the campaign to remove the communist Derg regime in 1991, the TPLF has been accused of controlling every facet of government in Ethiopia.

Debate in parliament on March 2 during a vote on the state of emergency in Ethiopia. The governing coalition is facing an unprecedented tussle as it seeks a new prime minister after Hailemariam Desalegn's shock resignation

That belief underpinned the protests by the Oromo and Amhara that began in 2015 and resulted in tens of thousands of arrests and about 940 deaths, by the government's own tally.

Calm returned only after the government imposed a state of emergency in October 2016 that lasted for 10 months.

The TPLF is working behind the scenes to maintain their influence, said political analyst Hallelujah Lulie, and that will likely mean keeping Abiy out of the prime minister's office.

"They could be having a 'never Abiy' movement," Hallelujah said. "The TPLF will seek to preserve their dominance in the coalition."Sri Lankan police have imposed a curfew in the riot-hit central district of Kandy, home to famous tea plantations and Buddhist relics

Sri Lanka Tuesday declared a nationwide state of emergency to quell anti-Muslim riots that have killed at least two people and damaged dozens of mosques and homes.

"The cabinet of ministers decided on tough measures, including a 10-day nationwide state of emergency," Minister of City Planning Rauff Hakeem said as police imposed a curfew in the riot-hit central district of Kandy.

The government deployed heavily-armed police commandos in the hill station region, which is popular with tourists, after rioters defied an overnight curfew and went on the rampage.

The curfew in the district was extended after the body of a Muslim man was pulled from the ashes of a burnt building, threatening to further raise communal tensions that have flared up across Sri Lanka in recent weeks.

The emergency declaration gives authorities sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects for long periods, and allows the government to deploy forces where needed.

It is the first time in seven years Sri Lanka has resorted to such a measure. The island nation was under a state of emergency for nearly three decades as government forces battled Tamil rebels in a civil war that ended in 2009.

Hakeem said the riots were concentrated in Kandy -- home to famous tea plantations and Buddhist relics -- but the government wanted to send a strong message given outbreaks of communal violence elsewhere recently.

A police spokesman said earlier Tuesday hundreds of commandos from the police Special Task Force had been deployed to Kandy to restore order and enforce the curfew.

Muslim homes, business and mosques were badly damaged in riots Monday triggered by the death of a Sinhalese man at the hands of a mob last week.

The Sinhalese are a mainly Buddhist ethnic group making up nearly three-quarters of Sri Lanka's 21 million people. Muslims account for 10 percent of its population.

More than two dozen arrests have been made and an inquiry opened into police conduct in Kandy, just the latest region to be plagued by religious and ethnic conflict.

Mobs set fire to Muslim-owned businesses and attacked a mosque in the east of the country last week after a Muslim chef was accused of adding contraceptives to food sold to Sinhalese.

The government dismissed the allegation as baseless and ordered the arrest of those fomenting unrest in the area.

Last November riots in the south of the island left one man dead and homes and vehicles damaged.

In June 2014 riots between Buddhists and Muslims left four dead and many injured.

That violence was instigated by a Buddhist extremist group whose leaders are on trial accused of spurring religious conflict.Japan's helicopter carrier Izumo is part of a squadron to be commanded by a woman for the first time

The Japanese navy said Tuesday it had for the first time appointed a woman as commander of a unit that includes the country's biggest warship.

Ryoko Azuma, 44, will command four warships making up a division with a total of 1,000 crew members.

"This is the first time a woman was appointed for the job," a spokesman for the Maritime Self-Defence Force told AFP.

"But she wasn't chosen because she was a woman."

The ships include the helicopter carrier Izumo, the navy's biggest ship.

"I want to do my best to carry out the heavy duty I have been given," Azuma told reporters after a ceremony at Yokohama near Tokyo to mark her arrival in the post.

About 400 crew members attended the ceremony.

"I don't think about being a woman but I want to try to become a role model for younger female officers," she said.

About 14,000 women are currently serving in the Self-Defence Forces as the military is known, accounting for only six percent of the entire personnel.

On most levels, Japan lags behind other developed countries in terms of sexual equality.

In politics women are still under-represented with only 47 of the 465 members of the lower house.

According to statistics compiled by the Swiss-based Inter-Parliamentary Union, this ratio of 10.1 percent places Japan below Myanmar and Gambia.Bombardment and clashes in Eastern Ghouta, the last major rebel stronghold near Damascus, have persisted despite a month-long ceasefire demanded by the Security Council more than a week ago

Heavy air strikes and clashes shook the Syrian rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta ahead of an urgent UN Security Council meeting Wednesday on the escalating violence.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 805 civilians -- including at least 178 children -- have been killed since Russia-backed regime forces launched an assault on the besieged enclave outside Damascus on February 18.

Russia suffered its own heavy losses on Tuesday as the defence ministry said a Russian transport plane crash landed at an airbase in western Syria, killing all 39 people on board.

Bombardment and clashes in Eastern Ghouta, the last major rebel stronghold near Damascus, have persisted despite a month-long ceasefire demanded by the Security Council more than a week ago.

At least 24 civilians were killed on Tuesday, according to the Observatory, a Britain-based monitor.

Syrian regime advances in rebel enclave

The relentless attacks prompted France and Britain to request an emergency meeting of the top UN body behind closed doors on Wednesday to discuss the ceasefire's failure to take hold.

Government troops have advanced rapidly across farmland in Eastern Ghouta in the past week and had wrested control of 40 percent of the enclave as of early Tuesday.

In the enclave's main town of Douma, air strikes have reduced homes to piles of rubble, an AFP correspondent reported.

Exhausted civil defence workers on Tuesday took advantage of a few hours of calm to dislodge the body of a resident, killed in bombardment several days ago, from a collapsed building.

A general view shows several destroyed buildings in Douma, in the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus on March 5, 2018

Eastern Ghouta's around 400,000 residents have lived under government siege since 2013, facing severe shortages of food and medicines even before the latest offensive began.

Forty-six aid trucks entered the area on Monday for the first time since the offensive started, but had to cut short their deliveries and leave due to heavy bombardment.

Nearly half of the food carried on the convoy could not be delivered and Syrian authorities removed some medical and health supplies from the trucks, the United Nations said.

In a statement on Tuesday UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he "calls on all parties to immediately allow safe and unimpeded access for further convoys to deliver critical supplies to hundreds of thousands of people in desperate need".

He urged all warring sides to allow aid trucks to return for a planned second delivery to Douma on Thursday.

- Rebels fire mortars -

Civilians in the area used the lull in air strikes to venture out from cellars to gather a few necessities from what was left of their homes.

Nearly half of the food carried on the convoy could not be delivered and Syrian authorities removed some medical and health supplies from the trucks, the United Nations said

Some gathered the pieces of furniture smashed in the raids to use as fuel or sell to their neighbours.

An AFP reporter in Hammuriyeh said air strikes were continuing to pummel the town on Tuesday.

The raids came after around 18 people suffered breathing difficulties in the town following a strike there late Monday, the Observatory reported.

It had no firm word on the cause.

Government troops have advanced rapidly across farmland in Eastern Ghouta in the past week and had wrested control of 40 percent of the enclave as of early Tuesday

"The people we've met here have been through unimaginable things. They looked exhausted," Pawel Krzysiek of the International Committee of the Red Cross said after the aid convoy ended its mission on Monday.

The UN Human Rights Council on Monday ordered investigators to examine the latest violence in the enclave.

It condemned "the indiscriminate use of heavy weapons and aerial bombardments against civilians, and the alleged use of chemical weapons in Eastern Ghouta".

The area is the last opposition bastion on the Syrian capital's doorstep, and the regime is keen to retake it to secure Damascus.

Rebels there have fired waves of rockets and mortars onto eastern Damascus neighbourhoods.

On Tuesday, three civilians were killed and eight wounded in mortar fire on the neighbourhood of Jarmana, according to state news agency SANA.

- 'Corridor' expanded to rebels? -

Regime ally Russia last week announced a five-hour daily "humanitarian pause" in the region, during which it said it would guarantee safe passage to civilians wishing to flee the enclave.

Civilians in Douma have used brief lulls in air strikes to venture out from cellars to gather a few necessities from what is left of their homes

No Syrian civilians are known to have used the "humanitarian corridor".

On Tuesday, Russia announced that the exit route had been expanded to allow rebels, not just civilians, to leave the enclave.

Russia's air force intervened in Syria in 2015 on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad, helping his troops retake key cities across the country.

It has been repeatedly accused of hitting civilians, and UN investigators on Tuesday said a Russian strike on a crowded Syrian market last year may amount to a "war crime".

The air strikes on a market in rebel-held Atareb in northern Syria last November 13 killed at least 84 people, including five children, and injured around 150 others, the UN Commission of Inquiry on human rights in Syria said in its latest report.

No caption

Moscow's defence ministry said on Tuesday that a Russian transport plane crashed on landing at the Hmeimim airbase, killing 33 passengers and six crew members -- all military personnel.

"The reason for the crash according to preliminary information could have been a technical fault," the ministry said, adding that the plane had not come under fire according to a report from the ground.

More than 340,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Over the years, numerous rounds of UN-backed Syria peace talks have failed to stem the fighting.

In the latest attempt to end the seven-year war, the foreign ministers of regime allies Iran and Russia and rebel backer Turkey are to meet next week in Astana.Parents of children injected with Dengvaxia vaccine carry pictures of their loved ones as they attend a senate hearing regarding the vaccine last month

A health scare over a pioneering dengue vaccine is partly to blame for a decline in child immunisation and a deadly measles outbreak in the Philippines, a senior health official said Tuesday.

The government has reported four outbreaks of measles, one of the world's leading killers of children, since December, a period coinciding with the row over the dengue vaccine which some parents blamed for child deaths.

Manila suspended the Dengvaxia vaccine last December and threatened to sue Sanofi shortly after the French pharmaceutical firm disclosed that it could worsen symptoms for people not previously infected by the dengue virus.

Government programmes against other deadly but preventable diseases became collateral damage, with immunisation rates down below 60 percent in January, Health Undersecretary Enrique Domingo said.

This compares to at least 80-85 percent last year, he said.

"We have eradicated measles like 10 years ago but it's coming back due to the low rates of vaccination within the communities," he told reporters, adding this vaccine is given at the age of nine months.

Asked if lower immunisation rates this year were due to the Dengvaxia scare, he said "partly", with insurgencies also blocking delivery of medical services in some southern areas.

"Before, they (children) would come to our health centres for their scheduled vaccines. Now we have to seek them (parents) out and convince them," he added.

"As long as we can control it (measles), the mortalities are very low. But we (also) have like polio for example, diphtheria pertussis, which are more debilitating or more fatal."

Domingo said 17 people contracted measles in a Manila district in January but none of them died. Three died in larger outbreaks in at least two areas on the southern island of Mindanao in December.

Meanwhile, he said a suspected measles outbreak was underway in two cities and five towns on the central island of Negros.

Domingo said the health department was actively seeking out children who had missed out on immunisation to prevent the further spread of measles.

"We always tell them (parents) these are tried and tested vaccines and they save millions of lives every year around the world," he said.

The Philippine health department injected some 870,000 people, all but 33,000 of them schoolchildren, with Dengvaxia in four of the country's most populous regions in 2016 and 2017.

Sanofi's belated disclosure sparked a nationwide panic, with some parents alleging the vaccine killed their children.

The government suspended the drug and ordered an inquiry which so far failed to establish a link between the vaccine and 14 child deaths including three from dengue.

A total of 49 children who were given the vaccine had now died, nine of them from dengue, Domingo said. The underlying cause of these later deaths was still being investigated.Onlookers gather around the wreck of the truck that plunged off a bridge in Bhavnagar district

A truck carrying a wedding party plunged off a bridge in western India early Tuesday and killed at least 30 people, mostly women and children, officials said.

Police in Gujarat state said the accident happened after the truck driver tried to overtake a van but lost control of the vehicle, plunging eight metres (26 feet) into a dry riverbed.

Images from the scene showed bloodied passengers being assisted by bystanders as the dead were covered in sheets.

Many passengers were trapped under the vehicle that overturned after it crashed through the bridge railing and nosedived into the ground.

A.M. Sayyed, local deputy superintendent of police, said the initial death toll rose after five passengers died from their injuries in hospital.

Nearly 60 people were travelling in the open truck and most victims were women and children, local police officer K.J. Kadapda told AFP.

Many of the injured were in critical condition and officials fear the death toll could rise further.

The accident happened in Bhavnagar district about 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the state capital Ahmedabad.

Authorities have announced financial aid of 400,000 rupees ($6,148) to the family of each of the deceased.

India has some of the world's deadliest roads.

More than 150,000 people are killed each year with most accidents blamed on poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.US President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House on March 5, 2018

US President Donald Trump's hard-line approach to the Palestinians is similar to herding cows for slaughter, a top Palestinian official said Tuesday.

The comments came a day after the US leader welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington and ahead of the expected launch of Trump's plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

"Today what is happening with us is what you call in the United States a cattle chute trap," Mohammad Shtayyeh, an adviser to president Mahmud Abbas, told journalists in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

"They bring the cattle in a yard with one single exit, with a man on a horse and a whip. And they keep pushing the cow into the trap. By the time every single cow gets through, it is shot in the head with an electric gun, then goes in a belt to the slaughtering house, then we eat it as hamburger."

"With the Palestinians, what is happening is exactly the same."

He listed off a number of controversial Trump decisions, including December's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and his freezing of tens of millions in dollars in funding for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, as evidence of a systematic attempt to squeeze them.

Both the Palestinians and Israel see Jerusalem as their capital and the US decision to move its Israeli embassy there prompted the Palestinians to say the White House could no longer be the primary mediator between the two sides.

On Monday during a meeting with Netanyahu, Trump said he might attend the opening of the embassy in May.

Despite the poor relations with the Palestinians, the White House is still expected to present a proposal for Israeli-Palestinian peace in the coming weeks.

"The Palestinians, I think, are wanting to come back to the table very badly," Trump said as he sat alongside Netanyahu at the White House.

"If they don't, you don't have peace. And that's a possibility also."The toppled statue of Lenin

India's ruling party warned its supporters on Tuesday they were not above the law after a mob celebrating an election victory against communist opponents bulldozed a statue of Vladimir Lenin.

Police in the remote state of Tripura said they were investigating more than a dozen complaints of arson, violence and vandalism in the wake of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) win at the weekend election.

An alliance led by the Hindu nationalist party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi crushed the incumbent communists -- who had ruled the small northeastern state for a quarter-century -- in a unexpected landslide.

The thumping victory kicked off a frenzied celebration by BJP supporters which degenerated into clashes with their communist opponents and rioting.

Police launched an investigation after a mob -- many wearing the saffron colours popular with BJP supporters -- on Monday flattened the statue of Lenin with a bulldozer.

"We arrested a person who was driving the bulldozer that toppled the statue," Tripura police spokesman Pradip De told AFP.

"We have received at least 14 complaints of post-poll violence, clashes, arson attacks and damage to property."

Images of the jeering mob reducing the statue to rubble sparked condemnation and a rebuke from the soon-to-be BJP state leader in Tripura.

"Anyone involved in anything like this will face action as per law," Biplab Kumar Deb, BJP's chief minister-designate, told reporters Tuesday.

But a major BJP campaigner in Tripura said the crowd was responding to a "symbol of oppression".

"This is simple catharsis," Rajat Sethi, the BJP northeast poll campaigner, told AFP.

"It's a good and legitimate form of expressing their resistance against their symbol of oppression."

Indian communist figures decried what they described as a wider assault on democracy.

"The destruction of the statue of Lenin is symbolic," said the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

"These attacks demonstrate, once again, that... (the BJP) rely mainly on unleashing political violence as means to advance their inherent anti-democratic agenda."

Critics of Modi's BJP say Hindu vigilantes have been emboldened since the party swept to power in 2014.

The BJP now rules 22 of India's 29 states and territories either outright or in an alliance.

Tripura, one of India's smallest states with just four million people, had been a bastion of communist politics for 25 years.

Kerala, in India's south, remains the last holdout where the Communist Party of India (Marxist) rules with its allies.Syrians flee their homes with their belongings in the town of Beit Sawa in Syria's besieged eastern Ghouta region on March 4, 2018

The Russian military said Tuesday that rebels were being allowed to leave Syria's Eastern Ghouta enclave via a humanitarian corridor together with their families and firearms, news agencies reported.

"This time the humanitarian corridor was open not just for Eastern Ghouta's civilians but for fighters with their families," Russian military officer Vladimir Zolotukhin in Eastern Ghouta was quoted as saying.

"Members of illegal armed groups are allowed to carry personal weapons," he added, without clarifying what options would be available to any rebels who arrived in the government-controlled zone.

Moscow has been managing a corridor out of the besieged Eastern Ghouta region for eight days, with a daily "humanitarian pause" between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm meant to encourage civilians to leave the zone.

But the plan, which was also supposed to give a chance for aid and medical supplies to reach those in need, has mostly failed to work as the region outside Damascus remains under continued regime bombardment.

Moscow has accused the rebels in Eastern Ghouta of blocking civilians from using the corridor. On Monday, only 13 people were able to exit the enclave together with a UN convoy, the Russian military said.

Zolotukhin said fire from rebel-controlled areas in the enclave hit a hospital in a Damascus suburb Monday but that attacks on the corridor subsided on Tuesday.

More than 780 civilians including 170 children have been killed since the Syrian regime launched the assault on Eastern Ghouta on February 18.

By early Tuesday, government troops controlled 40 percent of the enclave, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.Iranians visit an exhibition of 50 artworks from French museum the Louvre, on March 5, 2018 at the National Museum in central Tehran, the first major show by a Western museum in the Iran's history

Iranians gave a warm welcome to a new exhibition by France's Louvre on Tuesday -- the first major show by a foreign museum in the country.

"It was great. I never thought I'd see such artworks in my life," said Mehdi, a 26-year-old student.

The exhibition certainly appeared to go down better than Monday's visit by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who faced a day of tense discussions with Iranian officials before inaugurating the Louvre show.

The ever-combative Kayhan newspaper summed up the view of Le Drian's visit with the headline: "Impudent guest gets a dressing-down".

An Iranian woman visits an exhibition of 50 artworks from French museum the Louvre, on March 5, 2018 at the National Museum in central Tehran, the first major show by a Western museum in the Iran's history

Le Drian has angered Iran's leaders with his stern criticism of their missile programme and foreign interventions.

"It was a tough trip, without concessions," he told reporters on the way back to Paris late Monday.

The Louvre show returns the focus to the more positive aspects of France's relations with Iran, which include the rebuilding of trade ties through deals involving companies such as Peugeot, Renault and Total since world powers signed a 2015 nuclear accord with Tehran.

It features a number of treasures from the Paris museum's collection, including a 2,400-year-old Egyptian sphinx, a bust of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and drawings by Rembrandt and Delacroix.

- 'Very good' cooperation -

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (4th R) and Vice President of Iran Head of Cultural Heritage Ali Asghar Mounesan (2nd R), tour an exhibition of 50 artworks from the Louvre, on March 5, 2018 at the National Museum in central Tehran

"It was very good, though I was hoping to see more Iranian pieces," said Sorena, a young accountant.

"But it was interesting and this sort of international cooperation is very good. Maybe it will lead to more economic relations with other countries."

Only two small pieces from what is now Iran came over from the Louvre collection -- an axe dating back more than 3,000 years and an even older mysterious bronze ornament from Lorestan featuring two bulls and a circle of men that became the logo of the Tehran Stock Exchange when it was launched in the 1960s.

"I know there are lots of valuable Iranian pieces in the Louvre, but this is a good start," said Khashayar Tayar, a music teacher in his thirties.

"I'm really grateful to the organisers for this show. I hope future exhibitions will have more Iranian pieces to make me even happier."

The exhibition marks the culmination of two years of work since a cultural exchange agreement was signed during a visit by President Hassan Rouhani to Paris in January 2016.

France has deep cultural ties with pre-revolutionary Iran, and the National Museum itself was built by a Frenchman, Andre Godard, in 1938.

"In the tumultuous ocean of international relations, cultural diplomacy is a flare that we should maintain together," Le Drian said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday night.State

 Amy L. Brooks, 39, Montezuma, was charged March 2 with first-degree criminal contempt and second-degree criminal trespassing.

 Robert G. Stanton, 53, Marcellus, was charged March 2 for driving while intoxicated.

 Cindy M. Stampp, 39, Weedsport, was charged March 4 with two counts of criminal contempt.

 Joseph M. Curnow, 42, North Rose, was charged March 4 with seventh-degree possession of a controlled substance.

 Patricia L. Brown, 39, Savannah, was charged March 4 with three counts of seventh-degree possession of a controlled substance.

 Hayley M. King, 38, Clyde, was charged March 4 with seventh-degree possession of a controlled substance.

 Tamantha M. Wollek, 46, Port Byron, was charged March 4 with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.

 Zachary A. Caraway, 25, Auburn, was charged March 5 with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance containing narcotics with intent to sell, fourth-degree criminal possession of marijuana and third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

Love 1 Funny 12 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 5People watch as black smoke rises during twin jihadist attacks targeting the French embassy and Burkina Faso's military headquarters

Jihadist strikes on Burkina Faso have shed light on West Africa's Achilles' heel, experts say.

They point to a country whose security apparatus has been battered by the ouster of a dictator with military roots, and where poverty and unemployment provide jihadists with fertile ground for recruitment.

Audacious twin attacks on Friday in the capital Ouagadougou targeting the military headquarters and the embassy of former colonial ruler France, sent shockwaves through the region.

The strike on the military HQ appears to have been aimed at a scheduled meeting of the so-called G5 Sahel -- a French-backed group of five countries fighting jihadism in the volatile Saharan region.

Burkina Faso is the "soft underbelly" of the region, Paul Koalaga, a professor of geopolitics and security expert said.

"Burkina Faso has been fighting terrorists since 2015 -- a commitment that has been strengthened by the G5 Sahel -- and a riposte was just waiting to happen," he said.

The country has been the target of jihadist attacks since 2015.

On August 13 last year, two assailants opened fire on a restaurant on the capital's main avenue, killing 19 people and wounding 21. No one has so far claimed responsibility.

On January 15, 2016, 30 people -- including six Canadians and five Europeans -- were killed in a jihadist attack on a hotel and restaurant in the city centre.

A February 21 attack near the border with Niger left two French soldiers dead and a third injured in an area which is believed to shelter jihadists.

Koalaga said Burkinabe authorities had failed to address the threat, and now are trying "to deflect attention by accusing officials from the old regime" -- a reference to Blaise Compaore, ousted in 2014 in a popular uprising after 27 years of iron-fisted rule.

- Soldiers involved? -

Burkinabe authorities say some disgruntled soldiers may have been involved in the latest attacks

"There are jihadist sleeper cells in African capitals and the radicalisation of youths is spreading, especially in the poor suburbs of Ouagadougou which have very high unemployment rates," he said.

Sources in Ougagadougou said that the attackers were almost all from Burkina Faso.

Eight assailants and eight soldiers were killed and 85 people were injured, according to an updated government toll issued on Tuesday.

Sixty-one of the injured were soldiers and 24 were civilians -- the first time that civilian casualties have been mentioned..

"Burkina Faso's intelligence system fell apart after the fall of Blaise Compaore", Koalaga said.

"In Burkina Faso, the intelligence system did not rest on an institution but on the shoulders of one man, General Gilbert Diendere," said Rinaldo Depagne, a West Africa expert from the International Crisis Group.

Diendere, Compaore's right-hand man, is currently being held and tried for a failed coup in 2015 aimed at bringing his boss back to power.

Depagne said he did not rule out the possibility of some soldiers being involved in the latest attack, an accusation levelled by some Burkinabe authorities.

"We know that some of the 566 soldiers sacked after the (anti-Compaore) riots of 2011 have joined jihadist groups," he said, adding that the dissolution of an ultra-loyalist presidential praetorian guard had fuelled "lots of frustration among soldiers."

The latest attack shows that the militants are changing tack and now targeting troops instead of civilians, said Nicolas Desgrais from the University of Kent in southeastern England, who is an expert on security issues in West Africa.

Depagne said extremist violence in the region had flared since France and Mali launched a crackdown on the jihadist Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) in Mali's vast lawless desert north.

Koalaga said the GSIM, which claimed Friday's attacks in ouagadougou, staged a revenge strike in Burkina Faso because it was vulnerable.

GSIM said it was a response to the deaths of some of its leaders in a French army raid in northern Mali in February in which 20 jihadists were either killed or captured, according to French military sources.

Depagne, for his part, suggested Ouagadougou would have to negotiate with jihadist groups or risk an "interminable war, as in Somalia which has lasted for 27 years."The rubble left by air strikes in rebel-held Atareb in northern Syria in November last year

Russian forces were behind a deadly strike on a crowded market in Syria late last year, UN investigators said Tuesday, warning that the attack could amount to a "war crime".

The air strikes on a market in rebel-held Atareb in northern Syria last November 13 killed at least 84 people, including five children, and injured around 150 others, the UN Commission of Inquiry on human rights in Syria said in its latest report.

"The commission confirmed the use of unguided blast weapons by Russian aircraft in a civilian populated area," commission chief Paulo Pinheiro told reporters in Geneva.

He pointed to a "large body of evidence", including interviews with witnesses and forensic analysis of photos, videos and images of weapons remnants, satellite images and impact analysis, to support the commission's findings.

The war crimes investigators acknowledged there was "no evidence to indicate that the ... attack deliberately targeted civilians or the Atareb market."

But they stressed that "the use of unguided bombs, including blast weapons, in a densely civilian populated area may amount to the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks."

The UN's Syria commission, set up in 2011 shortly after the civil war began, has repeatedly accused the various sides of war crimes and in some cases crimes against humanity.

- Coalition strike killed 150 -

In their 15th report, published Tuesday, the investigators also accused a US-led coalition of breaching international humanitarian law with a deadly strike a year ago on a school near the Islamic State group's former stronghold of Raqa.

In that case however, they stopped short of evoking war crimes.

The coalition air raid last March 21, which hit a school being used as a temporary shelter for displaced families, killed at least 150 people, including more than 20 children.

The coalition claimed it was targeting IS jihadists, saying it believed there had been 30 fighters in the school, but Tuesday's report stressed there was no evidence that was the case.

"Information gathered by the commission does not support the claim that 30 ISIL fighters were in the school at the time of the strike, nor that the school was otherwise being used by ISIL," the report said, using another acronym for IS.

On the other hand, the investigators said "information that residents of the school were internally displaced families, including a large number of women and children ... should have been readily available to the coalition's targeting team."

The report therefore concluded that the coalition had "failed to take all feasible precautions to avoid or minimise incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects, in violation of international humanitarian law."

It also slammed the "increasingly cynical" warfare used in the besieged rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta, with Pinheiro accusing Damascus of "using starvation as a method of warfare" against the some 400,000 people trapped inside.

The investigators also spoke of allegations of chemical weapons use in the enclave, saying they had "reasonable grounds to believe that government forces used chemical weapons" in an attack on Harasta on November 18.

More than 340,000 people have been killed and millions driven from their homes in Syria's seven-year war, with no diplomatic solution in sight.US President Donald Trump's moves on steel and aluminum tariffs watched have exposed divisions in his economic team

President Donald Trump's sudden announcement last week of sweeping US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports has exposed a profound ideological rift among his top advisers.

Here are the main players in the White House battle over trade policy:

- Gary Cohn -

Trump's chief economic adviser Gary Cohn lobbied against tariffs on steel and aluminum

Derided by Trump's far right supporters as "Globalist Gary," Cohn is the director of the National Economic Council and represents the Wall Street wing of Trump's economic team.

A former president of investment bank Goldman Sachs, he reportedly threatened to resign if Trump presses ahead with the steel and aluminum tariffs, which are supposed to be formally imposed later this week or early next.

Cohn hasn't given up the fight yet, however. He reportedly bringing in representatives from auto and can manufacturers and the oil industry talk to Trump on Thursday about the impact of tariffs on their industries.

Cohn was a major booster of the president's sweeping December tax cuts, but is out of synch with much of the president's America First message and political base of support.

His free trade position enjoys support among Republican leaders, however, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, who also is working to head off the tariffs.

"We are extremely worried about the consequences of a trade war and are urging the White House to not advance with this plan," said AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan.

But Trump last week rejected the concern that tariffs would hurt the economy by raising prices, telling Cohn, "that's not the real world," according to CNBC.

- Peter Navarro, senior aide -

One of the rare economists to support Trump's trade policies, Navarro was at Trump's side last week when he announced the new aluminum and steel tariffs before industry executives at the White House.

Trump, who surprised his own staff with the announcement, then doubled down by tweeting that intends to impose "reciprocal taxes" on countries that impose duties on US exports.

Navarro gained prominence with his 2011 book with Greg Autry, "Death by China," which reportedly drew the attention of Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Navarro argues that China reaps huge trade surpluses at US expense through illegal subsidies and currency manipulation -- charges he also levels at Germany.

Navarro was put under Cohn's authority in a shakeup last year, but Trump has reportedly decided to promote the Harvard-trained economist to assistant to the president, marking the ascendancy of the trade hawks.

Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, blames Navarro for Trump's increasingly protectionist stance, The Washington Post reported.

"I think it would be a tragedy if they continue on the course that was announced," Hatch said.

"I think he's had some very bad advice," he told reporters.

- Wilbur Ross, Commerce Secretary -

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is a driving force behind the imposition of tariffs, arguing that US steel and aluminum industries need protection as a matter of national security

Unlike Trump's secretaries of state and defense, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross supports and has become the public face of the president's confrontational trade policy.

A former banker, Ross has also overseen a buildup of trade investigations into alleged dumping of products at artificially low prices and unfair subsides.

Ross brandished cans of Budweiser, Campbell's soup and Coca-Cola on television last week to argue that any price rises from the tariffs would be negligible. The three companies oppose the tariffs as do can manufacturers and other businesses that rely on metals.

"I think this is scare tactics by the people who want the status quo, who've given away jobs in this country, who've left us with this enormous trade deficit and one that's growing," Ross told CNBC.

Many economists disagree, warning that the a retaliatory spiral would have serious repercussions on the global economy.

- Robert Lighthizer, US Trade Representative -

A long-time Washington trade attorney and China critic, Lighthizer previously served as deputy US Trade Representative under President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. He points to Reagan's moves to protect American industry with tariffs and quotas on steel, autos and semiconductors as a model.

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer meets with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and Mexican Economy Minister Idelfonso Guajardo after the seventh round of NAFTA renegotiation talks

Lighthizer is leading Trump's efforts to renegotiate NAFTA. The talks have at times been acrimonious, with Canadian and Mexican officials flatly rejecting Washington's demands including raising US content requirements for automobiles.

In a report in January, Lighthizer made the administration's case that China should not belong in the World Trade Organization because it refuses to play by the trade body's rules.

He said "the global trading system is threatened by major economies who do not intend to open their markets to trade and participate fairly."Netanyahu, who faces an intensifying corruption probe at home delivered a hawkish speech to the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) a day after talks with President Donald Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took a break from his legal woes Tuesday to denounce the "radical tyranny" of Iran in a hawkish address before a pro-Israel lobby group in Washington.

Netanyahu, who faces an intensifying corruption probe at home, was among friends in the US capital, where he delivered a speech to the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) a day after talks with President Donald Trump.

He thanked Trump for his vow to tear up the 2015 Iran nuclear deal if it is not strengthened to prevent Tehran from resuming its alleged quest for atomic weapons, and said Israel and its Arab neighbors would back such a move.

To bolster his case he presented an ominous map with the countries of the Middle East that he accuses Iran of seeking to dominate -- such as war-torn Syria and Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq and Gaza -- colored in black.

"Darkness is descending on our region. Iran is building an aggressive empire," he declared, accusing Tehran of exploiting its role supporting Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war to set up permanent bases on Israel's border.

"The force behind so much of what is bad is this radical tyranny in Iran. I have a message for you today, it's a very simple one: we must stop Iran, we will stop Iran," he said.

Trump has withdrawn Washington's endorsement of the landmark 2015 Iran deal, which America's European allies continue to regard as essential to restrain Tehran's path to nuclear breakout capacity.

Iran insists it never intended to build a nuclear weapon, but has warned it could rapidly restore its capacity if the United States breaches the deal by restoring crippling economic sanctions.

Israel and Trump see the deal's time limits as tantamount to providing Tehran with a path to the bomb, and argue that Iran has not moderated its behavior, but instead is playing an ever more dangerous game in its region.

Netanyahu used his AIPAC speech to argue that Washington and Israel would not be alone when they choose to confront Iran, saying many Arab countries would side with the Jewish state over their common enemy.

"Most of the states in our region know, they know very well, believe me, that Israel is not their enemy but their indispensable ally in confronting our common challenges and seizing our common opportunities," he said.

"That is true for Egypt and Jordan, Israel's long time peace partners, but it is also true for many other Arab countries in the Middle East."US President Donald Trump hailed "possible progress" on the North Korea nuclear impasse after Seoul announced Pyongyang was willing to discuss giving up its nuclear weapons for American security guarantees

President Donald Trump hailed "possible progress" in breaking a nuclear deadlock with North Korea Tuesday, after Pyongyang floated the idea of abandoning its weapons in return for a US security guarantee.

"Possible progress being made in talks with North Korea," the US commander-in-chief tweeted, in a first cautious response to the overture transmitted through US ally South Korea.

"For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned," Trump tweeted after a South Korean envoy returned from a landmark meeting in the North with Kim Jong Un.

"The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!" Trump said, keeping options open.

South Korea's national security advisor Chung Eui-yong announced the potential breakthrough, as well as plans for a landmark summit between North and South Korean leaders in the Demilitarized Zone this April.

In return for a security guarantee -- likely a US promise not to attack or overthrow the Kim regime -- Chung said that the North was willing to suspend and ultimately abandon nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

- 'A big deal' -

The United States believes North Korea is testing, and could soon complete, an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering an advanced nuclear device to the continental United States.

That ominous technological breakthrough would put cities like Los Angeles and even New York in striking distance of a unpredictable and hostile regime, something that is unthinkable to many security officials in Washington.

In response, Trump has mounted a campaign of "maximum pressure" on Pyongyang, introducing biting sanctions and keeping open the option of preemptive strikes.

The Korean peninsula

The offer of talks is a tantalizing one for Washington, offering a possible off ramp for the road to an inevitably bloody war. But is also fraught with risks.

"It's a big deal," Jung Pak, a former CIA analyst told AFP. It is the first time in Kim Jong Un's seven-year-rule that he has countenanced the prospect of giving up weapons, she said.

But while this is a new gambit for Kim, it is not new for the North Korean regime.

On multiple occasions his father Kim Jong Il dangled the prospect of talks and denuclearization as a means of buying time and dividing South Korea from its allies.

"It could be that 'maximum pressure' is working and (Kim) wants to loosen sanctions, there might be domestic drivers, there could be rumblings among the elite," she said.

"It is probably a gambit to try and lure South Korea away from the West. It's also related to creating this international prestige for Kim Jong Un," she added.

"We just have to be very clear eyed that we've been down this road before," said Pak.

The US is certain to look for further evidence that North Korea is serious about mothballing weapons, including possible international inspections of nuclear and missile programs.

Trump will also have to decide whether to go ahead with "Foal Eagle" a major military exercise between South Korea and the United States that is scheduled around the same time as the Korean summit.

According to a senior official at the South's presidential office, Kim said during Monday's meeting he would "understand" if the South goes ahead with the delayed exercises that usually infuriate Pyongyang.A sign that reads "Warning - Route for Wild Elephants" is pictured near Bangladesh's Balukhali camp for Rohingya refugees on October 14, 2017

Elephants searching for food have trampled 10 Rohingya refugees to death in multiple incidents, the UN said Tuesday, announcing a new plan to foster "safe coexistence" between animals and sprawling refugee settlements.

Some 700,000 people from Myanmar's Rohingya community have fled over the border to Bangladesh since August, following an army crackdown that the UN has said amounts to an ongoing campaign of "ethnic cleansing".

Refugee camps have shot up in Bangladesh's border area of Cox's Bazar, including Kutupalong which is now the largest refugee camp in the world.

Living conditions for refugees remain extremely difficult despite a growing international response, but the United Nations refugee agency said the threat from elephants had emerged as a new concern.

"The area now occupied by the Kutupalong refugee settlement has long been an important habitat for Asian Elephants. There are about 40 elephants in the area and they move between Bangladesh and Myanmar in search of food," the Geneva-based agency said in a statement.

"When wild elephants attempt to pass through the camp they inevitably come into contact with people, which is where the danger arises.

"Tragically 10 refugees have been killed by frightened elephants inside the settlements. Other people have been injured and lost the little property they had," the statement further said.

UNHCR announced it had formed a partnership with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which has experience in Bangladesh helping people live alongside wild elephants.

The plan includes trainers who can teach refugees how to respond when an elephant approaches, including by detering it from entering the camp.

Myanmar and Bangladesh have announced provisional plans for the Rohingya -- a mostly Muslim ethnic group -- to return home to Myanmar's northern Rakhine state.

But rights groups and the UN have warned that conditions for their return are not close to being in place.Yemeni fighters loyal to the government backed by the Saudi-led coalition ride in the back of a pickup truck during their the offensive in the Mesini Valley in the vast province of Hadramawt in February 2018

British Prime Minister Theresa May will "raise deep concerns at the humanitarian situation" in war-torn Yemen with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to Britain beginning Wednesday, according to her spokesman.

"(May) will acknowledge the steps taken recently by Saudi Arabia to address the crisis but stress the importance of full and unfettered humanitarian and commercial access, including through the ports," he said Tuesday.

"She will also reiterate how seriously we take allegations of violation against international humanitarian law and emphasise the need to ensure these are investigated swiftly and thoroughly."

The spokesman added the prime minister would "make clear that we urgently need to see progress on the political track... to end the conflict and humanitarian suffering in Yemen."

Britain is rolling out the red carpet for the crown prince's controversial three-day visit, which Downing Street hopes "will usher in a new era in bilateral relations" but is also expected to draw protests.

Salman will lunch Wednesday with the Queen at Buckingham Palace, while Prince Charles will host him at a dinner with Prince William among the guests.

The crown prince will jointly host with May the inaugural UK-Saudi strategic partnership council in No. 10, the prime minister's office and residence.

The summit, attended by ministers from both countries, will focus on support for reforms in Saudi Arabia, trade relations, defence and security, according to Downing Street.

"An important part of the visit will be exploring ways we can support Saudi to progress and intensify these reforms," May's spokesman said, noting the enacted or proposed lifting of bans on women in sports, going to cinemas and being able to drive in the kingdom.

Protest group Stop the War will hold a rally outside Downing Street at 5.00pm (1700 GMT) on Wednesday to denounce Saudi Arabia's "brutal and illegal bombing" in Yemen and London's support for the Middle Eastern regime.

Meanwhile NGO Save the Children will also protest the conflict by placing a life-size statue of a child near parliament "to draw attention to the violence that is being fuelled, in part, by British-made bombs".

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister defended his country's "just" war in Yemen on the eve of the crown prince's visit, which follows a trip to Egypt earlier in the week and comes ahead of a visit to the United States later in March.

"They criticise us for a war in Yemen that we did not want, that was imposed on us," Adel Al-Jubeir told BBC radio.

"They criticise us for a war in Yemen that is a just war, that is supported by international law," he added.Burkinabe soldiers patrol the army's headquarters in Ouagadougou on March 3, 2018

Eight soldiers were killed and 61 injured, as well as 24 civilians, in last week's twin attacks in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou, the authorities said Tuesday, adding that eight jihadist assailants also died.

The previous official toll from Friday's twin assault on the country's military headquarters and the French embassy had been seven soldiers and nine attackers dead, and there was no mention of any civilian casualties.

"The confusion (over the number of dead) stemmed from a body that was found on the site" of the attacks, public prosecutor Faso Maiza Sereme told a press conference.

"After further tests and checks, it proved to be one of our soldiers," she said.

The authorities had previously said around 80 were injured, but not mentioned any civilians among these casualties.

Eight people have been arrested, including two soldiers and a former soldier who had been thrown out of the armed forces, Sereme said.

"Complicity cannot be ruled out" in the attack against the military HQ, she said. Other sources have previously suggested that the attackers had had inside information from within the armed forces.

Government and security sources, speaking in the wake of the attack, said two men were in custody, one of whom could be a mastermind of the operation, which has been claimed by a jihadist group called the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM).

Sereme said the attackers were young, all aged below 25, wore or had on them white headbands bearing allegiance to Prophet Mohammed, and either spoke the local language Bambara or Arabic. None of them have been identified so far.

She said the first attack took place outside the French embassy at 10 am when three men travelling in a car whipped out Kalashnikov assault rifles and opened fire, killing a Burkinabe security guard stationed outside the building.

However, they failed to enter the complex.

Minutes later, four others -- two travelling on a motorbike and the two others in a car -- attacked the army headquarters with Kalashnikovs and grenades.

Three of them entered the building while the driver staged a suicide attack with the car, which was packed with explosives.

The attack on the military headquarters, said sources, appears to have been aimed at a scheduled meeting of the so-called G5 Sahel -- a French-backed group of five countries fighting jihadism in the volatile Saharan region.

The room in the complex where the meeting was to have taken place was wrecked by the car bomb -- however, the venue was swapped at the last minute, which prevented carnage.

GSIM said the attack was a response to the deaths of some of its leaders in a French army raid in northern Mali in February in which 20 jihadists were either killed or captured, according to French military sources.For decades, The Gambia has built a reputation as a haven for tourists willing to pay for sun, sand, sea... and sex. But its tourism board has ambitious plans to give this tiny west African nation a makeover

The Gambia Tuesday apologised to Thailand after its foreign minister said the Asian country was a haven for sex tourists, sparking a strongly worded protest from Bangkok.

Hamat Bah said on state television in January that The Gambia, a sunny beach destination favoured by Western tourists especially from Scandinavia, was losing out to the nearby archipelago nation of Cape Verde after gaining a reputation as a sex haven.

"The fact is that this countrys image has been battered heavily... I was trying to find out why we are not getting Scandinavian tourists anymore, and I discovered that this country has been considered a sex destination," he had said.

"We are not a sex destination. If you want a sex destination, you go to Thailand," he added.

The Thai government last week lodged a formal protest in a strongly worded letter.

Its Culture Minister Veera Rojpojchanarat separately said sex tourism had declined due to measures taken by the government.

"Thailand has improved a lot in this issue. After the ministry of culture worked on promoting morality, this issue has improved a lot," Veera told reporters, according to Thai media.

A Gambian foreign ministry statement Tuesday said it "regrets the unfortunate comments made by the Minister of Tourism and Culture."

It said "measures will be put in place to prevent the occurrence of such an unfortunate incident," adding that the minister's comments should not be "construed as a reflection of the government's view on the tourism sector of Thailand."Members of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Women's Protection Units (YPJ) attend the funeral of Syrian Democratic Forces fighters killed in combat against the Islamic State group

Hundreds of miles away from family and friends facing an attack by Turkey, Kurdish and Arab forces deployed in the eastern Syrian desert against jihadists have become increasingly frustrated.

Six weeks into the Turkey-led assault on the Kurdish enclave of Afrin, young men and women are leaving the fight against the Islamic State group in droves to head west to help.

Kurdish militia have formed the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance that has successfully expelled IS from much of Syria with the backing of a US-led military coalition.

But as news of the battle in Afrin reaches them, the fighters have become reluctant to hunt down jihadists in their last hideouts in Deir Ezzor province.

"We're preparing to head to Afrin," SDF fighter Roshavam Qamishlo told AFP on Saturday. The enclave "needs us now more than ever".

He spoke at the funeral of three comrades-in-arms in the northeastern town of Qamishli, where dozens came to pay their respects to those killed in Deir Ezzor.

"They should have died in Afrin," he said, as their coffins were displayed in the middle of the crowd, draped in the Kurdish colours of yellow, red and green.

Arab fighters, too, have opted to ditch battlefronts against IS to shore up lines of defence in Afrin.

On Tuesday, SDF commander Abu Omar al-Idlibi said 1,700 of his fighters -- mostly Arabs from northern Syria whose families had sought refuge in Afrin -- would be sent to defend the enclave in the coming week.

- 'All want to go' -

Afrin, which is controlled by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, is one of three regions Syria's Kurds hope will be part of a self-ruled federal region in the country's north.

Turkey sees the YPG as a "terrorist" group and has bombarded the region with air strikes and artillery fire since January 20.

More than 170 civilians have died in the assault, says the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor.

Members of the Syrian Democratic Forces gather to listen to an announcement from their commander in Raqa on March 6, 2018

Ankara however denies the claim and says it takes the "utmost care" to avoid civilian casualties.

The offensive has prompted a call-to-arms for the YPG and SDF, and one senior SDF official says "hundreds of fighters from Afrin and who have relatives there have returned to defend" their people.

As a result, the US-led coalition declared an "operational pause" to its anti-IS fight in eastern Syria on Monday.

US and coalition officials have said they will not get involved in the Afrin fighting and expressed concern it would detract from the SDF's operations against IS.

In addition to reinforcements from IS battlefronts, other fighters have streamed into Afrin from Qamishli, Hasakeh in the northeast and Kobane further west, says Rezan Hedo, an adviser to the YPG in Afrin.

Others even travelled from the Kurdish neighbourhood of Sheikh Maqsud in the northern city of Aleppo, Hedo tells AFP.

In Qamishli, another fighter who gave his nom de guerre as Nushin Qamishlo said he would also join the fight on the Turkish border.

"We all want to go," said the 25-year-old, who sported a thick beard and whose head was wrapped in a bright blue scarf.

- 'A fair solution' -

"We're highly capable and will take on the Turks even without the coalition's help."

Fighter Al-Ashqar Nuseen feared losing Afrin could be a huge blow to his long-awaited dreams of a federal Syrian Kurdish region.

"We will defend Afrin with all our might, taking on the Turks like we did Daesh," he said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

Ali Omar, 65, a Syrian Kurdish bystander at the funeral in Qamishli, said he supported the Kurdish fighters withdrawing from Deir Ezzor.

Kurds fear losing Afrin could be a huge blow to their long-awaited dreams of a federal Syrian Kurdish region

"When it's our interests, our people, our villages and our towns that are threatened, we're forced to leave everything and head to defend our homeland," he said.

But he questioned why the US-led coalition, which the Kurds have aided in its fight against IS in Syria, had not intervened to help the Kurds in Afrin.

"Why are we helping you in Deir Ezzor and other places, and you don't help us in Afrin?"

Without help from any outside power, Syria's Kurds have found themselves in the awkward position of having to ask for support from the Damascus regime.

Since last month, pro-regime fighters have been deployed alongside Kurdish fighters in Afrin on several fronts.

Abdel Salam Ahmad, a high-ranking official of the Kurdish Democratic Society Movement, said Syria's Kurds have lost faith in the international community.

"This region will not find stability until a fair solution is found for the Kurdish people," he said.South African authorities raided Gupta properties in Johannesburg, in February 2018, in the ongoing investigation into the graft scandal

Indian tax officials Tuesday raided several properties belonging to the Gupta brothers over alleged money laundering, officials said, as the politically-connected business family faces a massive corruption scandal in South Africa.

Inspectors from the tax department, aided by armed policemen, raided nearly a dozen Gupta properties in their hometown of Saharanpur, the northern city of Dehradun and their company offices in the Indian capital.

The India-born Guptas, one of wealthiest business families in South Africa, are being probed over corruption charges by the African nation and their links to former president Jacob Zuma, who stepped down after multiple graft scandals.

A spokesperson for the Indian Tax Department in New Delhi confirmed to AFP that properties in the three cities were raided but declined to confirm whether the crackdown was linked to the scandal in South Africa.

A second tax official in their home state Uttar Pradesh told AFP that they were acting on information that the brothers were bringing money illegally into India and violating tax laws.

"The raids were carried out today (Tuesday) after we received information that they were violating tax laws and were involved in money laundering," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The Gupta brothers -- Atul, Ajay and Rajesh -- moved to South Africa in 1993 from their hometown Saharanpur, where they are revered and enjoy massive popularity owing to their meteoric success and wealth.

The Guptas are building a massive temple at a cost $15 million on a prime seven-acre piece of land in their hometown.

Local media reports linked the raids to the source of the funding for construction of the temple.

Last month, South African authorities raided Gupta properties in Johannesburg in the ongoing investigation into the graft scandal.

Atul was declared a "fugitive from justice" by police after he did not respond to a summons.

Thirteen people are facing charges linked to allegations that millions of dollars of public money meant for poor South African dairy farmers was siphoned off by the Guptas.

They are also accused of receiving hugely favourable government deals during Zuma's presidency.Moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is a "in accordance" with Guatemala's foreign policy toward Israel, Foreign Minister Sandra Jovel said

Guatemalan Foreign Minister Sandra Jovel defended Tuesday her country's "sovereign" decision to relocate its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

"We are doing the right thing in accordance with the foreign policy that Guatemala has had toward Israel over the past 70 years," Jovel said at a press conference.

The controversial move is "a sovereign decision of Guatemalan foreign policy," she said.

President Jimmy Morales told a cheering crowd at the annual meeting of the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) lobby in Washington on Sunday that Guatemala's mission would be moved "two days after the United States moves its embassy" to Jerusalem.

The White House plans to open its new facility in Jerusalem on May 14, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of Israel's creation. Guatemala's embassy would therefore move on May 16.

Trump's decision in December to transfer the US embassy to the disputed city has drawn widespread condemnation, with critics saying it damages hopes for a negotiated Middle East peace.

Morales quickly followed Trump, making Guatemala the first country to do so.

Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians see the eastern sector as the capital of their future state.

The international consensus has long been that the city's status should be settled as part of a two-state peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

Only seven small countries -- including Guatemala and Honduras -- sided with the United States and Israel on a non-binding December 21 UN General Assembly resolution rejecting Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Jovel said that she "respects the opinion" of countries opposing Guatemala's decision.

Last week, a Guatemalan court rejected the request from a local lawyer to halt the move, arguing that it broke international law.BlackBerry has sued Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, arguing that the companies copied technology and features from its BlackBerry Messenger service.

The firm is claiming infringement on patents it holds for message encryption and notifications, and is seeking damages for lost profits, although no figure was given.

Facebook, which owns both Instagram and WhatsApp, has said it 'intends to fight' the lawsuit.

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Blackberry claims Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook stole some of its patented ideas, including those for messaging encryption and notifications

Litigation over patent infringement is part of BlackBerry Chief Executive John Chen's strategy for making money for the company, which has lost much of its share in the smartphone market it once dominated.

'Defendants created mobile messaging applications that co-opt BlackBerry's innovations, using a number of the innovative security, user interface, and functionality enhancing features,' BlackBerry, based in Waterloo, Canada, said in a filing with a Los Angeles federal court on Tuesday.

'Protecting shareholder assets and intellectual property is the job of every CEO,' BlackBerry spokesperson Sarah McKinney said in an email.

She noted that litigation was 'not central to BlackBerry's strategy.'

The lawsuit followed years of negotiation and BlackBerry has an obligation to shareholders to pursue appropriate legal remedies, she added.

Facebook Deputy General Counsel Paul Grewal said in a statement that the company intended to fight the lawsuit.

'Blackberry's suit sadly reflects the current state of its messaging business,' Mr Grewal said.

'Having abandoned its efforts to innovate, Blackberry is now looking to tax the innovation of others. We intend to fight.'

BlackBerry has sued Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, arguing that the companies copied technology and features from its BlackBerry Messenger service

Blackberry Messenger, also known as BBM, was an internet-based instant messaging service launched by Blackberry in 2005.

BBM was widely popular in the late 2000s before it started to lose out to rivals like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Facebook has infringed upon Blackberry patents covering the service's message encryption, message notifications, and combining messaging with gaming, according to the lawsuit.

Blackberry also claims Facebook's integration of its services draws upon ideas patented by the Canadian firm.

For example, Facebook allows for cross-platform notifications and for Instagram users to share Stories directly to Facebook, features Blackberry says are based on its patented technology.

Blackberry is claiming infringement on patents it holds for message encryption and notifications. Facebook, which owns both Instagram and WhatsApp, has said it 'intends to fight' the lawsuit (stock image)

WHY IS BLACKBERRY SUING FACEBOOK? BlackBerry has sued Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, claiming the firms copied technology and features from its BlackBerry Messenger service. Blackberry Messenger, also known as BBM, was an internet-based instant messaging service launched by Blackberry in 2005. BBM was widely popular in the late 2000s before it started to lose out to rivals like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Blackberry says Facebook and its wholly owned services are 'relative latecomers to the mobile messaging world.' Facebook has infringed upon Blackberry patents covering message encryption, battery and message notifications, and combining messaging with gaming, according to the new lawsuit. Blackberry Messenger, also known as BBM, was an internet-based instant messaging service launched by Blackberry in 2005 (stock) Blackberry also claims Facebook's integration of its services draws upon ideas patented by the Canadian firm. For example, Facebook allows for cross-platform notifications and for Instagram users to share Stories directly to Facebook, features Blackberry says are based on its patented technology. Litigation over patent infringement is part of BlackBerry Chief Executive John Chen's strategy for making money for the company, which has lost much of its share in the smartphone market it once dominated. BlackBerry is trying to persuade several other companies to pay licensing royalties to use its trove of more than 40,000 global patents on technology. These include operating systems, networking infrastructure, acoustics, messaging, automotive subsystems, cybersecurity and wireless communications. Advertisement

It says Facebook and its wholly owned services are 'relative latecomers to the mobile messaging world.'

BlackBerry is trying to persuade other companies to pay licensing royalties to use its trove of more than 40,000 global patents on technology.

These include patents for operating systems, networking infrastructure, acoustics, messaging, automotive subsystems, cybersecurity and wireless communications.

BlackBerry is also selling cybersecurity software for self driving cars.

The company sued Nokia Corp in February 2017, alleging infringement of patents relating to 3G and 4G wireless communications technology.

That case is still pending in federal court in Delaware.

Last year Qualcomm Inc agreed to pay BlackBerry 677 million ($940 million) to resolve arbitration over royalty payments.

In October 2017 BlackBerry announced a confidential settlement with Blu Products Inc, a Florida-based maker of low-cost mobile devices it had also sued for patent infringement.A picture taken on March 6, 2018 in Jerusalem shows an auctioneer holding up a letter by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein dated 1928 concerning the formalisation of the "Third Stage of the Theory of Relativity" that sold for $103,700

A letter penned by legendary physicist Albert Einstein discussing one of his groundbreaking theories sold in Jerusalem Tuesday for over $100,000 as part of trove of documents that went under the hammer.

The handwritten missive, sent in 1928 by Einstein from Berlin to a mathematician about the formalisation of the "Third Stage of the Theory of Relativity", was snapped up by an anonymous buyer for $103,700 (83,600 euros).

The letter was written during one of the "most exciting, feverish periods of Einstein's scientific career" as he worked to hammer out one of the major scientific breakthroughs of the last century, auction house Winner's said.

It included a second note jotted by Einstein on the back of the envelope refining his thinking.

The sum -- while large -- pales in comparison to the $1.56 million that one purchaser paid for a letter from Einstein on the secret of happiness at a Jerusalem auction in October after it was initially valued at some $8,000.

Among Tuesday's other lots were letters and photographs relating to the winner of the 1921 Nobel Prize in physics that also sold for several thousand dollars.

Winner's boss Gal Wiener told AFP that the trove "reveals the complex character of the great scientist".

German-born Einstein served as a non-resident governor of Jerusalem's Hebrew University up to his death.The US opioid epidemic is accelerating, with hospital emergency room visits for overdoses from drugs like heroin, fentanyl and prescription painkillers up 30 percent from 2016 to 2017, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The US opioid epidemic is accelerating, with hospital emergency room visits for overdoses from drugs like heroin, fentanyl and prescription painkillers up 30 percent from 2016 to 2017, US officials said Tuesday.

Substantial increases in overdoses were seen nationwide, said the report released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Long before we receive data from death certificates, emergency department data can point to alarming increases in opioid overdoses," said CDC acting director Anne Schuchat.

"This fast-moving epidemic affects both men and women, and people of every age. It does not respect state or county lines and is still increasing in every region in the United States."

The report found that from July 2016 to September 2017, a total of 142,557 emergency room visits were due to suspected opioid overdoses.

Comparing the third quarter of 2016 to the third quarter of 2017, researchers found a 29.7 percent jump in ER visits due to opioids.

"Opioid overdoses increased for men and women, all age groups, and all regions," said the report.

The largest increase was in the Midwest region (69.7 percent), followed by the West (40.3 percent).

The report did not go into whether opioid deaths also rose during the same period studied, since death certificate data can take longer to gather.

However, 63,632 people died of drug overdose deaths in 2016 in the United States, a 21.4 percent increase from 2015, the CDC said.

Nearly two thirds of drug overdose deaths in 2016 involved prescription opioids, illicit opioids, or both, an increase of 27.7 percent from 2015.US President Donald Trump said he believes North Korea's offer to hold denuclearization talks is 'sincere'

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he believes that North Korea's offer to hold denuclearization talks is "sincere."

"I believe they are sincere," Trump told reporters after Pyongyang floated the idea of giving up its nuclear weapons in return for US security guarantees.

"I hope they're sincere," the president said at a joint news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven. "We'll soon find out."

Trump credited "very, very strong" sanctions and the "big help" of China for North Korea's offer to enter into talks.

"I think they're sincere also because of the sanctions and what we're doing with respect to North Korea," Trump said.

"(China) can do more but I think they've done more than they've ever done for our country before," he said.Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says his city is engaged in a "legal fight to end irresponsible practices" and hold companies that oversupply addictive painkillers "accountable for their deceptive actions"

Officials in Chicago said Tuesday that they filed a lawsuit against three major opioid drug distributors, accusing them of fueling an often deadly addiction epidemic that has hit the city and the country hard.

The federal lawsuit targets AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation, Cardinal Health, and the McKesson Corporation, which account for approximately 90 percent of revenues from prescription drug distribution in the United States.

An estimated 180 people die each day from opioid drug overdose in the United States, according to US Department of Justice figures.

"The oversupply of these highly potent and highly addictive painkillers has led to a dramatic rise in drug addiction and overdose in communities across the nation," said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Chicago was the first city to sue opioid manufacturers in 2014, accusing them of misrepresenting the risks and benefits of the drugs.

"Chicago is continuing our legal fight to end irresponsible practices and hold companies accountable for their deceptive actions," Emanuel said.

In its latest lawsuit, filed late Monday, Chicago accused drug distribution companies of "flooding" communities with highly-addictive narcotic painkillers "without conducting the due diligence required by law to prevent the diversion of opioids to an illicit market."

- 'Defies common sense' -

The trade group Healthcare Distribution Alliance was blunt in its pushback, accusing Chicago officials of misunderstanding how the industry works.

"Given our role, the idea that distributors are responsible for the number of opioid prescriptions written defies common sense," John Parker, the organization's senior vice president, said in a statement.

The McKesson Corporation said it works closely with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to track controlled substances.

"McKesson only distributes opioid medications to pharmacies that are DEA-registered and state-licensed, and we only distribute in response to orders that pharmacies place - we do not drive demand," a company statement said.

The other two companies in the lawsuit did not immediately return requests for comment.

The overprescribing of pain medications has led millions of Americans to grow dependant on opioid drugs -- as well as an explosion of fatal overdoses.

Many addicts have resorted to heroin when their opioid drug prescriptions run out, and can't buy them on the black market or through unscrupulous healthcare providers.

The lawsuit comes a week after the US Justice Department announced a new federal task force targeting prescription drug makers and distributors, in a stepped up effort to combat the opioid crisis.Mexican workers disguised as President Donald Trump protest against his economic policies in late February in Mexico City

Mexico threatened Tuesday to retaliate against President Donald Trump's planned steel and aluminum tariffs by hitting the most "politically sensitive" US exports with tariffs of its own, the latest signal of a brewing trade war.

Speaking a day after Trump shot down Mexican and Canadian proposals that the neighboring nations be granted an exemption from the steep US tariffs, Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said Mexico was prepared to fight back.

"We would have to target our response at the things they export that are most politically sensitive and hit exactly those goods. We have the ability to respond," he told Mexican broadcaster Televisa.

He said the Mexican government was currently analyzing which US exports it would tax.

"We won't be making that public until we see exactly what (the Americans) are going to do," he said.

A top Mexican strategist said such tariffs could target exports from states that voted for Trump in 2016, and which he would need to win to secure re-election in 2020.

"The key is to get down to details on what's going to affect Michigan, what's going to affect Wisconsin, what is Ohio going to do, how will Iowa or Nebraska react," said Moises Kalach, the head of the strategic council for international business at Mexico's Business Coordinating Council.

"We can say to a given governor, this company exports 90 percent of its production to Mexico, and it's going to be affected," he told Televisa.

The escalating row comes as Canada, Mexico and the United States renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that has linked their economies since 1994, and which Trump has called the worst deal his country has ever signed.

On Monday, Trump moved to hold the trade talks hostage to the tariffs, tweeting: "Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum will only come off if new & fair NAFTA agreement is signed."

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin sought to clarify the administration's stance in testimony before a congressional committee.

With Canada and Mexico, "our objective is to have a new NAFTA and once we do that -- which I'm cautiously optimistic on -- the tariffs won't apply to them," he said.

However, with the tariffs due out this week and the latest round of NAFTA talks ending Monday with no agreement imminent, the two countries will face tariffs on their metals exports at least for some time.

- Backlash at home, abroad -

Trump sparked global outrage last week by announcing he would impose tariffs of 25 percent on all imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum to protect domestic industries, citing a rarely invoked national security section of US trade law.

Canada, the top source of steel to the US market, has already vowed to take "appropriate, responsive measures" if the Trump administration goes ahead with the tariffs.

The European Union has threatened to hit big-name US brands such as Harley Davidson motorbikes, Levi's jeans and bourbon whiskey with import duties.

That prompted Trump to fire back a threat to tax cars from the EU, further fueling fears of a full-on transatlantic trade war erupting.

Trump is also facing pushback on the issue from within his own Republican Party.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said the Trump administration could have been "smarter" in how it went about protecting US steelmakers, imposing "more surgical, more targeted" tariffs on countries like China that are accused of dumping.

Trump has defiantly hit back at global critics, saying trade wars are "good, and easy to win."RBS was the world's largest bank prior to the global financial crisis, for which it has paid out billions of dollars in relation to its role in the 2008 subprime housing meltdown

US authorities on Tuesday hit the Royal Bank of Scotland with a $500 million penalty for "deceptive practices" in mortgage investments it sold in the run-up to the global financial crisis.

The penalty follows $5.5 billion which the bank, once the largest in the world, agreed in 2017 to pay a US regulator.

RBS packaged toxic subprime mortgages into risky financial derivatives it sold to customers, a practice that helped spark the 2008 housing meltdown, New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement.

The settlement includes $100 million in cash to the state, and $400 million worth of consumer relief for New York homeowners and communities as a result of the damage done by the sale of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS).

"RBS admits that it sold investors RMBS backed by mortgage loans that... did not materially comply with underwriting guidelines," the statement said.

In addition, "many of the mortgage loans did not comply with applicable laws and regulations."

Defaults on mortgages led to a cascade of failures by financial institutions that packaged the loans but had no clear idea of which ones were good and which were likely to default, which ultimately led to the 2008 crisis.

"While the financial crisis may be behind us, New Yorkers are still feeling the effects of the housing crash," Schneiderman said.

"Home values plummeted. Vacant homes consumed neighborhoods."

RBS has pledged to buy abandoned houses and to lend on favorable terms to the victims of the subprime crisis.

The UK bank is the sixth financial institution to reach an agreement with Schneiderman's agency on RMBS practices. The total amount of financial penalties imposed by the prosecutor is now more than $3.7 billion.

RBS last month announced its first annual post-tax profit since the eve of the financial crisis.

The gain of 752 million ($1.04 billion) for 2017 came after a drop in litigation and other costs which totaled billions of pounds and came largely over its role in the subprime housing meltdown.

Last July the bank agreed to pay $5.5 billion in a settlement with the US Federal Housing Finance Agency to resolve a lawsuit which alleged that RBS sold faulty mortgage bonds between 2005 and 2007.

RBS is majority-owned by the British government which bailed it out during the crisis but now plans to sell most of its stake.In a joint press conference with Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, US President Donald Trump said he was not afraid of a trade war with the European Union

President Donald Trump lashed out at European Union trade rules Tuesday, saying the bloc has made life near "impossible" for US firms, and threatening to ramp up tariffs on imports into the US.

"The European Union has been particularly tough on the United States," Trump said as he hosted Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven at the White House.

"They make it almost impossible for us to do business with them, and yet they send their cars and everything else back into the United States."

Meanwhile, the US is "subsidizing" Europe militarily, he said.

"The European Union has not treated us well. And it's been a very, very unfair trade situation."

Trump, who has threatened to institute 25 percent import duties on steel from all foreign producers and 10 percent on aluminum, said he was not afraid of sparking a conflict over trade.

"When we're behind on every single country, trade wars aren't so bad," he said.

"The trade war hurts them. It doesn't hurt us. So we'll see what happens."

He warned that he was ready to ramp up import duties on European cars in the US, most of which come from Germany.

"They can do whatever they'd like. But if they do that, then we put a big tax of 25 percent on their cars and believe me, they won't be doing it very long."

Speaking after bilateral meetings in the White House, Lofven cautioned that open and free trade is "crucially important" for Sweden and the EU.

He noted that it is "very, very complicated to see" how global supply chains meld materials and inputs from many countries into a final product like a car or airplane.

"I know for example, when we start our aircraft, a very good aircraft, the content is American," Lofven said.

He also pointed out that tariffs would come down hard on European factories even though they produce only about 10 percent of the steel in the world, while China produces about 50 percent, he said.

"I am convinced that increased tariffs will hurt us all in the long run," he said.

"I of course support the efforts of the European Union to achieve trade with fewer obstacles and as few as possible."United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is urging all sides to seize the opportunities of a planned summit between North and South Korea, as well as future talks on ending Pyongyang's nuclear weapons drive

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged all sides to seize the opportunities of a planned summit between North and South Korea, as well as future talks on ending Pyongyang's nuclear weapons drive.

Guterres said he was encouraged by the advances made to hold the summit and discuss future talks on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

"The latest developments are further steps forward in laying the foundation for the resumption of sincere dialogue, leading to sustainable peace and denuclearization on the Korean peninsula," his office said in a statement.

Guterres "is encouraged by the advances made during the latest inter-Korean talks, particularly the agreement to hold a summit meeting soon, to further reduce military tensions, and to discuss denuclearization in future talks with all relevant parties," it added.

"He stresses the need to protect the momentum and seize the opportunities available to find a peaceful path forward."

The leaders of North and South Korea will next month hold a historic summit at the truce village of Panmunjom, said an envoy from the Seoul government following talks in Pyongyang with leader Kim Jong Un.

South Korea's national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, said Pyongyang was open to discuss getting rid of its nuclear program with the United States in exchange for security guarantees.

Guterres offered UN help to the governments concerned to address the crisis.

In December, Guterres dispatched his political chief, Jeffrey Feltman, to Pyongyang to urge North Korea to open a dialogue on ending the crisis.

Feltman, however, was then told by Pyongyang that "now was not the time" for dialogue, even if the North Korean officials agreed it was important to avoid war.

The UN Security Council has imposed tough economic sanctions aimed at choking off revenue to Pyongyang's military programs after Kim's regime carried out a sixth nuclear test and a series of advanced missile launches.

China -- Pyongyang's sole ally -- and Russia argue that sanctions alone will not push North Korea to change course and have repeatedly called for stepping up diplomatic efforts to achieve a solution.ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkey has requested that German authorities detain and extradite a wanted Syrian Kurdish politician, Turkish officials said Monday.

Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said Turkey asked Germany to extradite Salih Muslim, the former co-chair of the Democratic Union Party, or PYD, on Friday, who, according to state-run Anadolu Agency was spotted addressing a rally in Berlin over the weekend.

Muslim was released from custody in the Czech Republic last week, after being briefly detained on a Turkish arrest warrant. He was requested to remain within European Union territory and be available for hearings in his extradition case.

FILE - In this Sept. 1, 2016 file photo, then co-chair of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party, Salih Muslim addresses journalists at the European Parliament in Brussels.Turkey has requested that German authorities detain and extradite the Syrian Kurdish politician wanted in the country, Turkey's state-run news agency reported Monday March 5, 2018. Muslim was released from custody in the Czech Republic last week, after being briefly detained on a Turkish arrest warrant. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, File)

Turkey considers the PYD a terrorist group because of its links to outlawed Kurdish insurgents fighting within its own borders. Muslim was put on Turkey's most-wanted list in February, with a $1 million reward for his capture.

Bozdag told reporters that Turkey received information that Muslim planned to travel to Germany from the Czech Republic and requested his return on Friday.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he would take up the issue with his German counterpart when he visits Berlin on Tuesday. Cavusoglu said Turkey did not know whether Muslim was still in Germany but said Turkey would continue to seek his detention and extradition "wherever he goes."

"There will be no more respite for him," he said.

A spokesman for Germany's interior ministry declined to comment on the case of Muslim, citing privacy rules.

"In general terms, should we receive such a tracing request, either bilaterally or via Interpol, then there always needs to be a very, very diligent examination procedure," Johannes Dimroth told reporters in Berlin.

He added that the German government would take into account "all aspects that need to be considered in such situations" before making a decision.

Germany has objected in the past to Turkey's use of Interpol warrants to get other countries to detain Ankara's critics.ROME (AP) - Italian voters delivered a stinging blow to their country's pro-European political powers, with more than half of the electorate backing populist, euroskeptic parties in Sunday's election, according to near-final results.

The result could leave Italy with a hung Parliament and difficult coalition talks lie ahead for parties vying to form the next government.

Here are some of the main takeaways from the election and what to expect in coming weeks as Italy tries to avoid a political stalemate.

5-Stars Movement's leader Luigi Di Maio arrives for a press conference on the preliminary election results, in Rome, Monday, March 5, 2018. With the anti-establishment 5-Stars the highest vote-getter of any single party, the results confirmed the defeat of the two main political forces that have dominated Italian politics for decades - Forza Italia and the center-left Democrats - and the surging of populist and right-wing, euroskeptic forces that have burst onto the European scene. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

___

A 5-STAR MOMENT

The 5-Star Movement, founded by an Italian comedian just nine years ago as an online-driven grassroots revolt against Italy's political establishment, was the biggest winner in Sunday's election, capturing about one-third of the vote.

Appealing to disillusioned voters, particularly in Italy's poorer south, the group combines a wide range of views that make it hard to place on a left-right spectrum: It is pro-environment, anti-banks and skeptical of the European Union.

The big question for the 5-Star Movement after its strong results is whether to stick to its policy of not forming alliances with other parties. Being an outsider is a core part of the movement's identity, but if 31-year-old leader Luigi Di Maio wants to become Italy's next premier he's going to have to seek support from others.

___

NO MAJORITY

Who ends up governing Italy will depend on the success of coalition talks that could drag on for weeks or even months, since none of the parties or alliances heading into the election will end up with a majority in Parliament.

A center-right alliance including former Premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party will have the most seats after winning 37 percent of the vote, compared to 23 percent for the governing center-left bloc.

Before the vote, analysts predicted a grand coalition built around the center-left Democrats and Forza Italia. However, that seems unlikely given the Democrats' poor result and the fact that Berlusconi's party was overtaken by its nationalist and anti-migrant ally, the League, which jumped to 18 percent from just 4 percent in the last election in 2013.

A nightmare scenario for the EU would be a combination of the 5-Star Movement and the League, which together would command a majority of seats in Parliament. Both parties have previously called for Italy to abandon the euro currency zone, though the 5-Star Movement dropped that demand in the run-up to the election and the League has predicted that the single European currency will fail on its own.

The League's candidate for premier, Matteo Salvini, said clearly on Monday that he would not form "a strange alliance," a clear reference to the 5-Stars, but with tough talks ahead positions could shift as options narrow.

___

WHAT'S NEXT?

The newly elected Parliament will convene on March 23. After that, Italian President Sergio Mattarella will consult with party leaders to figure out which coalition alternative has the highest chances of surviving a confidence vote.

If no successful constellation of political groups emerges from those talks, the silver-haired president could end up appointing a government with the primary task of changing the complex election law that created this scenario, which would resign once that job is finished. But that's also a recipe for stalling reforms and would raise the prospect of another election soon.

European investors seemed to have factored in some uncertainty following the Italian election and the outcome didn't have a big impact on markets Monday. But a prolonged political stalemate would be bad news for Italy's economy, which lags the rest of the eurozone and has a debt of over 130 percent of GDP.

___

BIG LOSERS

Despite all the unknowns, two certainties emerged: Berlusconi no longer commands the center-right, and the center-left has collapsed.

Berlusconi's Forza Italia, launched in 1994 when the billionaire media mogul first entered politics, was upstaged by its longtime junior coalition partner, the League.

The takeaway? "Berlusconi is no longer indispensable," said Roberto D'Alimonte of Rome's LUISS University.

In essence, what two decades of legal woes and Bunga Bunga parties couldn't achieve, Italy's voters have.

The other big looser was the Democratic Party and in particular its secretary, Matteo Renzi.

The Democrats didn't even win in Emilio-Romania, a historic stronghold.WASHINGTON (AP) - Trade wars generate no medals, monuments or military parades. But they do tend to leave a lot of economic wreckage, often hurt the very people they're meant to help and can fracture diplomatic relations among allies.

After announcing plans last week to slap taxes on imported aluminum and steel, President Donald Trump called trade wars "good" and breezily forecast an "easy" victory for the United States.

Economists see it rather differently. Starting a fight with trading partners has mostly proved to be self-defeating, they note.

Federal Finance minister Bill Morneau is framed by structural steel framing as he speaks after an event in Toronto on Monday, March 5, 2018. Morneau says Canada should be exempted from the aluminum and steel tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

"Usually, all sides lose in a trade war," says Douglas Irwin, a Dartmouth College economist and author of the just-published "Clashing Over Commerce: A History of U.S. Trade Policy." ''Trade shrinks as countries pile on barriers in an effort to remedy some grievance, with consumers paying the price."

Wall Street clearly agrees. Stocks sank Thursday and Friday after Trump announced plans to slap tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum imports, effectively threatening to wage commercial war on U.S. trading partners from Brasilia to Berlin to Beijing.

Shares of some of America's biggest exporters - Boeing, Deere, Caterpillar - fell hardest on fears that other countries would retaliate against U.S. products.

The term "trade war" is usually tossed around when countries spar over commerce, often without a clear sense of what it is. Eswar Prasad, professor of trade policy at Cornell University, defines it as a series of "escalating tit-for-tat trade barriers imposed on each other by two or more countries."

Edward Alden, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, says the world hasn't endured a full-blown trade war since the 1930s. But globally, war drums are beating again.

Europeans have threatened to retaliate against Trump's metals tariffs by targeting American blue jeans, bourbon and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. It may not be a coincidence that Harleys are produced in House Speaker Paul Ryan's Wisconsin and bourbon in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's Kentucky. Trump has met Europe's threat of retaliation with a piled-on threat of his own: To slap tariffs on European autos.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, which stands to suffer most from Trump's proposed steel and aluminum tariffs, warned that he was prepared to "defend Canadian industry" from the tariffs.

China has responded to earlier Trump-imposed trade sanctions - tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines - by launching an anti-dumping investigation into U.S. sorghum exports, a move seen as a warning shot at American farmers who depend heavily on trade.

China, after all, consumes a third of the soybeans American farmers produce. John Heisdorffer, president of the American Soybean Association, warned that a Chinese retaliation to Trump's tariffs "would be devastating to U.S. soy growers. Our competitors in Brazil and Argentina are all too happy to pick up supplying the Chinese market."

Though full-blown trade wars are mostly destined to fail, countries can sometimes pressure their trading partners to change their ways, Alden says. With U.S. automakers reeling from Japanese competition in the 1980s, the Reagan administration strong-armed Japan into agreeing to "voluntary export restraints" on car shipments. Japanese automakers ended up moving factories to the United States to avoid the limits.

But shielding one domestic industry from foreign competition can hurt others by driving up prices. A study by NERA Economic Consulting found that a 7 percent aluminum tariff - less than what the administration is planning - would save 1,000 jobs annually in the aluminum industry but wipe out 22,600 other jobs across the U.S. economy.

In 2002, President George W. Bush imposed tariffs on Chinese steel. The move allowed U.S. steel producers to increase prices, raising costs for companies that buy steel and pressuring them to cut back elsewhere. But the tariffs are thought to have cost significant U.S. job losses.

Or consider the "Rubber Chicken" dispute of 2009. The Obama administration slapped tariffs on Chinese tires, charging that a surge in imports was hurting the U.S. tire industry. Beijing counterpunched: It imposed a tax of up to 105 percent on U.S. chicken feet - a throw-away item in the U.S. that's considered a delicacy in China. The Peterson Institute for International Economics calculated that the tariffs probably saved 1,200 American tire jobs - but consumers paid over $900,000 in higher tire prices for each job saved.

To justify its proposed tariffs, the Trump administration invoked a section of U.S. law to declare that metals imports threatened America's industrial base and national security - even though the Pentagon says the military needs just 3 percent of U.S. aluminum and steel production.

The administration "stretches the definition of a national security threat to the breaking point," says Alden at the Council on Foreign Relations.

The World Trade Organization gives member countries leeway to protect their national security interests. But "there's always been a gentleman's agreement that you don't use (a national security pretext) just because you have an industry in trouble," says Kent Jones, an economist at Babson College. "This is extending the definition of national security for protectionist purposes and, believe me, there's going to be a big backlash."

Most analysts agree that the U.S. steel and aluminum industries have been hurt by overproduction in China, which has reduced global prices for the metals and made it difficult for U.S. producers to survive. But analysts say the United States should have teamed with Europeans and Japanese, who also are being harmed by China's oversupply, to pressure Beijing to curb its steel and aluminum output.

In a call Sunday with Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May argued that "multilateral action was the only way to resolve the problem of global overcapacity" and expressed "deep concern" about Trump's tariff plan, according to the British Foreign Office.

"It seems like Trump was hell-bent on doing something more provocative," says Daniel Ikenson of the libertarian Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies.

China already faces barriers to the U.S. market. And it's only the United States' 11th-biggest steel importer. The biggest supplier of steel and aluminum to the United States? Canada, a steadfast ally.

It's unclear whether the Trump administration will exempt Canada or other allies from the tariffs. But in a television interview Sunday, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro appeared to reject the idea: "As soon as you exempt one country," he said, "then you have to exempt another country."

As Trump threatened to target European automakers, Marietje Schaake, a Dutch member of the European Parliament, tweeted that Europe doesn't want a trade war but "will be forced to respond to US protectionism. She noted that German automakers made 845,000 cars in the United States last year.

"The world is interconnected," she wrote, "not zero-sum."

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Follow Paul Wiseman on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PaulWisemanAP

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http://bit.ly/2FgNllTMEXICO CITY (AP) - The number of monarch butterflies wintering in Mexican forests declined for a second consecutive year, a government official said Monday.

Alejandro Del Mazo, Mexico's commissioner for protected areas, said the monarchs clumped in trees covering about 6.12 acres (2.48 hectares) this winter. That was down about 14.7 percent from the 7.19 acres (2.91 hectares) the previous winter.

The monarch butterflies' migration is measured by the area they cover in pine and fir forests west of Mexico City. Millions of the butterflies make the 3,400-mile (5,500-kilometer) migration from the United States and Canada each year.

FILE - In this March 13, 2005 file photo, Monarch butterflies gather on a tree at the El Rosario Butterfly Sanctuary near Angangueo, Mexico. A Mexican government report on Monday, March 5, 2018, says the number of monarch butterflies wintering in Mexican forests has declined for a second consecutive year. (AP Photo/Kirsten Luce, File)

Jorge Rickards, director of the World Wildlife Fund in Mexico, which participated in the annual study, said a particularly busy hurricane season across the insects' migration route could have been a factor.

"These climate phenomena without a doubt have an impact on the migration," Rickards said.

He also mentioned a March 2016 wind storm and cold snap that devastated the core of the butterfly reserve.

Monarch expert Lincoln Brower, a biology professor at Sweet Briar College in Virginia who co-authored a report about the 2016 storm, pointed to the effects of that storm's felling of thousands of trees. The salvage logging permitted by the government to remove the downed trees to reduce the risk of forest fires continued to damage the fragile ecosystem, he said.

In a September 2017 article in American Entomologist, Brower wrote that "forest thinning reduces the microclimatic buffering provided by the forest canopy during the winter season, thus increasing the mortality risk to the overwintering monarchs."

The monarch butterflies wintering in Mexico have been in decline since the winter of 1996-1997 when they covered about 44 acres (18 hectares) of forest. There have been several rebound years, but each has generally been less than the preceding upswing.

Increased use of herbicides in the United States have hurt the prevalence of milkweed, which monarch caterpillars feed on, risking their survival.

Homero Aridjis, an environmental activist who has worked to protect the butterflies' winter habitat, said the government has supplied insufficient data to allow independent scientists to analyze the colonies. He said new ways to measure the butterfly population are necessary.

Del Mazo said Monday tthat he government is awaiting data from a laser-scanning technology known as LIDAR.

On the positive side, Rickards noted that illegal logging in the Mexico reserve was nearly eliminated last year with the help of gendarmes who patrol the area. He said 1.6 acres (.65 hectare) was lost to illegal logging last year, compared to 29.6 acres (12 hectares) the prior year.

"On one hand, Mexico has done its work as far as controlling logging, but on the other hand Mexico is not free of the global phenomena implied by climate change and we have to be ready to confront and take measures to be able to adapt to this reality," Rickards said.JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Longtime Republican Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi said Monday he will resign because of health problems - triggering what could be a chaotic special election to fill the seat he has held for a generation.

Cochran, who turned 80 in December and has been in poor health, has been a sporadic presence on Capitol Hill in recent months. He stayed home for a month last fall, returning to Washington in October to give Republicans the majority they needed to pass a budget plan. He has since kept a low profile and an aide ever present at his side.

"I regret my health has become an ongoing challenge," Cochran said in a statement. "It has been a great honor to serve the people of Mississippi and our country. I've done my best to make decisions in the best interests of our nation, and my beloved state. ... My hope is by making this announcement now, a smooth transition can be ensured so their voice will continue to be heard in Washington, D.C."

FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2018, file photo Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., returns to the Capitol for a vote in Washington. Cochran tells The Associated Press he will resign April 1 because of health problems. The 80-year-old has had Cochran stayed home for a month last fall with urinary tract infections, returning to Washington in October to give Republicans the majority they needed to pass a budget plan. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Cochran said his resignation is effective April 1, allowing Republican Gov. Phil Bryant to appoint a temporary replacement to fill the seat until a special election Nov. 6. The winner would serve until the end of Cochran's term in January 2021.

Cochran's departure sets off a scramble within a state Republican Party already struggling to manage a disaffected conservative faction. The special election is expected to attract several candidates, including the outspoken, tea party-backed state senator who came close to defeating Cochran in a bitter 2014 Republican primary. Republican Chris McDaniel, who said last week he would challenge Mississippi's other GOP senator, Roger Wicker, said Monday it is "premature" to say whether he will run for the newly open seat.

"I want him to be healthy and happy," McDaniel said of Cochran. "We disagree politically, but I have nothing but respect for his service."

Republicans in Washington are hoping to prevent a rough and costly primary season as they struggle to defend their narrow 51-49 hold on the Senate. Some Republicans have doubts about McDaniel's ability to win a general election. And after Republicans' bruising loss in Alabama last year, party leaders are eager to block any risky candidates.

Mike Espy, a Democrat who served as President Bill Clinton's secretary of agriculture, said Monday he has a "strong intention" to run for Cochran's seat. In 1986, Espy became the first African-American in modern times to win a congressional seat in Mississippi.

Cochran was first elected to the Senate in 1978 after serving six years in the House. A mild-mannered Southerner, Cochran came to the Senate when it had a far clubbier atmosphere and he played an insider's game throughout his seven terms - particularly as a member of the powerful Appropriations panel, which had long been a bipartisan powerhouse and way to funnel taxpayer dollars back home.

Cochran chaired the committee twice and used the post to channel money to Mississippi and other Gulf Coast states for Hurricane Katrina recovery after the 2005 storm.

"Thad knows there's a big difference between making a fuss and making a difference. And the people of Mississippi - and our whole nation- have benefited from his steady determination to do the latter," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement.

"I'm devastated. I assumed we would serve out our time together here," said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the top Democrat on the Appropriations panel. "We've never once had a partisan word between us. And he has always, always, always kept his word - and I wish to heck some other senators around here would learn to do that."

But the old-school Cochran has seemed increasingly out of place in a chamber where partisan elbows are sharper.

Explicit earmarks for home-state projects such as roads and bridges, economic development grants, and help for schools such as Cochran's alma mater, the University of Mississippi, were banned in 2011.

In 2014, he struggled to win a Republican primary over McDaniel, who received financial support from libertarian-leaning groups that criticized Cochran as a big spender.

That race grabbed national attention after a McDaniel supporter entered a nursing home without permission and photographed Cochran's wife, Rose, who was bedridden with dementia. Images of her appeared briefly online in a video that attempted to show Cochran was having an inappropriate relationship with one of his longtime staff members, Kay Webber - an accusation he denied. McDaniel said he had no connection to the incident.

Rose Cochran died in December 2014. Thad Cochran married Webber in a private ceremony in May 2015.

McDaniel - who never conceded his loss to Cochran - announced last week that he will run this year against Wicker. But moments after making that announcement at a rally in his hometown of Ellisville, McDaniel said he could drop out of the Wicker race and run in the special election if Cochran resigns.

Wicker said Monday he and his campaign haven't communicated with McDaniel about which seat he'll seek. Asked if he's relieved because McDaniel might seek the open seat instead of challenging him, Wicker said, "I don't know that." He smiled as he answered the question and told reporters, "I'm smiling because of your persistence."

The Mississippi race was also being eyed by former White House strategist Steve Bannon, who at one point warned of the challenges to GOP incumbents he felt were insufficiently supportive of President Donald Trump.

That effort may have waned, however. Senate Republicans suffered a stunning setback in December when neighboring Alabama elected a Democratic senator, in a special election, for the first time in a generation. Bannon backed Republican Roy Moore, who was accused of sexual impropriety against young women.

Mississippi's governor has not released names of people he will consider appointing to temporarily fill Cochran's seat, though there has been widespread speculation that he might appoint Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves or Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, who are both Republicans.

Bryant has not said whether he would consider appointing himself to the Senate. He has told some in the GOP that Trump and McConnell have urged to appoint himself, according to one Republican who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private conversations.

He is limited to two terms as governor, and his time in that job ends in January 2020. Bryant campaigned for Trump in 2016, and has been to Washington many times in the past year to meet with the president.

The powerful Appropriations panel hasn't met in many months, though Cochran used his post to help secure aid for struggling cotton producers in a budget pact last month.

An upcoming $1.3 trillion omnibus spending measure promises to be Cochran's last hurrah, and he's likely to use his clout for the benefit of Mississippi's Ingalls shipyard, where a variety of Navy and Coast Guard vessels are built and refurbished.

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Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor and Lisa Mascaro in Washington and Sarah Mearhoff in Jackson contributed to this report.

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Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus .MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - Investigators have determined that an old wooden wreck found on the Alabama Gulf Coast isn't the last slave ship to land in the United States, the Alabama Historical Commission said Monday.

A statement released by the state agency said the ship remains found north of Mobile are too large and new to be those of the Clotilda, which was burned nearly 160 years ago after delivering captives from what's now the west African nation of Benin to Mobile in 1860.

A reporter found ship remains on a river bottom during an unusually low tide in January and published an article, prompting a historical review.

File - This Jan. 2, 2018, file photo shows the remains of a ship that could be the Clotilda, the last slave ship documented to have delivered captive Africans to the United States. The Clotilda was burned after docking in Mobile, Ala., in 1860, long after the importation of humans was banned, and experts say the remains found by a reporter from Al.com could be what is left of the long-lost wreck. (Ben Raines/AL.com via AP, File)

Even though the remains are not the Clotilda, the discovery shows the need for a wider study of shipwrecks on the coast, said James P. Delgado, a senior vice president of SEARCH, Inc., which participated in the examination.

"We believe that a comprehensive survey of the area with a range of modern technology, followed by an examination of each wreck encountered by knowledgeable professionals will be the best means to find the physical remains of Clotilda," Delgado said in the statement.

State and federal experts who examined the wreck recently said the ship in the mud was about 160 feet (50 meters) long, while the Clotilda was 86 feet (25 meters) long. Also, the wreck had three masts, while the Clotilda had two.

The wreck in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta had what appeared to be marks indicating fire damage, but the review showed those marks actually were caused by wood-eating marine organisms, the statement said.

Also, the construction methods used on the wreck didn't become common until after the Clotilda was built, and the wreck didn't appear to include oak, which was used on the slave ship.

The Clotilda sailed to Africa on a bet by an Alabama steamboat captain and plantation owner who wanted to show he could sneak slaves into the country despite federal troops stationed at forts that guarded the mouth of Mobile Bay.

The ship delivered 110 captives to Mobile in the last known instance of a slave ship landing in the United States. The captain took the ship up the delta and burned it; the people became slaves, and they and their descendants lived after the Civil War in an area near Mobile known as Africatown.

This Friday, March 2, 2018, photo shows Joseph Grinnan of SEARCH Inc. measuring an exposed shipwreck on a river bank near Mobile, Ala. Originally suspected to be the remains of the last ship to bring slaves to the United States, the wreck was determined to be something other than that vessel, the Clotilda. (Lee Anne Wofford/Alabama Historical Commission via AP)JUBA, South Sudan (AP) - South Sudan's state-owned oil company has been "captured by predatory elites" and is being used to fund the country's civil war, including a government-aligned militia accused of human rights abuses, according reports by two investigative organizations.

Millions of dollars in oil revenue are being funneled from Nile Petroleum into the nation's national security service, footing the bill for the war, now in its fifth year, says Global Witness, in a report released Tuesday.

More than $80 million was paid to South Sudanese politicians, military officials, government agencies, and companies owned by politicians and members of their families, according to The Sentry, an investigative group co-founded by George Clooney. The oil company made security-related payments from March 2014 until June 2015, according to The Sentry, which obtained a log of payments kept by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining.

FILE - In this Sunday Oct. 1, 2017 file photo, a truck waits outside a closed petrol station of the Nile Petroleum Corporation in Juba, South Sudan. South Sudan's state-owned oil company has been "captured by predatory elites" and is being used to fund the country's civil war, according to reports by two investigative organizations. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick, File)

The United States calls the reports' findings deeply disturbing.

"Oil profits should be fueling the development of the country and not be corruptly used to buy arms to further destroy it. South Sudan's resources should be used to benefit the people of South Sudan and leaders have a duty to put the interests of their people above their own," Mark Weinberg, public affairs officer of the U.S. Embassy told The Associated Press.

Nile Petroleum is directly controlled by South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and his "inner circle," according to the Global Witness report, based on confidential documents and firsthand testimony.

Akol Koor, head of the internal security bureau and a member of Nile Petroleum's board of directors, has provided the militia with weapons paid for by funds from the oil monopoly, said the report.

Nile Petroleum denies funding any military activity and says the money is being used for community projects such as roads, schools and hospitals.

"We can't fund militia, it's not part of our job," said Yiey Puoch Lur, the company's public relations director. He suggested Global Witness had "forged" the documents.

South Sudan has Africa's third-largest oil reserves, with an estimated 3.5 billion barrels. Yet after five years of civil war, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, the country is also in an economic crisis. Lawmakers have long accused government officials of using oil money for personal gain instead of helping the local population.

"The money's not being kept in the country," said a member of parliament, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of his safety. Government officials are embezzling oil revenues into offshore accounts, he said.

The United States, the European Union and the international community should counter South Sudan's "violent kleptocracy" by investigating top officials and imposing "network-focused sanctions," urged The Sentry.

J.R. Mailey, The Sentry's special investigations director, told AP that "cutting off top officials and their facilitators' access to banks and foreign currency is key to building the leverage needed to end the war."Thanks to the vast reach of social media and the prevalence of sexual misconduct in virtually every society, the #MeToo movement has proven itself a genuinely global phenomenon. Yet its impact varies widely from country to country, from potentially momentous to inconsequential.

No other nation has experienced anything close to the developments in the United States, the movement's birthplace, where scores of prominent men - among them politicians, media stars and movie moguls - have lost jobs and reputations after facing sexual misconduct allegations.

As the global women's movement prepares for International Women's Day on Thursday, it's clear the record elsewhere is mixed.

FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2018 file photo, women in animal costumes take part in the block party "Maria vem com as outras," or "Maria, join the other women," in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In Brazil, many woman chose to push back against sexual harassment during this year's Carnival celebrations, with block parties of all-female musicians, shirts, necklaces and crowns with messages like "my breasts, my rules" and several campaigns to report and crackdown on harassment. But overall, the movement has not caught on in Brazil, which has one of the world's highest homicide rates for women. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo, File)

In Western Europe, some VIPs have been discredited and some new anti-harassment laws are in the works. Worldwide, the fallout includes backlashes against women who speak out, divisions within feminist ranks and minimal repercussions for accused harassers. And in many countries, the U.S. included, the movement has consisted primarily of well-educated professionals, largely leaving out working-class and poor women. Some skeptics have coined the hashtag #WeFew.

In some countries where the movement hasn't caught fire, analysts have suggested that resistance to American cultural trends is among the factors.

"I wish it hadn't started in the U.S.," said Anne Marie Goetz, a professor of global affairs at New York University and a former United Nations adviser on women's issues.

"The fastest way to discredit any women's rights struggle is to say it comes from somewhere else," Goetz said. "That's been a longstanding putdown of feminist movements all around the world."

In China, discussion of #MeToo has sometimes been censored on social media and branded as a destabilizing foreign movement. To thwart the censors, social media users have made creative use of hashtags such as #RiceBunny - a phrase which in China is pronounced "me too."

The hashtags, and women's accounts of harassment, proliferated in January after Luo Xixi, an academic now based in the U.S., accused a renowned Beijing-based professor of sexual misconduct when she was a graduate student. Other women lodged similar allegations, and the professor was fired. But questions linger as to whether a feminist movement can gain greater clout in the face of government resistance.

In India, sexual misconduct allegations against more than 60 academics sparked divisions among feminists. A crowdsourced list of alleged harassers was posted on Facebook by a U.S.-based law student, with contributions from students in India. But the list contained few details about the allegations or accusers, and was criticized by some women as unfair.

India passed a law in 2013 to combat workplace sexual harassment, but gender-equality activist Sudarshana Kundu said many women remain hesitant to speak up.

"There is culture of silencing that is prevalent," she said by email. "Organizations are worried about their credibility and counsel their women employees to not report instances and instead seek conciliation."

Perhaps no country has had a more complex reaction to #MeToo than France, long identified as a haven for romance. The government is preparing new legislation on sexual violence and harassment, and some lawmakers want to impose fines for sexist catcalls. Yet despite sexual misconduct allegations against several prominent men, they have maintained their jobs and status. French feminist ranks, meanwhile, have experienced divisions, notably when actress Catherine Deneuve co-signed a letter depicting #MeToo accusers as puritanical, only to apologize after facing a backlash.

In Britain, organizers decided to discontinue an annual men-only charity gala after a Financial Times investigation found that female hostesses, required to wear short skirts and high heels, were groped by some of the hundreds of senior executives who attended the event in January.

"It is quite extraordinary to me that in the 21st century allegations of this kind are emerging," Education Minister Anne Milton told the House of Commons. "Women have the right to feel safe wherever they work."

Harassment allegations last year led to one high-level resignation, of Defense Secretary Michael Fallon, and prompted political leaders to propose a new grievance procedure for people working in Parliament.

Even in Nordic countries ranked high for gender equality, there has been #MeToo turmoil. In Iceland and Sweden, women in numerous professional sectors mounted social media campaigns to raise awareness about widespread sexual misconduct; the Swedish government has proposed tightening its rape law to stipulate that explicit consent is required before sexual contact.

In many parts of the world, including Africa and much of Latin America, the #MeToo movement has had only modest impact. Many countries in those regions have weak support systems for women who do report sexual assault.

Many Brazilian women chose to push back against sexual harassment during this year's Carnival celebrations, with block parties of all-female musicians, plus shirts, necklaces and crowns with messages like "my breasts, my rules," and several anti-harassment campaigns. But overall, the movement has not caught on in Brazil, which has one of the world's highest homicide rates for women.

In South Africa, also plagued by a high rate of violence against women, feminists are frustrated by the almost total lack of repercussions for prominent men linked to sexual misconduct.

"We need more hashtags and awareness, but more importantly we need action and accountability," wrote Shaazia Ebrahim in an opinion piece. "If we continue to allow sexism on the highest platforms in South Africa, we shouldn't be shocked about our gender-based violence statistics."

The fatalism of some South African women was reflected in recent interviews conducted by Norwegian student activists working in Johannesburg.

Sebatso Mafisa, 24, said many South African men did not consider groping to be wrong.

"It's the culture," she said. "There's nothing you as a woman can do about it."

Anne Marie Goetz, the NYU professor, said #MeToo's future may depend on how effectively it surmounts dividing lines.

"It's about solidarity across all kinds of boundaries - rich or poor, black or white, North or South," she said. "If you get an explosion of #MeToo, you start getting the protection of numbers, and a growing mass of evidence that there's a real problem - not just one individual making this up."

Cynthia Enloe, who teaches gender studies at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, and works with feminists in many countries, is convinced that #MeToo will have staying power as more women in developing nations gain formal employment.

"Maybe the hashtag version will fade, but not the energy behind guaranteeing women's respect in the workplace," Enloe said by phone from Iceland. "It's not about Hollywood and celebrities; it's about whether your boss stands up for you when someone else in the workplace tries to treat you as a sex toy."

___

Follow David Crary on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CraryAP

FILE - In this Oct. 29, 2017 file photo, demonstrators hold placards reading "Sexism, that is not my gender" and "125 women killed in 2016", right, during a demonstration against sexual abuse and harassment across the country under the #MeToo movement, in Marseille, southern France. Perhaps no country has had more complex reaction to #MeToo than France - long identified as a haven for romance. The government is preparing new legislation on sexual violence and harassment, and some lawmakers want to impose fines for sexist catcalls. Yet despite sexual misconduct allegations against several prominent men, they haven't lost their jobs or reputations. Meanwhile, French feminists ranks have experienced divisions. (AP Photo/Claude Paris, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 29, 2017 file photo, a woman talks during a debate as part of a demonstration to support the wave of testimonies denouncing cases of sexual harassment across the country under the #MeToo movement, in Lyon, France. Perhaps no country has had more complex reaction to #MeToo than France - long identified as a haven for romance. The government is preparing new legislation on sexual violence and harassment, and some lawmakers want to impose fines for sexist catcalls. Yet despite sexual misconduct allegations against several prominent men, they haven't lost their jobs or reputations. Meanwhile, French feminists ranks have experienced divisions. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 12, 2017, file photo, Britain's Defense Secretary, Michael Fallon, addresses members of the media during a joint UK/Poland press conference in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. Harassment allegations last year led to Fallon's resignation and prompted political leaders to propose a new grievance procedure for people working in Parliament. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 27, 2017, file photo, Shiori Ito, a Japanese freelance journalist, who says was raped by a prominent TV newsman in 2015, talks about her ordeal and the need for more awareness and support for the victims in Japan, during an interview in Tokyo. Even before #MeToo exploded in the U.S., Ito was widely criticized after going public last year with rape allegations against a leading TV journalist. There is widespread reluctance among victims in Japan to report assaults; a 2015 government survey found that about three quarters of rape victims had never told anyone, and just over 4 percent had gone to police. (AP Photo/Mari Yamaguchi, File)UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Australia and East Timor signed a historic treaty drawing their maritime boundary Tuesday, ending years of bitter wrangling over billions of dollars of oil and gas riches lying beneath the Timor Sea and opening a new chapter in relations.

The agreement was doubly historic because it also marked the successful conclusion of the first-ever negotiations to settle maritime differences under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea - a process that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged other countries to use to peacefully resolve such disagreements.

Before a crowd of cameras, diplomats and officials, two copies of the treaty were signed by Australia's foreign minister, Julie Bishop, and East Timor's minister for delimitation of borders, Hermenegildo Augusto Cabral Pereira. The chairman of the independent Conciliation Commission that led negotiations, Danish Ambassador Peter Taksoe-Jensen, then signed as a witness.

East Timorese Minister of State Agio Pereira and Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop sign a treaty during a ceremony at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, March 6, 2018. Australia and East Timor signed a treaty that draws the first-ever maritime border between the neighbors, resolving years of bitter wrangling with a deal that carves up billions of dollars of oil and gas riches that lie beneath the Timor Sea. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

"It is a landmark event for our two nations, but also for international law," Bishop said. "Both our governments have deemed this to be a just and equitable outcome."

Pereira agreed, saying: "Today is indeed a momentous day that will be recorded in East Timor's history and be remembered and celebrated. ... With the signing of this treaty today, we write a new chapter in the friendship between our two countries."

For East Timor, a half-island nation of 1.5 million people who are among the poorest in the world, the treaty is crucial to economic development and employment opportunities. Pereira said 65 percent, mostly young people, are looking for jobs.

Bishop told reporters that under the treaty East Timor will get the biggest share of revenue from exploiting the oil and gas. It will be split either 80-20 if gas is piped to Australia for processing or 70-30 if it is piped to East Timor, she said.

"We are talking billions of dollars over the life of such a resource project," Bishop said.

Pereira said companies have told East Timor that it is feasible to build a pipeline to the country.

"We believe seriously that a successful pipeline to the south coast of Timor would be a game changer and have a transformational impact on the socio-economic status of the country," he said.

The dispute has dominated and soured relations since 2002, when East Timor emerged as a fledgling nation independent of Indonesia.

The terms of the deal negotiated under the Conciliation Commission in The Hague, Netherlands, through the Permanent Court of Arbitration are expected to be made public shortly, Australian diplomats said.

East Timor achieving its ambition of a border midway between the two countries could encourage Indonesia to renegotiate its own much longer maritime boundary with Australia, agreed in 1971 under outdated international law. The Indonesian border with Australia extends east and west of the new East Timor-Australia boundary and the vast expanse Indonesia allowed Australia is a source of increasing irritation for the Indonesian government.

Bishop told reporters that she had kept Indonesian officials informed of the negotiations with East Timor on the maritime boundary.

East Timor's oil revenues, which finance more than 90 percent of government spending, are rapidly dwindling due to the exhaustion of existing fields in its territory. The country's $16 billion sovereign wealth fund could be empty within 10 years because the government's annual withdrawals are exceeding its investment returns, according to La'o Hamutuk, an East Timorese research institute.

Carlos Filipe Ximense Belo, the influential East Timorese Catholic bishop and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, welcomed the border resolution as an economic boon for his deeply Catholic country.

"We thank God because our sea becomes more widespread ... our economic zone becomes bigger," Belo said. "In the sea and on the sea bed, there is much wealth. Timorese will diligently explore and make this wealth contribute to us."

Portugal, East Timor's former colonial master, never had a border with Australia.

Australia began negotiating a border with Indonesia after the Indonesian military's brutal 24-year occupation of East Timor began in 1975. But by 1989, after a decade of talks, Australia and Indonesia agreed to disagree on where the line should be drawn for the sake of allowing oil and gas drilling in the resource-rich Timor Sea to proceed.

The rival border options became the north and south edges of a box called the Joint Petroleum Development Area. Australia and Indonesia shared the royalties piped from that disputed seabed.

Australia pressured East Timor into accepting the same border compromise in a 2002 treaty to provide legal certainty for developers of the massive Greater Sunrise oil and gas field, an untapped resource in the Timor Sea worth tens of billions of dollars.

Australia was widely criticized in 2016 over its unsuccessful rejection of the Permanent Court of Arbitration's jurisdiction to hear East Timor's border complaint. Many saw Australia as undermining its lecturing of China to abide by international law on Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Australia and East Timor signed a 2006 treaty on sharing future Greater Sunrise revenue. But the relationship plunged when East Timor accused Australian spies of bugging its Cabinet discussions to achieve an unfair negotiation advantage. Australia denied the allegation.

"Australia has an enduring interest in a stable and prosperous East Timor" and wants the country to achieve its economic potential, Bishop said.

East Timor's negotiating team was led by independence hero Xanana Gusmao, the nation's first president. Pereira said he could attend the treaty signing but was "here in spirit."

___

Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer reported this story at the United Nations and AP writer McGuirk reported from Canberra, Australia. AP writer Oki Raimundos in Dili, East Timor, contributed to this report.

This undated map provided by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade shows Australia's maritime arrangements with East Timor. Australia and East Timor will sign a treaty that draws the first-ver maritime border between the neighbors, resolving years of bitter wrangling with a deal that carves up billions of dollars of oil and gas riches that lie beneath the Timor Sea. Australia and its impoverished half-island neighbor will ink the agreement at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday, March 5, 2018, putting to rest a dispute that has dominated and soured relations since 2002 when East Timor emerged as a fledgling sovereign nation independent of Indonesia.(Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade via AP)

While United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, center, looks on, East Timorese Minister of State Agio Pereira shakes hands with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop after they signed a treaty during a ceremony at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, March 6, 2018. Australia and East Timor signed a treaty that draws the first-ever maritime border between the neighbors, resolving years of bitter wrangling with a deal that carves up billions of dollars of oil and gas riches that lie beneath the Timor Sea. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

East Timor's Deputy Minister of the Prime Minister for the Delimitation of Borders Agio Pereira and Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop talk to reporters after they signed a treaty during a ceremony at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, March 6, 2018. Australia and East Timor signed a treaty that draws the first-ever maritime border between the neighbors, resolving years of bitter wrangling with a deal that carves up billions of dollars of oil and gas riches that lie beneath the Timor Sea. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)SALISBURY, England (AP) - Britain's counterterrorism police took over an investigation Tuesday into the mysterious collapse of a former spy and his daughter, now fighting for their lives. The government pledged a "robust" response if suspicions of Russian state involvement are proven.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said he wasn't yet accusing anyone of harming Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia. The two Russians collapsed Sunday on a bench in southern England after coming into contact with an unknown substance.

But he stressed that Britain would act - and possibly limit its participation in the upcoming soccer World Cup in Russia- if Moscow's hand is shown.

Police officers secure the area as a police tent covers the the spot in Salisbury, England, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, where former Russian spy double agent Sergei Skripal and his companion were found critically ill Sunday following exposure to an "unknown substance". 66-year old Skripal, and unidentified woman companion are being treated in hospital, after they were found unconscious on the park bench.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

"I say to governments around the world that no attempt to take innocent life on U.K. soil will go either unsanctioned or unpunished," Johnson told lawmakers in the House of Commons.

British counterterrorism specialists took control of the case from local police trying to unravel the mystery of why the two collapsed in Salisbury, 90 miles (145 kilometers) southwest of London.

Both Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter are in critical condition in the intensive care unit of Salisbury District Hospital, Wiltshire Police said.

Although authorities said they were keeping an open mind - and pointedly did not declare a terrorist incident - the affair evoked echoes of the death of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned with radioactive polonium-210 in London in 2006.

A British inquiry found that Litvinenko's killing was committed by Russian agents, probably approved by President Vladimir Putin. Russia denied any involvement in Litvinenko's death, and denied suggestions of involvement in Skripal's collapse.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed Johnson's remarks as "wild."

Police said it was too soon to jump to conclusions.

"I think we have to remember that Russian exiles are not immortal," Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Service's assistant commissioner for counterterrorism, told the BBC. "They do all die and there can be a tendency for some conspiracy theories. But likewise we have to be alive to the fact of state threats, as illustrated by the Litvinenko case."

British lawmaker Tom Tugendhat, who heads Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, said it was too early to say for sure, but "it fits a very strong pattern" suggesting either Kremlin or organized crime involvement.

Tugendhat said Russia is "running rogue in the United Kingdom, and they are testing us. And I think it incumbent upon us to stand up for ourselves and to demonstrate that we are not willing to tolerate this kind of behavior."

Skripal is a former colonel in Russia's GRU military intelligence service who was convicted in 2006 of spying for Britain and imprisoned.

After his 2004 arrest in Moscow, he confessed to having been recruited by British intelligence in 1995 and said he provided information about GRU agents in Europe, receiving more than $100,000 in return.

At the time of his trial, the Russian media quoted the FSB domestic security agency as saying the damage from Skripal's activities was comparable to the harm inflicted by Oleg Penkovsky, a GRU colonel who spied for the U.S. and Britain in the Cold War. Penkovsky was executed in 1963.

Skripal was freed in 2010 as part of a widely publicized spy swap in which the U.S. agreed to hand over 10 members of a Russian sleeper cell found operating in America in return for four Russians convicted of spying for the West.

Skripal had been living openly in Britain under his own name, and his address in Salisbury appears in public records.

The Kremlin said British authorities haven't approached Russia for help in the Skripal investigation. But Dimitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said on a daily conference call with media in Russia that "Moscow is always ready to cooperate."

A small number of emergency services personnel were assessed immediately after the incident, and one remained in the hospital Tuesday, police said.

The discovery of Skripal and his daughter triggered a decontamination effort. Crews in billowing yellow hazardous materials suits worked into the night Monday, spraying down the pavement around the bench where they were found and examining the contents of a nearby garbage can. The hospital's emergency room was closed.

A pub and a restaurant in the area remain "secured," but police didn't say how long the cordons would be in place.

A security camera image of a man and woman walking through an alley connecting the Zizzi restaurant to the bench where Skripal and his daughter were found is believed to be of interest to police.

"Police had a good look at the footage and were interested in these two people. It was the only image they took away," said Cain Prince, 28, the manager of a nearby gym. "They wanted a list of everyone in the gym between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. as well."

The circumstances surrounding the incident remained murky, and police urged the public not to jump to conclusions, but that didn't stop the speculation.

Several opponents of the Kremlin have died in mysterious circumstances in Britain in recent years, including Litvinenko and Putin opponent Boris Berezovsky. The cause of Berezovsky's 2013 death has never been determined.

Keir Giles, senior consulting fellow at the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Chatham House think-tank, said the potential presence of an exotic poison "does bear the hallmarks of Russian state involvement."

"It's not quite the same as murdering them with a sickle through the heart with 'made in U.S.S.R.' stamped on it," he said. "But it does lead a lot more firmly to the conclusion that this is the Russian state involved."

But other experts underscored that little is clear. Mark Galeotti, head of the Center for European Security at the Institute of International Relations in Prague, urged caution. He pointed out that Russia hasn't tried to eliminate swapped spies "as this would spoil their chances of getting future exchanges" with the West.

"The mythology that Moscow always gets back at those who betray them is just that, a mythology. Not every exiled spy or Kremlin enemy has been killed." he said. "It is more likely that Skripal was still a spy or he was working for a private intelligence firm or they (Kremlin) thought he was."

___

Associated Press writers Kate De Pury and Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed. Kirka and Lawless reported from London.

Police officer secures the area as a police tent covers the the spot in Salisbury, England, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, where former Russian spy double agent Sergei Skripal and his companion were found critically ill Sunday following exposure to an "unknown substance". 66-year old Skripal, and unidentified woman companion are being treated in hospital, after they were found unconscious on the park bench.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

FILE - In this Wednesday, April 7, 2004 file photo, Russian arms control researcher Igor Sutyagin stands behind bars as he listens to the verdict as he is sentenced to 15-years in prison for spying, in a courtroom in Moscow. Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy who fell critically ill in Britain on Monday March 6, 2018, after exposure to an "unknown substance", was one of four prisoners who were pardoned and released from custody in 2010 as part of a spy swap. Like Skripal, Igor Sutyagin moved to Britain after his release but he was loathe to leave Russia but had no choice. (AP Photo, file)

This is an alleged image of the daughter of former Russian Spy Sergei Skripal, Yulia Skripal taken from Yulia Skipal's Facebook account on Tuesday March 6, 2018. British counterterrorism police said Tuesday that they are now leading the investigating into the unexplained illness of a former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, although it hasn't been declared a terrorist incident. The Skripals were taken ill in Salisbury southwest England on Sunday. (Yulia Skripal/Facebook via AP)

In this image taken from security camera footage from PA shows a man and woman as they walk through an alleyway connecting a Zizzi's restaurant to a bench where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal was found in Salisbury on Sunday March 4, 2018 The image is believed to be of interest to police. British counter-terror specialists offered expertise Tuesday to police in southern England as they sought to unravel the mystery of why a former Russian spy fell critically ill following exposure to an "unknown substance." Authorities maintained a cordon near the spot where former double agent Sergei Skripal and an unidentified woman collapsed Sunday in Salisbury. (AP Photo)

Police outside an Italian restaurant in Salisbury, England, Tuesday March 6, 2018, near to where former Russian spy double agent Sergei Skripal and his companion were found critically ill Sunday following exposure to an "unknown substance". 66-year old Skripal, and unidentified woman companion are being treated in hospital, after they were found unconscious on the park bench in Salisbury.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2006 file photo, Sergei Skripal speaks to his lawyer from behind bars seen on a screen of a monitor outside a courtroom in Moscow. It has been reported on Monday, March 5, 2018 by the British media that Skripal is in critical condition after exposure to 'unknown substance' in English city of Salisbury. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze, File)

A police tent in The Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, England Tuesday March 6, 2018 near where Sergei Skripal was found critically ill by exposure to an unknown substance. Skripal, a former Russian spy is in critical condition after coming into contact with an "unknown substance." Authorities did not identify the man, but the Press Association and other British media identified him Monday, March 5, as Sergei Skripal who was convicted in 2006 on charges of spying for Britain and sentenced to 13 years but was freed in 2010 in a U.S.-Russian spy swap. (Steve Parsons/PA via AP)

Police cordon off the area near the Maltings in Salisbury, England, where British media reported Monday, March 5, 2018 that a former Russian spy was in critical condition after coming into contact with an "unknown substance" on Sunday. British media identified him as Sergei Skripal, 66, who was convicted in Russia on charges of spying for Britain and sentenced in 2006 to 13 years in prison. Skripal was freed in 2010 as part of a U.S.-Russian spy swap. (Steve Parsons/PA via AP)

Police outside an Italian restaurant in Salisbury, England, Tuesday March 6, 2018, near to where former Russian spy double agent Sergei Skripal and his companion were found critically ill Sunday following exposure to an "unknown substance". 66-year old Skripal, and unidentified woman companion are being treated in hospital, after they were found unconscious on the park bench in Salisbury.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

FILE - This is a Aug. 16, 2005 file photo of the main entrance of Salisbury District Hospital, in Salisbury, England. British media say a former Russian spy is in critical condition after coming into contact with an "unknown substance." Authorities did not identify the man, but the Press Association and other British media identified him Monday, March 5, 2018 as Sergei Skripal who was convicted in 2006 on charges of spying for Britain and sentenced to 13 years but was freed in 2010 in a U.S.-Russian spy swap. (Tim Ockenden/PA via AP, File)

This is an alleged image of the daughter of former Russian Spy Sergei Skripal, Yulia Skripal taken from Yulia Skipal's Facebook account on Tuesday March 6, 2018. British counterterrorism police said Tuesday that they are now leading the investigating into the unexplained illness of a former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, although it hasn't been declared a terrorist incident. The Skripals were taken ill in Salisbury southwest England on Sunday. (Yulia Skripal/Facebook via AP)

A view of the sign at Salisbury District Hospital where the British media reported that a former Russian spy was in critical condition after coming into contact with an "unknown substance," in Wiltshire, England, Monday March 5, 2018. British media identified him as Sergei Skripal, 66, who was convicted in Russia on charges of spying for Britain and sentenced in 2006 to 13 years in prison. Skripal was freed in 2010 as part of a U.S.-Russian spy swap. (Steve Parsons/PA via AP)

FILE - In this Friday May 10, 2002 file photo Alexander Litvinenko, former KGB spy and author of the book "Blowing Up Russia: Terror From Within", is photographed at his home in London. Former KGB agent who defected to Britain and become a vocal Kremlin critic, Alexander Litvinenko died in November 2006, three weeks after drinking tea laced with a radioactive isotope at a London hotel. (AP Photo/File)BEIRUT (AP) - The latest on the war in Syria (all times local):

3:50 a.m.

The U.N. says Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is urging all parties in Syria to implement a cease-fire demanded by the Security Council on Feb. 24.

This photo released by the Syrian Red Crescent shows a convoy of vehicles of the Syrian Red Crescent arriving to Douma, eastern Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus, Syria, Monday, March. 5, 2018. Desperate for food and medicine, Syrian civilians in the war-ravaged eastern suburbs of Damascus hoped for relief Monday as a 46-truck aid convoy began entering the rebel stronghold, the first such shipment in months. (Syrian Red Crescent via AP)

The U.N. chief also is very concerned over attacks throughout the besieged Damascus suburbs of eastern Ghouta as well as reported shelling of the capital.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said late Tuesday that attacks in eastern Ghouta reportedly killed more than 100 people Monday.

Dujarric says 14 of 46 trucks in a convoy trying to deliver supplies to Douma in eastern Ghouta weren't able to fully unload Monday.

He says that "nearly half of the food carried on the convoy" could not be delivered. He also says that "a part of the medical and health supplies to be included for delivery was removed by the Syrian authorities."

Dujarric says Guterres is calling for "safe and unimpeded access" for convoys to deliver aid to hundreds of thousands of Syrians in desperate need.

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8:30 p.m.

France says the U.N. Security Council will meet Wednesday to discuss the failure to implement its Feb. 24 resolution demanding a cease-fire "without delay" in Syria.

The truce was supposed to last for at least 30 days in order to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of critically ill and wounded people from besieged areas.

France and Britain requested the closed-door briefings by U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock and U.N. special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

Last Wednesday, Russia and Syria clashed with the U.S. and its Western allies over responsibility for the failure of a cease-fire to take hold in Syria.

Since then, a humanitarian convoy reached the besieged eastern suburbs of Damascus on Monday, but the International Committee for the Red Cross said it was forced to halt the aid delivery after the security situation deteriorated while aid workers were on the ground.

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7:35 p.m.

U.S.-backed Kurdish forces say they are redeploying fighters from fronts against the Islamic State group in eastern Syria to the Kurdish-controlled enclave of Afrin in the northwest to shore up Kurdish fighters battling a Turkish offensive.

The Kurdish Rudaw news agency quotes Abu Omar al-Idilbi, a spokesman for Arab militias within the Syrian Democratic Forces as saying that 1,700 fighters will be redeployed from Deir el-Zour and other active fronts with IS.

An SDF statement says the fighters have made the "difficult decision" to redeploy because of the brutal Turkish offensive on Afrin.

U.S. officials have been warning that Turkey's offensive against U.S.-backed forces in Syria would affect the fight against Islamic State group.

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6:45 p.m.

Russia's Defense Ministry has raised the death toll from the crash of a military cargo plane at an air base in Syria to 39.

The ministry said in a statement Tuesday that 33 passengers and six crew members were killed when the An-26 crashed just 500 meters (1,600 feet) from the runway.

The Russian military previously put the death toll at 32.

Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, leases the Hemeimeem military base in Syria, near the Mediterranean coast.

The base is far from the front lines of the conflict, but came under shelling in December. The Russian military insisted the cargo plane did not come under fire, while saying it would conduct a full investigation.

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5:45 p.m.

An official with the International Committee for the Red Cross says aid workers who were on a humanitarian mission inside eastern Ghouta saw rescuers trying to pull corpses from the rubble of buildings.

Pawel Krzysiek, head of communications at ICRC Syria, says the situation in the opposition-held Damascus suburb is "desperate."

Speaking on Tuesday, a day after a rare humanitarian mission to eastern Ghouta that was cut short because of the shelling, he says schools have stopped and some children have not seen daylight for 15 days. Many residents are hungry.

"We left with heavy hearts," Krzysiek said in a video distributed by the ICRC.

He appealed for a sustainable solution to the security situation in eastern Ghouta so that more aid could be brought in

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4 p.m.

Russia says a military cargo plane has crashed at the Russian air base in Syria, killing all 32 people onboard.

The Defense Ministry says the An-26, with 26 passengers and six crew members onboard, crashed Tuesday just 500 meters (1,600 feet) from the runway. The military blamed the crash on a technical error.

Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, leases a military base in Syria near the Mediterranean coast.

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2 p.m.

U.N. war crimes investigators say a Russian plane was apparently behind a deadly airstrike in November in Syria's Idlib province that killed 84 people at a marketplace, an attack which could amount to a war crime.

The findings were reported by the U.N.'s Commission of Inquiry on Syria on Tuesday.

It's the first time the commission has pinned responsibility for civilian deaths in Syria on Russia. The report says "all available information" indicates a Russian plane carried out the Nov. 13 airstrike that hit a market, surrounding houses and a police station run by Western-backed Syrian rebels in the town of Atarib, in northern Idlib.

At least 84 people were killed and about another 150 were wounded in the attack.

The commission, which was created 6-1/2 years ago to document alleged human rights violations by any side in Syria's war, says the plane that carried out the airstrike took off from an air base in Syria run by Russian forces, the Hemeimeem air base.

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12:30 p.m.

A war-monitoring group says Syrian government shelling and airstrikes killed 80 people in the besieged eastern suburbs of Damascus the previous day, making it the deadliest day there since the U.N.'s Security Council last month demanded a cease-fire across Syria.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 80 died and dozens more were wounded on Monday as government forces ignored the U.N. call and pressed their assault on the rebel-held eastern Ghouta.

The United Nations estimates 400,000 people are trapped under a government siege in the area.

The Syrian American Medical Society charity, which supports several hospitals in eastern Ghouta, gave a slightly lesser death toll from the Observatory, saying 79 people were killed.

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12:05 p.m.

The Russian defense ministry has extended an offer to Syrians in the besieged eastern suburbs of Damascus, saying armed rebels with their families - not just civilians - can also leave eastern Ghouta through a safe corridor.

The ministry says its negotiators in Syria late on Monday called on all rebels leaders in eastern Ghouta to allow civilians leave the area, which has been under a crippling siege for weeks. It says the rebels are also free to leave the enclave with their weapons and families unhindered.

The first shipment of humanitarian aid reached eastern Ghouta on Monday but was cut short on Tuesday after Syrian government forces began shelling the area again.

Russia has been a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, helping him the tide of the bloody civil war in his favor.

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10:55 a.m.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry says the country plans to establish camps in nine locations in northern Syria to house people displaced by fighting amid Ankara's offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters.

Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said on Tuesday that the camps would be built in a zone controlled by Turkish-backed forces, as well as in Idlib province where Turkish forces are trying establishing a "de-escalation zone" under an agreement reached between Turkey, Russia and Iran.

Aksoy said the camps would host a total of 170,000 people.

Turkey controls a swath of territory revolving around the town of al-Rai, al-Bab and Jarablus - a border zone that Turkey and Turkey-backed rebels took from the Islamic State group in 2016.

Turkey has also launched a campaign to oust a Syrian Kurdish militia from the enclave of Afrin that Ankara considers to be "terrorist" and linked to an insurgency within Turkey's own borders.

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10:45 a.m.

The International Committee for the Red Cross says it was forced to halt aid delivery to the besieged eastern suburbs of Damascus the previous day after the security situation deteriorated while aid workers were on the ground.

Ingy Sedky, the ICRC spokeswoman in Syria says most of the aid from a 46-truck convoy was delivered to the town of Douma in eastern Ghouta on Monday but the mission was cut short before the rest of the supplies could be unloaded.

Iyad Abdelaziz, a member of the Douma Local Council, says nine aid trucks had to leave the area after government shelling and airstrikes intensified in the evening.

Monday's shipment was the first to enter eastern Ghouta amid weeks of a crippling siege and a government assault that has killed hundreds.CAIRO (AP) - Sudan's ambassador to Egypt has returned to Cairo more than two months after he was recalled by his government for consultations, a move that signaled deteriorating relations at the time.

The return of Abdel-Mahmoud Abdel-Halim, who flew back to Cairo late on Monday, follows a January meeting between the leaders of Egypt and Sudan - Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Omar al-Bashir - on the sidelines of an African summit in Addis Ababa.

The two countries' foreign ministers and heads of intelligence also held talks in Cairo last month.

Tension between the two neighbors was primarily over Khartoum's repeated attempts to revive a longstanding border dispute and its perceived support for the construction of a massive dam on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia that Cairo fears will reduce its vital water share.WARSAW, Poland (AP) - The U.S. and Polish governments denied reports Tuesday that the U.S. is punishing Poland over a new Holocaust speech law by freezing high-level diplomatic contacts and blocking funding for joint military projects.

Bartosz Cichocki, deputy foreign minister in Poland, conceded that the U.S. government has been expressing "concerns and questions" about the law, but said media reports of sanctions were untrue.

Later in Washington, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert also denied the claims.

FILE - In this file photo dated Thursday July 6, 2017, Poland's President Andrzej Duda, right, and U.S President Donald Trump attend a news conference at Royal Castle, in Warsaw. According to online news reports published Tuesday March 6, 2018, the Polish President Andrzej Duda cannot count on any meetings with either President Donald Trump or Vice President Mike Pence until Poland changes their controversial new Holocaust law. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, FILE)

"The reports that allege any kind of a suspension in security cooperation or high-level dialogue, all of that is simply false. Poland is a close NATO ally, that will remain, that hasn't changed," Nauert told reporters.

"We are not going to abandon our security commitments to Poland. Poland is a close NATO ally. But I want to be clear we have concerns about that legislation, and we have made our concerns very clear," Nauert said.

Polish news portal Onet.pl reported Monday that the Polish government was told President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki cannot count on meetings with either U.S. President Donald Trump or Vice President Mike Pence until Poland changes the law.

Onet said it saw Polish documents confirming the ultimatum, and reported that the Americans also threatened to block the financing of joint military projects.

The United States has previously warned Poland that there would be repercussions for Poland's "strategic interests" if it passed the law, which imposes prison sentences of up to three years for falsely and intentionally attributing the crimes of Nazi Germany to Poland.

Poland's government says the law is meant to protect Poland, a victim of Hitler's Germany, from being accused of crimes it did not commit as a nation. Israeli and U.S. officials, however, fear that it could undermine free speech and academic research into the cases of Polish violence against Jews during World War II.

Poland's Constitutional Court is now examining the law, leaving many observers hopeful it might require lawmakers to change it and end the diplomatic dispute that broke out in late January. Last week Polish officials were in Jerusalem and Washington trying to explain the law and hear the views of Israeli and U.S. partners.

Artur Lompart, director of the press office of Poland's Foreign Ministry, told The Associated Press in an emailed statement that the ministry "will not comment on media reports about classified or official correspondence."

However, he said that Polish diplomats tried to explain in "intensive talks" with Americans and others that "the proposed changes pose no threat to freedom of speech and research, which is unequivocally enshrined in the Polish Constitution."

"It must be strongly noted that the language of ultimatum does not appear in Polish-U.S. talks," Lompart said, adding that "strategic bilateral cooperation is not at risk, with diplomatic contacts kept as usual."

____

Matthew Lee in Washington contributed.TOKYO (AP) - More than six years after assuming power, North Korea's Kim Jong Un has yet to complete one of the defining rituals of a world leader - hosting another head of state, or being welcomed by one on an official visit abroad.

That may change soon.

South Korea's presidential office said Tuesday evening the two countries had agreed to hold a summit next month at a truce village inside the Demilitarized Zone that divides their countries. And they plan to do so on the South's side of the village, which would be a first.

In this Monday, March 5, 2018 photo, provided by the North Korean government on March 6, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, his sister Kim Yo Jong, and Vice Chairman of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party Central Committee Kim Yong Chol meet members of South Korean delegation headed by National Security Director Chung Eui-yong in Pyongyang, North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

Kim's meeting this week with a high-level delegation from Seoul to hash out his proposal for a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in points both to some savvy political maneuvering and possibly a broader attempt by Kim to step more firmly out from the shadows of his predecessors as North Korea's undisputed supreme leader.

Kim already seems to be perfecting the optics of what he hopes will be ahead.

While the South Koreans were in Pyongyang, Kim seemed to cherish a role he rarely gets to take - that of a magnanimous head of state welcoming important foreign guests. North Korea's state-run media made a point of portraying him as a confident statesman, holding court over a lavish dinner, beaming with satisfaction during group photos and congratulating South Korea for successfully staging the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

That's quite a dramatic departure from the predominant images of 2017 - Kim surrounded by his generals celebrating their latest missile launch.

The North-South summit itself isn't without precedent. Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, met his South Korean counterparts in 2000 and 2007. Both of those summits were held in Pyongyang, however.

To show just how important such a meeting is to him, Kim sent his younger sister to make the pitch directly to Moon last month, when she attended the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Her visit marked the first time a member of the Kim family had ever crossed the border.

Make no mistake - Kim is sticking to his nuclear weapons and arsenal of missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. While he may hold off on any new missile or nuclear tests for the time being, as Seoul has indicated, he has said repeatedly that he has no intention of giving them up or of using them as a bargaining chip to improve ties with Seoul, Washington or anybody else.

After a year of dangerously high tensions between his regime and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, Kim is clearly hoping to woo Seoul away from Washington's hard line of "maximum pressure." He is also looking to improved ties with the South as a potential means of keeping the North's economy afloat.

But his recent moves seem to go a step beyond that.

Even without any lasting political breakthroughs, a summit would mark a major personal milestone for Kim, who while being the epicenter of great international anxiety is still known to the world almost exclusively through images and statements that are carefully filtered through North Korea's state-run propaganda machine.

With the five-year official mourning period for his father now over, and his personal powerbase seemingly strong, holding a summit would offer Kim a chance to solidify his bona fides as a national leader and bolster his stature in comparison with the legacies of his grandfather, "eternal president" Kim Il Sung, and father, Kim Jong Il.

How far beyond a summit with South Korea Kim is willing or able to go remains to be seen. Moon is pushing for the North to reopen talks with the U.S. and his agreement to hold a summit with Kim indicates more developments on that front are in the offing. Seoul has said its next move is to brief American officials.

Trips abroad can be a risky proposition if a leader isn't entirely certain stability can be maintained while he is away.

Even so, both of Kim's predecessors traveled outside North Korea's borders during their tenures - Kim Il Sung famously visited the Soviet Union and most of eastern Europe by train in 1984. Kim Jong Un himself has been abroad, having attended school as a boy in Switzerland, and rumors have come up from time to time that he would visit either Beijing or Moscow.

If nothing else, Kim does have an aircraft that's ready for the task.

Kim's younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, flew to the South for the Olympics on an aircraft believed to be Kim Jong Un's personal jet, which was decked out to resemble the kind of plane other national leaders use for state trips. That seemed designed to suggest Kim, like any other political leader, could be ready to hop on a flight if the opportunity arose.

Not that he will likely need to do so anytime soon. No one is talking yet of a trip by Kim to Seoul.

Relations with Beijing have soured under his watch and while ties with Moscow are relatively better, Russian President Vladimir Putin's attention seems to be focused elsewhere. And despite Trump's casual remarks otherwise, a journey to Washington would definitely seem like a longshot.

But then again, a year ago, so did the chances of a summit with South Korea's leader.

___

Eric Talmadge has been the AP's Pyongyang bureau chief since 2013. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter: @erictalmadge.

In this Monday, March 5, 2018 photo, provided by the North Korean government on March 6, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, front right, shakes hands with South Korean National Security Director Chung Eui-yong after Chung gave Kim the letter from South Korean President Moon Jae-in, in Pyongyang, North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this Monday, March 5, 2018 photo, provided by the North Korean government on March 6, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, front right, meets South Korean National Security Director Chung Eui-yong, front left, in Pyongyang, North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)BANGKOK (AP) - The senior U.N. official for human rights said Tuesday that it is impossible to safely send Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh back to Myanmar because widespread and systematic violence appears to be continuing against them in Myanmar, amounting to "ethnic cleansing."

U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour said in a statement that during a four-day visit to Bangladesh, refugees told him "credible accounts of continued killings, rape, torture and abductions, as well as forced starvation" in the western Myanmar state of Rakhine. Myanmar's government denies such abuses and announced in January that it was ready to accept the refugees back.

"Safe, dignified and sustainable returns are of course impossible under current conditions," Gilmour said.

FILE - In this Jan. 24, 2018, file photo, Muslim Rohingya refugee who were staying in no-man's land at Bandarban between Myanmar and Bangladesh border carry their belongings to new locations after arriving at Balukhali refugee camp 50 kilometers (32 miles) from Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour said in a statement Tuesday, March 6, 2018, that it is "impossible" to send Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh safely back to Myanmar because it appears that widespread and systematic violence against them inside Myanmar, amounting to ethnic cleaning, is continuing. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)

Some 700,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to Bangladesh since late August, when Myanmar security forces began sweeps through Rakhine after attacks by a Rohingya insurgent group. There are credible accounts of widespread human rights abuses, including rape, the torching of homes and killings, carried out against the Rohingya, leading to accusations that Myanmar is guilty of "ethnic cleansing," or even genocide.

Gilmour said the rate of killings and sexual violence in Rakhine has subsided since August and September last year, but "It appears that widespread and systematic violence against the Rohingya persists."

"The nature of the violence has changed from the frenzied blood-letting and mass rape of last year to a lower intensity campaign of terror and forced starvation that seems to be designed to drive the remaining Rohingya from their homes and into Bangladesh," he said.

Myanmar's government has built two reception camps and a transition camp for Rohingya refugees in northern Rakhine, but Gilmour, like most human rights advocates, says it is unsafe now to repatriate the Rohingya.

"The conversation now must focus on stopping the violence in Rakhine state, ensuring accountability for the perpetrators, and the need for Myanmar to create conditions for return," said Gilmour.

Myanmar's government spokesman did not answer repeated calls for comment on Gilmour's statement.

Last week, Myanmar's army deployed additional security forces to the border with Bangladesh, with the apparent aim of driving about 6,000 Rohingya refugees staying in a no man's land into Bangladeshi territory.

"We have been told by Rohingya who fled from the no man's land that the security forces have been threatening them by shooting guns in the air, throwing stones at them and shouting at them to get out of the area," said Ko Ko Lin, a Rohingya activist in Bangladesh.

The U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, has expressed its concern over the situation.

"UNHCR is urging the authorities to ensure the safety of the group currently in no man's land," UNHCR spokeswoman Vivian Tan said Tuesday.

"These people have fled violence at home and must be able to seek asylum in Bangladesh if they feel unsafe where they are," she said. "In the same way, those who wish to return to Myanmar have the right to do so when they feel the time and circumstances are right. We've asked Myanmar for humanitarian access in order to help people like them and others affected by the recent violence."CAIRO (AP) - A passenger on an EgyptAir flight from the Gulf state of Oman to Cairo assaulted crew members on Tuesday but was quickly overpowered and handed over to authorities, Egyptian aviation officials said.

The Boeing 737-800 with 78 passengers returned to Muscat, Oman's capital, 30 minutes after it took off from there, and the crew handed over the passenger to the police.

The plane later left for Cairo, arriving four hours behind schedule.

According to the officials, the passenger, identified as Egyptian national Mohammed Attiya Ashour, was not armed.

The incident unfolded shortly after takeoff, when the man began to shout "Allahu akbar," or "God is great" in Arabic and demanded to enter the cockpit.

He was wrestled down by the flight's two air marshals and crew members. The flight's chief cabin steward was slightly injured in the head during the scuffle, the officials said.

Egyptian authorities have questioned the crew and other passengers about the incident after they arrived back in Cairo.

It was unlikely that the incident was terrorism-related, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

EgyptAir issued a brief statement confirming the incident, describing Ashour as a "disruptive" passenger.Trump economic aide Cohn departs after trade disagreement

WASHINGTON (AP) - Top economic adviser Gary Cohn is leaving the White House after breaking with President Donald Trump on trade policy, the latest in a string of high-level departures from the West Wing.

Cohn, the director of the National Economic Council, has been the leading internal opponent to Trump's planned tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum, working to orchestrate an eleventh-hour effort in recent days to get Trump to reverse course. But Trump resisted those efforts, and reiterated Tuesday he will be imposing tariffs in the coming days.

Cohn's departure comes amid a period of unparalleled tumult in the Trump administration, and aides worry that more staffers may soon head for the doors.

The announcement came hours after Trump denied there was chaos in the White House. Trump maintained that his White House has "tremendous energy," but multiple White House officials said Trump has been urging anxious aides to stay.

"Everyone wants to work in the White House," Trump said during a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven. "They all want a piece of the Oval Office."

___

Democrats hoping strong turnout spurs them in deep-red Texas

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Democrats in deep-red Texas voted in force in the first-in-the-nation 2018 primary elections Tuesday, propelling women candidates toward possible challenges to entrenched male Republicans in Congress and venting their midterm anger at President Donald Trump.

The biggest question was whether Texas is just the start of what's to come nationwide. Energized Texas Democrats appeared poised for their biggest turnout in a midterm primary in more than a decade, despite the long odds this November of ousting Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and other statewide officeholders who've fervently stood by Trump.

But with the GOP's majority in Congress on the line this fall, Democrats in Texas barreled out of the gates to vote. They showed up in bigger numbers than Republicans during voting before election day in Texas - the nation's biggest conservative state. Republicans retook the overall lead in turnout as results trickled in, but Democratic voting remained high.

Nationally, Democrats have their sights on flipping three GOP-controlled congressional seats in Texas that backed Hillary Clinton over Trump in 2016, including a Houston district where two women were the top vote-getters in early returns in a race likely to go to a May runoff.

Cruz and his Democratic challenger who has generated national excitement despite facing long odds, U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, easily clinched their party nominations for the Senate. Meanwhile, several congressional races packed with candidates were expected to head to May runoffs. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott also cruised to his party's nomination for re-election.

___

Trump administration suing California over sanctuary laws

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration on Tuesday sued to block California laws that extend protections to people living in the U.S. illegally, the most aggressive move yet in its push to force so-called sanctuary cities and states to cooperate with immigration authorities. California officials remained characteristically defiant, vowing to defend their landmark legislation.

The Justice Department argued a trio of state laws that, among other things, bar police from asking people about their citizenship status or participating in federal immigration enforcement activities are unconstitutional and have kept federal agents from doing their jobs. The lawsuit named as defendants the state of California, Gov. Jerry Brown and Attorney General Xavier Becerra.

"I say, bring it on," said California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, a Los Angeles Democrat who wrote the sanctuary state bill.

It is the latest salvo in an escalating feud between the Trump administration and California, which has resisted the president on issues like taxes and marijuana policy and defiantly refuses to help federal agents detain and deport undocumented immigrants. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has said it will increase its presence in California, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions wants to cut off funding to jurisdictions that won't cooperate.

The lawsuit was filed as the Justice Department is also reviewing Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf's decision to warn of an immigration sweep in advance, which ICE said allowed hundreds of immigrants to elude detention. Schaaf said Tuesday the city would "continue to inform all residents about their constitutional rights."

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10 Things to Know for Wednesday

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Wednesday:

1. TOP ECONOMIC ADVISER EXITING WHITE HOUSE

Gary Cohn, the latest in a string of high-level departures from the West Wing, has been the leading internal opponent to Trump's planned tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum.

2. WHAT MAY BE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

Trump appears to have gotten what he wanted from North Korea: a promise to put its entire arsenal of atomic weapons on the negotiating table. But Pyongyang has dashed such hopes before.

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Porn star sues Trump over nondisclosure agreement

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A porn star who has said she had sex with President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to invalidate a nondisclosure agreement that she signed days before the 2016 presidential election, which prevented her from discussing the alleged sexual encounters.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges that the agreement is "null and void and of no consequence" because Trump didn't personally sign it.

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, said she wanted to go public with the details of her alleged sexual relationship with Trump in the weeks leading up to the election, according to the lawsuit. Clifford and Trump's attorney Michael Cohen signed the nondisclosure agreement on Oct. 28, 2016.

Clifford alleges that she began an "intimate relationship" with Trump in 2006 and that it continued "well into the year 2007," according to the lawsuit. She said the relationship included encounters in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and Beverly Hills, California.

Trump married his current wife, Melania Trump, in 2005.

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West Virginia teachers cheer pay hike deal to end walkout

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginia's striking teachers cheered, sang and wept joyfully Tuesday as lawmakers voted to give them a 5 percent raise, ending a nine-day walkout that closed schools across the state.

A huge crowd of teachers packing the Capitol jumped up and down, chanted "We love our kids!" and sang John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads." The settlement came after a crippling strike had idled hundreds of thousands of students, forced parents to scramble for child care and cast a spotlight on government dysfunction in one of the poorest states in the nation.

State schools Superintendent Steve Paine said in a statement he was "pleased that our students, teachers and service personnel will return to school" Wednesday.

Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, formally declared Tuesday evening that the "work action was over" after a consultation among local organizers. That group is the largest teacher organization in West Virginia and Lee said all 55 West Virginia counties had stood together, adding, "without them, today's agreement would not have happened."

Earlier, Lee had said of the teachers: "We know that they're going to be relieved to do what they love best, and that's taking care of the kids and educating the kids of West Virginia."

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Nor'easter packing heavy snow, wind threatens new outages

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Utility workers took advantage of milder temperatures and sunshine Tuesday in their scramble to restore power to thousands of customers around the Northeast, as another snowy, blowy nor'easter threatened a new round of outages.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning that stretched from eastern Pennsylvania to most of New England, from late Tuesday night into Thursday morning.

Heavy, wet snow and gusting winds could take down trees and snap power lines already weakened from last week's storm, adding to stress for customers who've gone days without power.

The outages turned to outrage for a New Jersey man whose home had been without electricity since Friday, who threatened to kidnap a utility company employee and blow up a substation. Robert Winter, 63, was charged with making terroristic threats, according to police in Vernon.

More than a foot of snow is forecast for some interior areas, the weather service said. Pennsylvania's Poconos Mountains and parts of western Massachusetts could see up to 18 inches.

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Trump says he'll push tariffs despite pressure from GOP

WASHINGTON (AP) - Warning of economic fallout, congressional Republicans and industry groups pressed President Donald Trump on Tuesday to narrow his plan for across-the-board tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum. Trump appeared unmoved, declaring: "Trade wars aren't so bad."

The president said he planned to move forward with special tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, contending the U.S. has long been "mistreated" in trade deals.

"We're doing tariffs on steel. We cannot lose our steel industry. It's a fraction of what it once was. And we can't lose our aluminum industry," Trump said during a joint news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven.

Hours later, White House economic adviser Gary Cohn, who has opposed the tariffs, announced his plans to depart the White House, another signal that the president intends to go through with the penalties.

The president's pledge for action, which would be in line with a one of his campaign promises, came after House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin called for a "more surgical approach" that would help avert a potentially dangerous trade war. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said there was concern Trump's plan could lead to such disruptive turmoil.

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Things to know from Tuesday's Texas primaries

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Texas kicked off primary season ahead of the 2018 midterm election, with implications for Democrats and Republicans alike in an election year that could alter the direction of Congress and statehouses around the country for the final two years of President Donald Trump's term.

Things worth keeping an eye on Tuesday as Texans cast ballots:

THE TRUMP EFFECT AND DEMOCRATIC TURNOUT

Democrats remain underdogs to knock off Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott, but there's been a surge in numbers of Democratic candidates and voters that reflects nationwide momentum for the left since Trump's election.

There is at least one Democratic candidate in every congressional district - 36 of them - for the first time since 1992. Democrats have 25 contested congressional primaries, and Senate nominee Beto O'Rourke raised $2.4 million in the final three months of 2017, more than Cruz's $1.9 million haul.

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US greets talk of NK nuke concessions with hope, skepticism

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump greeted North Korea's reported willingness to negotiate away its atomic weapons with both hope and skepticism Tuesday, insisting a potential diplomatic breakthrough be tested against the North's long history of deception and threats to target U.S. cities with nuclear missiles.

"I really believe they are sincere," Trump said at a White House news conference, sounding more optimistic than his intelligence chief, Dan Coats, who told a Senate hearing he has "very, very low confidence" that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un intends to give up his nuclear arms.

"Maybe this is a breakthrough. I seriously doubt it," Coats said.

A senior South Korean presidential adviser said Tuesday that Kim expressed a willingness to discuss nuclear disarmament and halt nuclear and missile tests during future talks with the United States. The North didn't confirm those concessions, which would amount to a dramatic about-face for a nation that has frequently vowed to preserve its nuclear arsenal at any cost.

Chung Eui-yong, the South Korean official who spoke after participating in talks with Kim in Pyongyang, also said the North Korean dictator had agreed to meet with South Korea's president at a border village in late April.ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Greece's defense minister says he has complained to the European Union and NATO following the arrest of two Greek soldiers in Turkey after they strayed across the border during a patrol last week.

Panos Kammenos said the two men, a lieutenant and a sergeant, were arrested a "few meters" inside Turkish territory while on a patrol against migrant smuggling. He made the remarks in Brussels on Tuesday while attending a meeting of EU defense ministers.

A Turkish court in the border city of Edirne rejected a request for their provisional release.

Sotiria Theocharidi, Greece's Consul in Edirne, left, arrives at the courthouse in Edirne, Turkey, Monday, March 5, 2018. Lawyers have formally appealed for the release of two arrested Greek soldiers from custody. The two were arrested last week for allegedly entering a Turkish military zone and on suspicion of attempted espionage. Greece said the two soldiers - a lieutenant and a sergeant - accidentally strayed into Turkey during a patrol of the Greek-Turkish border due to bad weather.(AP Photo/Ergin Yildiz)

The incident has further strained relations between the two NATO allies who have longstanding disputes over maritime boundaries and commercial rights.BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - A top Romanian court has struck down legislation that would have allowed lawmakers and other public officials to own businesses.

The Constitutional Court ruled Tuesday that the legislation approved by Parliament in December wasn't constitutional.

The development came after President Klaus Iohannis wrote to the court in January, alerting it to the legislation which he said "diminished the standards of integrity" expected of officials and undermined the rule of law.

Iohannis evoked a European Union report that urged Romania to ensure that officials weren't exempt from laws on the conflict of interest and unjustified wealth.

The EU, magistrates and ordinary Romanians have publicly opposed a judicial overhaul being implemented by the left-wing ruling coalition. They say the proposals will weaken judicial independence and harm efforts to combat corruption.GAC Group posts YoY sales increase of 15.1% in first two months of 2018

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- GAC Group reported a year-on-year sales increase of 0.41% for February to 114,904 units. In the first two months of 2018, its sales amounted to 325,055 units, jumping 15.1% compared to a year ago. Output of GAC Group reached 115,420 units, down 9.49% over the previous year in February. However, it saw year-on-year output growth of 10.24% to 301,858 units during January and February.

As to the sub-brands, February sales of GAC Motor totaled 33,905 units, up 3.36% compared to 32,802 units a year earlier. During the first two months of 2018, GAC Motor posted a year-on-year sales growth of 20.31% to 95,136 units, completing 13.59% of its sales target for 2018. Sales of the GS4 and the GS8 continued to be the main growth drivers. Besides, a small SUV model, the GS3 and a mid-size SUV model, the GS7, as well as a MPV model, the GM8 and a compact sedan model, the GA4 also contributed a lot to GAC Motor's sales growth. In 2018, GAC Motor will release the new GS4, new GS5 and the GM6.

GAC Honda reported a solid 16.72% increase in sales, compared to 33,866 units in the same month last year, selling 39,528 units in February. In the first two months of 2018, GAC Honda reported a year-on-year sales growth of 29.89% to 111,977 units, completing 14.93% of its annual sales target totaled 750,000 units. In February, with deliveries of over 11,000 units, the Honda Accord was the best-selling model among all models of GAC Honda. The Honda Avancier boasted the fastest year-on-year sales growth among all of GAC Honda's models to around 67.7%. In the wake of the launch of new models, GAC Honda is expected to have a good sales performance in the following months.

GAC Toyota suffered a year-on-year sales slump of 13.15% to 22,602 units in February, compared to 26,024 units a year earlier. It also saw a slight year-on-year sales drop of 4.49% to 68,193 units during the first two months in 2018, completing 13.64% of its annual sales target of 500,000 units. It is said that GAC Toyota will release the small-size Toyota C-HR, mid-size SUV, the new Toyota Highlander, an all-new compact pure electric SUV and a compact PHEV, the Toyota Levin in 2018.

Retaining the robust growth momentum from January, GAC Mitsubishi sold 10,006 vehicles in February, surging 42.9% on an annual basis. Strikingly, it is the sixth consecutive month for GAC Mitsubishi to deliver more than 10,000 units. What's more, deliveries of GAC Mitsubishi reached 25,688 units in January and February, soaring 71.24% compared with same month last year. Sales of the Mitsubishi Outlander became the major sales contributor to the sales growth of GAC Mitsubishi. In 2018, GAC Mitsubishi will release an all-new SUV, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, the new Mitsubishi Outlander and the new Mitsubishi ASX.WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump's new tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum (all times local):

11 p.m.

Jared Kushner will be meeting with Mexico's president Wednesday amid heightened tensions over the border wall and trade.

President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The senior White House adviser and presidential son-in-law will be traveling to Mexico City with a delegation that includes staff from the State Department and National Security Council. They'll also meet with Mexico's foreign minister. The officials are expected to discuss security, immigration, trade and other issues.

Tentative plans for President Enrique Pena Nieto to visit the White House were scrapped last month after a testy telephone call with President Donald Trump over the wall Trump has pledged to build on the U.S.-Mexico border, The Washington Post reported.

Pena Nieto also scrapped a planned trip to Washington shortly after Trump took office in January 2017.

__

4 p.m.

President Donald Trump is reaffirming his plans to place tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. He says at a White House news conference, "Trade wars aren't so bad."

The president was asked during a joint news conference if he would go through with his previous plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports.

Trump says the U.S. has long been "mistreated" by trade deals and has been dealing with a massive trade deficit.

He is reiterating that if he's able to make a deal with Canada and Mexico to improve the terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement, "there will be no reason to do tariffs" on steel and aluminum from the two neighbors.

___

2:30 p.m.

The Republican chairman of the Senate Finance Committee is telling President Donald Trump he's concerned that proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports would "undermine" the tax cuts Congress recently passed.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, says history has demonstrated repeatedly that consumers ultimately bear the burden of tariffs.

Hatch says in a letter to Trump he supports the president's goal of targeting foreign countries that don't compete fairly in trade. However, he believes the proposed tariffs would miss those countries and "would hit American businesses and families instead."

The Senate Finance Committee has jurisdiction over international trade issues.

Hatch tells the president he looks forward to working with him on trade. He urges Trump to refocus efforts on opening overseas markets without imposing "harmful and unnecessary tax increases" on Americans.

___

12:30 p.m.

A major aluminum trade group is telling President Donald Trump that it's "deeply concerned" about the effects of global tariffs on aluminum production.

The Aluminum Association says it represents 114 member companies and more than 700,000 U.S. jobs. The group says in a letter to Trump that the administration should address a glut of Chinese aluminum and target China and other countries that have a history of circumventing trade rules. The trade group also wants the Trump administration to exempt vital trading partners such as Canada and the European Union.

The administration is planning to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. But Trump is facing pressure from Congress and manufacturers who say it would hurt the overall economy and lead to retaliation from foreign countries.

___

12:21 p.m.

Mexico's economy secretary says his country might impose retaliatory tariffs on "politically sensitive" U.S. products if the United States doesn't exempt Mexico from worldwide duties on steel and aluminum announced by President Donald Trump.

Alfonso Guajardo told the Televisa network on Tuesday that "what we would have to do is set up a response on those export goods that are the most politically sensitive, and target those goods in particular." He did not give examples.

In the past, Mexico has sometimes slapped retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products from states that could influence the U.S. president in turn.

__

10:48 a.m.

House Speaker Paul Ryan says he's encouraged the White House may reconsider blanket tariffs on steel and aluminum as he urges President Donald Trump take a more "surgical" approach on China and other countries.

Ryan told reporters Tuesday, "I'm encouraged" as a result of ongoing talks with the White House over the tariffs.

The speaker is among the most outspoken GOP critics of Trump's plan as Republicans rush to convince the president to reconsider before a final decision.

Ryan says Trump's right to call out countries dumping metals and says there's "clearly abuse occurring."

But the speaker says there's a "smarter way to go" and Republicans are trying to convince Trump to "go after the true abusers without creating any kind of unintended consequences or collateral damage."

__

9:01 a.m.

The White House says President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have discussed trade and NAFTA.

The White House says Tuesday that the leaders spoke on Monday, and that Trump emphasized his commitment to a North American Free Trade Agreement that is fair to all three countries. The agreement signed in 1994 includes the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and is the subject of talks to renegotiate its terms.

The president noted to Trudeau that NAFTA currently leaves the U.S. with a trade deficit.

Trump said Monday that he wouldn't spare Canada or Mexico from tariffs he plans to slap on steel and aluminum imports. But he held out the possibility of later exempting the countries if they agree to better terms for the U.S. in the NAFTA renegotiation.

__

12:30 a.m.

Republican allies of President Donald Trump are pleading with him to back off his threat of turning to international tariffs, but Trump says he won't.

Trump says Canada and Mexico will not be spared from his plans for special import taxes on steel and aluminum. He's holding out the possibility of later exempting the longstanding friends if they agree to better terms for the U.S. in revising the North American Free Trade Agreement.

House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republicans worry that such tariffs would spark a trade war. Ryan is urging the White House not to go forward with the plan.

Republican leaders of the House Ways and Means Committee have circulated a letter opposing Trump's proposed tariffs, and GOP congressional leaders suggest they might attempt to prevent

Mexico's Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal speaks during a press conference regarding the seventh round of NAFTA renegotiations in Mexico City, Monday, March 5, 2018. (AP Photo / Marco Ugarte)

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer adjusts his headsead during a press conference regarding the seventh round of NAFTA renegotiations in Mexico City, Monday, March 5, 2018. (AP Photo / Marco Ugarte)

A welder fabricates a steel structure at an iron works facility in Ottawa, Ontario, Monday, March 5, 2018. President Donald Trump insisted Monday that he's "not backing down" on his plan to impose stiff tariffs on imported steel and aluminum despite anxious warnings from House Speaker Paul Ryan and other congressional Republicans of a possible trade war. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - The Latest on a pretrial hearing in Bill Cosby's sexual assault case (all times local):

11:10 a.m.

Bill Cosby's lawyers say prosecutors want to have as many as 19 other accusers testify at his sexual assault retrial because they're desperate to bolster an otherwise weak case.

Bill Cosby arrives for a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Defense lawyer Becky James argued in court Tuesday that the women's drugging and molestation allegations are decades old, making them impossible to defend against.

James says allowing the other women to testify in the #metoo era that's focused global attention on sexual misconduct would be unfair to Cosby.

Prosecutors are seeking to call the accusers to the witness stand to show Cosby had a long history of drugging and violating women.

The 80-year-old comedian is charged with sexually assaulting a woman at his home in 2004. His first trial ended in a hung jury.

___

9:10 a.m.

Bill Cosby is back in court for the second day of a hearing that will decide whether some of his accusers can testify at his sexual assault retrial.

The 80-year-old comedian is charged with assaulting and molesting a woman at his home outside Philadelphia more than 14 years ago.

Dozens of other women have also stepped forward to accuse Cosby of assault. Prosecutors are asking a judge to allow as many as 19 of them to take the witness stand as they try to show Cosby has a long history of sexual abuse.

The defense is making its arguments Tuesday. Cosby's lawyers say none of the other women should be allowed to testify because their allegations are old and impossible to defend.

The judge has said he'll rule at a later time.

___

12:05 a.m.

Prosecutors are pushing to widen the scope of Bill Cosby's April 2 retrial to spotlight allegations he's one of Hollywood's biggest serial predators.

The 80-year-old Cosby will be back in a suburban Philadelphia courtroom on Tuesday as his lawyers try to convince a judge to block some of his dozens of accusers from testifying against him.

Prosecutors want as many as 19 of Cosby's accusers to take the stand as they attempt to show he had a long history of drugging and attacking women.

They're also trying to insulate the accuser in his lone criminal case from attacks on her credibility.

Cosby's first trial ended in a hung jury.

Cosby's lawyers have argued some of the accusers' allegations date to the 1960s and are impossible to defend against.

Bill Cosby arrives for a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby leaves the courtroom on a lunch break from a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby leaves the courtroom on a lunch break from a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby, at left, and Andrew Wyatt, right, walk into the courtroom for a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby, at right center, and Andrew Wyatt, at left center, return to the courtroom after a lunch break from a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, PA on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his second trial on sexual assault charges. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby, at left, and Andrew Wyatt walk into the courtroom for a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, PA on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Attorney Tom Mesereau, who represents actor and comedian Bill Cosby, arrives for the pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele returns to the courtroom after a lunch break from a pretrial hearing for Bill Cosby at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his sexual assault retrial. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby, center, returns to the courtroom after a lunch break from a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa., on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his second trial on sexual assault charges. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Attorney for Bill Cosby, Tom Mesereau, returns to the courtroom after a lunch break from a pretrial hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, PA on Monday, March 5, 2018. Cosby's lawyers and prosecutors will argue over the number of his accusers allowed to testify at his second trial on sexual assault charges. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool)

Bill Cosby, center, departs a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Monday, March 5, 2018, in Norristown, Pa. Cosby made his first court appearance of the #MeToo era on Monday as defense lawyers tried without success to get his sexual assault case thrown out, then turned their attention to blocking some of the 80-year-old comedian's dozens of accusers from testifying at his looming retrial. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bill Cosby, center, departs a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Monday, March 5, 2018, in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bill Cosby, left, and attorney Tom Mesereau depart a pretrial hearing in Cosby's sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Monday, March 5, 2018, in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bill Cosby, right, and attorney Tom Mesereau depart a pretrial hearing in Cosby's sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Monday, March 5, 2018, in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Bill Cosby, center, departs a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Monday, March 5, 2018, in Norristown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump appears to have gotten what he wanted from North Korea: a willingness to suspend nuclear testing and a promise to put its entire arsenal of atomic weapons on the negotiating table. But is it too good to be true?

After a year of threatening "fire and fury" and ridiculing North Korea's young leader Kim Jong Un, Trump is now touting diplomatic progress between the rival Koreas. He even says he thinks North Korea, under intense sanctions pressure, is "sincere" in wanting an end to the nuclear standoff.

Other U.S. officials voiced greater skepticism Tuesday, reflecting the mammoth questions about North Korea's intentions. The biggest one of all, perhaps: Why would the isolated nation suddenly change tack after coming so close to achieving its decades-long goal of nuclear weapons that could threaten to hit anywhere in the United States and - in Kim's view - guarantee the survival of his totalitarian government.

In this Monday, March 5, 2018 photo, provided by the North Korean government on March 6, South Korean National Security Director Chung Eui-yong, center, talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, unseen, in Pyongyang, North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

"Developments on the Korean Peninsula can often move with head-spinning speed," Mark Fitzpatrick, a nuclear expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies said. "We seem to be in such a period now."

Trump had his own version, including the Winter Olympics and himself, of the tick-tock leading to Tuesday's dramatic diplomatic developments in Pyongyang. He contended the lead-up to the South Korean-hosted Games "was not going well" until North Korea "came in out of the blue" and decided to participate.

That made the Olympics "very successful," according to Trump, who said South Korean President Moon Jae-in credited the United States for having "a lot to do with that, if not everything."

Later, Trump was asked at a news conference what he thought had made North Koreans open to talks. "Me," he joked, before crediting U.S.-led sanctions that, with China's help, are punishing North Korea's economy.

It was hard for Trump not to relish the moment after being accused so often over his first year in office of taking the world closer to a nuclear confrontation than at any point since the Cold War.

The initial readout from the South Korean talks with Kim seemed to exceed all expectations. Chung Eui-yong, South Korea's presidential national security director, said North Korea was willing to discuss its nuclear disarmament and halt weapons tests if the two countries enter a negotiation.

Those are precisely the types of concessions Washington has been seeking to start a diplomatic process with the reclusive socialist state. In exchange for their commitments, Chung said, the North Koreans want an end to military threats and a credible security guarantee.

North Korea didn't confirm the details, and top U.S. officials eyed the news more warily than Trump.

"Maybe this is a breakthrough. I seriously doubt it," the president's intelligence chief, Dan Coats, told a Senate hearing.

A senior Trump administration official, who briefed reporters on the developments on condition he not be quoted by name, referenced North Korea's "27-year history of them breaking every agreement they have ever made." The official said the United States is "open-minded and we look forward to hearing more, but the North Koreans have earned our skepticism."

As Trump never tires of saying, past diplomatic efforts with North Korea all have failed. Although an aid-for-disarmament deal in 1994 shut down North Korea's production of plutonium for bombs for nearly a decade, it collapsed when the U.S. accused the North of running a clandestine uranium program instead.

The latest attempt at dialogue unraveled much more rapidly in 2012, when North Korea upended a nuclear freeze-for-food aid agreement by launching a rocket into space in defiance of the United Nations.

Since then, the North has risked the last remnants of international goodwill with its work on a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the U.S. mainland. A series of tests in the past year appeared to take North Korea to the brink of such capability, even as the country suffered one round of economic sanctions after another.

Whatever Kim's motivation, Trump now faces a new set of diplomatic challenges. In raising the pressure on North Korea, Trump has shocked the world with his seemingly throwaway insults of Kim, who has responded in kind. The tit-for-tat sparked fears of the two nations stumbling into a sequel of the devastating 1950-53 Korean War, which ended without a peace treaty.

If the enemies can get to talks, Trump will have to weigh his own concessions to shepherd the process to an agreement. That could mean delaying or altering military drills with South Korea, which the North sees as rehearsals for invasion. Another question will be whether to ease or at least hold off on new sanctions that would risk driving North Korea away from negotiations.

"If Pyongyang demands sanctions relief as a price for coming to the table, then it will fail. The U.S. won't pay just for talks to start," Fitzpatrick said. But Trump may have to show flexibility in some other capacity.

Rep. Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee's top-ranking Democrat, urged Trump to use diplomacy to test Kim's seriousness about disarming, or to see if he is just seeking to create a wedge between the U.S. and its South Korean ally.

"As Churchill once famously said, 'to jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war,'" Schiff said.

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, March 5, 2018, in Washington. Trump is denying his White House is chaotic but says more staff will leave as he seeks "perfection." Trump tweets Tuesday: "People will always come & go, and I want strong dialogue before making a final decision. I still have some people that I want to change (always seeking perfection). There is no Chaos, only great Energy!" (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he's not worried that Moscow will meddle in the upcoming midterm elections because the U.S. will take steps to prevent it. "Whatever they do, we'll counteract it very strongly," the president said.

Trump acknowledged that Russia interfered in the presidential election, but said it had no impact on the U.S. vote tally. "Certainly there was meddling and probably there was meddling from other countries and maybe other individuals," he said at a news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven at the White House.

Trump said his administration is conducting a deep study and will have strong suggestions on protecting the midterms and beyond.

President Donald Trump listens as Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven speaks during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, March 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

"You have to be very vigilant," Trump said. "And one of the things we're learning it is always good - it's old-fashioned - but it's always good to have a paper backup system of voting. It's called paper. Not highly complex computers. Paper. A lot of states are going to a paper backup."

Also Tuesday, the nation's top intelligence official said the Trump administration was getting ready to slap new sanctions on Russians over Moscow's meddling in the presidential election.

The Trump administration was harshly criticized for not imposing new sanctions in January when a list of 114 Russian politicians and 96 oligarchs was released to comply with a law Congress passed to punish Moscow for interfering in the 2016 U.S. election.

Questioned about why no new sanctions have been issued, National Intelligence Director Dan Coats said they were forthcoming. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin "is going to be announcing those within a week," Coats told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee where he testified about worldwide threats.

Coats said sanctions are expected against at least some of the 13 Russians accused in an indictment of an elaborate plot to disrupt the election. The indictment issued by the U.S. special counsel charged them with running a huge but hidden social media trolling campaign aimed in part at helping Trump win.

The federal indictment represents the most detailed allegations to date of illegal Russian meddling during the campaign that sent Trump to the White House. The criminal charges are also the first against Russians believed to have secretly worked to influence the outcome. Russian President Vladimir Putin said they didn't work on behalf of his government.

Coats suggested that sanctions also could be imposed on additional individuals as well.

Last week, Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone, the next head of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, told the Senate committee that nations including China and Russia that launch cyberattacks against the U.S. don't fear retribution and see no reason to change their behavior.

The committee voted during Tuesday's hearing to confirm Nakasone to his new position.

As they did with Nakasone, frustrated committee members peppered Coats with questions about what the U.S. was doing to punish nations that infiltrate government networks, steal data from contractors or try to influence American elections.

Coats agreed that the U.S. must do more to deter attacks. He said the Trump administration's national security team was discussing a range of threats facing the U.S. But he said: "There has not been yet a formulation yet of a lead agency that would work with Congress on legislative action and putting a policy in place."

Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., wasn't satisfied. Saying the administration is taking a "whole of government approach" is essentially saying "It's somebody else's job."

"When are we going to expect an actual cyber plan from this administration?" Heinrich asked.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., asked Coats whether Trump had ever given him orders to retaliate against Russia. Coats said there were things the administration is doing, but they could only be discussed in a classified session.

President Donald Trump looks to Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven during a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)VERNON, N.J. (AP) - Authorities say a New Jersey man whose home has been without power since last week's nor'easter threatened to kidnap a utility company employee and blow up a substation.

Vernon police said 63-year-old Robert Winter was charged with making terroristic threats.

Authorities say Winter called Jersey Central Power & Light on Monday and quickly became agitated while speaking with a utility staffer. They say he threatened to kidnap an employee and then indicated that he knew how to make bombs and would blow up a substation so no one could have power.

A JCP&L security investigator soon contacted police and provided them with a recorded copy of the phone call.

Winter was arrested a short time later at his home. It wasn't known Tuesday if he's retained an attorney.BERLIN (AP) - A larger-than-life statue of Karl Marx has arrived in his birthplace of Trier, in western Germany.

The bronze sculpture, donated by China, is to be unveiled in May to mark the 200th anniversary of Marx's birthday.

The philosopher and economist, best known for his critique of capitalism, was born in Trier in 1818 and spent the first 17 years of his life in the city.

A statue of Karl Marx lies in a transport box as it arrived in Trier, Germany, Tuesday, March 6, 2018. A larger-than-life statue of Karl Marx has arrived in his hometown of Trier, in western Germany. The bronze sculpture, donated by China, is to be unveiled in May to mark the 200th anniversary of Marx's birthday. (Harald Tittel/dpa via AP)

The 4.4-meter (14-feet) tall statue by Chinese artist Weishan Wu shows Marx in mid-step - left foot first.

Marx's work became the inspiration for Communism, an ideology that aims for shared ownership of the means of production and the absence of social classes. Attempts to implement versions of Communism resulted in often bloody struggles and purges during the 20th century.

A statue of Karl Marx lies in a transport box as it arrived in Trier, Germany, Tuesday, March 6, 2018. A larger-than-life statue of Karl Marx has arrived in his hometown of Trier, in western Germany. The bronze sculpture, donated by China, is to be unveiled in May to mark the 200th anniversary of Marx's birthday. (Harald Tittel/dpa via AP)CAIRO (AP) - Saudi Arabia's crown prince wound up his three-day visit to Egypt on Tuesday with a symbolically significant visit to Al-Azhar, the world's foremost seat of learning for Sunni Muslims.

Accompanied by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was given a tour of the mosque at the heart of old Cairo to see the outcome of three years of restoration work financed by a Saudi grant. Also at hand was Al-Azhar's Grand Imam, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb.

The mosque, built in the 10th century, is now part of a sprawling university teaching Islam as well as secular subjects and a nationwide network of schools. It is perceived to be a bastion of moderation whose teaching counters radicalism and violence, but it has in recent months been accused of theological rigidity and of resisting calls to renew Islam's religious discourse.

In this photo provided by Egypt's state news agency, MENA, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, left, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman tour the Suez canal near Ismailia, 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt gave a warm welcome to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, with military fanfare and a trip to the Suez Canal meant to underline a growing strategic partnership. (Mohammed Samaha/MENA via AP)

Egypt and Saudi Arabia are viewed to be Sunni powerhouses whose weight, together with that of smaller Sunni Arab allies like Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, is called upon to counter the growing influence of non-Arab and Shiite Iran in the region.

Al-Tayeb thanked Prince Mohammed profusely for the kingdom's help.

"This is our duty and every Saudi hopes that he can contribute, even in a simple way, to the renovation and improvement of Al-Azhar," the Saudi heir apparent said in reply to al-Tayeb.

The prince was given a warm welcome in Egypt, whose government views Saudi aid and investment as key to reviving the country's battered economy. Posters featuring the prince alongside el-Sissi lined major roads in central Cairo. Pro-government television networks broadcast promotional videos about Saudi Arabia and the prince's efforts to modernize the oil-rich kingdom.

In what is perhaps a first for a Saudi heir apparent, Prince Mohammed and el-Sissi watched a play on Monday night at Cairo's Opera House. In another first, he visited the spiritual leader of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox church, Pope Tawadros II, at the Cathedral of St. Mark in central Cairo.

He and el-Sissi traveled through one of several tunnels being built under the Suez Canal linking mainland Egypt with the Sinai peninsula. They later boarded a boat from a red-carpeted dock as an army band played marching music. The two countries have plans to build a causeway across the Red Sea's Gulf of Aqaba and to develop areas on both sides, including a multi-billion dollar city stretching across Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan.

The current close relationship between the two countries follows a period of tension in late 2016 and early 2017 when Riyadh unexpectedly froze shipments of fuel to Egypt in response to sharp differences over Syria.

The prince left later Tuesday for London where he would be visiting before he travels on to Washington.CAIRO (AP) - Senior British Members of Parliament said Tuesday they have asked Egyptian authorities to allow them to visit former President Mohammed Morsi, deposed and now in prison, over concerns that his health is deteriorating because of poor detention conditions.

The bipartisan group, headed by the Conservative Party's Crispin Blunt, made the request a day earlier in a letter to the Egyptian ambassador in London. They said they want to review the conditions of Morsi's detention in Egypt's Tora prison along with a lawyer. One of the parliamentarians is a doctor specializing in cases of mistreatment and torture.

In a copy of the letter, Blunt says he was asked to make the request on behalf of Morsi's family, who say they have seen him only twice in detention in four years. They say he is suffering from worsening diabetes, high blood pressure, loss of sight in one eye and other ailments, and is not receiving proper treatment.

FILE - In this July 13, 2012 file photo, then Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi holds a news conference with Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, at the Presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt. Three British Members of Parliament have requested that Egyptian authorities allow them to visit the country's imprisoned former president Morsi over concerns about his health. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)

The Egyptian Embassy in London did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Morsi's son Abdullah says that Egypt's upcoming election should be a reminder that its first democratically elected president, overthrown by the military in 2013, still languishes in prison "in appalling conditions in breach of international laws."

"His request for urgent medical treatment during a trial session was refused," Abdullah said in a statement. "Regardless of any person's opinion of my father or his beliefs, this is unacceptable for anyone. That is why we have asked this independent panel - with legal, medical and foreign policy experience - to assess the situation."

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who as defense minister led Morsi's overthrow, is up for re-election later this month in a vote in which he faces no serious challengers. A string of would-be competitors either withdrew under pressure or were arrested, and the only other candidate is a little-known politician who supports el-Sissi.

Morsi was elected in the wake of Egypt's 2011 uprising, but his divisive year in power ended with mass protests demanding his resignation. He has been in detention since July 3, 2013, and at one point was condemned to death, although that ruling has been overturned on appeal.

He has been sentenced to decades in prison in several cases, including one alleging he used unauthorized violence, arrest and torture to put down a protest outside the presidential palace, and another based on his leadership position in the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood group. Other cases are still pending, including one recently adjourned until April 9, which alleges he organized mass prison breaks during the tumult of 2011.

Britain's Blunt is a former chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, and would be joined by Edward Faulks, a fellow conservative and former justice minister, should Egyptian authorities allow them to visit. The doctor of the group would be Labour's Paul Williams, a member of the health select committee, while lawyer Tim Moloney would also join.

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Follow Brian Rohan on Twitter at : www.twitter.com/Brian_RohanThe remorseless man charged in the killing of an Indiana deputy asked a judge Wednesday if he could seek the death penalty.

Police say Anthony Baumgardt, 21, of Lebanon, admitted to shooting dead Boone County Deputy Jacob Pickett, 34, during a foot chase on Friday.

After hearing the numerous charges brought against him, Baumgardt asked Judge Bruce Petit an unusual question during his court appearance.

'Is the death penalty going to be seeked in this?' the accused killer asked, while Petit replied that the death penalty option has yet to be decided, the Indianapolis Star initially reported.

'If I were to seek it out on my own, would that change anything?,' Baumgardt went on. 'You know, enter my guilty plea now and seek the death penalty? I was just wondering my options, sir.'

In this booking photo released by Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, Anthony Baumgardt is seen. Baumgardt asked a judge Wednesday if he could seek the death penalty in the killing case of central Indiana sheriff's deputy Jacob Pickett

Deputy Jacob Pickett is seen. The central Indiana sheriff's deputy was shot in the head during a chase on Friday, March 3, 2018. The K-9 officer was kept alive until Monday, so his organs could be donated

Baumgardt has been charged with various counts of felony murder, felony possession of methamphetamine, felony and misdemeanor carrying a handgun without a license, misdemeanor possession of marijuana, and a misdemeanor resisting law enforcement.

Hours prior Wednesday, outside the courthouse, Baumgardt revealed he didn't feel any sort of remorse over the killing and worried at the time he would get 'bit' by the deputy's dog.

He also told detectives that he fired the fatal shot because he feared being arrested again.

Baumgardt wasn't being sought by Lebanon officers when the chase began Friday.

They were looking to arrest a woman wanted on a warrant and saw another man facing an arrest warrant who fled in a stolen car in which Baumgardt was riding, according to court documents.

Baumgardt is pictured after his arrest on Friday. He also told detectives that he fired the fatal shot because he feared being arrested again

The accused killer also said he had 'no remorse' for 'killing the married father-of-two deputy'

Baumgardt said he was worried he was going to get 'bit' by the deputy's dog

Pickett and his police dog were pursuing Baumgardt after he ran away from the car when the deputy was shot in the city about 20 miles northwest of Indianapolis.

While Baumgardt was being treated in a hospital after he was wounded when other officers returned fire, he told a detective 'I shot a cop... cause they were going to take me to jail,' the probable cause affidavit said.

Baumgardt faced a Marion County arrest warrant for missing a court hearing on a felony theft charge and had a 2016 Boone County felony methamphetamine conviction.

Boone County Prosecutor Todd Meyer said he was leaning toward seeking the death penalty against Baumgardt.

Court and jail records on Tuesday has not yet listed an attorney for Baumgardt.

Baumgardt's father said Monday he's more concerned about the deputy's family than his son.

Pickett, 34, is pictured on Facebook with his wife. He had been a Boone County deputy for nearly three years after two years with the Tipton County Sheriff's Department

Th accused killer's dad Robert Baumgardt said his heart goes out to Pickett's wife and two young children

Robert Baumgardt told WTHR-TV that his son quit school, left home about five years ago and got caught up in drugs and related crimes.

'He just went down the wrong road, had the attitude he don't care,' Baumgardt said. 'You can't help somebody that can't be helped.'

He said his heart goes out to Pickett's wife and two young children.

No one else faces charges directly related to Pickett's death, but Meyer said ownership of the handgun and the actions of other people remained under investigation.

Pickett had been a Boone County deputy for nearly three years after two years with the Tipton County Sheriff's Department.

Pickett's services began with visitation 2-7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home of Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, according to the sheriff's department.

His funeral will begin at 11 a.m. Friday at Connection Pointe Christian Church in Brownsburg, the Indianapolis suburb where Pickett grew up and graduated from Brownsburg High School in 2002.

The late deputy's funeral will begin at 11 a.m. Friday at Connection Pointe Christian Church in Brownsburg

A long line of IMPD, Sheriff, and State Police officers continue their route down Meridian St. in Indianapolis as they escort the body of Boone Co. sheriff's deputy Jacob "Jake" Pickett from St. Vincent's Hospital downtown to the Marion County Coroner's office, Monday, Mar. 5, 2018

The officer, who was helping Lebanon police officers serve a warrant Friday, Mar. 2, 2018, was fatally wounded. He was taken off life support and diedBaidu chairman suggests making policies for AI open platform and autonomous driving

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Robin Li, Chairman and CEO of Chinese search giant Baidu and a member of CPPCC, revealed his proposals for the 13th CPPCC that the government should make and promote relevant policies to support the development of artificial intelligence (AI) open platform and autonomous driving industry in China.

AI is always a highlighted issue that Robin Li proposed at each CPPCC National Committee he has attended. Li said that Baidu has already owned the Apollo 2.0, the biggest autonomous driving platform worldwide, the deep learning platform PaddlePaddle as well as the DuerOS, a conversation-based AI platform. Other companies are also working on this area and some of them have already made breakthroughs. He suggested that the government should put more efforts on formulating and promoting relevant policies to encourage enterprises to open their AI platforms. Besides, the government can build some national level of AI open platforms as well with greater market competitiveness and influence.

In addition, the government should promote various industries from different areas to utilize AI open platforms and can provide subsidiaries for AI product buyers. Meanwhile, local authorities need strengthen the support to Chinese researchers to develop deep learning open source platforms.

The other major issue is to create a sound policy environment for autonomous driving industry.

Robin Li advocates that the government can set up a RMB 100 billion national level investing capital for autonomous driving industry and inspire those capable enterprises to build Chinese auto brain platform. Besides, central and local governments should accelerate the research and unveiling of relevant policies to lay a lawful foundation for autonomous driving progress in China. For instance, some qualified enterprises are allowed to take the lead in launching autonomous driving operational services. In some cities with limits on vehicle licenses, such as Beijing and Shanghai, the government can permit those companies without quota to apply licenses for autonomous vehicles. Additionally, the government need take measures to prevent auto network from being attacked by hackers which will cause key data to be stolen. Meanwhile, to expedite the layout of autonomous vehicle operation, China's authorities should promote the planning and construction of intelligent road infrastructures and speed up the renovation of a new autonomous-vehicle-oriented city traffic environment.The trial of a Massachusetts man charged with torturing a dog so severely that it had to be euthanized started Tuesday with jury selection - but without the expected protests from animal rights advocates.

Radoslaw Czerkawski, 36, faces 11 counts of animal cruelty at his trial in Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham in a case that drew national attention and sparked calls for tougher penalties for animal abusers.

The year-old pit female bull mix was found cowering in terror in a Quincy park in August 2013 with fractures, a stab wound and a split tongue.

The starving dog that came to be known as Puppy Doe ended up having to be euthanized.

Radoslaw Czerkawski listens to jury selection for his trial on animal cruelty charges at Norfolk Superior Court on Tuesday, March 6 Dedham, Massachusetts

In pain: The dog had suffered such extensive abuse that she had to be put to sleep

Starving dog known as Puppy Doe was found horribly wounded in 2013

Czerkawski has suggested that kids he saw drinking in a park were responsible for the abuse, while a defense attorney previously questioned some of the evidence in the case.

Investigators said they found Puppy Doe's blood in the second-floor Quincy residence where Czerkawski was living.

The case gripped the local community and animal lovers nationwide ever since the one-year-old dog was found near a play park with signs that she had been beaten, burned, starved and stabbed in the eyes in what was described as 'medieval' torture.

Animal rescue workers described the injuries inflicted on the pit bull, including a crude split to give it a forked serpent tongue, as the worst they had ever seen.

She had also been burned on the nose, stabbed in the eye, and beaten so severely that she could barely walk.

Veterinarians at the Animal Rescue League of Boston who treated the dog said that she was emaciated and weighed half of what would be expected for her age.

When she was first found it was thought that she had been hit by a car, but the true nature of her injuries soon came to light.

Czerkawski is accused of abusing a dog so severely that it had to be euthanized

Horrified: Vet Martha Blackmore-Smith says she was heart broken by the extent of the abuse

Cruel: This two-year-old pit bull was found with horrific injuries which many thought at first were caused by being hit by a car

Vet Martha Smith-Blackmore was so shocked by the extent of the abuse that she had to walk away and give herself a break as she examined the dog's body.

'Her joints were pulled apart like medieval times,' she said at the time. 'She was beaten, stabbed, burned over weeks to months and maybe her whole life. And could not walk.'

The vet added: 'When I saw how vulnerable she was and I understood immediately the duration of her suffering, my heart collapsed.'

As well as the burn and stab marks, the dog's vertebrae had been smashed from being hit by a baseball bat or board.

Although there was no evidence of sexual interference, which the vet said can be seen in such abuse cases, the dog's joints had been separated from being pulled apart repeatedly.

Smith-Blackmore said that the dog's injuries were so severe she would have been in constant pain for the rest of her life if she hadn't been put down.

The trial initially was scheduled to start in July, but was delayed by a prosecutor's emergency eye surgery and Czerkawski's own health problems.

The case generated massive outrage as it wended through the courts, with Czerkawski standing trial for the two theft cases before facing the animal cruelty charges.

The case drew so much attention that animal rights advocates had promised to hold protests outside court during the trial.

Vet Martha Smith-Blackmore was so shocked by the extent of the abuse that she had to walk away and give herself a break as she examined the dog's body

Czerkawski is already in state prison for ripping off elderly woman and church

That prompted the judge to bar protests within 500 feet of the courthouse and to ban anyone from wearing T-shirts, buttons or anything else that refers to the case in court.

Deanna Terminiello, a member of a 900-member organization called Pawsitivley Puppy Doe, told WCVB-TV that a planned protest scheduled for Tuesday was called off.

'We don't want to cause any problems. We do want to follow the judge's orders. We don't want to potentially cause a mistrial in this case,' she said.

Czerkawski, a Polish national who was living in the US on an expired tourist visa, is already serving six to ten years in prison for stealing $130,000 from an elderly woman in his care, and stealing another $4,500 from the St. Lawrence Martyr Parish church in New Bedford.

Torture: The dog's limbs had been repeatedly pulled apartNEW YORK (AP) - The Latest on deliberations at the trial of a former top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo (all times local):

3:10 p.m.

A jury that hit a wall in deliberations at the bribery trial of a former aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is getting a day off.

Federal Judge Valerie Caproni cited a storm and snow in telling jurors at the end of their day Tuesday to take Wednesday off.

Her announcement in the trial of Joseph Percoco and three businessmen came after a jury foreman said jurors were deadlocked and three jurors asked to be excused.

The judge told jurors to return Thursday morning. Earlier Tuesday, she confronted a jury note in which the foreman said jurors could agree only that they disagree.

She read them a special instruction to get them to rededicate themselves to their work.

Prosecutors say Percoco took over $300,000 in bribes. Defense lawyers say he did not.

___

12:30 p.m.

The jury foreman at the bribery trial of a former top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo says jurors can only agree that they disagree.

The message was delivered Tuesday in a series of notes at the trial of Joseph Percoco and three businessmen. The judge instructed the jurors to try again.

Several panelists also were trying to be relieved from jury duty. That issue was not immediately addressed.

The trial is in its sixth week.

Prosecutors say Percoco accepted more than $300,000 in bribes from the businessmen, who needed help from the state. Percoco and the businessmen have maintained their innocence.

The Democratic governor has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Jurors had seemed relatively quiet before their fourth day of deliberations began Tuesday.A U.S. congresswoman whose Nevada district includes the Las Vegas Strip asked the federal government Tuesday to keep internet gambling legal.

Democratic Rep. Dina Titus wrote to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, urging the Justice Department not to reverse a ruling it made in 2011 that allowed internet gambling in individual states.

While there has been no public indication that the Justice Department is considering such a move, lawmakers from both parties have asked it to either outlaw internet bets or keep them legal. An aide to Titus said numerous gambling companies have expressed concern to her office about a possible reversal of the Justice Department ruling.

This March 6, 2018 photo shows a game of internet roulette under way in Atlantic City, N.J., on the same day that U.S. Rep. Dina Titus wrote to the U.S. Justice Department, urging it to keep internet gambling legal. Lawmakers from both political parties are urging the department to either preserve internet gambling or kill it. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

President Donald Trump, a former Atlantic City casino owner, told The Associated Press during the 2016 presidential campaign he had not taken a position on internet gambling, saying he has friends on both sides of the issue. One of the Republican president's major donors, casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, is a staunch opponent of online gambling.

In 2011, President Barack Obama's Justice Department issued a legal ruling that said online gambling within states that does not involve sporting events would not violate the Wire Act, a law concerning illegal gambling.

"In Las Vegas, we have seen that a regulated market is always better than an illegal one," Titus wrote. "Internet gambling will not go away with a reversal of Wire Act guidance; it will merely push more consumers into black markets."

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment on Titus's letter, and would not say whether the department is considering changes to its stance regarding internet gambling.

In January, New Jersey members of Congress from both parties urged Rosenstein in a letter to keep internet gambling legal.

That letter followed one in November from Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, and Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, of California, asking the Justice Department to change course and have Congress determine whether to permit online gambling.

Internet gambling is a thriving industry in New Jersey, helping Atlantic City's seven casinos recover from a three-year period in which five of the city's 12 casinos closed. The additional money brought in online often makes the difference between an up month and a down month for Atlantic City casinos.

Atlantic City's casinos won $245 million online in 2017, an increase of nearly 25 percent from a year earlier. New Jersey is the largest online market of the four states that currently permit internet gambling. The others are Nevada, Delaware and Pennsylvania, which approved it but has not yet started taking bets through its casinos.

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Follow Wayne Parry at http://twitter.com/WayneParryACST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) - The Latest on a teenage student charged with bringing a homemade bomb to his high school in southern Utah (all times local, MST):

3:21 p.m.

Police in southern Utah confirm additional charges are pending against a teenage student accused of bringing a homemade bomb to his high school in St. George.

The unidentified teen was arrested Monday night on weapons-related charges after the discovery of the explosive device sending smoke from a backpack forced an evacuation of Pine View High School.

St. George police say the teen is also a suspect in the raising of the Islamic State group's flag on a pole at another Utah high school in nearby Hurricane last month just after the Florida mass school shooting.

Hurricane Police Officer Ken Thompson told The Associated Press on Tuesday charges are pending related to that incident. He says a search of the teen's home found evidence that ties him to the case at Hurricane High School.

___

Eds: This version corrects that the teen is accused of bringing a homemade bomb to his school, not that he brought one.

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1:08 p.m.

A teenage student at a southern Utah high school has been charged with bringing a homemade bomb to the school that was discovered in a backpack emitting smoke and prompted an evacuation, police said Tuesday.

The boy was arrested Monday night after Pine View High School in the city of St. George was evacuated for two hours that afternoon while the FBI and a bomb squad investigated. Police declined to identify the arrested teen or give his age.

Authorities also said the teen is a suspect in the raising of the Islamic State group's flag on a pole at another Utah high school last month just after the Florida mass school shooting that was followed by numerous other threats to schools around the U.S.

No one was hurt Monday after the backpack was found in a common area of the school by a student who reported it to a teacher.

The boy was arrested and booked into a detention center on charges of manufacture, possession, sale, use or attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, St. George police said in a statement.

No one was hurt, no damage was reported and the school reopened Tuesday morning for classes. Police did not describe the homemade bomb in detail but said it "had the potential to cause significant injury or death."

Police in the city of Hurricane about a half-hour drive from St. George tweeted Monday night that the teen who was arrested is also suspected of raising an Islamic State group flag in February at Hurricane High School. That happened on Feb. 15, a day after a mass shooting at a school in Florida. Authorities initially thought the graffiti and flag at the school were pranks.NEWFIELD, Maine (AP) - Police say a man in Maine threatened his daughter and her boyfriend with an AR-15 assault-style weapon during a dispute.

They say a caller told them her father was arguing with her and her boyfriend Monday when he made the threat with the semi-automatic rifle. The caller, boyfriend and the caller's children fled the home.

Fifty-one-year-old Grant Lane has been charged with criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon. Police say he was cooperative when he was detained and arrested.

Lane is scheduled to appear in court in Alfred on April 7. It was unclear on Tuesday if he had hired an attorney.

___

This story has been updated to delete an incorrect reference to weapons being seized.WASHINGTON (AP) - For the first time in Marine Corps history, women are attending a previously male-only combat training course in California.

Marine Capt. Joshua Pena said 40 female Marine students checked-in Tuesday to the Marine Combat Training Battalion at Camp Pendleton.

The move comes at least seven months after senior Marine leaders said they were considering the change, amid criticism that much of the early training excludes women.

The entry-level course is for Marines who've finished boot camp and aren't assigned to infantry jobs. It lasts about a month and involves basic combat training, including patrol and convoy operations, marksmanship and the use of grenade launchers and machine guns.

Pena said the female Marines will be fully integrated with the men, and that their inclusion triggered no changes to the course instruction. He said that eventually as many as 1,700 women would go through the combat training there each year.

Currently Marine boot camp on the West Coast is only for male recruits. Women attend boot camp at Parris Island in South Carolina, where they are separated from the men for portions of the training. Congress members have been critical of that policy, and the Corps has been reviewing it.

Until now, half of the Marine Corps' male recruits would go through their initial training on the West Coast where they had no female colleagues. A key reason for the limits is the shortage of female recruits. Women make up just 8.7 percent of the Corps.

But Marine leaders have been eyeing changes with the belief that giving the men greater exposure to women recruits during training could foster better relations and greater respect over time.OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Spurred by last year's mass shooting in Las Vegas, Washington on Tuesday became the latest in a handful of states to ban trigger devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire more rapidly.

Gov. Jay Inslee signed the ban on bump stocks, calling it a "commonsense piece of legislation."

"It will help save lives from mass gun violence," he said, surrounded by lawmakers and gun control advocates.

Lydia Ringer, 16, a junior at Roosevelt High School in Seattle, holds a sign that reads "NRA - Not Right for America," Tuesday, March 6, 2018, as she attends a rally against gun violence at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. The rally was held on the same day Gov. Inslee was scheduled to sign a bill banning the sale and possession of gun bump stocks in the state of Washington. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Washington is one of more than 20 states to introduce legislation seeking to ban the devices after the Oct. 1 attack in Nevada - the deadliest in modern U.S. history.

Bans were previously passed by Massachusetts, New Jersey and the cities of Denver and Columbia, South Carolina, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Federal officials also are considering regulating or banning the devices.

California banned "multiburst trigger activators" in 1990, and last October the California Department of Justice issued an advisory to gun retailers saying bump stocks were illegal under that law. A bill has since been introduced in the Legislature there to specify the law would include bump stocks.

Using bump stocks, Stephen Paddock killed 58 people and injured hundreds more at a country music festival while firing from a window of the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino before killing himself.

Survivors and relatives of those killed testified in January about the Washington state bill.

The new law makes it illegal for anyone in Washington to manufacture or sell bump stocks beginning July 1.

In July 2019, it will become illegal to own or possess a bump stock in the state. A provision of the bill also allows the Washington State Patrol to set up a yearlong "buy back" program for people who already own the devices.

Republican state Sen. Mike Padden, who voted against the measure, said he didn't think the state should have taken action while the federal government is evaluating bump stocks.

"We all want to avoid killings in our state, I just don't know if banning that piece of plastic is going to do it," he said.

Several other gun measures introduced in the Washington Legislature this year have stalled, including banning most magazines that hold more than 10 rounds and mandating safe storage of firearms.

However, a bill that would enhance background checks on rifle purchases and raise the legal age to buy rifles to 21 was introduced and passed out of a Senate committee after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people.

The bill also creates a program for students and others to report concerns about dangerous activities via a mobile app and establishes emergency response systems for schools during a threat.

It's unclear whether the bill has enough support to come up for a vote on the Senate floor.

Before the bill signing by Inslee, dozens of students rallied in the Capitol, chanting "No more silence, end gun violence" and carrying signs reading: "Vote like Parkland is your land, Newtown is your town, and like Columbine is around the corner."

Inslee listed several sites of recent mass shootings, including Parkland, that are "synonymous with tragedy."

"We cannot sit idly by and take no action," he said. "We as leaders and lawmakers have to be judged by our actions and we need actions right now on this scourge."

___

AP photographer Ted S. Warren contributed to this report.

People wearing orange to oppose gun violence sit in a gallery of the Washington Senate, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Later in the day Gov. Inslee was scheduled to sign a bill banning the sale and possession of gun bump stocks in the state of Washington. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

A student holds a sign that reads "Schools are for learning, not lockdown," as she stands next to a railing in the Capitol Rotunda following a rally against gun violence, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, in Olympia, Wash. The rally was held on the same day Gov. Inslee was scheduled to sign a bill banning the sale and possession of gun bump stocks in the state of Washington. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Attendees at a rally against gun violence hold signs and listen to speakers, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. The rally was held on the same day Gov. Inslee was scheduled to sign a bill banning the sale and possession of gun bump stocks in the state of Washington. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee arrives to sign a measure that bans bump stocks -- trigger devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire more rapidly -- into law, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. The state will also offer a buy-back program for the devices. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, center, shakes hands with Jim Parsons, lower right, of Bainbridge Island, Wash., as Parsons' wife Ann-Marie, upper right, looks on, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, after Inslee signed a measure into law that bans the sale and possession of bump stocks -- trigger devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire more rapidly. The Parsons' daughter Carrie was one of the victims of a mass shooting at a country music concert in Las Vegas in 2017. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signs a measure that bans bump stocks -- trigger devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire more rapidly -- into law, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. The state will also offer a buy-back program for the devices. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, center, is applauded, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, after he signed a measure into law that bans the sale and possession of bump stocks -- trigger devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire more rapidly. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, center, turns to thank his wife, Trudi Inslee, for her support, Tuesday, March 6, 2018, after Inslee signed a measure into law that bans the sale and possession of bump stocks -- trigger devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire more rapidly. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)European court judges are considering the case of a severely disabled little boy who has been at the centre of a life-support treatment dispute in London.

Isaiah Haastrups parents have asked judges at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France, to intervene after losing two legal battles in England.

A High Court judge gave doctors permission to provide only palliative care to 12-month-old Isaiah against the wishes of his parents, Lanre Haastrup and Takesha Thomas.

Isaiah Haastrup with his aunt Dahlia Thomas (Irwin Mitchell/PA)

Mr Justice MacDonald analysed evidence at hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in January.

Specialists at Kings College Hospital in London had said providing further intensive care treatment was futile and not in Isaiahs best interests.

Mr Haastrup and Miss Thomas, who are both in their 30s and from Peckham, south-east London, then failed to persuade Court of Appeal judges to overturn Mr Justice MacDonalds decision.

The ECHR received an application from Isaiah Haastrups father on Friday afternoon, said an EHCR spokesman on Monday.

The court will treat this as a priority case and aims to reach a decision as quickly as possible.

A spokesman for Kings College Hospital said medics would continue treating Isaiah until European judges had made a decision.Poirot star David Suchet says he quickly changes the TV channel if he comes across an old episode of the hit detective show.

The actor, who played the character for 25 years in the ITV series, performed every one of the stories written by Agatha Christie about the Belgian sleuth.

But he does not tune in to episodes of the show nowadays  preferring to channel-hop instead.

David Suchet played Poirot for 25 years in the ITV series (Ian West/PA)

Suchet told the Radio Times: I wont watch old episodes now! Its an awful thing to admit but my guilty pleasure is flicking through the channels  its something I couldnt do as a youngster when we only had one or two channels  but if I do come across a Poirot I pass on swiftly!

The actor, the brother of newsreader John, first played Poirot on screen in 1989 in The Adventure Of The Clapham Cook.

The show has been a huge hit for ITV and is shown in more than 200 countries around the world.

Suchet once revealed he achieved Poirots trademark waddle by clenching a penny between his buttocks.A former Russian double agent is critically ill following his suspected exposure to an unknown substance.

A pizza restaurant in Salisbury was closed by police late on Monday night as Sergei Skripal, 66, fought for his life in hospital a day after he was found unconscious in the Wiltshire city.

The BBC named Skripal as the man who was found along with a woman in her 30s, believed to be known to him, on a bench near a shopping centre shortly after 4pm on Sunday.

Skripal was convicted in 2006 of passing state secrets to MI6 before being given refuge in the UK as part of a spy swap.

The former colonel in the Russian military intelligence, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison, was among four convicts who were given pardons and one of two sent to Britain in 2010 in a deal that was said at the time to be the largest exchange since the Cold War.

Wiltshire Police said officers were as yet unable to ascertain whether the pair, who are both in critical condition in intensive care, have been victims of a crime.

The Castle Street branch of the chain restaurant Zizzi was secured as a precaution, the force said, adding Public Health England believed there was no risk to the public.

(PA Graphics)

Officers in regular uniforms and plain clothes spoke to staff inside and worked in tents in the area the pair were found.

A member of Zizzi staff who answered the phone declined to comment.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden said: The pair, who we believe are known to each other, did not have any visible injuries and were taken to Salisbury District Hospital.

This has not been declared as a counter terrorism incident and we would urge people not to speculate. However, I must emphasise that we retain an open mind and we will continue to review this position.

A restaurant in Salisbury city centre has been closed in connection with the on-going major incident. Zizzi, on Castle Street, has been secured as a precaution by Wiltshire Police while the investigation continues.

Read more: https://t.co/4MmUIlnHkW #Salisbury pic.twitter.com/tsoHghGoJU  Wiltshire Police (@wiltshirepolice) March 5, 2018

Garry Kasparov, a former world chess champion and critic of Vladimir Putin, was among those who drew comparisons with the death of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko in 2006.

But Igor Sutyagin, who was part of the same swap deal as Skripal and is now a research fellow at RUSI, urged caution.

He told the Associated Press: There are lots of former security officers that deserted to the West. It is necessary to balance this information.

A spokesman for the Russian Embassy in the UK, when asked for comment on the incident, said: Neither relatives nor legal representatives of the said person, nor the British authorities have addressed the embassy in this regard.

A major incident was declared at Salisbury District Hospital, where the two people are being treated (Tim Ockenden/PA)

Salisbury District Hospital declared a major incident but told patients to attend appointments as normal unless advised otherwise.

Freya Church, who saw the couple on the bench, told the BBC they looked so out of it.

She said: He was doing some strange hand movements, looking up to the sky.

Handout image issued by Snap Fitness taken from CCTV of a man and woman walking through an alleyway connecting Zizzis restaurant in Salisbury and the bench where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal was found and is believed to be of interest to police (PA)

It looked like they had been taking something quite strong.

A spokesman for Public Health England (PHE) said anyone exposed to the unknown substance had been decontaminated as is standard practice in situations like this.

This has not been declared as a CT incident and we would urge people not to speculate. However, we emphasise that we retain an open mind & we will continue to review this position. #Salisbury https://t.co/0Lc4EQQw5c  Wiltshire Police (@wiltshirepolice) March 5, 2018

Among the Russian agents deported from America as part of the spy swap deal was Manhattan socialite and diplomats daughter Anna Chapman, who was married to a British man and lived in London for several years.

While the incident in Salisbury is shrouded in mystery, it comes at a time of major tension in UK-Russian relations.

A report from the Commons Foreign Affairs committee last year describing the relationship between the two countries as being at its most strained point since the end of the Cold War.

And in evidence to the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee, MI6 described the Russian state as formidable adversaries.

In 2006, Mr Litvinenko died in London after drinking tea laced with radioactive polonium-210.

A public inquiry concluded in 2016 that the killing of Mr Litvinenko, an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin, had probably been carried out with the approval of the Russian president.NDRC: China likely to ease or eliminate ownership restrictions on Sino-foreign JVs

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- China needs to ease or eliminate ownership restrictions on Sino-foreign JVs, promote fair competitions between foreign and Chinese companies, and attract more foreign companies to invest in China more extensively, according to Ning Jizhe, deputy director of National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). He also revealed at a press conference on Mar. 6 that China should relax the threshold of market access widely and also amend the negative lists of foreign investments further.

During the past 40 years, foreign companies have played a crucial role in Chinese economy. In addition, China had also achieved remarkable results in attracting foreign investments. In 2017, China had attracted direct investments of $131 billion from foreign investors, ranking second worldwide. Foreign-capital companies took up nearly 50% of the total importing and exporting amounts, and contributed nearly 25% in China's value of industrial output, around 20% in tax and more than 10% in employment for China. In return, China's fast economic growth provides a good environment for foreign companies.

Rumors on China's desire of loosening ownership restrictions on foreign automakers' joint ventures even released as early as in 2014. Last year, rumors revealed that Tesla had signed an agreement with Shanghai government to establish a fully owned company in Shanghai free trade zone.Fears a former Russian double agent given refuge in Britain was poisoned in Salisbury lead most papers on Tuesday.

Sergei Skripal, 66, was convicted in 2006 of passing state secrets to MI6 before coming to the UK as part of a spy swap.

Police said officers were as yet unable to ascertain whether Skripal and a woman, 33, who were found unconscious on a bench near a shopping centre on Sunday, had been victims of a crime.

Picture

However, suspicions were growing that the incident was an attempted hit backed by the Kremlin, according to The Sun.

Tomorrow's front page: A former Russian double agent was fighting for his life last night after being found poisoned in a shopping centre pic.twitter.com/MNDPd9D6MB  The Sun (@TheSun) March 5, 2018

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail says Skripal had told agents his life was in danger.

The i says the pensioner was one of Britains most important double agents.

I: Renegade Russian spy poisoned on UK street #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/EpWzHCNkNe  Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) March 5, 2018

A neighbour of Skripal told The Guardian that he had been living quietly in the area for more than seven years.

The Guardian front page, Tuesday 6 March 2018: Unknown substance leaves former Russian

spy critically ill in UK pic.twitter.com/npoqBqktuf  The Guardian (@guardian) March 5, 2018

The Independent questions if Skripal was the victim of an attempted assassination similar to the killing of Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006.

Georgia Pridham, 25, who saw the pair apparently unwell, told the Daily Telegraph: He was quite smartly dressed. He had his palms up to the sky as if he was shrugging and was staring at the building in front of him. He had a woman sat next to him on the bench who was slumped on his shoulder.

TELEGRAPH: Russian spy fights for life after poisoning  #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/ztT7NRoiBn  Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) March 5, 2018

Police are keeping an open mind over what caused the pair to fall ill, the Daily Mirror reports, alongside a striking image of an officer in a biohazard suit at the scene.

Scientists were deployed to decontaminate the area and the hospital where they are being treated, the Metro reports.

The Times reports neither had visible injuries and officers were working to identify the substance they had been exposed to.

Tomorrow's front page: Russian spy critically ill after substance poisoning #tomorrowspapertoday pic.twitter.com/NyUFpSH3lx  The Times (@thetimes) March 5, 2018

The Financial Times also carries the story on its front page, alongside a lead report that the US is offering Britain a worse deal on aviation after Brexit than it currently has as part of the EU, which would hit British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

Just published: front page of the Financial Times, London edition, Tuesday 6 Marchhttps://t.co/vtGq6Vs3zw pic.twitter.com/BvfQs0rnpq  Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) March 5, 2018

The Daily Express features Skripal on its front page, but leads with former BBC Breakfast host Bill Turnbulls revelation that he has prostate cancer.William Hill is to sell its Australian business for 300 million Australian dollars (168.5 million) to CrownBet following a gambling crackdown in the country.

A ban on credit betting and the likely introduction of a point of consumption tax in a number of states have put profits under pressure at the bookmaker, leading it to announce a strategic review of its Antipodean operations in January.

On Tuesday William Hill boss Philip Bowcock said: We are pleased to announce the sale of William Hill Australia to CrownBet.

William HIll is leaving Australia (PA)

The disposal will allow William Hill to focus on continuing to grow our UK online and US businesses.

Money from the sale will be used to pay down debt and invest in other parts of the business.

William Hill Australia booked revenues of 201 million Australian dollars last year and earnings of 47 million Australian dollars.

But in February William Hill detailed a 238.3 million goodwill impairment following what it described as adverse tax and regulatory changes in Australia and additional charges linked to the costs of a group-wide transformation programme.

It pushed the company to a 74.6 million loss in the year to December 26 on a statutory basis, tumbling from a profit of 181.3 million a year earlier.All Greek train routes have been suspended for the day as railway workers stage a 24-hour strike to protest against the privatisation of the rolling stock maintenance company and a lack of staff.

As part of Greeces international bailout, successive governments have committed themselves to an ambitious privatisation programme.

Separately, taxi drivers walked off the job for nine hours to protest over the ride-sharing service Uber, which they claim has been tacitly supported by Greeces bailout creditors.

A deserted railway crossing in Athens (AP/Petros Giannakouris)

The powerful greater Athens taxi association, SATA, said creditors had prevented ministers from cracking down on the platform, which they accuse of siphoning work away from licensed professionals.

Last year the association unsuccessfully lobbied for stricter operating limits on popular app-based taxi-ordering services.

Taxi drivers held a protest outside the finance ministry in central Athens, at one point attacking a passing car they believed to be with Uber, as well as a passing taxi which appeared to be working despite the strike. No injuries were reported.

The rail strike also affected the section of the Athens metro serving the capitals international airport.Protests planned for the visit of Saudi Arabias crown prince are based on a misunderstanding of the war in Yemen, the countrys foreign minister has said.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will arrive on Wednesday for the controversial official visit which is set to be marked by demonstrations against his countrys role in the bloody civil war in Yemen.

But foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir insisted the conflict was just and protests should focus on the role of the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Presidency Press Service/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Saudi Foreign Minister defends his country's decision to go to war in Yemen. Adel al-Jubeir, says anybody planning to protest against tomorrow's visit to the UK by the Saudi Crown Prince should turn their criticism on the Houthi rebels instead #r4today pic.twitter.com/CFyU4ahKX3  BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) March 6, 2018

Saudi Arabia is the main player in a coalition supporting the Yemeni government against the Houthis in a war which has caused a humanitarian catastrophe.

Mr al-Jubeir told BBC Radio 4s Today programme the expected protests would not affect the crown princes visit.

This is part of your traditions, there are protests that take place in London all the time, he said.

This is not going to affect the visit or the objective of the visit.

He added: I believe that their positions are based on misunderstanding and not knowing.

They criticise us for a war in Yemen that we did not want, that was imposed on us.

They criticise us for a war in Yemen that is a just war, that is supported by international law.

They criticise us for the casualties in Yemen when it was imposed on us by the Houthis.

They should be demonstrating against the Houthis for taking nine-year-old boys into battle, they should be protesting against the Houthis for laying siege on towns and villages and starving people, for stealing humanitarian assistance.

The crown prince signalled the importance of the UK-Saudi Arabia relationship to security and also indicated that trade links could be boosted by Brexit.

The British and Saudi people, along with the rest of the world, will be much safer if you have a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia, he said.

Extremists and the terrorists are linked through spreading their agenda, he said, adding: We need to work together to promote moderate Islam.

On trade, he suggested that his Vision 2030 plan for economic reform could benefit the UK once it leaves the European Union.

We believe that Saudi Arabia needs to be part of the global economy, he said.

People need to be able to move freely, and we need to apply the same standards as the rest of the world.

After Brexit there will be huge opportunities for Britain as a result of Vision 2030.

Andrew Smith of the Campaign Against Arms Trade urged Theresa May to stop supporting Saudi Arabia.

He said: The overwhelming majority of people in the UK do not share Theresa Mays political and military support for the Saudi regime.

Despite the spin surrounding the crown prince, he is a figurehead for one of the worlds most authoritarian dictatorships.

The regime has carried out atrocities against Saudi people for decades, and has inflicted a terrible humanitarian catastrophe on the people of Yemen.

It is time for Theresa May and her colleagues to end their shameful support for this appalling autocracy.Disgraced former Co-operative Bank boss Paul Flowers has been banned from the financial services industry by the City watchdog.

Mr Flowers was chair of Co-op Bank between 2010 and 2013, overseeing its near collapse after revealing a 1.5 billion black hole in its accounts.

He was forced to step down amid allegations he bought and used illegal drugs, as well as claiming inappropriate expenses.

The Financial Conduct Authority said on Tuesday that Mr Flowers conduct demonstrated a lack of fitness and propriety required to work in financial services.

Mr Flowers demonstrated an unwillingness to comply with its and other legal, regulatory and professional requirements and standards, the FCA said.

Its probe showed that Mr Flowers used his work mobile telephone to make a number of inappropriate telephone calls to a premium rate chat line, in breach of Co-op Group and Co-op Bank policies.

In addition, he used his work email account to send and receive sexually explicit and otherwise inappropriate messages, and to discuss illegal drugs, the FCA added, despite having been previously warned about his earlier misconduct.

In a damning statement, the watchdog said it believes Mr Flowers disregard for the standards he is expected to meet demonstrates a lack of integrity and that any future involvement by Mr Flowers in the financial services industry risks undermining consumer and market confidence.

Disgraced former Co-op Bank boss Paul Flowers (PA)

Mark Steward, executive director of enforcement and market oversight, said: Mr Flowers failed in his duty to lead by example and to meet the high standards of integrity and probity demanded by the role.

These high standards are what the financial services industry and the wider community rightly expect of its senior individuals.

Where a chair, or other senior individual, fails to discharge these standards the FCA will hold them to account.

Following the scandal, Mr Flowers was also removed from the list of Methodist Church ministers, stripped of the title reverend and the power to lead services for seriously impairing the mission, witness or integrity of the Church.

Separately, the Treasury also announced it has launched a new independent review into supervision of the Co-operative Bank between 2008 and 2013.

It will look at the actions, policies and approach of the former City watchdog, the Financial Services Authority, and the current Prudential Regulation Authority.

It will cover a significant period for the Co-op Bank, including its aborted bid to buy 632 branches from Lloyds Banking Group in 2013, according to the Treasury.

The review will be led by Mark Zelmer  a former financial regulation heavyweight in Canada, who has also acted as a senior official at the Bank of Canada and International Monetary Fund.

The Government had pledged to carry out the independent review in 2013, but said at the time it would wait until the FCAs own probe ended so that it did not prejudice the regulators investigation.Social media firms have yet to make a single direct referral to British police over suspected terrorist material, a senior officer has said.

Mark Rowley, the outgoing chief of counter-terrorism policing in the UK, urged firms to consider public safety rather than profit and customer satisfaction.

Speaking at a counter-terrorism event in London, he said: Those extremists who utilise cyber space have proved highly influential and dangerous actors. They have successfully encouraged, directed, enabled and promoted terrorist attacks with the click of a mouse or the tap of a screen. The online extremists seem able to act with impunity, occupying spaces owned and managed by legitimate and very wealthy corporations.

Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Mark Rowley has had responsibility for counter-terror policing (Victoria Jones/PA)

They are effectively private tenants to their communication service provider landlords. In the real world if a landlord knew their property was being used to plan or inspire terrorist attacks you would expect them to show corporate responsibility by informing the authorities and evicting them forthwith. We want to see those same standards applied in the virtual world.

The Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner, who retires later this month, highlighted the lack of terrorism referrals to police from internet companies.

I am disappointed that in the UK as a police service we are yet to receive a direct referral from them when they have identified such behaviour. We urge the private sector to think more than terms of profit and customer satisfaction but also consider the wider implication of their considerable role and influence in society and how that impacts on the safety of the public.

Mr Rowley said he wanted social media firms to work with police in the way banks had been made to co-operate on tracing dirty money.

Last year as well as the five terror attacks in the UK, 10 Islamist plots and four right-wing plots were foiled.

Although he did not single out any specific sites, Mr Rowley told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: We are working very hard with social media and other companies across the world who were, frankly, slow to roll their sleeves up and take some responsibility.

We have seen some big progress on that in the last year or two but there is still a long way to go.

We get great support on individual investigations but when social media companies come across suspicious behaviour they dont report it to us, they clean it off their sites but dont report it to us.

He suggested that sites could have repeatedly taken down material from an individual then maybe months later we discover about this dangerous person but we could have been tipped off previously.

Mr Rowley said: They are working much better with us than they used to but there is a long way to go.

He said the banking sector takes its responsibilities to spot dirty money really seriously after changing its approach through a combination of persuasion and regulation from the authorities.

I think it is going to take, over years, the same combination of persuasion and regulation with internet companies, made more complex by the fact they trade across the world and they are harder for governments to get their hands on, he said.The first aid delivery in weeks to reach the besieged eastern suburbs of Damascus was cut short after Syrian government forces began shelling while aid workers were still in the area, a local council said.

Aid trucks had to leave before they could finish unloading supplies on Monday, as the eastern Ghouta suburbs suffered their worst day of violence since the UN Security Council demanded a 30-day ceasefire.

The Syrian American Medical Society charity, which supports hospitals in eastern Ghouta, said 79 people were killed in shelling and air strikes amid a renewed escalation in the governments aerial and ground campaign

The government, supported by Russias military, is pushing its assault on the rebel-held suburbs where the UN estimates almost 400,000 people are trapped under unmanageable levels of violence.

#SOHR The Eastern #Ghouta witnesses the bloodiest day since the resolution of the #UNSC; 80 civilians were killed and about 300 others were injured in the heavy shelling despite the truce of #Putin https://t.co/X5qARxBHEb      (@syriahr) March 5, 2018

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 80 civilians were killed on Monday.

The Security Council resolution, passed unanimously on February 25, has gone unheeded.

Mondays aid shipment was the first to enter eastern Ghouta amid weeks of a crippling siege and a government assault that has killed close to 800 civilians since February 18.

Aid agencies said Syrian authorities removed basic health supplies, including trauma, surgical kits and insulin, from the convoys before they set off.

The International Committee for the Red Cross also confirmed that its joint convoy with the UN had to leave before offloading all its supplies because of the deteriorating security situation.

Its with a heavy heart that our team leave #EasternGhouta.



The people weve met here have been through unimaginable things. They looked exhausted. And the aid we've delivered today is by no means enough.



Well do everything we can to come back with more food, more supplies. pic.twitter.com/vKPUAfIJwn  Pawel Krzysiek (@PKrzysiekICRC) March 5, 2018

Ingy Sedky, the ICRC spokeswoman in Syria, said most of the aid from a 46-truck convoy was delivered to the town of Douma in eastern Ghouta but the mission was cut short before the rest of the supplies could be unloaded.

Iyad Abdelaziz, a member of the Douma Local Council, said nine aid trucks had to leave the area after government shelling and air strikes intensified in the evening.

Air strikes continued on Tuesday. The oppositions Syrian Civil Defence search-and-rescue group reported at least nine people killed in the town of Jisreen, eastern Ghouta.

The group, also known as the White Helmets, added that two of its volunteers and 28 others suffered difficulties breathing following shelling on the town of Hammouriyeh on Monday evening. It accused the government of using poison gas.

The Observatory reported 18 people suffered breathing difficulties, without attributing a cause.

It was the eighth allegation of chlorine gas use reported by the Syrian American Medical Society this year. The reports could not be independently confirmed, and Russia used its Security Council veto to freeze the work of a UN body investigating such reports earlier this year.

The allegations could provoke a response from Washington, which says it could take military action against the Syrian government for continued chemical weapons use against its own people.

The Syrian government, through the Sana state news agency, denied using chemical weapons in its eastern Ghouta offensive.

A woman receives humanitarian aid distributed by the Red Crescent (Emrah Gurel/AP)

Russias Defence Ministry said it was extending an offer to allow armed rebels to leave eastern Ghouta with their families and weapons.

Moscow has been a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, helping him turn the tide of the bloody civil war in his favour.A volcano in southern Japan has erupted, shooting smoke and ash thousands of feet into the sky and grounding dozens of flights to and from a nearby airport.

The Meteorological Agency said the Shinmoedake volcano erupted violently several times on Tuesday, shooting up ash and smoke up to 7,500ft in its biggest explosion since 2011.

It said some lava was rising from inside a crater at the volcano.

A column of volcanic smoke rises from the crater (AP)

The volcano, seen in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, has had smaller eruptions since last week.

Entry to the 4,660ft volcano was restricted, and about 80 flights in and out of nearby Kagoshima Airport were cancelled.

Cars and buildings covered with volcanic ash (Takuto Kaneko/Kyodo News/AP)

Japan has 110 active volcanoes.

Public broadcaster NHK showed grey volcanic smoke billowing into the sky and orange lava rising to the mouth of the crater on Japans southernmost main island of Kyushu.

In Kirishima city, at the foot of the volcano, pedestrians wore surgical masks or covered their noses with hand towels, while others used umbrellas to protect from falling ash.

Cars had layers of ash on their roofs.

There were no reports of injuries or damage from the eruptions. The agency said the volcanic activity is expected to continue and cautioned residents against the possibility of flying rocks and pyroclastic flows  superheated gas and volcanic debris that race down the slopes at high speeds, incinerating or vaporising everything in their path.Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy who is critically ill in the UK after exposure to an unknown substance, was one of four prisoners who were pardoned and released from custody in 2010 as part of a spy swap.

The exchange followed the exposure of a ring of Russian sleeper agents in the US.

A look at who the four former prisoners were:

SERGEI SKRIPAL

Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence colonel, was found guilty of passing state secrets to Britain and sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006. He was accused of revealing the names of several dozen Russian agents working in Europe.

He served with Russian military intelligence (GRU) and retired in 1999 with the rank of colonel. He then worked at the Foreign Ministry until 2003 and later became involved in business.

Following his arrest in Moscow in December 2004, he confessed that he was recruited by British intelligence in 1995 and was feeding them information about GRU agents in Europe, receiving more than 100,000 dollars for his services.

At the time of his trial, the FSB domestic security agency was quoted as saying that his activities were as damaging to Russia as the work of Oleg Penkovsky, a GRU colonel who spied for the US and Britain and was executed in 1963.

Prosecutors asked for a 15-year prison sentence for Skripal, but the court took into account his co-operation with investigators and handed him a 13-year sentence.

He moved to Britain after his 2010 release and kept a low profile.

IGOR SUTYAGIN

Igor Sutyagin was sentenced to 15 years for spying (AP)

Sutyagin, a former military analyst with the USA and Canada Institute, a respected Moscow-based think tank, was sentenced to 15 years in 2004 on charges of passing information on nuclear submarines and other weapons to a British company that Russia claimed was a CIA cover.

During a highly publicised trial he insisted on his innocence, saying the information he provided was available from open sources. Amnesty International named him a prisoner of conscience.

Like Skripal, he moved to Britain after his release. He was hired by the Royal United Services Institute think tank in London where he works as a senior research fellow, focusing on nuclear and conventional arms control and the Russian arms programme.

He said in an interview with Russian television in 2011 that his family had stayed behind and he was reluctant to leave Russia but had no choice. He said he signed a confession and agreed to be part of the swap out of concern he would otherwise ruin everyone elses chances  and for fear of abuse and misery in the three years remaining in his prison term.

ALEXANDER ZAPOROZHSKY

A former colonel in the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, he was sentenced in 2003 to 18 years in prison for espionage on behalf of the US.

Zaporozhsky quit the service in 1997 and moved to suburban Baltimore in 2001. He was arrested after he returned to Moscow for what he thought was a reunion with KGB colleagues.

Russian media reported that he may have provided information leading to the capture of Robert Hanssen and Aldrich Ames, two of the most damaging spies caught in the US.

GENNADY VASILENKO

The former KGB officer employed as a security officer by Russias NTV television was arrested in 2005. In 2006, he was sentenced to three years on murky charges of illegal weapons possession and resistance to authorities.

Russian media reported that he served in a counter-intelligence unit and was posted to the US. He was arrested on an assignment in Havana in 1988 and taken to Moscow, but was released six months later for lack of evidence. Suspicions lingered and he was arrested again in 2006 in Moscow.

Vasilenko has a home in Virginia.A woman was found dead in south west London less than an hour after police discovered the bodies of her husband and two young boys more than 80 miles away.

Scotland Yard said a murder investigation had been launched after the woman, believed to be in her 40s, was found dead with stab wounds at her home in South Road, Twickenham shortly before 6pm on Monday.

Detectives attempted to trace her husband, 57 and two boys, aged seven and 10, and were contacted by Sussex Police officers who found the bodies of a man and two children at the foot of cliffs at Birling Gap, in Eastbourne, East Sussex, at around 5pm that day.

A murder investigation has been launched after a woman was found deceased at an address #Twickenham, and the bodies of a man and two boys - believed to be her husband and children - were found in East #Sussex https://t.co/hVpW4WP1fk pic.twitter.com/s9ffTLAQEp  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 6, 2018

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: Whilst formal identification awaits, police believe that they are the deceased womans immediate family.

No arrests have been made and the Met said officers are not looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation.

Police at a property in South Road, Twickenham (Jonathan Brady/PA)

A vehicle was recovered near the seafront scene by Sussex Police and a crime scene remains in place at the Twickenham address.

A spokeswoman for Sussex Police added the bodies had not been found in the vehicle and had been discovered by a member of the public.

Post-mortem examinations have yet to take place and next of kin have been informed.Geely chairman Li Shufu provides suggestions on methanol-fueled vehicle market

Shanghai ( Gasgoo)- Li Shufu, delegate to NPC and chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd delivered proposals during the two sessions. One of them is about developing liquid solar economy to promote the marketization of methanol-fueled vehicles.

Li Shufu suggested that China should set up demonstration area for "liquid solar economy" via innovations in mechanism as well as pilot policies. By making full use of the comprehensive resource advantage of the demonstration area, China will deploy the technological innovation, service for science and technology as well as industry agglomeration of methanol industry. With exploration in mechanism and marketization operation, all platforms at the demonstration area can be closely connected, shaping a world-leading innovation and entrepreneur environment for methanol economy.

Li Shufu also suggested stepping up efforts on methanol-related technologies and set up national key methanol projects. He advised China should integrate cutting-edge technological power on methanol-related R&D to realize the industrialization of high-tech methanol technologies through capital operating platform.

Li Shufu proposed that China establish the "liquid solar fund", master the most advanced methanol-related technologies and take the leading position in the methanol industry in the future. Considering the global supply and demands of methanol, China and Europe still depend greatly on the methanol importing, while African, North America and Middle East will be the major methanol providers for China and Europe.

As Li Shufu suggested, China should develop mated facilities to promote the R&D of key technologies and transformation of innovative achievements. Moreover, China should formulate industry-related policy and technological standards to complete the industrial policy on methanol.

According to Li Shufu's proposal, China need to foster the marketed operation for methanol-fueled vehicles. Taking the state quo of Chinese energy and market, Li Shufu also proposed China open up the methanol-fueled market to promote the marketed operation for methanol-fueled vehicles. In the meantime, government should provide relevant supportive policies to help transit to the marketization at the early stage. In addition, Li also suggested that China should complete the development in supporting infrastructure, system, operating management and some applied safety valuation for methanol-fueled industry, as well as enhance these jobs in a wider range across China.The Queen met a face from her past when she celebrated the 70th anniversary of the United Nations body regulating global shipping  a former commander of the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Paddy McKnight, who was in charge of the famous vessel for two years, was among the International Maritime Organisations (IMO) staff and other maritime officials from across the globe who met the monarch.

Thank you to all of the staff and delegates who welcomed The Queen to @IMOHQ this morning. Happy 70th anniversary! #IMO70 pic.twitter.com/lRc8S9vIem  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) March 6, 2018

The Queen returned to the building  the only headquarters of a UN agency in London  35 years after she officially opened the centre.

The Queen during a visit to the International Maritime Organisation (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)

Mr McKnight, a former naval officer in his 70s who was in charge of Britannia from 1983-1985, said: Id been on the yacht 11 days before the Queen opened this building.

I did a series of trips, the first one was a state visit to Sweden, as commander youre the CEO if something goes wrong youre the guy that carries the can. And the Queen is very sharp, shes very observant so things have got to be spot on.

The ex-naval officer, who was representing InterManager  the international trade association for the ship management industry, added while laughing: There were no mishaps of which I was aware  it was one of those jobs if nobody said a thing, you were doing fine.

A specialised agency of the UN, @IMOHQ sets the standards for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping. pic.twitter.com/Z8JgECZdKA  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) March 6, 2018

The Royal Yacht Britannia was taken out of service in 1997 and is now a popular tourist attraction based in Scotland.

During the Queens visit to the IMOs headquarters on the southern bank of the River Thames overlooking the Houses of Parliament, the organisations secretary-general Kitack Lim gave a speech highlighting the importance of freight carried by sea around the world.

He said: Today we are celebrating 70 years of achievement in which the truly vital industry of shipping has become safer, cleaner and greener, thanks to the work of the IMO. We are also looking ahead to new challenges on the horizon.

Billions of ordinary people all over the world rely on shipping every day of their lives  even if they dont realise it or understand it. It is our role to ensure shipping can continue to make this vital contribution to global wellbeing.

The Secretary General of @IMOHQ: Your Majesty, I ... know that you have a deep personal interest in ships and the sea, as your presence here today clearly shows. pic.twitter.com/3ZYRycpvq0  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) March 6, 2018

The IMO grew out of a need to standardise rules for all vessels and in 1948 it was established as the global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping.

During her visit the Queen was shown mementos of her previous visit, models of ships in the IMOs foyer and the huge three-sided lens from a Suffolk lighthouse.

This morning The Queen is visiting the International Maritime Organization to mark the 70th year of its formation. HM originally opened its headquarters in 1983. pic.twitter.com/Bcjbk3ut9q  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) March 6, 2018

Before leaving the Queen and secretary-general simultaneously cut a birthday cake and the monarch unveiled a plaque to mark her visit.A Russian plane was apparently behind an air strike on a Syrian market that killed 84 people in November, an attack which could amount to a war crime, according to UN investigators.

The findings, reported by the UNs Commission of Inquiry on Syria, were the first time the group has pinned responsibility for civilian deaths in Syria directly on Moscow.

In the same report, the commission said the US-led coalition in the war against the Islamic State group failed to properly vet the target of an air raid on March 20 last year that killed 150 civilians sheltering in a school in northern Syria.

The international coalition should have known the nature of the target, the report said, adding that the oversight had put the coalition in violation of humanitarian law.

The coalition took responsibility for the strike, saying it had targeted 30 IS fighters it believed were hiding in the building.

All parties share guilt for completely disregarding the rules of war, said the commissions chairman, Paulo Pinheiro, at a press conference introducing the report.

He said parties were resorting to increasingly cynical methods to secure objectives in Syrias complex civil war.

The report documented widespread abuses of international law, including leveraging aid in combination with siege warfare to force civilians to surrender or starve.

It said pro-government forces had bombed hospitals and clinics in opposition-held territory in north-west Syria.

Hanny Megally and Paulo Pinheiro, of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone/AP)

According to the report, all available information indicates that a Russian plane carried out the November 13 air strike that hit a market near houses and a police station run by Western-backed Syrian rebels in the town of Atarib, in Idlib province.

At least 84 people were killed and 150 wounded in the attack.

The commission, which was created six years ago to document alleged human rights violations by any side in Syrias war, said the plane that carried out the air strike took off from Hemeimeem air base in Syria, which is run by Russian forces.

Moscow is a main backer of President Bashar Assads forces and has helped turn the tide of war in his favour with a campaign of air strikes.

The Russian military denies killing civilians. It says its forces in Syria have only launched strikes on militant targets after verifying their location, and have never hit areas populated by civilians.

Tuesdays report, prepared under a current mandate from the UN-backed Human Rights Council, lays out the investigators findings during a six-month probe conducted between July 8 and January 15.

All information available indicates that a Russian fixed-wing aircraft that took off from Hemeimeem air base conducted the strikes, the report said.

Early warning observers monitored the take-off of a fixed-wing aircraft, whose pilots communicated in Russian, from Hemeimeem airbase at 1.37pm and tracked the aircraft going south and then to the north east all the way to Atarib where it arrived at 2.07pm.

No Syrian aircraft were observed in the area in the two hours preceding the air strikes.

The report said the attack on the densely populated area, involving unguided weapons, may amount to a war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in death and injury to civilians.

Advocacy groups, including Human Rights Watch, have previously linked Russia to alleged war crimes and human rights violations in Syria, such as bombing civilians in rebel-held eastern Aleppo in 2016.The death of a two-day-old baby after a locum surgeon operated on his abdomen was avoidable, a critical senior colleague of the medic told an inquest.

Baby Paul Mitchelhill died in his mothers arms after his health deteriorated following surgery at the Great North Childrens Hospital in Newcastle in October 2013.

But surgeon Emmanuel Towuaghanste, known as Mr Towu, showed no regret and sought to blame others, the inquest at Newcastles Civic Centre heard.

Two-day-old Paul Mitchelhill (Family handout/PA)

Paul was born with a rare defect known as exomphalos major  a weakness in the abdominal wall where the umbilical cord joins the body.

Following the emergency surgery Paul developed abdominal compartment syndrome, where increased pressure reduces blood flow to the organs.

Mr Towus assistant Khizer Mansoor had noted the sutures on the babys abdomen were tight following surgery.

The next day Pauls bowel was found to have died and the baby from Carlisle could not be saved.

Paediatric surgeon Bruce Jaffray, who now heads the department, told the hearing he had seen just six cases of exomphalos major in his 20 years experience.

Some surgeons operated immediately while others waited, the inquest heard.

He told the inquest: I think this was an avoidable death.

Mr Jaffray said he would have treated the condition conservatively and would not have elected to perform emergency surgery on the new-born child.

Instead, he would have wrapped the defect in bandages and handed the baby to his mother as he was at no immediate risk, the inquest heard.

Mr Jaffray described compartment syndromes as disastrous, adding: You have converted a stable situation into uncontrolled chaos.

He only became involved in treating Paul towards the end of his life, he said, when he was showing a prospective new colleague around the intensive care unit.

By chance, three intensive care medics saw him and expressed their concerns about what had happened to Paul the previous evening.

Mr Jaffray felt it would be wholly inappropriate for Mr Towu to carry out a planned operation on another patient that afternoon, given what he had heard.

Later, as he prepared to go in to theatre to operate on Paul, Mr Jaffray said the locum approached him.

He said: What really concerned me was that Mr Towu did not appear to have any inkling as to what had happened with this baby and his role in the events of the previous night.

He seemed to be evading his role and his responsibility and to be seen to pass the blame for what happened to other intensive care staff.

I told him I would take over and he should go home.

Mr Jaffray said baby Paul was monitored to check his condition prior to surgery and at 7pm the surgeon was told the tiny patients condition was deteriorating.

When he heard that Pauls bowel had died he said: I made the decision at that point that was not survivable. The only thing was to put the baby in his mothers arms and allow the baby to die.

Mr Jaffray expressed his amazement at Mr Towus reaction to the initial operation.

He said: There was no suggestion he had done anything out of the ordinary, that he was in any way at fault, or regretted his actions.

I hope if that was me I would have been devastated, shown some insight. I hope I would have the integrity to admit my faults.

I found none of that with Mr Towu.

Mr Jaffray said the events had left a mental scar, adding there was now a change of policy regarding using locums.

He said: We have not had someone operating with us who we dont know personally.

The inquest continues.A hospital trust has apologised to the families of two patients who were attacked and killed by another patient after his anti-psychotic drugs were stopped.

Ken Godward, 76, and Roger Lamb, 79, died after they were beaten with a walking stick by 70-year-old Harry Bosomworth in St Jamess University Hospital, in Leeds, in February 2015.

Mr Lamb is reported to have been trying to help Mr Godward when he was fatally injured.

The report said the ward where the attack happened is a medical ward specialising in diabetes care (Peter Byrne/PA)

An investigation report leaked to the Health Service Journal (HSJ) details how Mr Bosomworth, who had been treated for paranoid schizophrenia since 1980, was admitted to the hospital suffering from oesophageal cancer.

It explained how a decision was taken to stop the anti-psychotic drug Olanzapine, despite warnings from the patients family, by clinicians who were more focused on his complex physical needs than his mental health.

The report said that during the night of February 27 and 28, Mr Bosomworth was given a sedative with the assistance of security staff as HB was kicking and punching staff when they were caring for his needs.

Later that morning, the report said, staff discovered HB had assaulted fellow patients RL and KG with his walking stick.

Mr Godward suffered facial injuries and Mr Lamb was found lying on the floor with a fractured neck and leg and both pensioners died later.

Despite concluding that it has been difficult to identify a single root cause for this incident, the report found there had been a number of contributing factors, including not listening properly to Mr Bosomworths family and a lack of assertive, structured, co-ordinated and integrated mental and physical healthcare.

It said: The decision to stop his Olanzapine was taken from a narrow physical health perspective and without any reference to the impact of stopping the Olanzapine on HBs overall mental health and long-standing schizophrenia.

The report said: We would suggest that if they had spoken to the family in more detail, they would have obtained a more accurate and comprehensive picture of HBs mental health needs.

It concluded: The low level of basic knowledge of acute medical staff of the needs of people with comorbid mental health issues in acute hospital settings has been recognised as a national issue and was a contributory factor in this case.

Mr Bosomworth died of his cancer in July 2015, the report said.

Mr Godwards stepson Andrew Dixon told the HSJ: We feel as though we have been taken for a ride.

Mr Dixon said: We want something put in place that is going to protect people like Ken.

The report said the ward where the attack happened is a medical ward specialising in diabetes care but often has a high percentage of older people with a wide range of medical conditions that also present a range of challenging behaviours.

An appendix to the report details more than 40 incidents of violent and aggressive behaviour on the ward between April 2014 and March 2015 including nurses being punched, a patient throwing a table across the room and another slamming a medicine cabinet lid on a staff members fingers.

Dr Nick Scriven, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: This is a shocking case that has gone unreported since 2015 and it forces us all to look at how and where we treat some of our most vulnerable patients.

He said: We need a total rethink on how and where we can meet these peoples physical and mental needs and trusts must be open and honest in the future around this area and investigate and report this type of incident openly.

Dr Yvette Oade, Chief Medical Officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: I would like to reiterate my sincere apologies to all the families involved in this tragic incident. We understand that this has been an extremely difficult and upsetting time for everyone involved and we are sorry that we let these patients down.

Dr Oade said the trust had worked with Leeds and York Partnership Trust to make a significant number of improvements to how we care for patients with challenging behaviours and mental health needs.The wreckage of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington, which was sunk by the Japanese in a crucial Second World War sea battle, has been discovered by an expedition funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

The expedition team announced that the wreckage of the Lexington, crippled by the enemy and then scuttled on May 8 1942 during the Battle of the Coral Sea, was found on the seabed in waters about two miles deep, more than 500 miles off Australias east coast.

To pay tribute to the USS Lexington and the brave men that served on her is an honour, Mr Allen said on his web page.

The USS Lexington (US Navy/AP)

As Americans, all of us owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who served and who continue to serve our country for their courage, persistence and sacrifice.

Lady Lex went down with 35 planes. So far, #RVPetrel has found 11 of them. Heres a look at two Douglas TBD-1 Devastators, resting on top of each other, and a close up of a Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat. https://t.co/19CuqvopwB pic.twitter.com/FEWZYD0iEo  Paul Allen (@PaulGAllen) March 6, 2018

The battle helped stop a Japanese advance that could have cut off Australia and New Guinea from Allied sea supply routes, and crippled two Japanese carriers, leading to a more conclusive US victory at sea a month later at the Battle of Midway.

The sea battle is also famous for being the first in which the opposing ships did not come in sight of each other, carrying out their attacks with carrier-launched aircraft.

Mr Allens teams have made several previous important shipwreck discoveries, including three other US Navy vessels, an Italian destroyer and the Japanese battleship Musashi.

The ship that found the Lexington, the Research Vessel Petral, has equipment capable of diving about three and a half miles. It was deployed in early 2017 in the Philippine Sea before moving to the Coral Sea off the Australian coast.

The Lexington, affectionately dubbed Lady Lex, was badly damaged by bombs and torpedoes, but the order to abandon ship was given only after a secondary explosion set off an uncontrollable fire.

Some 216 crew members lost their lives, but 2,770 were safely evacuated before its sister ship, the destroyer USS Phelps, fired torpedoes to send it to the bottom of the ocean.

Mr Allen said on his Twitter account that the ship went down with 35 planes, 11 of which had been found so far by his expedition.

He has said he undertakes such ventures in part to honour his father, who served in the war, by finding and preserving the artefacts of the conflict.A huge number of workers were negatively affected by the conduct of their employers during last weeks snowstorms, according to the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC).

The organisation has published a snapshot of employees experiences, including accounts of staff being asked to walk for miles or drive in hazardous conditions.

The findings were released as plans for a fair work charter for workers affected by severe weather were agreed by the STUC and the First Minister.

In a joint statement they said they shared a real concern about workers being compelled to travel to work during the red weather alert warning of risk to life.

Just over 1,400 people completed an STUC self-selecting survey about travelling to work during last weeks adverse conditions.

It found almost two thirds were not satisfied with their employers response, while just over half were required to travel to work as normal during the snowstorm period.

Just over 40% were required to travel during the red weather warning.

Grahame Smith, STUC general secretary, said: It is clear that huge numbers of workers have been negatively affected by employer behaviour during the extreme weather conditions.

We are pleased that the Scottish Government agree with us that in future more needs to be done to make workers aware of their rights and employers of their responsibilities.

Hundreds of motorists were stuck on Scotlands roads last week (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The joint statement said: We are committed to doing everything within our current powers to encourage employers to be fair and flexible.

That is why we have agreed to collaboratively develop a fair work charter focusing on the treatment of workers affected by severe weather or other emergencies.

They said the charter will set out fair work principles for employers to adopt in these circumstances, including recognising workers need a voice through a union.

The charter will highlight examples of employers and unions working flexibly and constructively.

A very productive meeting today between @ScottishTUC & @scotgov @NicolaSturgeon Agenda included 1. Fair Work such as facility time, living wage & changing culture for #workersrights 2. Year of the Young people 3. Procurement 4. Economy 5. Scottish Budget & many more ... pic.twitter.com/Wys1rwSME4  Roza Salih (@RozaSalih) March 5, 2018

The statement continued: It is our view that legislation should be in place to protect the rights of workers during severe weather.

The First Minister and STUC said they will press the UK to legislate for this as employment law is reserved and make the case for the power to be devolved to Holyrood.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard welcomed the charter, saying: We have seen far too many reports of workers mistreating staff or forcing them into work during unsafe conditions.

Labour will engage constructively with the development of this charter so we dont see a repeat of these scenes again.

The Scottish Greens said they shared concerns over the treatment on workers.

Green MSP Ross Greer said: This situation is a stark reminder of the conditions exploited casual workers in particular experience in the so called gig economy.

While we can safeguard against much of this where we have direct control, in the Scottish public sector, we urgently need to devolve employment law and put real protections into law for all workers.The Scottish Governments former childcare minister Mark McDonald has quit the SNP after a series of sleaze allegations were made against him.

Mr McDonald accepted his behaviour had caused hurt and offence to two women and offered them a public and unreserved apology.

While the former minister said he was resigning from the SNP with immediate effect, he confirmed he is to stay on as an MSP for the Aberdeen Donside constituency.

Mark McDonald said he quit the SNP with immediate effect (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The politician, who has been absent from the Scottish Parliament since the allegations against him were first made in November 2017, now plans to return to Holyrood next week and will sit as an independent MSP.

SNP bosses launched an investigation into reports of inaapropriate behaviour by the married father-of-two, with allegations made by three women.

The findings were shown to Mr McDonald on Monday.

The report has not been made public  with the SNP facing calls from the Conservatives to do so so that the public can judge whether he is fit to remain as an MSP.

It is understood investigators concluded the MSPs inapproriate behaviour had been deliberate in nature and he should have known not to act in this manner.

His behaviour is said to include sending inappropriate and unwanted text and social media messages, causing distress to women through his unwanted attention and exploiting his position of power, with the investigation finding there had been persistent behaviour over an extended period of time.

Mr McDonald said: I have accepted that my behaviour towards two individuals fell below the level of professionalism that they were entitled to expect of me, whether in a professional or a social context.

While at no stage was my behaviour in any way physically abusive, and while it was certainly not my intention to cause any upset, discomfort or offence to those concerned, it is clear through the concerns highlighted in the report that I have done so.

That is something which I deeply regret. I would like to take the opportunity here and now to offer a public and unreserved apology to those individuals for the hurt and offence that I have caused them.

Mr McDonald stood down from his post as childcare and early years minister with the Scottish Government on November 4 2017 after allegations were first made.

He was suspended by the SNP 12 days later after fresh claims were made against him.

Listened to Mark McDonald making his statement. He was allowed to resign from Ministerial office with a lump sum and kept it. That shamed @ScotParl. I hope the women he mistreated are getting ongoing support.  Monica Lennon MSP (@MonicaLennon7) March 6, 2018

The MSP said he was first informed of the allegations he was facing on January 14 2018, adding that it was four days later when he was interviewed that the precise detail behind those allegations was placed before me for the very first time.

He went on to state that on February 9 he had been told the report would be ready in days rather than weeks  but added it was March 5 before he was allowed to see its findings.

An SNP spokesman said: The findings of the independent investigation were shared with Mark McDonald on Monday and the SNP group was due to consider disciplinary action, based on those findings.

Investigators concluded that Mr McDonald had been deliberate in his actions and should have been aware that it was not appropriate for an individual in his position to be behaving in such a manner.

Tory MSP Alexander Burnett said the SNP must come clean and publish the report into Mr McDonalds behaviour.

The Conservative said: Many people will rightly be questioning why Mark McDonald thinks that his behaviour was bad enough to resign from the SNP, but not to resign from the Scottish Parliament

He is clearly prioritising the reputation of the SNP over that of Holyrood and its simply not good enough.

This saga has dragged on for months yet we still dont have any detail on the allegations against Mark McDonald.

Labour parliamentary business manager Rhoda Grant said: Mark McDonald decided his conduct was not fit for a minister or an SNP MSP  but somehow it is acceptable for an MSP without party affiliation.

People in Aberdeen Donside will rightly question that. It looks like Mark McDonald has put the reputation of the SNP before what is best for his constituents.A government minister has told universities to get on with the job of widening access to poorer students.

Higher education minister Shirley-Anne Somerville said progress had been made in the key government pledge to ensure more people from deprived areas go to university but institutions need to pick up the pace.

She said the government would continue to consider the merits of increasing funded places, as recommended by Scotlands Fair Access Commissioner, as Labour urged her to create more grants for poorer students.

The Scottish Government wants to widen unversity access for poorer people (Chris Ison/PA)

She told MSPs all applicants, regardless of background, should have an equal chance of going to university by 2030.

Speaking at Holyrood, she said: We expect every university to take action now to ensure that, by 2021, 10% of entrants to each university are from Scotlands 20% most deprived backgrounds.

A child growing up in Scotland, regardless of their background, should have an equal chance of attending one of our great universities, @S_A_Somerville tells @ScotParl in a statement on #wideningaccess  ScotGov Education (@ScotGovEdu) March 6, 2018

She said the greatest inequalities in the higher education sector are in universities.

The commissioners first annual report warned despite steady progress the current momentum may not be sufficient to meet government targets on access and recommended action on contextualised admissions, bridging programmes and increasing funded places.

Responding to the report, Ms Somerville said universities need to pick up the pace of change on implementation.

She added: I fully understand why this recommendation (on increasing funded places) has been made and we will continue to consider its merits.

We are conscious, however, that ultimately we are engaged in reforming the system and this is best achieved by the fairer distribution of publicly-funded opportunities.

In the end, widening access will be achieved by building a fairer system rather than continually expanding an unfair one.

Read the @CommFairAccess first annual report https://t.co/bQdAD4mgWv

Laying the Foundations for Fair Access that sets a challenge to all: be

bolder to achieve fair access. pic.twitter.com/dKwSFUTIJJ  Commissioner (@CommFairAccess) December 13, 2017

Labours education spokesman Iain Gray praised the introduction of a bursary for young students who have been in care.

He said: Surely the minister can see, then, that access to non-repayable bursaries and grants while studying are also critical to young people from deprived backgrounds considering university because they too will not be able to turn to their families for financial help.

He urged the government to reduce loans and increase bursaries for poorer students.

Conservative education spokeswoman Liz Smith asked for a timescale on a higher achievement levels study to inform universities minimum entrance requirements for deprived students.

Ms Somerville said universities did not need the information, adding: They need to get on with the job of moving on with contextualised admissions and minimum entry requirements.

We cant afford to wait another year, for another round of data and seeing another round of students not getting access to university places that they should have.A consultant who successfully appealed against a conviction of gross negligence manslaughter of a patient has been cleared by a medical tribunal of misconduct allegations.

David Sellu, 70, was jailed in November 2013 for two-and-a-half years over the death of father-of-six James Hughes but following his release 15 months later his conviction was overturned.

The General Medical Council (GMC) later brought disciplinary matters against him and claimed that he allowed vital time to slip by between diagnosis and surgery on Mr Hughes.

David Sellu (Sean Dempsey/PA)

Mr Sellu was accused by the GMC of failing to provide good clinical care in his treatment of Mr Hughes in February 2010, although it was not their case that his actions led to the death.

Retired builder Mr Hughes, 66, from Northern Ireland, underwent knee replacement a week earlier but developed abdominal pain and was transferred to the care of Mr Sellu at Clement Churchill private hospital in Harrow, north London.

Opening the case last month, Paul Williams, for the GMC, told the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) hearing: The criticism here is not that Mr Sellu got the diagnosis wrong on February 11.

Nor did he do anything wrong with the surgery itself, but it is the timescale in between, and the actions and inactions within that period.

However, the tribunal sitting in Manchester disagreed and ruled that Mr Sellu did not have a duty to perform surgery on February 11 when it was first suspected that Mr Hughes was suffering from a perforated bowel and he instead requested a CT scan.

The tribunal added it was satisfied that when he received the results of the CT scan the next day he made proactive steps to make immediate arrangements to perform urgent surgery.

It also found there was no evidence that Mr Hughes showed significant signs of deterioration over the afternoon of February 12 before Mr Sellu eventually operated on him that evening and into the early hours of the next day.

On February 14 Mr Hughes died following the surgery.

In November 2016, three Court of Appeal judges quashed Mr Sellus conviction on the ground of directions given to the jury by the trial judge on the issue of gross negligence manslaughter.

The Crown Prosecution Service stated it was not in the public interest to seek a retrial.

Following Tuesdays findings by the MPTS, the GMC stated: Although Dr Sellus criminal conviction was overturned on appeal there remained a very serious allegation that he failed to provide good clinical care to his patient, Mr Hughes, who sadly died while in hospital in 2010.

As there remained a significant dispute about the facts it could only be resolved by referring the case to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service.

The Tribunal, after hearing from all of the witnesses and experts, has resolved the dispute of facts, in the doctors favour.

Dr Rob Hendry, medical director at the Medical Protection Society, said: The MPTS Tribunals conclusion that none of the GMCs allegations against David Sellu are proved will be very welcome news for him and his family.

We are pleased to have helped Mr Sellu quash his manslaughter conviction in November 2016, clear his name, and continue his career in medicine. But we know this is also a matter of principle for the wider profession.

The MPTS Tribunal heard all of the evidence in this case and tested it rigorously. As we have said before, they are best placed to weigh up all of the factors affecting a doctors fitness to practise.

By contrast, a criminal court is rarely the best place to hold a doctor to account for what has happened in a complex clinical environment. There has never been a more important time to debate this issue, and we will be calling on the Government review led by Professor Sir Norman Williams to address it.Ryanair is threatening to ground its planes after the UK withdraws from the European Union to persuade voters to rethink Brexit.

The Dublin-based carriers chief executive Michael OLeary said he wants to create an opportunity by making people realise they are no longer going to have cheap holidays.

He told an audience of airline leaders in Brussels: I think its in our interests  not for a long period of time  that the aircraft are grounded.

Its only when you get to that stage where youre going to persuade the average British voter that you were lied to in the entire Brexit debate.

Ryanair chief Michael OLeary (Niall Carson/PA)

You were promised you could leave the EU and everything would stay the same. The reality is you can leave the EU, yes thats your choice, but everything will fundamentally change.

Mr OLeary warned that there would be a real crisis as flights between the UK and the EU are disrupted after Brexit.

He said: When you begin to realise that youre no longer going to have cheap holidays in Portugal or Spain or Italy, youve got to drive to Scotland or get a ferry to Ireland as your only holiday options, maybe well begin to rethink the whole Brexit debate.

They were misled and I think we have to create an opportunity.

EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren, who was on stage alongside Mr OLeary, interrupted him to say: If you start grounding your planes, Im flying.

Carsten Spohr, the boss of German carrier Lufthansa, added: In theory, if we could use this industry to prove to the British how wrong the decision was, that might be a good thing.

The single market for aviation, created in the 1990s, means there are no commercial restrictions for airlines flying within the EU.

Mr OLeary has repeatedly warned that airlines will be forced to cancel post-Brexit services from March 2019 if no agreement is reached in the Brexit negotiations by September, because schedules are planned about six months in advance.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said in January that he is confident flights will not be grounded because its in the interests of everyone to maintain the open market for aviation.Former ESPN employee Adrienne Lawrence has responded to claims that the sexual harassment lawsuit she filed against the network was motivated by personal gain and therefore not to be trusted.

In an article published Tuesday, Lawrence told ThinkProgress Lindsay Gibbs that she spoke up on misbehavior at ESPN not out of bitterness or greed, but out of concern for other women still at the company.

I cant leave those girls behind. I couldnt just take a paycheck and be silenced, and its disappointing that others can, Lawrence said. Its really disappointing to see all of these women who have the power to say something, and yet they will do anything to protect the shield. The shield abused them when they were on the way up, and it will abuse them on their way down.

On Sunday, Adrienne Lawrence filed a lawsuit in which she alleged a culture of sexual harassment at ESPN, naming several big-name colleagues as perpetrators.

The component of Lawrences lawsuit that has resonated most widely is the charge that recently retired ESPN host Chris Berman once sent a racially disparaging voicemail to anchor Jemele Hill. As that allegation popped up in headlines across the internet, Hill responded with a note on Twitter in which she denied Berman had ever left her such a message and said she was disappointed that someone I considered to be a friend at one point would misrepresent and relay a private conversation without my knowledge  for personal gain.

In the ThinkProgress article, Lawrence responded directly to Hills comments, saying she hadnt heard the voicemail in question, but had summarized it exactly the way Hill had described it to her.

Ill be damned if anyone says this is for my personal gain, Lawrence said. Play the voicemail then, the one that you kept. Play it, I know you have it. Ive never heard it. I went off of her description of it.  Others can be disappointed in me but Ill never be disappointed in myself for telling the truth and breaking the culture of silence, Lawrence said. I am very disappointed in the women there who have the power and dont say anything. I hope their silence is their legacy.

In her lawsuit, Lawrence relayed several stories of harassment from other female ESPN employees, even in cases when she had not personally witnessed the alleged conduct. She told ThinkProgress she felt that if colleagues wouldnt publicize their experience, she would do it herself.

Lawrence explained that she wrestled with her decision to include stories from other female ESPN employees in the lawsuit, but ultimately opted to do so on the belief that changing what she described as a toxic culture at the Worldwide Leader required widespread accountability. It wasnt easy sharing what others had confided in me, but someone has to speak up if anything is to change, Lawrence said. These are things people came to me and told me about, and they werent right. If you dont bring things to light they wont get better.

In a statement issued Monday, ESPN said it had investigated Lawrences claims and found them to be completely without merit.

Lawrence joined ESPN on a fellowship in 2015 and worked for the network until 17 when the program ended and she was not offered permanent employment.

[ThinkProgress]Transgender model Munroe Bergdorf has quit as an LGBT adviser to the Labour Party just a week after taking up the post.

In a statement posted on her Twitter feed, she blamed the endless attacks on her character in the press, saying she did not want to be a distraction.

Bergdorf was among a group of around 20 activists appointed to a board set up to advise shadow women and equality minister Dawn Butler.

Munroe Bergdorf has stepped down from a LGBT panel (Ian West/PA)

However she came under fire from Tory MPs over past comments  including a claim that all white people are racist which had led to her being sacked by cosmetics giant, LOreal Paris.

In her statement Bergdorf said: This is a decision that Ive had to make due to endless attacks on my character by the conservative right wing press and relentless online abuse.

I refuse to be painted as a villain or used as a pawn in the press efforts, especially those at The Daily Mail, to discredit the Labour Party and push their transphobic rightist agendas.

I wanted my appointment to be something positive and exciting for the community, but instead it has been blown out of all proportion.

She added: I will not allow myself to be centred in this negative narrative, but more importantly I dont want to stand in the way of the board serving as a positive catalyst for change within the UKs LGBT communities.Brussels will set out its position for the next phase of Brexit talks on Wednesday.

European Council president Donald Tusk is holding a press conference in Luxembourg on the draft guidelines for the future relationship with the UK.

EU leaders gave a lukewarm reaction to Prime Minister Theresa Mays post-Brexit vision after she set out Britains approach on Friday.

Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliaments Brexit co-ordinator, said he wanted the UK to sign an association agreement with the EU to cover its relationship after leaving the bloc after talks with Mrs May in No 10 on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Government was told France wants a fair Brexit settlement but the economically important financial services sector could not be covered by a free-trade agreement.

French economy minister Bruno Le Maire said there had to be a good deal with the UK, but the City of London and the financial sector would have to rely on an equivalence regime.

Former Belgian prime minister Mr Verhofstadt visited Downing Street for talks with Mrs May, David Davis and Amber Rudd.

Mr Verhofstadt has warned the European Parliament will not accept any deal on citizens rights that involves discrimination against people who come to the UK during the transition period.

It's important that @theresa_may acknowledged that there would be no financial passport post Brexit

Financial services cannot be in a FTA,for reasons of financial stability,of supervision.We have an alternative system that works-its the equivalence regime &we should rely on that  Bruno Le Maire (@BrunoLeMaire) March 6, 2018

But in a sign that he believes the Government may make further concessions, he told reporters in Downing Street: I think it is possible that in the coming days and coming weeks we make progress on this, we can conclude on this.

Mr Verhofstadt also set out his vision for the future relationship between the UK and EU to be defined within an overall associate agreement rather than a Canada-style trade deal and a series of other pacts.

But he said the best outcome for the UK would be to remain in the single market and customs union, options ruled out by the Prime Minister.

He said: If the UK stays very near to the rules of the European Union that will secure jobs in Britain. That will be the best way forward for the British economy.

My preferential choice would be that Britain still is part of the single market, still is part of the customs union, then most problems would be solved.

That is not the wish of the UK Government.

Meanwhile, Mr Le Maire was in London for talks with Chancellor Philip Hammond who will set out the Governments plans for the financial services sector on Wednesday.

In her Mansion House speech, the Prime Minister set out her plans for Britain and the EU to access each others financial markets based on a commitment to maintaining the same regulatory outcomes.

Mr Le Maire said the particular circumstances of the financial services industry meant it could not be covered within the scope of a free-trade agreement and the best solution would be for equivalence, where both sides recognise each others standards.

We need a good deal. But once again we have to avoid any misunderstanding between the British people and the French people, between the UK and the EU, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme.

Financial services cannot be in a free-trade agreement, for many reasons, for reasons of stability, for the sake of supervision because there are some very specific rules for financial services.

So financial services cannot be in a free-trade agreement, but we have an alternative system which is called the equivalence regime.

The Prime Minister wants trade to be as frictionless as possible and has said the UK does now want any tariffs or quotas to be introduced.

Mr Le Maire said: Our objective for that new framework should be as little friction as possible between the UK and the EU and the lowest-possible tariffs for the UK, because we have to keep in mind that the UK is a very important trade partner for France and the EU.

Just concluded a constructive meeting with Michel Barnier. There are sensible solutions to the border question. Greater flexibility needs to be shown by Brussels. Unacceptable for NI to be treated separately from rest of UK as set out in the draft EU legal text. pic.twitter.com/LAjg8tRX4T  Arlene Foster #WeWillMeetAgain (@ArleneFosterUK) March 6, 2018

In Brussels, the DUP underlined its opposition to the EUs fallback position on the Irish border, which would effectively keep Northern Ireland in the single market if no other solution could be found, in talks with the EUs Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.

DUP leader Arlene Foster said: There are sensible solutions to the border question. Greater flexibility needs to be shown by Brussels.

Met @DUPleader this morning, after my meeting with @sinnfeinireland yesterday. The EU is looking for practical solutions to avoiding a hard border, in full respect of the constitutional status of NI, as set out in the GFA. pic.twitter.com/6elstF3ImH  Michel Barnier (@MichelBarnier) March 6, 2018

Mr Barnier, who also held talks with Sinn Fein on Monday, said the EU was looking for practical solutions to the border issue and upholding the Good Friday Agreement.First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said it would be appropriate for the Scottish Governments former childcare minister to stand down as an MSP after a series of sleaze allegations were made against him.

Mark McDonald has resigned from the SNP with immediate effect but confirmed he is to stay on as an MSP for the Aberdeen Donside constituency.

Mr McDonald accepted his behaviour had caused hurt and offence to two women and offered them a public and unreserved apology.

Former minister for childcare and early years Mark McDonald (Danny Lawson/PA)

The politician, who has been absent from the Scottish Parliament since the allegations against him were first made in November 2017, now plans to return to Holyrood next week and will sit as an independent MSP.

Ms Sturgeon said the SNP cannot force him to resign as an MSP and it is a matter for him, but it would be appropriate for him to stand down if he feels he cannot continue as an SNP MSP.

She told BBC Scotland: My view is clear. He was elected as an SNP MSP. If his behaviour is such that he himself considers he cannot continue as an SNP MSP, then it would be appropriate to give his constituents the opportunity to elect a new MSP.

SNP bosses launched an investigation into reports of inappropriate behaviour by the married father-of-two, with allegations made by three women.

The findings were shown to Mr McDonald on Monday.

The report has not been made public  with the SNP facing calls from the Conservatives to do so, so that the public can judge whether he is fit to remain as an MSP.

It is understood investigators concluded the MSPs inapproriate behaviour had been deliberate in nature and he should have known not to act in this manner.

His behaviour is said to include sending inappropriate and unwanted text and social media messages, causing distress to women through his unwanted attention and exploiting his position of power, with the investigation finding there had been persistent behaviour over an extended period of time.

Mr McDonald said: I have accepted that my behaviour towards two individuals fell below the level of professionalism that they were entitled to expect of me, whether in a professional or a social context.

While at no stage was my behaviour in any way physically abusive, and while it was certainly not my intention to cause any upset, discomfort or offence to those concerned, it is clear through the concerns highlighted in the report that I have done so.

That is something which I deeply regret. I would like to take the opportunity here and now to offer a public and unreserved apology to those individuals for the hurt and offence that I have caused them.

Mr McDonald stood down from his post as childcare and early years minister with the Scottish Government on November 4 2017 after allegations were first made.

He was suspended by the SNP 12 days later after fresh claims were made against him.

Listened to Mark McDonald making his statement. He was allowed to resign from Ministerial office with a lump sum and kept it. That shamed @ScotParl. I hope the women he mistreated are getting ongoing support.  Monica Lennon MSP (@MonicaLennon7) March 6, 2018

The MSP said he was first informed of the allegations he was facing on January 14 2018, adding it was four days later when he was interviewed that the precise detail behind those allegations was placed before me for the very first time.

He went on to state that on February 9 he had been told the report would be ready in days rather than weeks  but added it was March 5 before he was allowed to see its findings.

An SNP spokesman said: The findings of the independent investigation were shared with Mark McDonald on Monday and the SNP group was due to consider disciplinary action, based on those findings.

Investigators concluded that Mr McDonald had been deliberate in his actions and should have been aware that it was not appropriate for an individual in his position to be behaving in such a manner.

Tory MSP Alexander Burnett said the SNP must come clean and publish the report into Mr McDonalds behaviour.

Labour parliamentary business manager Rhoda Grant said: It looks like Mark McDonald has put the reputation of the SNP before what is best for his constituents.A group of men and women sit under a thatched hut, just outside a temporary camp hidden in plain sight, in the town of Dippitiya, Aranayaka. The dilapidated hut is home to 14 families when the sweltering heat inside their tents is unbearable. The women sit accompanying their children with cloth covering their heads, as the shelter does little to give them cover against the scorching sun. The young ones attend to their homework, on makeshift tables, while their mothers look on.

Some tents stress the need for better sanitation and underlying health issues, especially when the campsite is home to 15 children

These families had received a weekly relief allowance of Rs. 700 for only three weeks along with dry rations

A similar camp site in Deiyannawala, houses 22 displaced families

In the raw days after the 2016 landslide in Aranayaka, politicians queued to deliver promises of restoring normalcy to lives affected by the disaster. Accordingly, a larger number of the victims were relocated at temporary housing, while others have received compensation or moved into housing provided by the Government. Still others who can afford housing, have sought to occupy rented houses. This unfortunate group of fifteen families who was unable to do so, has been in these tents for almost two years now.

It really doesnt matter if it rains or not, says one victim. When the skies are clear, the heat is unbearable. Although we are used to living in camps for almost two years, the humid tents are merciless when the temperature rises. We get no rest during the day or at night, the victim goes on. A glimpse into life inside a tent is enough to attest to this statement. These families sleep on soiled mattresses laid out on the ground, some lined with plastic sheets, and covered with mended mosquito nets. The children, aged as young as four and five, eager to show us their living quarters, crawl into the tents to show us where they play, right next to a single burner stove and a small cylinder of gas, where they keep several pots and pans.

Come the monsoons, their lives take a turn for the worse, we learn. When it rains, we have to pull out and dry everything inside the tents, from mattresses to clothes, with the little amount of sunlight we get. With every rainfall, this ground is easily flooded. We cant even cook our meals during the rain. All of us huddle under the hut where it is safer, says another victim. Their tents are in a state of decay and worsens with every shower of rain. Even when the rains subside, not only does it leave dampened spirits, but also an intolerable stench, which does not wane for weeks.

A distinct mud like odour fills the air of the campsite. Even though several NGOs have erected boards indicating safe sanitation practices, residents say managing sanitary waste has been a nightmare. We have to clean the septic pits ourselves every time the toilets overflow. We have made several requests to the authorities to assist us, but ultimately we rely on ourselves to clean the area, one man says. Some tents where rodents have gnawed into, creating gaping holes, stress the need for better sanitation and underlying health issues, especially when the campsite is home to 15 children.

Immediately after the disaster, these families had received a weekly relief allowance of Rs. 700 for only three weeks along with dry rations. The families of the Dippitiya camp are residents of Galbokka, Narangala and Pallebokke, areas surrounding the Samasara hill, identified as high-risk zones following the deadly landslide. Since the evacuation, these families have had no income. This displaced agricultural community was once heavily dependent on the income of crops such as tea, coffee, pepper and areca nut. Now that they have left their abode atop the hill, these families have been rendered helpless.

From time to time, we visit our lands on top of the hill, where we have some crops left. But we cant afford to do it everyday. The distance and the cost are too much, some of the residents say. A considerable number of victims who cannot bear the costs or the life in these camps have returned to their homes on top of the Samasara hill, which was declared a high-risk evacuation zone.

Housing delayed

The camp in Dippitiya is not the only site in Aranayaka which houses the displaced. A similar camp site in Deiyannawala, houses 22 displaced families. Yet, unlike these families, they have been provided with water and electricity. Interestingly this camp site is not their first settlement. Until December, the displaced had taken refuge in Ussapitiya grounds in Aranayaka. They had been asked to evacuate the ground, so that the district administration could host a musical show there on December 29. In December they had also been promised new houses built with the aid granted by the Government of China. Residents claim that their house numbers have been allocated as well. Authorities have already allocated houses within the newly constructed housing complex in Ruwandeniya, Ussapitiya. But they have not informed us of a date to move in, claims one resident of the Dippitiya camp.

The China - Sri Lanka Friendship Village in Ruwandeniya constructed with Rs. 22.5 billion worth financial assistance from the Government of China was expected to shelter 60 families by the end of 2017. However, victims say that even though the construction of the housing complex has been completed, several factors including the Local Government Elections have delayed the granting of these houses.

The Daily Mirror spoke to Divisional Secretary of Aranayaka Z.A.M. Faizal to find the reasons for this delay. Faizal says the Divisional Secretariat is unable to provide exact details as the Chinese Ambassador is yet to provide a date to vest the Ruwandeniya village to the public. We are processing the documents of ownership for victims of the disaster. But due to the delay on part of the embassy we have been unable to give a specific date. A new ambassador was appointed which was one reason for the delay. We expect to finalise a date within the next week and open the village to the public with the presence of the Minister and Chinese diplomats, says Faizal.

The China - Sri Lanka Friendship Village in Ruwandeniya constructed with Rs. 22.5 billion worth financial assistance from the Government of China was expected to shelter 60 families by the end of 2017. However, victims say that even though the construction of the housing complex has been completed, several factors including the Local Government Elections have delayed the granting of these houses.

According to Faizal, the China - Sri Lanka Friendship Village was initially expected to be a compound of 100 houses. Only 60 of these houses have been constructed so far under the first phase and the remainder will be constructed under the second phase of the project. We have provided housing to all those who lost their homes in the disaster. The people living in the two camps in Aranayaka are only those who were evacuated from the high-risk zones. All 586 displaced victims of the disaster will be provided with housing by the Government when these 60 houses are vested in public, adds Faizal.

In dire straits

While some of the landslide victims remain in camps, members of another group are struggling to restore their lives to normalcy. Under the National Insurance scheme for Natural Disasters every small and medium scale industry damaged due to natural disasters is entitled to an insurance coverage of up to a maximum of Rs. 2.5 million, paid based on damage assessment. The first installment of Rs. 40,000 was given to beneficiaries who expressed willingness to construct houses in Government or private lands using their labour to prepare the land. The next five installments were to be released for beneficiaries when they complete the foundation and the roof, construct the walls up to the linton level, finish doors, windows, plastering and painting.

Premasiri, an ageing cultivator who has been relocated to Dippitiya, is now a beneficiary of this scheme. It was not all plain sailing for this cultivator however. His original residence is in Siripura, Elangipitiya on top of the Samasara hill. Before the landslide, Premasiri was a self-sufficient man with acres of cultivated tea and other commercial crops. Under the compensation scheme, to be eligible for compensation of one million and six hundred thousand rupees, he had to completely demolish his residence in the estate on Samasara hill. The Government has allowed us to reap the profits of our cultivations. Therefore every other day we visit the estate on top of the hill, he says. This journey takes one bus ride and a 4 km trek up the hill from his current residence in Dippitiya. We are not allowed to do anything in our estates, except to reap the produce. But as we dont live their anymore, villagers take to our produce before we do. We are left with no income and we now have nothing to sell. Our only income is from a small portion of tea leaves we are able to gather every now and then, he lamented.

Even though Premasiris story is a more fortunate one, it was clear that he has been swindled off the little money he had, when we visited his new abode. The house has been constructed in the corner of a paddy field, converted into a landfill, a cost bearing exercise. Premasiris faith in a Government contractor to construct his new house has been futile as they now live in a poorly constructed house with makeshift doors. We received no compensation for over a year now. I am yet to receive the final installment of my housing compensation. The trek uphill is difficult as I am old now. It is difficult to make ends meet, he grumbles.

U.G Senevirathne, another cultivator of Bakulwala, says he has only received 800,000 rupees of the housing compensation. The authorities have asked us to completely demolish our houses. But we visit the estates often to collect the produce. As we have destroyed our houses, we have no place to even cook from or take shelter when it rains. Workers no longer seek employment in these estates ever since the disaster. We must pluck the tea ourselves. To travel from our new home to the estate the bus fare alone comes up to Rs. 200. The Government must look into our needs, stresses Senevirathne.

Some residents speaking to fear to disclose their identities as they believe it would impede the payment of compensation or the provision of housing. They have received the blunt end of the stick even when their pleas are heard, victims say.Brigadier Priyanka Fernando who was serving as a Defence consultant at the Sri Lankan High Commission in Britain is scheduled to leave for China on a five month course soon, the Army said.

He is going to China to follow a course to better his professional prospects, according to Army spokesman Brigadier Sumith Atapattu who added that Brigadier Fernando had been recommended for this course when he was serving in Britain.

The Army said the Brigadier had expressed willingness to go to China for this course when he met the Army Commander recently.

Brigadier Fernando was recalled by the Army claiming it was for a consultation after he was spotted making a throat slitting gesture towards protesters who thronged the Embassy office in the UK recently. (Indika Ramanayaka)House Leader Lakshman Kiriella today said that a resolution should be brought in parliament and Buddhists should apologise to the Muslims in connection with the violence in Digana and Teldeniya.

He told parliament that the state intelligence services had collapsed resulting in the violence in Digana and Teldeniya.

"This situation was created by some outsiders. Police were aware about the people who came there from other areas. Even we got to know about them. But the police higher-ups were kept in the dark about the impending violence," the minister said.

He said Buddhist and Muslim Religious leaders in the area had agreed to settle the matter amicably while businessmen of both communities had agreed to pay compensation to the victimised families but some people who had arrived from other areas had provoked the people and this led to a communal clash.

He said compensation would be paid to those affected and for damaged property. (Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)US, (Daily Mail), 5March 2018 -

A high-ranking Democrat Senator Chris Murphy, of Connecticut, spoke out on Sunday about the mounting allegations about Kushners family financial dealings in the Middle East, and implications that he used US foreign policy as a tool of personal retaliation.



The allegations date back to April of 2017, when Kushners father Charles met with Qatari Finance Minister Ali Sharif Al Emadi, according to the Intercept. At the meeting Charles sought a cash infusion from Qatars sovereign wealth fund for the Kushner familys 666 Fifth Avenue property in Manhattan but was rebuffed.



The Fifth Avenue property is reportedly facing a $1.4billion in debt due in 2019.



In May 2017, Kushner accompanied Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia in his first foreign trip as president.



On the trip, the White House strongly backed Saudi Arabia in a blockade against regional rival Qatar,and sealing a $350billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia. For many of us that follow the Middle East closely, we could not understand why the Trump administration was so firmly taking the Saudis side in this dispute between the Saudis, the Emiratis and the Qataris, because the United States has very important interests in Qatar, Murphy said on Sunday.



The US maintains a key airbase in Qatar with over 11,000 personnel. If the reason that this administration put US troops at risk in Qatar was to protect the Kushners financial interests, then thats all the evidence you need to make some big changes in the White House, Murphy said.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has asked witnesses about Kushners attempts to secure financing for his familys real estate ventures, focusing specifically on his talks with people from Qatar and Turkey, as well as Russia, China and the United Arab Emirates, according to NBC News.Freedom has cost too much blood and agony to be relinquished at the cheap price of rhetoric. ~Thomas Sowell

Sri Lanka is surrounded by the Indian Ocean. Yet, the physical presence of India up north has had an intimidating influence on most of Sri Lankans. While its admirers, especially those Indophiles, who have made it a point to be more conversed in Indias history, culture, cuisine and her people than their own history and people, have chosen to subordinate their love for the country to an intellectual odyssey.

These intellectuals have voyaged on that odyssey and the majority whose misplaced patriotism has overwhelmed their common sense and compassion for their equals in the north of their own land opted to be more aggressive in safeguarding their rights and privileges even more violently at times.

That parochial thinking has caused irreversible polarisation in the country and that polarisation is being exploited by the last regime of the Rajapaksas and continues to be so to date.

That is the context within which I propose to present the following.

Chinese involvement in our countrys economy and its unmistakable influence on the continuation of massive development programmes financed and undertaken by its own companies are featured most prominently within this context.

According to official reports: On Saturday, December 9, 2017, the Government of Sri Lanka completed the formal handover of the strategic port of Hambantota to China, which will take control of the facility on a 99-year lease.

There are no uncertainties whatsoever about Chinas profound involvement in the development and being a stakeholder of the totality of the project.

However, our immediate neighbour India could advance many a speculative theory. A takeover of Sri Lanka as a Chinese satellite country, exploitation of Sri Lankas resources for the benefit of an expanding Chinese financial empire are some of these theories India seems to be subtly floating around the nations that are geopolitically engaged with Sri Lankas politics and economy.

Yet, Indias credibility has been damaged. At least inside Sri Lanka, especially in the context of the 30-year war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE), Chennais sympathy with the LTTE and their flirtations with the militant Tamil groups who did not believe in a Unitary State of Sri Lanka, so far as to drive our Sinhalese Buddhists to the brink.

China, while watching this gaping gulf between the two communities in Sri Lanka developing into a geopolitical canyon between the two countries, India and Sri Lanka, played her geopolitical cards with utmost craft and they trumped all her rivals, mainly India.

The allegiance of Tamil militants to Tamil Nadu, first with M. G. Ramachandran and then with Jayalalithaa of Chennai challenged the spine of Sinhalese Buddhist majority in Sri Lanka. A military conflict between the respective armies became a war between two peoples- Sinhalese against Tamils.

This simple political dynamic was not understood by the Federal Government of India at the power centre in Delhi.

China, while watching this gaping gulf between the two communities in Sri Lanka developing into a geopolitical canyon between the two countries, India and Sri Lanka, played her geopolitical cards with utmost craft and they trumped all her rivals, mainly India.

Chinas proactive approach to assist Sri Lankas flailing economy during the Rajapaksas regime paid dividends.

With scarce attention to local politics, she chose to cultivate the financial hub of the country, befriending the bigwigs who matter, not necessarily in politics but in economics, Chinas inroads into Sri Lankas economy literally went through the highways in the country.

With the financing of the Colombo Port City project, its superlative presence and being the main instrument in reshaping the Colombo skyline that has mesmerised many an observer, Chinas profound engagement in Sri Lankas economy has taken root.

Into this friendly geopolitical scenario entered the renewing of the Hambantota Port City development project.

This project was initiated by the Rajapaksas with no pre-feasibility studies conducted by any credible engineering sources, was languishing in the backyards of Hambantota. Sri Lankas new Prime Minister, after a serious misstep during the Presidential Election campaign in 2015, wasted no time in rejuvenating this dying giant of a project.

Mahinda Rajapaksas statement in China negates the much assumed purity of purpose. Sri Lankans may well be convinced that Chinese are here for good reason; good for China and better for Sri Lanka.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, while campaigning as the leader of the Opposition against the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa, stated publicly on the election platform that he would close the Colombo Port City Project in the event of victory. He knew that he made a serious gaffe.

Terribly upset by this statement, the senior staff of the Chinese construction company directed an immediate and abrupt halt to the ongoing work on the Colombo Port City site. It took more than twelve months for the work of the Colombo Port City to recommence.

Subsequent to this turnaround of events, after new Parliament was elected and a new Government led by the United National Party (UNP) was in place, new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe could not abide by his election-statement.

All realities on the financial and economic platform suggested that the work of the Colombo Port City had to go on. On the geopolitical sphere, it was even more attractive and urgent for Sri Lanka that a geopolitical reality of a friendly China is infinitely more advantageous for Sri Lanka than as an unfriendly Superpower.

The same mindset prevailed for the countrys economic growths sake and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe attended a special event in December last year, 2017 to mark the handing over, formally described as a Concession Agreement, in the Port City of Hambantota.

Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) and Hambantota International Port Services (HIPS), two new companies set up by the China Merchants Port Holdings Company and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, will collectively own the Hambantota Port.

That ceremony marked the beginning of operations in Hambantota Port. Earlier in July 2017, China Merchants Port Holdings Company agreed to pay $1.12 billion for an 85 percent share in Hambantota port on a 99-year lease.

In the backdrop of the countrys dire financial needs, Chinas open and aggressive engagement comes as a welcome relief for the recipient country, Sri Lanka. But what is intriguing is what the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa did just in the wake of signing the agreements between China and Sri Lanka.

It was reported that during a visit to China, Sri Lankas former President Mahinda Rajapaksa warned that there could be mass public unrest in Sri Lanka if China were to carry out its plan to take over the Hambantota deep-sea port and create a nearby 15,000-acre special economic zone.

While the former President had not been hesitant to publicly hurl political vituperation against his countrys current administration, he seemed to have been dead accurate.

Earlier, the same day he made this statement, as the ceremonial first brick of what was christened as the Southern Industrial Zone was laid in Hambantota; the place erupted in violent protests.

The violence left more than ten people hospitalised and many incarcerated. Security personnel and Buddhist monks clashed in Hambantota on January 7, 2017. Sri Lankan nationalists, monks and local residents protested against the creation of an Industrial Zone for Chinese investments.

Mahinda Rajapaksas statement in China negates the much assumed purity of purpose. Sri Lankans may well be convinced that Chinese are here for good reason; good for China and better for Sri Lanka.

In the current environment of a cash-crunch, Sri Lankas positioning in the marketplace has got weaker. Its negotiating ability has been weakened and if there is one person who has understood the brutal reality of this positioning is the Prime Minister.

With all his political shortcomings, which have been his Achilles Heel, his reading on the economy has been proven right over and over again. A solid foundation laid down by his partys ideological tilt and a practice of voracious reading has helped him in that.

Since the opening of the economy in 1977, Sri Lankas economy has been journeying only towards one end-goal: the capitalist economy.

By the dawn of the seventh decade of the Twentieth Century, the Mecca of Socialist Economy, the Soviet Union was trembling with its own inner economic problems. With over-spending on their military, in order to stand equal with the American military might, the Soviet Unions continuing policy of starving the population at the altar of military might not withstand any more threats from the crumbling of its satellite nations.

Poland began her trek to freedom from the Soviet Czar of Socialist economic strangulation. With the fall of Poland, the rest of the Eastern European socialist bloc began its collapse like a pack cards. What was introduced as the salvation of the proletariat in the early 20th Century would not last one hundred years.

On Saturday, December 9, 2017, the Government of Sri Lanka completed the formal handover of the strategic port of Hambantota to China, which will take control of the facility on a 99-year lease

The other Communist power China began her own adoption of free-market economic policies with Deng Xiaoping. According to Ezra Vogel, a scholar of contemporary East Asian history and culture, no one in the twentieth century had a greater long-term impact on world history than Deng Xiaoping. Once described by Mao Zedong as a needle inside a ball of cotton, Deng was the pragmatic yet disciplined driving force behind Chinas radical transformation in the late twentieth century. He confronted the damage wrought by the Cultural Revolution, dissolved Maos cult of personality, and loosened the economic and social policies that had stunted Chinas growth.

That is the China we are dealing with today.

The writer can be contacted at vishwamithra1984@gmail.com.Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya, in an interview with Daily Mirror, speaks about the current electoral system and its consequences in the aftermath of the elections to the local authorities. Excerpts of the interview:

EC insisted that cut-off point should be reduced to 3.5, not abolished

Otherwise, it will amount to deliberate postponement of elections

Cut-off point and bonus ensured stable administration in past

Steps should be taken to conduct PC Polls after May 31 at least

Both abolished under new system

Yet, EC cannot criticize Acts

New LG election system has both merits and demerits

Q What is your view on the new election system?

It is a system having both merits and demerits. But, it is not appropriate for the Election Commission to criticize an electoral system signed into law by Parliament. We are only entrusted with the task to conduct elections in conformity with whatever law applicable.

The essence of proportional representation is that it attaches value to each vote cast. We have been able to achieve this objective this time. Alongside, the new system ensured that each electoral ward returned a member representing the people.

This is what people expect- to elect someone directly answerable to them. That objective has also been achieved. The new system is an amalgamation of two different electoral methods. When the two contrasting systems are merged into one, there may be down-slides. One may argue that the new system is flawed and therefore we should revert back to the First Past the Post system in total. Or else, it may be argued that we should reintroduce the proportional representation rather

than having a mix of both. Yet, I believe we should look at it with a free and open mind.

At the January 8 election, people voted for President Maithripala Sirisena and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the two main contenders. They advocated a mixed system in their manifestos. In the Act introduced in 2012, there was a mix of the ward system and proportional representation. It is a method used in one state in Germany. Now, we have a Mixed Member Proportional Representation System. In such a system, we get what we call overhang.

The new system is an amalgamation of two different electoral methods. When the two contrasting systems are merged into one, there may be down-slides. One may argue that the new system is flawed and therefore we should revert back to the First Past the Post system in total

Q There is a huge question mark over the criteria adopted to ensure woman representation. What is your view?

We cannot force 14 local authorities to have the mandatory 25% woman representation because of the present law. If you look at the Kotagala Pradeshiiya Sabha in the Nuwara-Eliya district, there should be four woman representatives. The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), as the largest party, had won seven seats, six from the electoral wards and one from the list under proportional representation. It means the CWC can nominate only one. The CWC is supposed to reserve two slots for woman representatives. But, it can nominate only from the list as per the Act. The UNP can nominate two women. Still there are only three  one from the CWC and two from the UNP. Yet, the local body should have four women.

In Manmunai Pattru Pradeshiya Sabha, no woman representative could be nominated at all. As for Point Pedro in Jaffna, there should be five woman representatives.

Q There is an issue that it is difficult for a party to get an absolute majority to form administration in most cases. What is your view?

In this system, there is no bonus seat offered to the party polling the highest number of seats. Also, there is no cut-off point. In many countries where the mixed system is in practice, they have not been considerate about absolute majority.

They have been mindful of forming coalition administrations rather than giving one party sole authority. They are not worried about absolute majority for stable administration. Earlier, we had both the bonus system and the cut off point for the election of members in our election law. Then, the party polling the highest number of votes could have nominated bonus seats. It enabled them to appoint the chairman and the mayors to their local bodies as a result.

However, I, as the Chairman of the Election Commission, cannot compare and contrast the merits and demerits of either system. The Commission can never decline to conduct elections citing flaws in the laws brought about by Parliament. People of this country wanted to express themselves at an election. The Commission only facilitated it.

We cannot force 14 local authorities to have the mandatory 25% woman representation because of the present law. If you look at the Kotagala Pradeshiiya Sabha in the Nuwara-Eliya district, there should be four woman representatives

Q You participated in discussions on the introduction of this new electoral system. Did you raise such possible problems arising out of it?

The Election Commission insisted that at least there should be a cut-off point of 3.5%.

Q What about the bonus seats?

We wanted to retain either the bonus seat or the cut-off point. We did not harbour any opinion about stable administration. At that time, we made representations to such discussions as the Election Department. Under the old system, there was a cut-off point of five percent. We only said it should be reduced to 3.5%. We never said it should be abrogated in total.

In the world, there are mixed systems which do not have both bonus seats and cut-off points. Such countries have been considerate about forming coalition administrations. In Germany, they have introduced such system because of their bitter experience in giving sole authority to a single party in history. That is what I have heard.

There is a provision that the parties polling less than 20% and getting less than three members elected are compulsorily required to nominate woman representatives. All the parties agreed to this provision at that time

Q How do you try to resolve the issues at hand after the election was over?

We have an issue regarding woman representation. If somebody is opposed to woman representation, it will lead to a major crisis. We have nothing to do with it. Under the new law, there are instances where a single party is supposed to fill the total number of slots for woman representatives in a particular council. The Election Commission has nothing to do with it.

We have received requests from some parties to change the system as otherwise it will affect their political activities.

We cannot do anything in this regard. Only Parliament can amend laws. Yet, we pointed out flaws.

There is a provision that the parties polling less than 20% and getting less than three members elected are compulsorily required to nominate woman representatives.

All the parties agreed to this provision at that time.

I, as the Chairman of the Election Commission, cannot compare and contrast the merits and demerits of either system. The Commission can never decline to conduct elections citing flaws in the laws brought about by Parliament. People of this country wanted to express themselves at an election. The Commission only facilitated it

Q There are complaints that there were discrepancies in the calculation of the number of members elected this time. Some parties say they have been denied their due number of slots as a result. What is your response?

There was a request made to the Election Commission by a political party. We considered the method adopted in the calculation of the number of members. We had a special meeting. We took unanimous decision that our methodology was correct. We stand by it. We are supposed to determine it, and we do it.

Q There are now talks about the need to revert back to the old system of Proportional Representation in conducting the elections to the Provincial Councils. How do you see this?

We have nothing to do. We were getting ready to call for nominations for the provincial council elections on October 2, 2017. Then, the Act was amended changing the electoral system. We could not conduct the elections as a result. At that moment, it was said the elections could be conducted by March, this year. A delimitation committee was appointed. It was assigned to give the report in four months. The committee worked out the report. They did not hand over it before February 1- because it was an election time. They handed over it on February 19. Within 14 days from that day, the subject minister should present it to Parliament to be approved by two-thirds. Unless it is approved, the Prime Minister should appoint a committee. That committee should give a report within two months. It will be the delimitation report to be considered for the elections.

We believe the entire process will be over by May 31, this year. If the elections cannot be conducted to the three Provincial Councils standing dissolved after May 31, it would amount to the deliberate postponement of elections. We believe the political parties with parliamentary representation and the government will leave no room

for such assumption.

It is against the principles of democratic norms to postpone elections.

We believe the entire process will be over by May 31, this year. If the elections cannot be conducted to the three Provincial Councils standing dissolved after May 31, it would amount to the deliberate postponement of elections. We believe the political parties with parliamentary representation and the government will leave no room for such assumption

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, democracy is one of the universal core values and principles of the United Nations. Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the principle of holding periodic and genuine elections by universal suffrage are essential elements of democracy.

According to it, the will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will and shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.Germany, (Daily Mail), 4 March 2018 - A German equality official has proposed changing the countrys national anthem to make it more gender sensitive.



Equality commissioner Kristin Rose-Mohring has suggested removing a reference to the Fatherland from the lyrics of the German anthem while also dropping the word brotherly.



Under her proposals the word Vaterland, which appears in the first and last lines of the current anthem, would be replaced by Heimatland, meaning homeland.



She suggested making the change on March 8, International Womens Day, according to the Bild am Sonntag. Rose-Mohring also proposed replacing another male-specific word, brotherly, with courageously.



Why dont we make our national anthem gender sensitive, she said. It wouldnt hurt, would it?

Austria and Canada have both removed gender-specific terms from their anthems in recent years, with Canada recently changing the words in all thy sons command to in all of us command.Hours after TMZ reported that a lawsuit from former ESPN employee Adrienne Lawrence accused Chris Berman of sending Jemele Hill a racially disparaging voicemail, Hill has come to Bermans defense.

In a note tweeted around 7 p.m. Monday, Hill denied that Berman ever left her an inappropriate voicemail and called Lawrences characterization of her conversation with Berman dangerously inaccurate. Hill then took a thinly veiled shot at Lawrence, writing that she was disappointed that someone I considered to be a friend at one point would misrepresent and relay a private conversation without my knowledge  for personal gain.

In a preemptive strike against claims that she is simply carrying water for her company, Hill then followed up with a tweet saying that she writes her own statements, without pressure from ESPN or anyone else.

And, as always, I write my own statements and no one has ever forced me to put out anything.  Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) March 6, 2018

The claim about Bermans alleged voicemail to Hill comes from a lawsuit against ESPN that Lawrence reportedly filed recently. This suit appears to be separate from the complaint she filed last summer with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, which the Boston Globe reported on in December as part of an expose on sexual harassment at ESPN.

In a statement released Monday, ESPN called Lawrences allegations entirely without merit.

We conducted a thorough investigation of the claims Adrienne Lawrence surfaced to ESPN and they are entirely without merit. Ms. Lawrence was hired into a two-year talent development program and was told that her contract would not be renewed at the conclusion of the training program. At that same time, ESPN also told 100 other talent with substantially more experience, that their contracts would not be renewed. The company will vigorously defend its position and we are confident we will prevail in court.

This probably wont be the last we hear of Lawrence, who worked at ESPN from 2015-17 as part of a fellowship program but was denied a full-time job. In December, she alleged that SportsCenter anchor John Buccigross had crudely hit on her over text, including by sending unwanted shirtless photos, then spread rumors that the two were dating.

Those allegations led to ESPN publishing a portion of Buccigross and Lawrences text message history and the Globe responding with a fuller version of the same conversation. At the time, ESPN claimed that Lawrences accusations were baseless and declined to discipline Buccigross.

Berman has not publicly responded to Lawrences accusation.President Maithripala Sirisena and the Cabinet had decided to declare a State of Emergency for 10 days following the violence prevailed in some parts of the country, Minister S.B. Dissanayake said.

Speaking to journalists outside the Presidents Secretariat, where the Cabinet Meeting was held, Minister Dissanayake said a Gazette Notice in this regard would be issued right away.

There are allegations that the law was not implemented to minimize the impact of these tense situations. Now, the Police and Army personnel had been deployed to respective areas to beef up security, he said.

He said the President could decide at the end of the 10 days, whether to extend the State of Emergency.

Video by Sanjeewa, SusanthaInaction of Law and Order institutions had aggravated the recent clashes into chaos, Megapolis and Western Development Minister Champika Ranawaka said today.

He said the chaos could have been prevented if the police or other relevant authorities had acted soon after the incidents were reported.

The Minister said law could have been enforced when the matter was being highlighted in the social media. However sufficient action were not taken to settle it, he said.

He said that an international mechanism was in place to defame war heroes and the Sinhalese to portray them as barbarians.

Further, he said that if anyone thinks that these incidents help to protect the Sinhalese ethnicity, it was a deception and it only can survive via unity.

Minister Ranawaka said anti-Muslim feeling were spreading in the world and no wonder the Sinhalese are also afraid of the increase of the Muslim population.

He said that an extremist Muslim group was creating an open threat not only to Sinhalese but also to Hindu, Christians and other religions all over the world.

Therefore, it is not strange that such a feeling occurred on the general Muslim community among the Sinhalese, he said.

He also said that during the LG election such extremist statements were seen circulating criticizing the Muslim women candidates, however the law was not enforced on such incidents.

He said the moderate Muslims secretly and privately condemn such statements but do not condemn publicly, therefore had encouraged extremism.

He added that law should be immediately enforced whenever extremism occurred in any ethnic group and it was the responsibility of all ethnic groups to commit towards defeating extremism. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)British High Commissioner (BHC) in Sri Lanka James Dauris today said recent inter-communal violence needs to be a serious concern for everyone in Sri Lanka.

I am sure that people in every community will be looking to religious, community and political leaders to stand up against the spreading of mistrust and hate, he tweeted.

Meanwhile, issuing a statement, the US Embassy said rule of law, human rights and equality are essential for peaceful coexistence.

It is important that the Sri Lankan Government act quickly against perpetrators of sectarian violence, protect religious minorities and their places of worship and conclude the State of Emergency swiftly while protecting human rights and basic freedoms for all, it said.Joint opposition chief organizer and SLFP MO Dulles Alahapperuma said yesterday they would canvass for signatures from government and opposition MPs after the JO group meeting in Parliament at 10.00 a.m. today

We will do our best to hand over the no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister this week. We may have to surmount various kinds of obstacles or various twists and turns in case it is passed in Parliament but we will go ahead no matter what until that happens,Mr. Alahapperuma said.

Meanwhile, State Minister Vasantha Senanayake said the discussions to remove Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe from the UNP leadership was ongoing and in case continues to remain as party leader, a large number of backbenchers would support the no-confidence motion, which is to be moved in Parliament by the JO against Mr. Wickremesinghe.

I expect Mr. Wickremesinghe is matured enough to take stock of the situation and his predicament and take a prudent decision, he told Daily Mirror.

The state minister said their intention was not to move a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister but to replace him with and more suitable UNPer as the party leader.

However, he expressed confidence that the ongoing discussions within the UNP would be successful and Mr. Wickremesinghe would resign from the leadership willingly and on his own, he said.

Chief Opposition Whip and JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said as far as he was aware the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was being moved based on the Central Bank bond scam and the failure to take legal action against those who were allegedly involved in various financial crimes, killings and other serious offences.

"It is quite clear that the Premier has neglected his responsibilities and pledges given to the people. Therefore, the JVP will take an appropriate decision on the no-confidence motion and it will be for the betterment of the country," he said.

UPFA General Secretary and Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said the Central Committee of the SLFP would take a decision on the no-confidence motion if and when it was moved in Parliament.

We are not interested in the leadership dispute of the UNP as it is an internal matter. We also dont take decisions on comments made by various people about the premiership. The SLFP decision will be based on the merits of the move and how the removal of the Prime Minister will affect the country, the minister said.

He said the government was currently focused on apprehend and brought before the law all those who have been involved in various financial crimes under the previous regime and Yahapalana Government.

He added that one of the prime suspects of the Central Bank bond scam, former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran would be traced to where ever he was hiding and brought back to Sri Lanka to face the charges against him.

He cannot find a place to hide on the earth. Before long, our judiciary would move the Interpol to trace him and send him to Sri Lanka, Minister Amaraweera said. (Sandun A Jayasekera)The violence in Kandy was unleashed by a group people who had come from outside and not by the people in the area, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament today.

"Buddhist and the Islamic clergy in Digana and Theldeniya were engaged in a dialogue to resolve the issue peacefully but a group of extremists who had come from outside were the culprits who were engaged in violence," he said speaking during an adjournment debate in the House on Monday's incidents in Kandy.

The Prime Minister said there had been some shortcomings in the maintenance of law and order during the incidents in Theldeniya and underscored the fact that action would be taken against the law enforcement officers who had failed to carry out their duty.

He told the House that arrangements would be made to provide compensation to those who were affected by the violence and that Cabinet had decided to impose a state of emergency and other laws for a period of seven days if needed.

The Prime Minister said he was making this statement to inform Parliament about the incidents that happened in Ampara and Digana during the past few days.

"A conflict had arisen after an argument over some foreign matter that had been found in the food bought by some persons who had come to have food at Cassim Hotel on D.S. Senanayake Street on February 26 night. Thereafter a riotous mob had damaged four Muslim shops and a Mosque. The moment this matter came to be known, police had taken necessary steps. But it had been reported to me that there had been certain lapses when enforcing the law. Therefore a separate inquiry is being carried out on this incident by the Batticaloa DIG on the instructions of the IGP.

Also, on February 22 a lorry driver who had come to the Karaliedda filling station in the Teldeniya police area around 2.00 a.m. had been assaulted by four Muslim youths who had come in a three wheeler. The assault victim had been admitted to the Kandy General Hospital and he died on March 3. The four suspects involved in this incident have been arrested and remanded.

"Secondly, an extremist group creating a riot on March 4 night had set fire to two shops, a Muslim shop and the adjoining shop in the Teldeniya police area. The police had taken immediate steps to bring the situation under control. The area had been secured through police mobile patrols, STF personnel and with additional police forces. Twenty four suspects involved in the incident were arrested immediately and remanded till March 19.

"In this situation, again an extremist group had created a riot on Monday and four shops and two mosques had been damaged. To prevent the situation from spreading a police curfew was declared in the Kandy administrative district till Tuesday morning while the police curfew is still continuing in Pallekele and Teldeniya police areas.

"Also a body of a 24-year-old person had been discovered inside a burnt shop in the Digana, Kengalle area. Investigations are being carried out in this regard and a team from the CID had also been sent there.

"The National Security Council met last evening. Necessary instructions were given to the police and the Service Chiefs to be ready to control any unrest and enforce the law against any acts of sabotage. I gave instructions by telephone throughout the night to peoples representatives, religious leaders, police and the Joint Chief of Staff.

"We as a government vehemently condemn all racist and violent acts. As a responsible government we cannot condone such unlawful and violent acts. All of us who have experienced a 30-year war know the value of peace, harmony and unity.

"It seems that certain sections that are greedy for power are planning various ploys and acts of sabotage and the disruption of normalcy. Their only trump card in arousing racism. Their only objective is to obtain power by creating violence in the country. It is clearly seen that false and misleading information creating hatred among communities is being spread using social media in an organized manner.

"A certain group has been spreading through social media over the last nine months that there is a threat to the Sinhalese from the Muslims. False statistics had been presented to that end. Some Muslim groups had responded to this. This group had spread racism through a long period of time. A tense situation had arisen due to this. The majority in this country are Sinhala Buddhists. As Sinhala Buddhists we will protect that heritage. There has been no damage to those rights or heritage. There is no threat. We will not allow such to happen.

"As Sri Lankans there are other races and religious communities living in this country. All races and religions have a right to engage in their cultural and religious activities. This is the Sri Lankan concept of D.S. Senanayake. We will protect it. Therefore we express our regrets over the damage caused to the Mosques.

"The government will not hesitate to take stern legal action against such organized acts of sabotage. I also wish to thank the Buddhist monks, Muslim Moulavis, area correspondents of the media and other persons who understood this situation and acted with restraint.

Also compensation would be paid to the deaths caused and property damaged in these unfortunate incidents. I would like to finally request from all citizens to act with restraint in a rational and intelligent manner without falling prey to traitors who try to fulfill their objectives through racism," the Prime Minister said. (Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana)President Maithripala Sirisena declared a State Emergency a short while ago to redress the unsatisfactory security situation prevailing in certain parts of the country.

The Presidents Media Division said the Police and Armed Forces have been suitably empowered to deal with criminal elements in the society and to restore normalcy with immediate effect.Regional Cooperation, unity and stability will be the way forward for Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.

The Prime Minister came up with this sentiment at the Meet the Prime Minister forum organized by the Organization for Professional Associations (OPA) in Colombo last evening.

Sri Lanka is for regional cooperation however the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has not been successful in bringing regional cooperation but ASEAN, Australia, New Zealand are working towards bringing in cooperation among the nations of the Asian region and Sri Lanka should focus on it, the Prime Minister said.

India is looking for the possibility of having a land route from Thailand to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka should focus on that development as well. Actually Sri Lanka should look at how it could get connected to India. It should determine the alternatives. However it one must remember that there is a good sea route between the two countries at the moment, he said.

The Prime Minister said Sri Lanka should take full advantage of its human resources and its geographical resources. Indian Ocean is becoming an increasingly important region and there would be a market of two billion people from Asia to Spain which Sri Lanka could tap, he added.

Also he stressed reforms in the education system right from the schools to higher education institutions. Higher education institutions such as Harvard and Oxford are not state owned ones but they are not profit oriented and Sri Lanka will have to look at these and come up with an effective system of education. he said in this context.

At the same time, the Prime Minister said there have been shortcomings in the agriculture sector with the non availability of fertilizer and the fall of crops as a result of drought and floods. Sri Lankas economy would have grown by more than five percent if there was not drought and floods last year, the Prime Minister said.

He said the most important thing is stability and unity in the country as nothing could be achieved without these two elements. (Yohan Perera)President Maithripala Sirisena today assured stern action would be taken against anyone who spreads violence in the country and spreads rumours with the intention of provoking citizens.

Making a special statement over the inter-communal clashes reported in several places of the country, the President assured action against the elements which spread violence at a time when the government was taking measures to establish political stability, peace among communities and reconciliation in the country.

He also said stern action would be taken against those who breach peace and provoke citizens by spreading rumours and false news by various means, including social media platforms.

The President said necessary action has been taken after convening the National Security Council to discuss the prevailing situation.

A proper mechanism had been put in place to take further action after having discussions with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Cabinet of Ministers. Therefore, everyone should act calm, maintaining law and order, he said.In a bid to ensure army personnel were following regulations relating to the use of social media, the Army Commander appointed a team to monitor Army personnel on their social media platforms, the Army said.

They said the Army Commander appointed members from the Signal Corps for the team which will monitor social media platforms. Disciplinary action is to be taken against soldiers who have violated the guidelines set out by the military.

Army personnel had been previously given regulations to follow when using social media platforms over the years.

Regulations introduced over the years, state that information relating to national security, remarks and opinions about politicians and public officials, anything which could create racial or religious disharmony and commenting on such posts, revealing military ranks and identification information, photos in uniforms and military armaments in the background cannot be posted on media platforms.

Since it was noted that some army personnel are not following the regulations, I decided to appoint the committee, Army Commander Lieutenant Mahesh Senanayake said.A New Minister For Law And Order Is A Crying Need:

It is about time we had a Minister of Law and Order, who could uphold and administer Law and Order in the explicit. We need a man with a spine, a man with guts, one who is not afraid to call a spade a spade, to put his foot down with a firm hand.

Sarath Fonseka is the only man who can fill that post and carry it to perfection. The man has guts. This country needs Sarath, not a namby-pamby; who is insipidly pretty, sentimental and weak!!! We need a man who can say what he means and means what he says, regardless of to whom or on what.

Our President says Reconciliation is the need of the hour. Ranil has only just woken up to form a Three Member Committee to look into corruption.

Who looked into corruption all this time and why was it not given due cognizance? The country is steeped in corruption but our leaders are only just waking up to it, OR ARE THEY REALLY?

What the country needs is TRUTH, DISCIPLINE, EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL CITIZENS, ENTRY TO SCHOOLS MADE POSSIBLE, JUDICIARY AWAKENED AND JUSTICE ENFORCED, CORRUPTION FREE MINISTERS, COST OF LIVING CONTROLLED, THE RULE OF LAW ENFORCED WHETHER THEY BE BIG OR SMALL. THESE ARE VITAL TO THE VIABILITY OF OUR COUNTRY!!!

The Plight of The People:

What is the plight of the poor people? Cyril Ramaphosa once said, We are building a nation where our greatest concern must be those in the society who have the least, the poor, the unemployed. Is this fact or fiction??? WHAT ARE WE BUILDING??? Arent we SUPPOSED TO BE BUILDING A NATION WHERE THE GREATEST CONCERN MUST BE THOSE IN SOCIETY WHO HAVE THE LEAST. THE POOR, THE UNEMPLOYED!!! The burning question is ARE WE? How about the Judiciary.

All we get today are postponements and more postponements. Whether it is land, human rights, murders, rape, fraud, drugs, all we get are postponements; they are the order of the day.

I know of one land case that has been going on for 20 years. 20 YEARS and still not RESOLVED. WHY? The petitioner is a humble driver with a wife and two children, struggling to get his portion of the land. 20 YEARS in and out of Court wondering when and where this will all end.

ISNT THIS A CRIME AGAINST ALL THE NORMS OF HUMANITY? Is this a nation whose greatest concern is the poor?

A poor man who goes to Court month after month for 20 years to settle a land dispute? Who is getting rich with all these postponements? Has anyone asked if these horrendous delays are justified in the name of JUSTICE? More Important, IS THIS A BUDDHIST COUNTRY? LIES, DECEPTION, MURDER, PARENTS MURDERING THEIR CHILDREN, FATHERS RAPING THEIR DAUGHTERS, DRUGS AVAILABLE EVEN IN SCHOOLS, CRIMINALS WALKING FREE, ABORTIONS, LIQUOR CONSUMPTION, POOR PEOPLES GRIEVANCES NOT DEALT WITH, COST OF LIVING SKY HIGH, ETC., ETC., ETC.

THE THRICE BLESSED LORD BUDDHA MUST INDEED BE SHUDDERING THAT HE CHOSE TO COME TO THIS COUNTRY TO SPREAD BUDDHISM!!

Lies, Lies And More Lies :

We were told of a Cabinet Reshuffle - PURPOSE NIL!!! Not only the people but the Ministers themselves are laughing through their backs. This bunch of politicians-starting with the President himself- firmly believe they are fooling the people.

No lesson has been learned.

Suddenly, Lasanthas case, which never reached completion IS IN A MUDDLE- WHO CREATED THE MUDDLE AND WHY???

 Arjun Mahendran has skipped Singapore!!! Udayangana cannot be found!!! Are we playing hide and seek here? Aloysius and Palisena want to be housed in the Prison Hospital. Gota has returned and His Presumptuous Royal Highness says he cannot be Prime Minister because he holds dual citizenship.

Good Lord - Who offered it to him anyway??? One could really go on and on about ALL the cases that never reached completion.

About all the those who skipped the country. Gota has returned, Namal is out, Jaliya cannot be found but who allowed him to get away?

None other than the Director of the National Eye Hospital, who confirmed that Jaliyas SUPPOSED EYE CONDITION could not be treated in this country. WONDER HOW MUCH THAT WAS WORTH TO THE NATIONAL DIRECTOR???

Thajudeens remains will probably be desecrated again. The list is endless and we have to keep adding to the atrocities committed in the name of JUSTICE. The Cabinet Reshuffle was the biggest travesty.

Even Ravi thinks the Reshuffle is A JOKE!!! The bottom line is they cannot stand each other. Each one wants what the other has.

By the VoiceWeve covered the travails of the Pac-12 Networks efforts to get carried on DirecTV since 2012 and every year, its been the same thing. DirecTV balks at bringing Pac-12 Network and its multiple channels on board, Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott laments not being distributed by the satelllite provider, and the trains shall never meet.

Over the years, Pac-12 Networks have been picked up in China and most recently in Canada, but DirecTV remains a holdout for fans in the U.S.

In a recent interview with Seattle radio station KJR, Scott was asked whether fans will ever see the Pac-12 Networks on DirecTV and he was rather blunt:

Thats the way it looks. Ive got no reason to believe thats going to change. Weve tried a lot of different angles with them, including a relationship with AT&T and offering benefits on campuses, and that hasnt gotten it done.

When AT&T purchased DirecTV in 2015, there was optimism that things could change as the company had a sponsorship deal with the Pac-12 and its U-Verse systems carried the networks. There was even a signal test that was caught by sharp-eyed viewers, but talks collapsed and theres no sign that the two sides will ever get close again.

Even without DirecTV, Scott told host Dave Softy Mahler that hes happy where the networks are, but things could be better:

Very satisfied with a lot of whats been achieved  but it hasnt reached its full potential. We havent gotten full distribution  most notably on DirecTV  and, related, we havent generated as much money as is possible.

Translation: The Pac-12 Network isnt making as much money as the Big Ten Network and SEC Network, and will remain behind as long as it isnt on DirecTV. With the ACC Network ready to launch next year, Pac-12 Network could find itself falling behind a third league-centric channel, all of which have partnered with either ESPN or Fox and have gotten maximum distribution for their bucks.

Pac-12 is going it alone and by not partnering with ESPN, Fox or even NBC, its finding the sledding rather tough and member schools have complained about the lack of revenue as compared to the Big Ten and SEC.

Just where this will lead, no one knows. But Larry Scott is aware that despite going all in with Pac-12 Networks, the potential of the channels has yet to be reached, which is leaving fans and member schools in the lurch.

[iHeartRadio/Pac-12 Hotline]Referring to the recent incidents in Digana, Ampara and Thambuttegama, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Head Prof. G.L. Peiris said today such incidents took place as there was no effective Minister for Law and Order portfolio.

Addressing a news conference, he said it was sad to say that President Maithripala Sirisena had been unable to appoint a Law and Order Minister, who would bear and accomplish responsibilities for the well-being of society.

Presidents ineffectiveness of being unable to appoint a proper Law and Order Minister clearly denotes the inefficiency of the Government that leads to spark off violent incidents, he said.

He said, it was the utmost responsibility of the President to appoint eligible Cabinet of Ministers who would be tasked with responsibilities, Prof. G.L. Peiris said.

Meanwhile, he said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was entirely responsible to the downfall of the economy that had negatively affected the sustainable growth of the country.

He added that the official visit of Premier Wickremesinghe to Singapore was a joke and of no use, because the investors were not willing to invest in Sri Lanka on account of the failure of the economy. (Sheain Fernandopulle)In order to maintain this blog I have to pay for its upkeep including a hosting company, support services, virus and other malicious hackers. If you appreciate what I write please make a donation.Egypt Today

Emad Ghaly, CEO of Siemens Egypt - press photo

CAIRO  5 March 2018: Egypt will be able to export its surplus of electricity by the end of 2018, once the three Siemens combined cycle plants become fully operational, as part of the countrys plan to be an electricity transfer and circulation regional hub, CEO of Siemens Egypt, Emad Ghaly, said on Sunday.



Ghaly talked about the updates and progress of his companys power plants in Egypt in an interview with ON Live, pointing out that the company has been operating in Egypt for more than 117 years.



Siemens recent project in Egypt was setting up a service center at the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) in Ain Sokhna, which will provide maintenance and other services for all power plants, he said.



Master plan of 2025



Egypt signed a memorandum of understanding with Siemens during the Egyptian Economic Development Conference held in Sharm El-Sheikh in March 2015. The memorandum aimed to prepare a master plan to strengthen and develop the electricity grid until 2025.



The master plan includes solutions to problems in the electricity sector, taking into account the sectors generation capacities of traditional, coal, nuclear, and renewable energies, as well as the required stations and lines to absorb the produced capacities.



In 2016, the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company signed contracts with Siemens to implement three combined-cycle power plants with a total capacity of 14,400MW. The three power plants are in Borollos, Beni Suef, and the New Administrative Capital. The new energy projects are established in cooperation with the German company Siemens and its local partners Orascom and Elsewedy Electric.



The financing package for the Siemens part of the 6bn contracts was structured by Siemens Financial Services (SFS)this includes a tailored guarantee concept.



In June 2016, Siemens had signed agreements worth 8bn for high-efficiency natural gas-fired power plants and wind power installations that will boost Egypts power generation capacity by more than 50%, compared to the currently installed base. The projects will add an additional 16.4 gigawatt (GW) to Egypts national grid to support the countrys rapid economic development and meet its growing populations demand for power.



Siemens will also deliver up to 12 wind farms in the Gulf of Suez and west Nile areas, comprising around 600 wind turbines and an installed capacity of 2GW.



CEO of Siemens Egypt praised the improvement in the investment climate in Egypt, adding that the governments clear vision and plan for the countrys long-term development of Egypt is a sign that the future holds further improvements.



Egypt is now resolutely setting the course for sustained development and economic growth with the Sustainable Development Strategy: Egypt Vision 2030, serving as a roadmap for making Egypt a strong and stable economy on the long-term, Ghaly said.



He pointed out that Siemens has extended a long-term contract to provide service and maintenance, as well as component upgrades at the Nubaria, Talkha, and El-Kureimat power stations.



The 10-year extension calls for Siemens to continue providing service and maintenance for eight SGT5-4000F gas turbines and the associated generators. In addition to long-term service and maintenance, the scope of the new agreement for the three power stations includes modernisations, upgrade measures, and lifetime extensions for eight gas turbines designed to achieve optimal performance.Birthday wishes

Call 281-422-8302 or email david.bloom@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun.

Happy Birthday WishesRBI is in charge of supervising lenders and meant to act as the bottom-line guarantor that the banking system is sound. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi/Mumbai: Gokulnath Shetty, a middle-aged bank manager of middling rank, spent his days in the foreign exchange department on the mezzanine floor of Punjab National Banks Brady House branch in Mumbai.

It was there, past the loan desk and up a flight of stairs, that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) says Shetty hatched Indias largest-ever bank fraud, which the bank values at nearly $2 billion and says was engineered between 2011 and 2017.

The room where Shetty worked was visited on a quarterly basis by external auditors approved by the central bank, who sifted through documents but failed to spot any problem, according to interviews with two bank employees with first-hand knowledge of the departments operations.

Also read: PNB fraud: Bankers Chanda Kochhar, Shikha Sharma summoned in probe

In the three weeks since details of the alleged fraud was disclosed, Indian authorities and the media have squarely blamed Punjab National Bank, and a group of high-flying jewellers including diamond tycoon Nirav Modi.

But Reuters has uncovered new evidence that shows the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) also failed for years to either detect the fraud, respond adequately to red flags in the banking system, or correct a breakdown of normal practices at the nations second-largest state-run bank. The RBI is in charge of supervising lenders and meant to act as the bottom-line guarantor that the banking system is sound.

That heightens worries about what other problems might lurk within Indias state-run lenders, which hold some 70 per cent of the sectors assets in the worlds fastest-growing major economy.

The RBI, presented with a list of findings and questions for this story sent to a spokesman, did not respond.

Punjab National did not respond to a similar request.

Shettys lawyer, Vikram Sutaria, said his client is not guilty.

Hands-off approach

Interviews with 12 current and former officials at the RBI and senior executives at some of the countrys largest banks, and a review of dozens of pages of internal central bank circulars, reveal a system that in many cases had little hope of catching criminal activity.

The reporting shows:

1 The RBI takes a hands-off approach: Its inspections concentrate on whether the broader systems are sound, not the details of whats happening in a particular banking operation.

2 External auditors approved by the RBI, known as statutory auditors, in many cases only do top line reviews, not in-depth inspections. In Punjab Nationals case they have been changed regularly - 18 different firms used over seven years. Though the auditors swapped hand-off notes, no one auditor was able to delve into the banks operations for any extended period.

3 Those external auditors met with Shetty, but their audits of Punjab National published in the banks annual reports from 2011 to 2017 did not raise alarms.

4 The RBI knew by 2016 there was a laundry list of problems at Indian banks that the central bank said exposed the bank to heightened risk of fraudulent activities.

5 The central bank did not compel state banks to link their banking software with the SWIFT global interbank messaging network, a key vulnerability in the Punjab National fraud.

A current senior RBI official involved in the scrutiny of banks acknowledged there were shortcomings.

This has been going on for six years and nobody pointed it out - not the auditors and not the RBI inspection, he said.

In Punjab National Banks initial criminal complaint, and then court documents filed in February by the CBI, deputy manager Shetty is accused of having sent letters of undertaking, essentially credit guarantees, over the SWIFT network without logging those transactions in the banks internal software.

Two internal auditors who sat with Shetty in the branch have also been arrested, among more than a dozen people picked up by law enforcement so far.

Asked about the specifics of allegations against Shetty, who has been arrested but not charged, his lawyer, Sutaria, declined to discuss them.

The alleged beneficiaries of the transactions were companies controlled by Nirav Modi, whose diamond creations have glimmered across the flesh of film stars, and his uncle Mehul Choksi, who also owns a large jewellery operation. Neither man has been charged with a crime. Both are currently outside the country and have denied the allegations.

Two co-workers described Shetty as a socially taciturn man who, after starting the work day by moisturizing his face and hands with Ponds cream, began sipping a seemingly endless series of cups of tea and dialling up customers on his iPhone.

Shetty, they said, declined to show others how to operate the SWIFT system.

No one would work on SWIFT in his absence, said one of the co-workers. Even customers used to say if Shetty sir is not around lets not proceed with anything.

Representatives of Modi, the jeweller, would spend hours in the office, sometimes eating lunch there, two employees at the branch said. It was as if they were bank employees, said one banker who still works in the currency exchange office.

Audit framework

The framework for auditing Indias banks is set up to provide three levels of scrutiny: continuous monitoring by internal auditors, quarterly inspection by statutory auditors and an annual inspection by the RBI, according to interviews with officials at the central bank.

The banks cornerstone internal, or concurrent auditors, are expected to run daily checks on all SWIFT transactions, according to RBI officials.

But a former senior RBI official with direct knowledge of the central banks oversight of foreign exchange transactions said they often do not provide much of a backstop.

Sometimes the concurrent auditor just blindly signs whatever is given to him without verifying what is going on, the official said.

Asked about the RBIs annual audit, a current official who previously worked in its supervision division said the central bank has moved away from doing annual branch inspections, instead relying primarily on data from the lenders headquarters.

Earlier, the branches of banks were at least scared that RBI might catch any malpractice, the official said.

R Gandhi, deputy governor at the RBI from 2014 to 2017, said the statutory audit process, which is carried out by private accounting firms, was not meant to be comprehensive.

A 100 per cent audit is specified only for high-risk areas, he said.

Explaining the RBIs approach overall, he added: We are supervisors. The prime objective of RBIs audit should be to see that systems and procedures are there and those are functioning.

Two of the RBI-approved statutory auditors who inspected the Mumbai branch confirmed they met Shetty in the foreign exchange room.

One auditor, who inspected the branch on a quarterly basis between October 2011 and September 2012, said he raised the question of why Nirav Modi was getting so much credit.

The auditor, who asked not to be named, said his concerns were raised to the banks audit committee but he was told by Punjab National executives: Let this go this time, we will note this and take steps.

The details, he said, would have been available to RBI officials through his subsequent report, but as far as he was aware no action was taken.

Reuters called the other 16 accounting firms listed in the banks annual report from the 2010-11 fiscal year to the most recent. The calls were either unanswered or met with refusal to discuss particulars of the audits.

Warning signs

Documents show that the RBI knew more than a year before the current scandal that there were warning signs about how Indian banks administered the SWIFT network.

Transactions such as the letters of undertaking sent by Shetty result in credit being given to a borrower in an account known as a nostro, which is owned by the issuing bank - in this case Punjab National - but hosted by another bank overseas.

A letter on Aug. 3, 2016 from the RBI to bank executives warned of a recent incident involving attempted unauthorized transfer of funds from the nostro account of a bank.

The RBI asked the top management of Indian banks to not only ensure that appropriate controls were in place, but also to reconcile their nostro account transactions  that is, to check that they matched their banks internal records.

A Nov. 25, 2016 letter from the RBI listed what it described as problems that banks reported after receiving the August communication - a number of which were to show up in the Punjab National case.

Several Indian state-run banks had followed a decentralized set up for SWIFT, meaning that multiple branches and, as a result, significantly higher number of users had access to sending money across the global network.

In some cases, the RBI said, that meant more than 1,000 people being able to log on, which exposed the bank to heightened risk of fraudulent activities.

Several banks, the RBI wrote, had no/little audit oversight on the SWIFT framework despite significant financial ramifications.

Last month, after the fraud was discovered, the reserve bank set a April 30 deadline for integrating banks internal software and SWIFT.

Most big global banks began to connect SWIFT - originally standalone terminals like the telex machines they replaced - to their central systems in the 1990s.

Three executives with experience of the cash payments industry said this means transactions are automatically recorded and reconciled within the bank and, ideally, with counterparties.

The chief executive officer of SWIFT from 1992 until 2007, Leonard Schrank, said: I cant imagine not incorporating SWIFT payments as part of overall reconciliation.Diesel prices on Tuesday Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai were Rs 62.96, Rs 65.65, Rs 67.05 and Rs 66.39, respectively.

Mumbai: Petrol prices were up for the sixth straight day by 6-7 paise on Tuesday while diesel prices went up by 7-8 paisa in top cities.

Petrol prices on Tuesday in Delhi shot to Rs 72.39 per litre, Kolkata Rs 75.12 per litre, Mumbai Rs 80.26 per litre and Chennai Rs 75.07 per litre.

Diesel prices on Tuesday in Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai were Rs 62.96, Rs 65.65, Rs 67.05 and Rs 66.39, respectively.

Oil futures rose on Tuesday for a third session, underpinned by robust demand forecasts and as ministers from OPEC touted the strength of its agreement to cut output to bolster prices.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Monday that global oil demand was expected to grow over the next five years, while output from producers in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) would rise at a much slower pace.After they both starred together in Angel last, Naga Anvesh and Hebah Patel are all set to reunite for another romantic entertainer. Titled Ee Nimishaniki Yemi Jaruguno, the film, which was launched a couple of days back, is directed by Sri Krishna.

Speaking about the film, producer London Ganesh shares, When I first heard the script, I liked it. The director is a very passionate filmmaker and has been working on the script. The plot has several interesting elements to it and the genre would be sci-fi. We believed that Naga Anvesh would be apt as the protagonist. The film will be shot in Hyderabad, London and in a dense forest.After Rakshaka Bhatudu, Richa Panai will next be seen playing a girl-next-door in an untitled comic caper directed by Sreedhar Seepana.

Talking about her role, Richa shares, Earlier, I played extreme roles  either glamorous or village belle; but my role in this film will be a blend of both. I play the owner of an ad agency, and its a role with a bit of attitude. Ill be seen sporting a mix of western and traditional attires. The best part is that mid-way into the film, my character transforms and reveals different shades.

The Lucknow-raised actress heaps praises on the films director Sreedhar. Hes got great clarity of thought and also enacts every scene, so that makes things very easy for us. I am also fascinated with his attention to detail. The shooting experience has been satisfactory since I have now got a hang of the language (Telugu), says Richa.The works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez are wonderful because the stories etched out between the lines of the novel are as poignant as those spelled out by the author.

Often considered to be one of the most influential writers of his generation, not only did he write sensational literature, but his feud with Peruvian Mario Vargas Llosa is also the stuff of legends.

Onetime best of friends, they had all the elements of a literary classic, accusations of betrayal, jealousy and adultery, and a brutal encounter over 31 years ago when things turned bloody.

Gabo brought to the world Latin America's charm along with "magical realism," a blending of fantastic elements into portrayals of daily life that made the extraordinary seem almost routine, normal!

As Google celebrated his 91st birth anniversary with a doodle, we take a look at how the twitterati remembered the legendary author.

Huma Qureshi tweeted,

One Tyler Moss tweeted,

"Ultimately, literature is nothing but carpentry. With both you are working with reality, a material just as hard as wood." Gabriel Garcia Marquez #amwriting  Tyler Moss (@TJMoss11) February 6, 2018

He allowed himself to be swayed by his conviction that human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them, but that life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves.#GabrielGarciaMarquez , Love in the Time of Cholera pic.twitter.com/PS6EwWiVlA  Petrificus Totalus (@n23pandey) March 6, 2018

Maanvi wrote that Marquez taught her to weave magic with words,

To the man who made me realize that it's possible to weave magic out of words. Happy 91st birthday #GabrielGarciaMarquez. I hope you're writing up a storm in heaven. pic.twitter.com/l9XAOWxJSm  Maanvi (@MaanviNarcisa) March 6, 2018

No matter what, nobody can take away the dances you've already had.



~ #GabrielGarciaMarquez #BirthAnniversary  Nikita Tiwari (@_n_I_x) March 6, 2018

"Life is not what one lived, but rather what one remembers, and how it is remembered to tell the tale."#GabrielGarciaMarquez  Rahul Rawat (@rahul_kgp) March 5, 2018

His glory will be remembered. Birthday wishes to the Legendary Author #gabrielgarciamarquez #SerendipityFilms  shibinraja (@shibinraja) March 6, 2018

Today is #GabrielGarciaMarquez birthday. Thank you for the incredible storytelling! https://t.co/gtdBzJlUTt  Swati Saxena (@SwatiSaxena1231) March 6, 2018

Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry all the rest of your life if you say no.#GabrielGarciaMarquez - Love in the Time of Cholera#FelizCumpleGabo pic.twitter.com/sbUq76IdyA  Alex 'Badass' Vause (@Ms_AlexVause_) March 6, 2018

Nobody deserves ur tears, but whoever deserves them will not make u cry #gabrielmarquez #GabrielGarciaMarquez  sakshi gupta (@guptaasakshi211) March 6, 2018

The works of Gabo are timeless. Transcending beyond tangential reality, they sing of the condemned lives of Macondo or the passion of Love in the Time of Cholera. They are fantastical in their depiction of reality and yet honest enough to evoke a million sensibilities in a reader's soul.These medical errors are preventable, argues the study which stated that teaching hospitals did better in 1990s and early 2000 but there has been a slip in the last decade which has seen an increasing number of errors.

Hyderabad: As many as 5.2 million medical errors and adverse drug reactions have been noted in India according to a study by Harvard School of Public Health.

These medical errors are preventable, argues the study which stated that teaching hospitals did better in 1990s and early 2000 but there has been a slip in the last decade which has seen an increasing number of errors.

Dr Vijay Mohan, professor at Osmania Medical College explained, The increasing errors are due to less bedside practice. We need more and more practice and less study. Presently, a large pool of MBBS doctors are spending a lot of time studying for the post-graduate and other exams rather than practising medicine. This is the reason the scope of errors has increased.

With the increasing patient load in both government and private hospitals it is becoming very important to keep pace with the demands of clinically examining patients and also ensuring that the diagnosis is correct.

According to senior doctors and also professors of medical colleges, whenever a young practising doctor is in dilemma they are sharing diagnosis reports on whats app with seniors to clarify their doubts.

While there is nothing wrong and technology must be used at its best, there is proving to be a need to have clinical decision backed with proper diagnosis so that there is a uniform opinion and not different versions.

To ensure that medical errors are reduced and cost of healthcare brought down, there is a need being felt that there must be one standard protocol set through artificial intelligence which will help better diagnosis and also reduce medical errors.

Dr Srinivas G., senior general physician explained, Digital technology can help to give prescriptions, refer for tests and other aspects but doctor requires to spend time and personally examine the patient, listen to the heartbeat and also speak to them about their medical history to understand what has gone wrong. Often there are people who come with symptoms due to underlying mental health conditions. In these cases, it is not the physical health which is a problem but the mental health. Hence, digital technology has its place in secondary diseases which have complications but for basic diseases it requires proper doctor evaluation.

While evidence based medicine and setting of standard protocol for treatments are being pushed where all doctors speak in one voice so that the patients are not confused.

This is being welcomed but there is a need felt for more of bedside medical practice to understand patients better.According to the video being circulated, the bulls were seen being hit, whipped, and poked with metal and wooden sticks inside the vaadi vaasal.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India released the findings of its investigations of nine recent jallikattu events which prove that there was cruelty to bulls and disregard for human life there.

The report can be read here.

PETA India plans to submit its findings to the Supreme Court in support of its ongoing case challenging the constitutional validity of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017, which permits jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.

Fleeing bull whacked by mob in Periya Suriyur Jallikattu.

The animal rights organisation documented the cruelty  which was observed during events in four districts of the State between 14 and 28 January 2018  in detail in a report and in photographs and video footage.

According to the video being circulated, the bulls were seen being hit, whipped, and poked with metal and wooden sticks inside the vaadi vaasal, and their tails were bitten, twisted and yanked to force them to run towards the menacing crowd.

A bull falls to ground due to rough handling of noseropes in Chettipalayam

Furthermore, evidence points towards bulls' nose ropes being roughly yanked, causing their nostrils to bleed.

Panicked bulls can be seen fleeing onto village streets, injuring spectators and even goring them to death while onlookers hit and jumped onto bulls fleeing the collection yard an illegal practice known as "parallel jallikattu".

Speaking about the finding, PETA India CEO Dr Manilal Valliyate said, Year after year, investigation after investigation reveals the same thing: deliberate cruelty, injury, and deaths are inherent in jallikattu, and no amount of regulation can change that, which is why the Supreme Court had banned it in the first place.

He further added, India's true culture is one of kindness to cattle and respect for life  not forming a violent mob to bully terrified animals.

Since Tamil Nadu began allowing jallikattu in 2017, at least 26 humans  including a police officer and a teenagerhave been killed, and more than 2,500 have been reportedly injured. At least 10 bulls have also died in this time, and other bull deaths likely go unreported.

A 2014, Supreme Court ruling (in AWBI v A Nagaraja & Ors) upheld that jallikattu was "inherently cruel" and therefore illegal under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, thereby striking down the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act, 2009, which aimed to allow the races.

The State's effort to overturn this ruling in its review petition was dismissed by the court on16 November 2016. In 2011, the central government banned the use of bulls in performances through a notification issued under the PCA Act, 1960.An 81-year-old alleged mobster who police believe may be able to solve the largest art heist in US history was sentenced on Tuesday to 4-1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to illegally selling guns to a convicted murderer.

Robert Gentile admitted last year to illegally selling a loaded firearm to a convicted killer. His lawyer said he was caught in a Federal Bureau of Investigation sting aimed at pressuring him into providing details on paintings stolen from Bostons Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in March 1990.

Gentile has repeatedly denied knowing the whereabouts of any of the art, valued at an estimated $500 million.

At a 2015 hearing, prosecutors said Gentile was secretly recorded telling an undercover FBI agent that he had access to at least two of the paintings and could sell them for $500,000 each. Gentile denies knowing where the artwork in.

At Tuesdays hearing, a federal judge rejected Gentiles plea that he be sentenced to the nearly three years he has already spent in custody since his April 2015 arrest.

I wish you could see in your heart to let me go home, Gentile told US District Judge Robert Chatigny. The judge dismissed the request, saying, You dont really accept responsibility. This is who you are. This is the life you lived.

Gentile underwent a psychiatric evaluation and was found competent after claiming in September he had lost his memory. US Attorney for Connecticut John Durham said recent calls between Gentile and his wife monitored by prison officials showed no indication that Gentiles memory was failing.

The Gardner heist was carried out by two men dressed in police uniforms who apparently overpowered a night security guard who had buzzed them in. They made off with 13 artworks including Rembrandts Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee and Vermeers The Concert. None have been recovered.

A 2012 search by the FBI of Gentiles home turned up a handwritten list of the stolen art, its estimated value and police uniforms, according to court documents.

The museum is continuing to offer a $10 million reward for information leading to recovery of the stolen art.Some people attending Paris Fashion Week worried the move could infringe on artistic freedom (Photo: AFP)

Paris: Leading French advertisers and the country's broadcast watchdog are launching a nationwide campaign against sexist stereotypes in ads from toy trucks marketed for boys to naked women selling vacuum cleaners.

They signed a charter Tuesday pledging to police advertising to abolish "sexist or sexualized stereotypes" of men, women, girls and boys.

Broadcasters and advertisers will submit a report on their efforts to fight sexism and will face sanctions for any ads deemed "excessive." Some people attending Paris Fashion Week worried the move could infringe on artistic freedom in France's influential fashion industry.

The charter comes amid a string of moves by President Emmanuel Macron's government in favor of women's rights.

Signatories called the move part of the larger fight against violence and harassment of women.The man chopped the hands of his son when he was sleeping because the boy was regularly watching adult films and wasn't listening to him. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Hyderabad: In a shocking incident, a man chopped off his teenage sons hand in Hyderabad on Monday for allegedly getting addicted to pornography despite repeated warnings, police said.

The man chopped the hands of his son when he was sleeping because the boy was regularly watching adult films and wasn't listening to him, news agency ANI reported.

A case has been registered and the accused has been taken into custody.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, Mohammad Qayyum Qureshi (45), a butcher by profession of Jalpalli colony in Pahadishareef area in the old city, surrendered to the police stating that he had chopped off the right hand (between wrist and elbow) of his son, Mohammad Khalid Qureshi (18), who works as an assistant at a local cable television operator.

The father has been booked under section 307 of Indian Penal Code (attempt to murder) and taken into custody, Pahadishareef police inspector P Lakshmikanth Reddy said was quoted as saying in the report.

The teenager was rushed to a private hospital nearby.

According to police, Qayyum has four children including two sons and Khalid is the elder of the two sons.

Khalid was warned by his father after he noticed that his son was getting addicted to watching movies and pornography on his martphone. Despite constant warnings, he did not stop watching porn films.

Acording to reports, Qayyum caught his son red-handed watching a porn film on Sunday. He tried to snatch the mobile from his son, but the latter resisted and even bit his father's hand. He immediately left home, stating that he would not return. The boy however, returned later at night when everybody was asleep.

"On Monday morning, both father and son quarrelled on the same issue again. In a fit of anger, Qayuum picked up the butchers knife and chopped off Khalids right hand. Hearing the son's screams, the other family members came and immediately took him to a nearby hospital, where the doctors said the hand was 90 per cent severed and the chances of restoring it are bleak," reports quoted police as saying.Kochi: A man was arrested on Monday after he stabbed his friend with a broken bear bottle when the latter refused to give him a lift on his bike following a drinking session at Padamughal near Kakkanad. The arrested was identified as Hashim (27), a resident of Chantakunnam in Nilambur. According to cops, the incident happened on the night of February 23.

The accused along with victim, identified as Saddique of Wayanad, had a drinking session at bear parlour in Padamughal. When they both came out around midnight, Hashim requested for a lift as Saddique was returning to his rented house on his bike. However, the latter refused and this provoked Hashim, who was in an inebriated condition, police said.

The accused first smashed the bear bottle on the head of the victim and then stabbed him on his stomach with the broken bottle. The victim is undergoing treatment at the ICU of Kozhikode Medical College hospital. Hashim went into hiding soon after the incident but a team led by Kalamassery Circle Inspector S. Jayakrishnan nabbed him from his hiding place in Nilambur following a tip-off.Bhopal: Maoists on late Monday night went on a rampage in south Bastar district of Sukma in Chhattisgarh setting fire to three buses and an equal number of trucks besides gunning down a former policeman to avenge killing of 10 rebels in the encounter on March 2 in Pujari Kanker forest in the region.

According to south Bastar deputy inspector general of police, the Telangana-bound buses along with the trucks were set ablaze at Pedakudthi and Penta villages in Sukma district around 11 pm on Monday night.

The armed Naxals ordered the passengers in three buses to disembark and then torched the vehicles. One of the passengers, identified as Munna Sodi, was shot dead by the guerrillas.

One of three buses torched by Maoists was on its maiden run from Malkangiri to Hyderabad via Sukma.

Police recovered pamphlets at the site in which the Naxals described the carnage as a retaliatory act to the killing of rebels in Bijapur by Greyhounds of Telangana on March 2.Child marriage adds to health, education and abuse risks, and increases the chance of intergenerational poverty. (Photo: File/Representational)

New Delhi: The proportion of girls getting married in India has nearly halved in a decade, the United Nations children's agency UNICEF said on Tuesday, which has contributed significantly to a global decline in child marriage.

UNICEF said 25 million child marriages were prevented worldwide in the last decade, with the largest reduction seen in South Asia  where India was at the forefront.

India constitutes more than 20 per cent of the world's adolescent population and accounts for the highest number of child marriages in South Asia given its size and population," said Javier Aguilar, UNICEF's chief of child protection.

In the current trend, 27 per cent of girls, or nearly 1.5 million girls, get married before they turn 18 in India. This is a sharp decline from 47 per cent a decade ago, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Child marriage adds to health, education and abuse risks, and increases the chance of intergenerational poverty, said Anju Malhotra, UNICEF's principal gender adviser, in a statement. Given the life-altering impact child marriage has on a young girl's life, any reduction is welcome news, but we've got a long way to go, Malhotra said.

Campaigners and officials attributed the drop in child marriages to better access to education for women and increased public awareness on the negative impact of child marriage.

UNICEF estimates that 12 million girls a year are married globally, and says more is needed to end the practice by 2030  the target set under the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals.

UNICEF's conclusions on India came after comparing data from its 2006 and 2016 health survey that asked women in the 20-24 age group whether they had married before they turned 18. It also took into account child marriage data from the 2011 census.

The legal age of marriage in India is 18 for women and 21 for men. Last year the Supreme Court ruled that sex with an underage wife constituted rape.

India's Prohibition of Child Marriage Act imposes a fine of 1,00,000 and two years in prison for parents caught trying to marry off their underage children.

Despite the law, child marriage remains deeply rooted and accepted in society, and is widespread in parts of the country.

Mahesh Bhagwat, police chief of Rachakonda district in Telangana, where child marriage is widespread and where wedding hall decorators and priests were enlisted last year to help combat it, said the law had made an impact. But things are still going on clandestinely, he said.

Jayna Kothari, executive director of the Bangalore-based Centre for Law & Policy Research, who has petitioned the government to declare child marriages invalid, said more action was needed.

Better awareness of the Supreme Court's verdict would deter child marriages, and declaring them invalid would strengthen India's laws against them, she said.New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the party will grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh if voted to power in 2019, even as the AAP too extended its support to the demand.

"We will give special category status to Andhra Pradesh. It's the first thing we will do after coming to power in 2019," he told a group of party workers who protested at Jantar Mantar demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.

"I am confident that if we stand together we will convince the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi that what is due to the people of Andhra Pradesh should be given to them," he added.

He later tweeted: "It is my belief that if the opposition stands united on this issue, we can force the BJP Govt to do justice to the people of Andhra." Aam Aadmi Party MLA Somnath Bharti, who also joined the protest, said he had come to extend support on "behalf" of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

"I have come with the Delhi chief minister's message of support. The AAP will support the Congress wherever they raise this demand, be it inside or outside Parliament," he said.

Though the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is part of the NDA government at the Centre, its leaders are protesting against the central government for "neglecting Andhra Pradesh".

The opposition YSR Congress Party has announced that all its five MPs would resign on April 6 if the demand was not met. The demand was raised after erstwhile Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated.

The protesters claim that the bifurcation caused a huge revenue deficit for the successor Andhra Pradesh. The Centre announced a "special package" in 2016 for Andhra, but the TDP government claimed no funds have been released under the package. This has turned the focus back on special category status for AP.New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday extended the CBI custody of Karti Chidambaram, an accused in the INX Media corruption case, by three more days even as the Supreme Court rejected his plea for interim protection against arrest by the ED in a related money laundering case.

The CBI, which confronted Karti Chidambaram with Indrani Mukerjea, a former director of the media company, in a Mumbai jail on Sunday, presented former finance minister P. Chidambaram's son before special judge Sunil Rana on Tuesday after his five-day custody of the probe agency expired.

Karti Chidambaram moved a bail application that will be taken up by the court on March 9.

Additional solicitor-general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, opposed his bail plea, saying the investigation was at a crucial stage and the CBI needs two weeks to file a reply to his bail application.Mr KTR is expected to have the final say in selection of candidates for the 119 Assembly constituencies in 2019.

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Raos Third Front idea is set to bring a sea-change in political equations within the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti before the 2019 elections.

The TRS plenary to be held next month is likely to elect the Chief Minist-ers son and IT minister K.T. Rama Rao as working president of the par-ty to pave the way for him to become Chief Minis-ter in 2019 should Mr KCR move to Delhi and national politics.

It is being said that Mr KCR is keen to give senior leaders in his party tickets to contest the Lok Sabha poll so that they stay in Delhi and Mr KTR has a free hand to select candidates of his choice for the Assembly seats to strengthen his position in the party and the government if the TRS retains power in 2019.

Mr KTR is expected to have the final say in selection of candidates for the 119 Assembly constituencies in 2019.

Party sources say that the Chief Minister is keen on fielding the partys senior leaders Kadiam Srihari (currently depu-ty CM), Tummala Nages-hwar Rao, Talasani Sri-nivas Yadav, and Etela Rajender, all ministers, as Lok Sabha candidates and give KTR the freed-om to select candidates of his choice for these seats.

Some incumbent MPs are also likely to be asked to contest for the Asse-mbly. The MP from Pedd-apalli, Balka Suman, a student leader and stau-nch supporter of Mr KTR, may be fielded as an MLA candidate.

The name of Nizama-bad MP and the Chief Ministers daughter, K Kavitha, is also doing the rounds for an Assembly seat in 2019, though some party leaders doubt wh-ether the CM will allow two power centres in the TRS party and governm-ent, by sending both his children to the Assembly.

Allowing KTR to address public meetings in the districts is seen as a clear indication that the CM wants his son to replace him should he move onto the national stage. Mr KTR is consulted on all major decisions at government and party levels and is a member of all crucial Cabinet sub-committees constituted by the government to frame and implement the TRS government's key schemes.HYDERABAD: Police in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh and other Maoist affected areas have been put on alert following retaliatory violence in Sukma district of neighbourhing Chattisgarh state.

The police force were put on alert after 10 Maoists, including six women, were killed in an encounter in Bijapur district last week. Following the encounter, the Maoists burnt six buses, including two TSRTC buses and shot dead a former police constable, in order to show their anger.

On Monday night, the Telangana police who were already on alert in the agency areas have heightened their vigil. While elite Grey Hounds and other security forces involved in anti-maoist operations are combing several forest areas, the police in the rural areas adjoining Chatti-sgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have taken up vehicle checking.Mysuru: Denying that the JD(S) had approached the Congress on Rajya Sabha elections, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah assserted here on Monday that the party did not need to join hands with any party for either Rajya Sabha or the approaching Assembly poll.

Responding to a question by reporters on his arrival at the Mysuru airport, he said neither had the JD(S) offered to support the Congress and nor had it asked it for any help. At the national level I support and advocate that secular parties must unite and secular votes must not be divided if we are to defeat the communal parties. But in the state, the Congress doesnt need the support of anyone other than the voters, he added.

On the final list for Rajya Sabha elections, he said he was going to New Delhi on Tuesday and the final list was most likely to be finalised then. As for the fielding of a third candidate, he said the matter would also be discussed at the meeting.

Mr Siddaramaiah claimed things were looking up for the Congress where urban voters were concerned. We won three seats in Mysuru and 13 in Bengaluru the last elections. This time we will win 25 seats in Bengaluru, he declared. Asked if votes would not be divided with the JD(S) and BSP joining hands, he shot back, Congress votes are always intact.

The Chief Minister revealed that Congress president Rahul Gandhi would tour the Mysuru division, holding road shows on March 20, 21, 24 and 25 , concluding with a mammoth rally in Mysuru city on the last day.

Asked about the letter by Congress leaders, including, Mr H T Somshekar, to Mr Rahul Gandhi opposing the entry of Ashok Kheny into the party allegedly over his involvement in several scams, Mr Siddaramaiah retorted, He will join us today. Some others too will join us. I am not aware of any such letter. I cannot answer imaginary questions."Chennai: The Principal Special Court for CBI cases on Monday remanded TTV Dhinakarans sister B. Sreedaladevi and her husband S.R. Baskaran, alias RBI Baskaran, in a two-decade-old disproportionate wealth case.

In January this year, the court issued NBW after Madras high court upheld the order of the principal special court for CBI cases dated August 26, 2008 convicting them in the case.

According to prosecution, on December 14, 1988, Baskaran joined as a clerk, coin and note examiner in RBI, Chennai. On August 26, 1990 he married Sreedaladevi, sister of Dhinakaran and niece of now jailed V.K. Sasikala, general secretary, AIADMK (Amma). Before joining service, Baskaran had disclosed that he possessed total assets worth Rs 2.96 lakh.

On November 24, 1997, CBI registered a case against them and conducted search at various places on March 18, 1998 and on June 30, 1998.

The search at TNSC bank, Santhome, led to the seizure of 80 gold bars.

Investments in movable and immovable assets, cash, gold and silver articles were seized during the search.

CBI held that Baskaran had amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income to the extent of `1.68 crore, which stands in the name of his wife.At the end of the check period on July 31, 1998, the couple had possessed immovable properties worth `87.96 lakh and movable properties worth `2.28 crore.

On August 26, 2008, the trial court found them guilty under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC and ordered Baskaran to undergo RI for five years and pay a fine of `20 lakh and Sreedaladevi to undergo RI for three years and slapped her with a fine of `10 lakh.

Subsequently, they challenged the trial court order before Madras high court.

Dismissing appeals filed by Baskaran and his wife, Justice G Jayachandran in November last year confirmed the trial court verdict.

Following this on January 19, the CBI court issued NBW against them and directed CBI to produce them before the court.

When the matter came up for hearing before special judge A. Thiruneelaprasad on Monday, they surrendered before the court. The judge remanded them to prison.Hyderabad: All India Congress Committee president Rahul Gandhi has declared that the first thing he will sign if his party comes to power at the Centre in the 2019 general election, will be on granting special category status to AP.

Mr Gandhi participated in the agitation conducted by the APCC in New Delhi on Tuesday demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. CPI and CPM leaders from AP also participated.

Mr Gandhi said, It is my belief that if the Opposition stands united on this issue, we can force the BJP government to do justice to the people of Andhra Pradesh.

The AICC chiefs remarks on special category status is significant at a time when the Telugu Desam ruling AP has intensified its agitation in Parliament demanding justice for AP.The Centre has called a meeting of the chief secretaries of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry to discuss the proposal for setting up a mechanism to implement the Supreme Court judgement on allocation of the Cauvery river water on March 9 here.



Upendra Prasad Singh, Secretary to the Union Ministry of Water Resources, will chair the meeting.

The meeting intimation says that it has been convened to discuss the recent Supreme Court judgment on sharing of the Cauvery water.

The Centre has written to the states to also suggest a convenient date for the meeting of the chief ministers of the Cauvery river riparian states to discuss the issue further. The chief ministers' meeting will be chaired by Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari and the date will be fixed soon after consulting the states, sources said.

The meeting was convened following the Supreme Court judgment on February 16, which directed the Centre to frame a "scheme" within six weeks to implement its order on allocation of water among the riparian states.

The Centre will hear from the riparian states on the issue of setting up the Cauvery Management Board, said the official, adding that the Union Ministry of Water Resources was bound to convene the meeting of the chief ministers of the riparian states with regard to the Supreme Court order, before the six-week period lapses, to avoid contempt of court.

Any delay by the Centre's part in convening the meeting may encourage one of the states to approach the Supreme Court, complaining about the non-compliance of its order, said the official.Unable to bear harassment by a lovelorn youth, a 14-year-old girl committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling of her house at Mullangichtlapalli in Bagepalli taluk of the district on late Sunday night.



According to the complaint lodged by the girl's father, the 17-year-old boy was pestering his daughter for the last 15 days. He would stalk her wherever she went and bother her.

"When I was away from home for some work on Sunday, my daughter was upset and gone to sleep without having her lunch. The boy was seen around our house then. My daughter took her life because of him," the victim's father said in the complaint.



When the news of the girl's death spread in the village, a mob tied the suspect to a pole and beat him up.



The girl's body was handed over to the family after a postmortem at the government hospital. The police have taken the boy into their custody.The state government has ordered a CID probe into the purported irregularities in acquiring Marco Polo buses during the previous BJP regime in the state, Transport Minister H M Revanna said on Monday.



Revanna told reporters here that there were several irregularities in the purchase of 94 Marco Polo buses by the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) during the previous BJP regime. BJP leader R Ashoka was the transport minister when the irregularities took place, he added.

The irregularities were earlier probed by IAS officer S R Umashankar.

After coming to power, the Congress government had decided to scrap the buses citing losses of several crores of rupees. It had even sought the Tata Motors and Marco Polo to refund the money to Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and the KSRTC, he added.

Women's Day initiative

To mark Women's Day, the BMTC would ensure last mile connectivity to women commuters from March 8 onwards, said the minister.

He also said that free buses to around 2.5 lakh construction labourers and passes at subsidised rates to around two lakh women garment factory workers would be distributed soon.Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is most likely to let the Centre take a call on declaring the Lingayat faith as a religious minority, without having to stick his own neck out.



An expert committee headed by former High Court judge Justice Nagamohan Das, in a report submitted last Friday, has concluded that Lingayats in Karnataka are religious minorities. This has triggered opposition from Veerashaivas, mainly the Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Mahasabha headed by veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa.

On the other hand, a triumphant Lingayat camp wants the state government to use its powers to declare Lingayats as a minority community.

"We are still examining the expert committee's report. It will be placed before the Cabinet and mostly, we will make a recommendation to the Centre," a source in the Chief Minister's Office said. Lingayats will have to be included under Section 2(c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.

When contacted, Shivashankarappa said: "I am the 23rd president of the Veerashaiva Mahasabha and our stand remains the same: Veerashaivas and Lingayats are one and the same."

Addressing reporters here on Monday, writer Chandrashekhar Patil (Champa), who is on the advisory board of the Jagathika Lingayat Mahasabha - a counter to the Veerashaiva Mahasabha - said the state government should now accord minority status to the Lingayats. "This will take things to its logical end," he said. "We are not asking for the sky. Karnataka had declared Jains as minority before the Centre granted them the status."

Patil declined to comment on why the expert committee submitted its report in under two months whereas it had sought six months to do. He added that the movement for a separate Lingayat religion had nothing to do with any political party. "But there are attempts being made to politicise it. We urged all those not connected with our religion to stay away," he said.Hectic political parleys for the Rajya Sabha polls is likely in store this week as the filing of the nomination for four seats to Upper House of Parliament from Karnataka opened on Monday.



The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued the notification for the elections scheduled on March 23. As of now, it is unlikely to be a unanimous election. The JD(S) declared that it will contest the polls even though it is short of numbers to win even a single seat. The ruling Congress, on the other end, stuck to its stand of fielding the third candidate.

Members of the Legislative Assembly form the electoral college for the Rajya Sabha polls. A candidate requires about 44 votes to win the polls.

In the Assembly, the Congress has 122 MLAs on its side. Though the JD(S) has 37 MLAs, seven of its rebel MLAs have pledged support to the Congress. The Congress is hoping to win the third seat with the help of the seven JD(S) rebels and some independent legislators. The BJP with 46 MLAs can win one seat.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will leave for New Delhi on Tuesday to hold a discussion with the party high command to finalise Congress candidates. Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah ruled out holding talks with the JD(S) for the third seat.

Siddaramaiah's stand has not gone down well with the JD(S). The party's state chief

H D Kumaraswamy hit back at the Congress, stating that his party was not dependent on the ruling party's support to contest the elections.

Speaking to DH, Kumaraswamy said, "Very good -- let them (Congress) go ahead. We have no hopes regarding the Congress. We are not even interested. Without fail, we will field a candidate. Our party president (H D Deve Gowda) has already announced that we will fight the elections."

The party, which has decided to field businessman B M Farooq, is however still pinning hopes on the Congress high command to come to its aid. It has asked its party Rajya Sabha MP Kupendra Reddy to hold negotiations with the Congress central leaders. "We have asked Kupendra Reddy to hold talks at the Delhi level. If they are interested, then it is okay. If they are not, we will leave it," said Kumaraswamy.

The list of aspirants in the Congress is long. Former Lok Sabha Speakers Shivraj Patil and Meira Kumar are said to be aspiring to contest. Senior leaders including Shamanur Shivashankarappa, S R Patil, Veeranna Mattikatti, Rani Satish and Allamm Prabhu Patil are also in the race.

The BJP Parliamentary Board, which will meet in New Delhi will decide on the party candidate. Two names are doing the rounds, two-term Independent MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar and former Lok Sabha member Vijay Sankeshwar.

Parties have one week to finalise their candidates with March 12 being the last date for filing nominations.Amid reports of sporadic violence in Tripura, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today spoke to the state governor and the DGP and asked them to ensure peace till a new government is installed, an official said.

During the telephonic calls, Governor Tathagata Roy and DGP A K Shukla apprised the Union home minister about the prevailing situation in Tripura and steps taken to control the violence, which erupted following the BJP-IPFT alliances victory over the CPI-M, ousting the Manik Sarkar led government in the just concluded Assembly elections.

Singh asked the governor and the DGP to check all kinds of violence and ensure peace till a new government is installed in Tripura, the home ministry official said.

There have been reports of sporadic violence and clashes between rival political groups in different parts of Tripura after the election results were declared on Saturday.

A statue of Left icon Lenin was also demolished at Belonia town in South Tripura yesterday with the help of a bulldozer.

Tripura witnessed a change in rule after 25 years in the recently concluded Assembly elections. The BJP demolished the Left citadel in Tripura, winning a two-third majority with its ally, the IPFT.Law makers from districts close to the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border were asked by the state home department to move to safe places and to not venture into villages after Maoists started retaliatory moves following the death of 10 of their comrades in a recent encounter with the security forces.



Maoists torched three buses and tippers bound for Telangana in an act of revenge for the Charla encounter.

The Maoists also shot dead one person, believed to be an informer, in Bhadradri district of Telangana.

A TSRTC bus was burnt by Maoists near Kuththi village in Dornapal of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh after they asked all the passengers to get alight from the bus.

The Maoists also torched two more private vehicles in the bordering state.

The incidents coupled with a warning by Maoists that they would intensify attacks on Telangana law makers, forced police to urge them to move to Hyderabad for the time being.

The home department has also decided to procure a landmine and bullet-proof bus for Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met senior South Korean government officials for the first time and said it is his "firm will to vigorously advance" inter-Korean ties and pursue reunification, the North's official news agency said on Tuesday.



A 10-member South Korean delegation led by National Security Office head Chung Eui-yong travelled to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, on Monday in hopes of encouraging North Korea and the United States to talk to one another.

Washington and Pyongyang have been at loggerheads for months over the North's nuclear and missile programmes, with US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un trading insults and threatening war.

Tensions between the two Koreas eased during the recent Winter Olympics in South Korea, where President Moon Jae-In hosted a high-level North Korean delegation.

Kim Jong Un invited Moon to North Korea for a summit, which Moon said the two sides should work towards.

"Hearing the intention of President Moon Jae In for a summit from the special envoy of the south side, (Kim Jong Un) exchanged views and made a satisfactory agreement," the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said of the meeting.

The agency did not provide details on what that agreement was but an official from the presidential Blue House in Seoul said it partially addressed the summit offer made by the North.

North Korea has been developing nuclear-tipped missiles capable of reaching the United States but Pyongyang and Washington both say they want a diplomatic solution.

Seoul's delegation met Kim Jong Un, his sister Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un's wife and other officials on Monday, said Kim Eui-kyeom, a spokesman for the South's presidential office. Kim Yo Jong attended the Winter Olympics opening ceremony last month.

The delegation will wrap up a two-day trip to Pyongyang later on Tuesday after another meeting with North Korean officials, the spokesman said.

Blue House officials could not confirm whether Kim Jong Un would be present at Tuesday's meeting.

Chung said in Seoul before leaving on Monday his team would deliver the South Korean president's wish to bring about denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and permanent peace.

Kim Jong Un gave orders for "practical steps" regarding the letter from Moon that was delivered to him by the delegation, KCNA said without elaborating.

"He also made an exchange of in-depth views on the issues for easing the acute military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and activating the versatile dialogue, contact, cooperation and exchange," the report said.

Both North Korea and the United States have said they are open to talks but the US position has been that dialogue must be aimed at North Korea's denuclearisation, something Pyongyang has rejected.

The Pentagon nevertheless said it was "cautiously optimistic" about the North-South talks, which resumed in January for the first time in two years.

North Korea has vowed never to give up what it calls an essential deterrent against US hostility. Pyongyang has not carried out any nuclear or missile tests since November.

The Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, 38 North, said satellite images from last week indicated North Korea's main nuclear reactor may be operating, meaning that it had resumed production of plutonium, presumably for its nuclear weapons programme.

Steam plumes were observed from the reactor in images from February 17 and 25 and that such vapour plumes had "generally been a useful indicator of reactor operations", 38 North said in a report on Monday.

However, the report said no cooling water discharges had been observed. That could mean the plumes were unrelated to reactor operations, or that the discharge pipeline had been extended into the nearby river in an attempt to disguise activity.

"The presence of ice melt on the river supports the conclusion that the reactor is indeed operating and that the outfall pipeline has been extended," it said.The proceedings of the Lok Sabha were adjourned for an hour on Tuesday morning amid vociferous protests by various parties, including NDA ally Shiv Sena, over a variety of issues, including special status for Andhra Pradesh.



As soon as the House met for the day, members of various Opposition parties rushed to the Well holding placards and shouting slogans.

Shiv Sena members were also seen holding placards demanding "classical language" status for Marathi.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan took up the Question Hour, but amid bedlam, she adjourned the proceedings till 12 noon.

Wearing robes representing their party colours, members from the AIADMK, TRS, TDP and the Shiv Sena were seen in the Well holding placards.

Several BJP members were seen wearing robes from Northeastern states.

Congress members were also seen raising slogans which could not be heard in the din.

While the AIADMK was demanding creation of the Cauvery river board to settle the water sharing issue, the TRS was demanding a hike in Telangana's quota.

The TDP was demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.Myanmar is continuing its "ethnic cleansing" of the Rohingya with a "campaign of terror and forced starvation" in Rakhine state, a UN human rights envoy said on Tuesday, six months after a military crackdown sparked a mass exodus of the Muslim minority.



Some 7,00,000 Rohingya have fled over the border to Bangladesh since the violence erupted in August, bringing with them consistent testimony of murder, rape and arson by soldiers and vigilante mobs.

"The ethnic cleansing of Rohingya from Myanmar continues. I don't think we can draw any other conclusion from what I have seen and heard in Cox's Bazar," UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour said after speaking to newly arrived Rohingya in Bangladesh's crowded refugee camps.

"The nature of the violence has changed from the frenzied blood-letting and mass rape of last year to a lower intensity campaign of terror and forced starvation," he added.

His statement also said it was "inconceivable" that any Rohingya would be able to return to Myanmar in the near future, despite Myanmar's pledges to start taking back some refugees.

"The Government of Myanmar is busy telling the world that it is ready to receive Rohingya returnees, while at the same time its forces are continuing to drive them into Bangladesh," Gilmour said.

Myanmar's military insists its crackdown was needed to root out Rohingya militants who attacked border police posts in August, killing about a dozen people.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has estimated that at least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in the first month of the crackdown alone.

Hundreds of Rohingya villages were torched, and recent satellite imagery showed at least 55 villages have since been completely bulldozed, removing all traces of buildings, wells and vegetation.Medico inmates of the Indian Medical Association ladies' hostel, boycotted classes and staged a protest on Tuesday, demanding the arrest of a group of young men who barged into their hostel early Monday morning.



It is learnt that a group of youth who had painted their faces with colours, barged into the ladies' hostel at about 2 am on Monday, even though the hostel has female security guards.

The students staged a dharna before the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (Kims) college demanding the arrest of the group of intruders.US President Donald Trump has indicated that he might attend the inauguration of the new American embassy in Jerusalem as he reaffirmed his country's support to Israel's security during his talks with embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.



Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December and announced that the US embassy would move to the city in May, shortly after Israels 70th anniversary.

The decision caused uproar in the Arab world and led Palestinian leaders to reject a US role in mediating a resolution to the decades old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Trump said he might visit Jerusalem in May this year to open the new American Embassy there.

"We're looking at it. We'll have it built very quickly. A lot of people wouldn't be doing it quickly like that. But we're going to have it built very quickly and very inexpensively," he said.

Trump reaffirmed the great friendship between the US and Israel, and the commitment of the US to Israels security.

Trump underscored his goal of countering Irans "malign influence", the White House said after Trump met Netanyahu.

Welcoming Netanyahu to his Oval Office, Trump said the relationship between the two countries is at its best.

"We have, I would say, probably the best relationships right now with Israel that we ever had. I think we're as close now as, maybe, ever before," he said.

Netanyahu also praised Trump, saying that his move to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital would be remembered throughout the ages.

"Others talked about it. You did it. So I want to thank you on behalf of the people of Israel", he said.

"If I had to say what is our greatest challenge in the Middle East to both our countries, to our Arab neighbours, it's encapsulated in one word: Iran.

"Iran has not given up its nuclear ambitions. It came out of this nuclear deal emboldened, enriched. It is practising aggression everywhere, including on our own borders. Iran must be stopped. That is our common challenge, " Netanyahu added.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu remained embroiled in controversy back home where he is facing corruption charges.

Hours before his meeting with Trump, it was confirmed that an ex-aide of the Israeli prime minister agreed to become a state witness in a corruption probe that has imperiled his premiership.The Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the Lokpal Selection panel headed by the Prime Minister has met on March 1 and decided to fill up the vacancy of an eminent jurist in the committee at the earliest.



"The selection committee with the CJI and Lok Sabha speaker as members is currently seized with the matter. Once the eminent jurist is appointed to the panel, further steps will be taken proceed in the matter," Attorney General K K Venugopal submitted before a bench of justices Ranjan Gogoi and R Banumathi, reading out an affidavit filed by the secretary, Department of Personnel and Training.

The affidavit also pointed out that Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the Congress party, the single largest Opposition party in the Lok Sabha, had declined to attend the meeting as a special invitee.

Venugopal also submitted that he could not ask for a date for such appointment and it would need to be left to the Selection Committee.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Common Cause contended the Lokpal Act was passed nearly four year ago and the judgement of the court was delivered about a year ago wherein it was observed that the Lokpal and Lokayutas Act, 2013 was a perfectly workable legislation and there was no justification on the part of the government to keep the enforcement of the said act under suspension.

He claimed the government was delaying the appointment of Lokpal under the pretext of the amendments in the law to make single largest party leader eligible to participate in capacity of Leader of Opposition in the selection panel.

The court put the matter for consideration on April 17.Air India has been allowed by Saudi Arabia to fly over its territory on its new route from New Delhi to Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday, an unprecedented move which would reduce travel time between the two cities by two and a half hours.



India's national carrier Air India is scheduled to begin its direct flight between New Delhi and Tel Aviv in a few weeks from now.

Interacting with reporters after his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, Netanyahu said that Air India has signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia over the matter.

"Air India signed an agreement today (Tuesday) to fly to Israel over Saudi Arabia," Netanyahu said.

So far, Saudi Arabia has not allowed planes from any country to fly over it and go to Israel.

Israel does not have diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, but it was reported that the two nations have been working covertly on their shared security concerns over Iran after the 2015 nuclear accord, which both governments strongly opposed.

Such a permission by Saudi Arabia would reduce the air travel time from New Delhi to Tel Aviv by Air India from about eight hours to five and a half hours, Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu said that as a result of the short travel of Air India, the Israeli national carrier El Al would be at disadvantage both in terms of cost and travel time.

He said he is in talks with the national carrier so that it is not hurt economically.

Israel's Ministry of Tourism will approve a one-time grant of 750,000 Euros to Air to launch up to a total of three weekly flights to Tel Aviv, an official said in Jerusalem last month.Destruction of a statue of Lenin, a Communist icon, by BJP workers in Tripura following the saffron party's electoral victory in the state triggered a sharp division among the Parliamentarians with the vandalism receiving support only from the right wing leaders.



At least two ministers Hansraj Ahir and Giriraj Singh defended the vandalism while Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy described Lenin as a "terrorist" and wondered whether the statue of such a person could be installed in India in the first place.



A day after the BJP's victory which ended 25 years of Left rule in Tripura, a five-feet fibreglass statue of the former Soviet leader was pulled down by suspected BJP workers in south Tripura's Belonia town, about 110 km from Agartala.



"We condemn all kinds of violence and the state government is handling the situation. But I want to make it clear that statues of foreign leaders are not required in India. I don't want to take anyone's name but I want to say that we have no place for them," Ahir told a news agency responding to a question about Lenin's statue being pulled down.



The Minister of State for Home Affairs received support from Singh, the junior minister in charge of micro, small and medium scale industry.



"BJP or its ideology does not propagate violence but the Left does. So many people were oppressed by the Left. Some of them must have this feeling of revenge. Only time will tell who was responsible for razing the statue in the Northeastern state," said Singh.



In Kolkata for a party conference, CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury came down heavily on BJP and RSS for the violence.



"What happened in Tripura is unacceptable in a democratic order. If you mount this kind of attack after your victory, it is a clear expression of your anti-democratic character. This will be answered back democratically," he said.



While Congress was mum, a JD(U) MP renounced the vandals. "This is wrong. People of this nation believe in different ideologies. It is true that Lenin's statues were demolished after the end of ruling in Russia. But India is not Russia, all ideologies should be supported here. Lenin brought huge revolution in 1917 for poor," said Rajya Sabha member Harivansh.Electronics major Samsung today unveiled its flagship smartphones Galaxy S9 and S9+ in the Indian market priced at Rs 57,900 onwards.



The Korean giant had introduced the latest generation of its premium Galaxy S range a couple of days back in Barcelona, Spain.

The phones, which include features like dual aperture and slow-motion video options, will compete with high-end devices like Apples iPhone X and Googles Pixel 2 series. It also has features like dual-stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos surround sound capabilities.

Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will be offered at a price of Rs 57,900 and Rs 64,900 respectively for 64GB variants and Rs 65,900 and Rs 72,900 respectively for 256GB variants. The handsets will be available from March 16.

"We have partnered Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio to ensure Galaxy S9 and S9+ consumers experience data speeds like never before," Samsung India Senior VP, Mobile Business Asim Warsi told reporters here.

He added that the phones can stream data at about 250Mbps, which is 2.5 times faster than the average smartphone connected to the same network.

Galaxy S9 will come with a 5.8-inch display, 4GB RAM, 12MP rear and 8MP front cameras and 3,000 mAh battery.

Galaxy S9+, on the other hand, features 6.2-inch display, 6GB RAM, 12MP rear and front cameras, and 3,500 mAh battery. Both devices support the expandable memory of up to 400GB.

According to research firm Counterpoint, the premium smartphone segment (priced Rs 30,000 onwards) in India witnessed over 20 per cent growth in 2017 over 2016. The Rs 10,000-15,000 category grew at the fastest pace.

The premium category was the second fastest growing segment (20 per cent year-on-year) by volume, while it expanded by 28 per cent in value terms in 2017, Counterpoint said.

The report added that three brands Apple, OnePlus and Samsung still contribute to 94 per cent of the overall premium market segment.



The CBI today produced Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, arrested in the INX Media case, before a Delhi court and sought his custody for nine more days.

Special Judge Sunil Rana said the court will hear the matter at 2 pm today as Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta, who had appeared before it on the last hearing, was not available for arguments on behalf of the CBI.

The probe agency today submitted before the court certain documents in a sealed cover related to the probe done in the case in last six days.

The court allowed Karti Chidambaram to meet his father, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, and mother Nalini Chidambaram, who were present in the courtroom, for 10 minutes.

During his five days of custody, Karti Chidambaram was taken to Mumbai where he was confronted with former INX Media director Indrani Mukerjea at the Byculla prison in connection with the case.

On March 1, the court had allowed Karti Chidambaram's custodial interrogation by the CBI for five days, saying there was a need to unearth the larger conspiracy in the INX Media case and his presence would serve an important purpose.

Seeking extension of custody, the CBI counsel V K Sharma said it was able to gather some information even though Karti Chidambaram was "evasive" while answering routine questions.

It is necessary that he be remanded to police custody for a further nine days to elicit further information, the agency added.

While granting police custody, the court on March 1 had come to the conclusion that Karti Chidambaram's presence was needed for important and specific purposes connected with the completion of the investigation in the present case, the CBI said.

The agency also reminded the court about its previous order in which it was stated that Karti Chidambaram's custody remand was necessary to confront him with documents, co-accused and to unearth the larger conspiracy and the role of other accused person involved in the case.

The CBI, during the last hearing, had claimed that Karti Chidambaram has to be confronted with the statement of various witnesses, including former RBI governor D Subba Rao.

Rao had headed a committee which dealt with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) issue of INX Media before the approval was granted when Chidambaram was Union finance minister.

Karti Chidambaram was arrested on February 28 at Chennai Airport on his return from the United Kingdom, in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year alleging irregularities in FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds worth about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was finance minister.

The fresh evidence in the case, triggering the arrest, was based on a statement from Indrani Mukerjea, also an accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, who recorded it under section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.

During the last hearing, the probe agency had contended that there were "very shocking evidence" of what Karti Chidambaram had done when he went abroad ."...when he went abroad, he closed bank accounts in which funds were received," it alleged.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Karti Chidambaram, had said there was not an iota of evidence against him. "...He is being arrested despite complying with court orders repeatedly."

According to the CBI, in May 2007, the first FIPB approval was given to INX Media. In April 2008, this reference was made in the Finance Ministry.

From June 2008 onwards, the payment of the bribe money was started. The second FIPB approval was given on November 2, 2008. "We are investigating whether the April 2008 reference was a 'pressure technique'," the CBI contended following Singhvi's claim that it was P Chidambaram who had himself ordered a probe in the matter when he was finance minister.Sri Lanka today declared a state of emergency for 10 days after violent clashes broke out between Buddhists and minority Muslims in the country's central Kandy district that left two persons dead.



Violence erupted yesterday following which police imposed curfew in the Theldeniya area.



President Maithripala Sirisena and the Cabinet today decided to declare a state of emergency for 10 days following the violence prevailed in some parts of the country, Minister of Social Empowerment S B Dissanayake said.



A Gazette notification would be issued right away, he told reporters outside the Presidents Secretariat, where the Cabinet meeting was held.



There are allegations that the law was not implemented to minimize the impact of these tense situations. Now, the Police and Army personnel had been deployed to respective areas to beef up security, he was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror.



Dissanayake said the President could decide at the end of the 10 days, whether to extend the state of emergency.



Fresh curfew was imposed today and heavily-armed police commandos of the special task force were deployed in Theldeniya and Pallekele areas of Kandy district where riots have left two dead and homes and businesses of the minority community in ruins.



According to police, the elite special task force was deployed in the area after riots broke out following the death of an assault victim, a Sinhalese, who was attacked by the members of the minority community.



They said on February 22, the man was admitted to a hospital following an attack. He succumbed to his injuries on March 3, after which the attackers arrested and were remanded to police custody till tomorrow.Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar today renewed his appeal to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to consider an out-of-court settlement to the Ram Janmabhoomi row, saying he feared a "large-scale" communal flare up if the case was settled by a court or through legislation.



In an open letter to the AIMPLB members, he said going through the court was a loss for both Hindus and Muslims and an out-of-court settlement would be a "win-win situation" for both the communities.

"I urge the leaders of both faiths to take this action seriously. Otherwise, we are pushing our country to the brink of a civil war," said Ravi Shankar, who has been making persistent mediation efforts, meeting Muslim and Hindu leaders, to find a solution to the dispute.

He gave four possible situations -- the court giving away the land to the Muslims, awarding the land to the Hindus, upholding the Allahabad High Court order that says there should be a mosque built on one acre whilst the remaining 60 acres be utilised to build the temple and Parliament passing a legislation.

"In all the four options, either through the court or through the government, the result will be devastating for the nation in general and the Muslim community in particular," he said.

Ravi Shankar said the best solution would be an out-of-court settlement, in which the Muslim bodies come forward and gift one acre of land to the Hindus, who, in turn, would gift five acres of land nearby to the Muslims to build a bigger mosque.

He also told the AIMPLB leaders that Islam permitted the shifting of the mosque to another location and that cleric Maulana Salman Nadvi and many other Muslim scholars had endorsed it.

Ravi Shankar, however, said, "Muslims are not surrendering this land to the people who demolished the Babri Masjid or to a particular organisation.

"On the contrary, they are gifting it to the people of India. They must keep this in their minds and spirit. It is only reconciliation and an expression of their broad-mindedness, benevolence, magnanimity and goodwill."Union minister Giriraj Singh today said people who were "oppressed" during the 25-year Left rule in Tripura might have brought down a statue of communist icon Lenin in the state.



"The Bharatiya Janata Party or its ideology does not propagate violence but the Left does," the BJP leader asserted, a day after a five-feet fibreglass statue of the former Soviet leader was pulled down by suspected BJP workers in South Tripura's Belonia town, about 110 kilometres from Agartala.

"So many people were oppressed by the Left. Some of them must have this feeling of revenge," Singh said.

Only time will tell who was responsible for razing the statue in the north-eastern state, where the BJP is set to form the government along with the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), he said.

The minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises added that many people had been killed under the Left rule in places like Kerala.

Mocking the BJP's rivals over their angry reaction to the statue's demolition, Singh said, "I never heard them say anything over the demolition of thousands of temples in the past, including those in Kashi (Varanasi), Mathura and Ayodhya."

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today spoke to Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy and Director-General of Police A K Shukla, amid reports of sporadic violence in the state, asking them to ensure peace till a new government is installed.

The Left has accused the BJP of unleashing violence in the state after the latter ousted the 25-year rule of the communist party in the state.Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and other leaders of the JuD and the FIF are still freely using the banned groups' offices despite Pakistan's claims that all the assets of the two outfits have been seized and their bank accounts frozen, an official said today.



The government last month had taken over the Jamaat-ud-Dawa's famous Muridke Markaz and Lahore's headquarters of Masjid Al Qadsia in Chauburji. But on the ground, neither Saeed and his supporters left the JuD's Chauburji headquarters nor that of Muridke and other offices of JuD and the Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) in the country.

"Since the government has taken over the control of JuD headquarters in Lahore in mid last month, Saeed delivered three Friday sermons in three successive weeks there in the presence of a large number of his supporters. The government could only deploy its administrator at Al Qadsia while the JuD men are operating from there the way they used to," an official of the Punjab government told PTI today.

A similar arrangement was made at JuD's Muridke headquarters, he added.

"The government has not barred Saeed and activists of his charities from using the JuD headquarters in Lahore and Muridke, and other offices of the two organisations," he said.

The government had initiated action against Saeed's organisations in pursuance of an ordinance issued by President Mamnoon Hussain in February amending the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, and allowing the state to proscribe UNSC-listed organisations, some of which had been exempt from prosecution.

The move had also come in the backdrop of a meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental money-laundering watchdog, that put Pakistan on a greylist.

At the FATF meeting in Paris last month, Saeed and his "charities" were top on the list of the groups that the FATF wanted Pakistan to act against.

Pakistan last week vowed to take further actions to address certain "deficiencies" highlighted by the FATF in its anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing framework.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. It has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan told PTI the officials from various government departments had been appointed as administrators of JuD's offices to oversee the working of welfare-oriented facilities like dispensaries and schools.

To a question about as why the JuD leadership including Saeed had not been stopped using the JuD headquarters in Lahore and Muridke, the minister said: "We have taken over all JuD and FIF facilities including schools, dispensaries, offices and seminaries. These are now in the government's control."

Another official told PTI that the government at this stage does not want to stop Saeed and other JuD leaders from using its main headquarters as it may lead to a clash between them.The JPPF today demanded a CBI probe into the rape-and-murder case of a minor girl in Kathua district and asked the state government to refrain from politicising the issue.



Jammu Province Peoples Forum (JPPF) is an amalgam of more than 50 social, commercial and other organisations of Jammu.

"We want a CBI probe into the killing of a minor girl of Hiranagar. We ask the government to immediately hand over the case to the CBI for the fair and transparent enquiry to bring justice," the president of the forum, Paviter Singh told reporters here today.

The body of the eight-year-old girl was recovered from Rassana forest on January 17, a week after she had gone missing while grazing horses.

On January 23, the government handed over the case to the state police's crime branch which arrested a Special Police Officer (SPO) in February for his alleged involvement in the abduction and killing of the girl.

Earlier, a special investigation team (SIT) had arrested a 15-year-old boy and claimed the accused had strangulated the victim after she resisted his rape attempt.

Singh said the culprit should be "dealt with harshly" and expressed disappointment at the politicisation of the issue.

"This kind of act is intolerable and we all extend our support to the government. On the other hand, we are also astonished to see how this is being politicised by different entities for benefits best known to them," he said.

He said the agencies' failure to nab the culprit even a month after the incident has created an environment of fear among the residents of Hiranagar.

"Just imagine the innocent people of that village who left their houses in search of the more secure place," he said.The BJP government in Rajasthan will now celebrate Valentine's Day in schools but with a difference.



Students will be asked to worship their parents through a unique "matra-pitra pujan samman samaroh (worshipping and honouring parents)".

In an attempt to counter the celebration of Valentine's Day on February 14, the Rajasthan education department has decided to felicitate the parents of students.

Rajasthan education minister Vasudev Devnani, who made the announcement in the state Assembly, said, "The aim is to instil a sense of love for parents. It is compulsory that students first learn to love parents thereafter they love anyone else".

Apart from celebrating Valentine's Day in the schools, he told the House that teacher training camps would be named after Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, the ideologue of the RSS.

Devnani has previously been in the news for revising course textbooks.

He also removed the name of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru from school textbooks and included a chapter on Emergency.

His name was again dragged into another controversy when his department included a historian's view suggesting that Mewar ruler Maharana Pratap defeated Mughal emperor Akbar in the Battle of Haldighati.

The minister also announced several technological interventions in schools to make them more efficient and paperless.

"The new textbooks for classes IX and X will come with QR codes. There will be 389 QR codes which will take students to reference material and videos related to the content," Devnani saidA massive crackdown was launched on the mining mafia today in the Nawanshahr and Jalandhar districts after Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh noticed illegal activity on the Sutlej river bed as he flew over the Sutlej river bed in a chopper on way to Kartarpur.



An angry Punjab chief minister promptly ordered a probe and seizure of the equipment that appeared to be engaged in illegal mining, an official spokesperson said.

The Nawanshahr authorities seized some heavy earth moving machines along with two Forklifts and 30 Tippers (Trucks) from village Malikpur following Singh's directive.

The chief minister was flying to Kartarpur near Jalandhar to dedicate to the nation the second phase of the Jang-e-Azadi Memorial monument when he spotted the blatant illegal activity, largely in the Rahon area of Nawanshahr, and also in Phillaur (Jalandhar), he said.

Perturbed at the shocking sight, Singh asked the helicopter pilot to fly lower and took a sortie around the river bank. Having confirmed his suspicion, Singh wasted no time in ordering an urgent and thorough probe into the matter, the spokesperson said.

The chief minister directed the deputy commissioners and SSPs of the concerned districts to crack down on the activity and seize the equipment, he added.

Clearly upset at having witnessed the blatant violation of norms, Singh instructed the state, DGP Suresh Arora, to expedite the formulation of a comprehensive strategy, in coordination with the mining department and the district administrations, to curb the illegal activity.

He made it clear that non-compliance or further delay in this regard would not be tolerated, the spokesperson said.CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury today criticised the BJP-RSS for the pulling down of a statue of communist icon Vladimir Lenin in Tripura and urged the democratic and secular forces of the country to come together against the ''fascist onslaught'' of the saffron regime.



He said the CPI(M) would discuss all the options in the upcoming party Congress while deciding on its political-tactical line for taking on the BJP.

Without mentioning the Congress party, Yechury underlined the need for the broadest possible platform of the Left and democratic forces in the country to counter the BJP-RSS.

Yesterday, the statue of Lenin was pulled down by some people with an excavator machine at Belonia in South Tripura district, about 110 km from state capital Agartala, in the wake of the announcement of the state Assembly poll results, in which the Left Front was drubbed by the BJP-IPFT combine.

The CPI(M) held BJP workers responsible for the pulling down of the fibre-glass statue that was installed a few months ago.

Criticising the incident, Yechury alleged that the BJP-RSS was unleashing ''unprecedented violence'' and arson across Tripura in the aftermath of their victory in the Assembly election.

''Such attacks clearly demonstrate that the RSS and the BJP rely mainly on unleashing political violence as means to advance their inherent anti-democratic and fascist agenda,'' he said.

Yechury also described Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy's tweet on the matter as ''unfortunate''.

''This shows how constitutional posts are being undermined,'' he said.

Reacting to the pulling down of the Lenin statue, Roy had tweeted, ''What one democratically elected government can do another democratically elected government can undo. And vice versa.''

Yechury alleged that 514 CPI(M) activists were assaulted, 1,539 houses of party activists were attacked and 196 houses set afire since the announcement of the poll results in Tripura.

He also claimed that 134 CPI(M) offices were attacked and looted, 64 party offices set ablaze and at least 90 offices of different mass organisations were occupied allegedly by the supporters of the BJP and its ally, the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT).

The Left, Yechury said, would launch massive agitations across Tripura and the country to protest against the onslaught of the communal forces.

''We will ensure that they (BJP) get a befitting reply from the masses,'' he added.The Supreme Court today refused to grant Karti Chidambaram, the son of former union minister P Chidambaram, interim protection from arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case relating to the INX Media group.



The top court asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file their responses on a fresh plea by Karti against the probe done in the money laundering case.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said its order will not come in the way of the proceedings being conducted before any court.

"Needless to emphasise, our present order shall have no impact on any proceedings pending against the petitioner in any Court. Matter be listed on March 8," it said.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta questioned the maintainability of the writ petition filed by Karti saying it cannot be filed under article 32 of the Constitution.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Karti, said if steps are taken to take away or curtail the liberty of a person without following the due procedure of law, then it can be agitated by way of a writ petition which is a fundamental right.

The bench then clarified that if it held in affirmative the issue of maintainability of the writ petition, then only can it advert to the propositions which relate to constitutional rights.

Sibal said there was a serious infringement of his client's fundamental rights due to the "arbitrary and malafide acts" of ED, which is probing the alleged money laundering case.

He said Karti may be arrested by the ED in a "frivolous" case lodged by it after his police custody granted by the trial court to the CBI gets over.

"He should not be taken into ED custody after the CBI custody gets over. The court should grant interim protection from arrest till the time the case is pending. Can't he be protected for few days," Sibal asked.

Mehta then intervened and said that "the plea is being made as if it is an anticipatory bail application".

Sibal retorted saying "No, it's not an anticipatory bail application but a substantive writ petition which raises a serious question of law."

Referring to a recent media report that ED has found details of Karti transferring Rs 1.8 crore into the bank account of an influential political figure, Sibal said this political figure is none other than his father P Chidambaram.

"Father gave a loan to his son, which was returned by him by way of cheques. Can a father not give a loan to his son," Sibal questioned and added that deliberate attempts were made to "humiliate, harass and cause damage to his reputation".

During the nearly half an hour long hearing at around 11 am, Mehta said that Karti will be produced before the trial court on expiry of his police custody and the CBI is likely to seek an extension of his remand.

Sibal argued that investigating agencies have been harassing his client continuously and till date, no copy of Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), which is equivalent to an FIR, registered in INX Media case has been given to him.

Sibal, who appeared along with other senior advocates and Congress leaders Salman Khurshid and Vivek Tankha, argued that the probe done by ED was premised on an FIR registered by CBI in respect of a predicate offence which is a scheduled offence under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Without any predicate offence and proceeds of crime, the ED will have no jurisdiction to register an ECIR and investigate under the PMLA, the senior lawyer said.

Karti had yesterday filed the fresh writ plea seeking direction to declare that ED had no jurisdiction to conduct an investigation unrelated to the allegations in the FIR lodged by CBI on May 15, 2017.

He had also sought the quashing of the summons and all proceedings initiated by the ED, terming it "unreasonable, without jurisdiction, without authority of law, in the colourable exercise of power and vitiated by malafides".

Karti, who was arrested on February 28, at Chennai immediately after he returned from abroad, had also sought direction to the ED to forbear from investigating under the PMLA, the commission of a predicate offence or the existence of proceeds of crime in the M/s INX Media case and investigate the alleged offence of money laundering only if and after the proceeds of crime arising out of a predicate offence are identified by the CBI.

The apex court had on February 23 refused to stay the summons issued by the ED against Karti Chidambaram -- who is presently in CBI custody in the INX Media case.

The ED had registered a case against him and others in May last year. It had registered an ECIR, against the accused named in a CBI complaint. These included Karti Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea.

An FIR, filed on May 15 last year, had alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving Rs 305 crore in overseas funds in 2007 when P Chidambaram was Union finance minister.The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre on a plea challenging the appointment of BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra as an independent director of the public sector major ONGC.



A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan sought the response of the central government to a petition filed by advocate Prashant Bhushan on behalf of NGO Energy Watchdog.

The petitioner challenged the Delhi High Court's judgement of November 6, 2017, dismissing the plea.

Patra's appointment was challenged on the ground that he was not 'independent' at all- ONGC being a central government undertaking and Patra being the national spokesperson of the ruling party and this cannot be said 'not related' to the government-run PSU as is the requirement under Section 149(2) of the Companies Act, 2013.

Among others, it was contended he did not fulfil the eligibility criteria in place for the appointment to the post of independent director since his name did not appear in the data bank maintained by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) as mandated under Section 150 of Companies Act.

"That the post is a highly paying one (Rs 23-27 lakhs plus per year) and that state largess must not be passed on to such ineligible persons only because they are close to the government," the petitioner contended.The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed its disinclination to allow a plea for expunging of adverse remarks against V D Savarkar in the Mahatma Gandhi assassination case.



"We appreciate your motives. There could be stigma attached to a community and a group of people but it is not possible now to remove it," a bench of Justices S A Bobde and L Nageswara Rao told Mumbai-based petitioner Dr Pankaj Phadnis.

The court said it would not go by sentiments to reopen investigations into the assassination of Gandhi or correct the verdict in that case.

The court reserved its order on a plea by Phadnis, a trustee of charitable trust Abhinav Bharat. He contended the Gandhi's case was one of the biggest cover-ups in the history.

The apex court said the plea seeking retrial of the case to look into larger conspiracy was based on academic research but that cannot from the basis to reopen the matter which happened years ago.

The petitioner had also questioned the 'three bullet theory' relied upon by various courts to hold the conviction of Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte, who were hanged. He had contended that there was a need to examine whether there was a fourth bullet also, which was fired by someone else than Godse.

"You said people have the right to know about what happened. But it appears that people already know about it. You are creating suspicion in the minds of the people. The fact is that the people who committed assassination have been identified and hanged.

"It (the incident) is too late in the day. We are not going to reopen or correct it. Don't get sentimental about the matter. These are not matters to show emotions. We will go by the legal submissions and not emotions. We have heard you and will pass order," the court said.

He said he had sought the expunction of "adverse, unfounded" remarks made by the Kapur Commission in 1969 report against Savarkar and the setting up of a commission to find out the conspiracy behind the incident.

Phadnis claimed that the Maratha community has been "maligned" due to these adverse remarks which should hence be removed. Senior advocate Amrendra Sharan, appointed as amicus curiae, contended that the matter has already attained finality and there was no need to reopen the case.Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said that he is a Hindu and does not celebrate Eid.



Speaking in the state Assembly, Adityanath also said his party would not "tolerate" attempts to break the country and would instead "break those who try to do so".

"I am a Hindu... I don't celebrate Eid... I am proud of my culture," the chief minister said amid thumping of desks by the BJP members in the Assembly.

He said that his government would extend every help to those who celebrated the festival of Eid.

Adityanath said the state government managed to persuade Muslims to defer Friday prayers by a few hours to enable Hindus to celebrate Holi, which also fell on the same day.

Adityanath, who celebrated Holi at Barsana in Mathura district - famous for its 'latthmaar holi' (where women hit men revellers with stick, who try to protect themselves with shields) - had made a similar remark in response to a query by a journalist a few days ago.

The chief minister also highlighted the achievements of his 11-month-old government in the state and said that it had been able to give a corruption-free governance.

"Not a single communal riot has taken place during this time," he claimed.Air India has been allowed by Saudi Arabia to fly over its territory on its new route from New Delhi to Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said here on Tuesday, a move which would slash travel time between the two cities by two and a half hours.



India's national carrier Air India is scheduled to begin its direct flight between New Delhi and Tel Aviv soon.

Interacting with reporters after his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, Netanyahu said that Air India has signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia to use its airspace.

"Air India signed an agreement on Tuesday to fly to Israel over Saudi Arabia," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu said that Saudi Arabia has not granted overfly permission to Israeli national carrier El Al, which operates four weekly flights to Mumbai.

Israel does not have diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, but it was reported that the two nations have been working covertly on their shared security concerns over Iran after the 2015 nuclear accord, which both governments strongly opposed.

Such a permission by Saudi Arabia would reduce the air travel time from New Delhi to Tel Aviv by Air India from about eight hours to five and a half hours, Netanyahu said.

Since El Al's flights will take longer and be more expensive, as the planes consume more fuel because they fly a longer, more circuitous route, the Israeli prime minister said he is in talks with the national carrier to ensure that it does not get hurt economically.

Netanyahu did not elaborate, thought it seems he was hinting at subsidies, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Meanwhile in New Delhi, an Air India spokesperson reacting to Prime Minister Netanyahu's statement said, "We are yet to receive any communication from the Indian regulator."

Air India has sought permission from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for thrice-a-week flight from Delhi to Tel Aviv.

Israel's Ministry of Tourism will approve a one-time grant of 7,50,000 euros to Air to launch the flight service, an Israeli official had said last month.After confronting Indrani Mukerjea with Karti Chidambaram, the CBI is now planning to bring Peter Mukerjea and the former Finance Minister's son face-to-face in the INX Media case.



Peter is presently lodged in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai while his wife Indrani is in Byculla prison in connection with the murder of her daughter Sheena.

They are also accused in the INX Media case in which Karti is claimed to have taken money from them for arranging government approval for foreign direct investment in INX Media in which they were former promoters.

CBI sources said they are planning to seek the custody of Peter in the case to get more clues on the suspected changing hands of money for the approval. They may also try to get Peter's statement recorded before a magistrate.

Karti and Indrani were confronted in the Byculla prison on Sunday for about 25 minutes during which she had repeated the claims she made during the recording of her statement before a magistrate. Karti had denied it.

CBI sources claimed Karti refused to believe that Indrani had given a statement against him. "So we confronted both and she again repeated the same thing," a senior CBI official said.

In her statement before a magistrate in February, Indrani has claimed that she and Peter met Chidambaram in his office when he was Finance Minister.

Chidambaram is claimed to have told them to help his son's business and when they met Karti in Hotel Hyat, he demanded $1 million.The Madras High Court has directed the Chennai Corporation commissioner to take action against officials who issued notices to over 100 people, including actors Kamal Haasan and Ramya Krishnan, without referring to a court order.



The matter relates to construction of buildings in an area falling in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ).

A division bench of justices M Venugopal and S Vaidyanathan was hearing a batch of pleas, seeking a direction to the authorities, including the National Coastal Zone Management Authority, to consider re-classification of Akkarai village in Sholinganallur panchayat as CRZ-II as per a central notification.

The court had earlier directed the corporation to inform the residents of the area as regards the pendency of the writ petitions.

When the matter came up yesterday, the court was informed that notices were issued with regard to construction of buildings in violation of the sanctioned plan in the area.

The court said the authority that issued the notices had completely ignored the court order in this regard.

"Whether the order flouted was wilful or unintentional has to be decided at the appropriate stage," it observed.

The bench said when there was a specific court direction, it was the duty of the authorities to mention about the pendency of the petitions in the "notice or by separate notice, in order to enable the parties to appear before this court, as the place is a Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)".

It made it clear that if the corporation commissioner did not act against the officials, who issued the notices without referring to the court order, and place them in "non-sensitive posts", appropriate action would be taken against him, besides asking him to appear before the court.Two statues of Communist icon Vladimir Lenin were brought down in South Tripura, the police said on Tuesday. The CPM and its arch-rival in Bengal, the Trinamool Congress, blamed the BJP for the incidents.



The statues were pulled down just days after the Left was defeated in the Assembly polls by the BJP and its ally IPFT, which together won a two-third majority in the House in a state where the CPM was in power for 25 years.

A five-foot fibre glass statue of Lenin was toppled at Belonia on Monday, while a smaller figure was razed at Sabroom two days ago, district superintendent of police Monchak Ipper said.

Tripura chief minister-designate Biplab Deb has urged the people of the state to maintain peace, and said anybody indulging in violence would be punished.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Governor Tathagatha Roy and the director general of police, asking them to ensure peace till a new government was installed, an official said in New Delhi.

The demolition at Belonia evoked a sharp reaction from Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who blamed the BJP and the RSS for the incidents.

Tripura CPM district secretary Tapas Datta alleged that the statue, unveiled by the party's Politburo member and former general secretary Prakash Karat a few months ago, was razed by BJP workers. "After pulling down the statue, slogans of Bharat Mata Ki Jai were raised," Datta said.

Ipper said the driver of the JCB excavator machine used to bring down the Lenin figure at Belonia was arrested and a notice sent to its owner.

The statue would be handed over to the authorities of the Belonia Municipal Corporation, he said.

Governor's tweet

The incidents took a controversial turn with a tweet posted by Governor Tathagata Roy. "What one democratically elected government can do another democratically elected government can undo. And vice versa," he tweeted.

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who criticised the incidents, described the tweet as unfortunate. "The tweet by the governor is unfortunate... This shows how constitutional posts are being undermined," he said.Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday joined a protest by Narendra Modi government's ally, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and YSR Congress, backing their demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh.



He promised to accord special status to the State if his party is voted to power in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

"We will give special category status to Andhra Pradesh. It is the first thing that we will do after coming to power in 2019," he said, addressing parliamentarians from the State during their protest at Jantar Mantar.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed frequent disruptions and adjournments as parliamentarians from Andhra Pradesh demanded special status for the State, which was bifurcated to carve out the state of Telangana under the second term of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre.

Amid the melee in Lok Sabha, the Congress-led Opposition also raised the Punjab National Bank fraud involving Nirav Modi, prompting Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the House minutes after it assembled for the day.

A debate on the "alleged systemic irregularities in the banking sector over the years and its impact on the Indian economy" was scheduled to be held in the Lok Sabha under Rule 193, which does not entail voting.

When the Lower House re-assembled at 12 noon, the Congress demanded that the debate be held under some other rule.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar was expressed surprise at the Congress demand saying the party's own member K C Venugopal had given notice for a debate under Rule 193.

'Punish the guilty'

"A debate must be held on the irregularities in banking sector and those involved must be punished. Congress should be ready to discuss what happened in the past as well," he said.

With the Congress and other Opposition parties refusing to relent, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi along with his partymen staged a protest against the PNB fraud, near Mahatma Gandhi statue at Parliament House. He demanded answers from the Prime Minister on the loan fraud.Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has invited leaders of all Opposition parties for dinner here on March 13 in a fresh bid to forge a united front against the BJP, sources in the party said.



The initiative - in the backdrop of Opposition parties joining hands to attack the government in Parliament - is a step towards strengthening the Opposition and laying the foundation for a united front in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, a party insider said.

Sonia Gandhi's invitation comes at a time when the talk of a non-BJP, non-Congress front is doing the rounds following a proposal by TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao for a national consultation process on the matter.

Sources close to the Congress confirmed that Sonia Gandhi's dinner would signify the coming together of all Opposition parties who would take on the BJP inside and outside Parliament.

"It would not only be a dinner, but also a showcase of the strength of Opposition parties who would like to come together to form a front against the misrule of the BJP," a senior leader said.

Several leaders have confirmed their attendance, a Congress insider said. However, he said, Sonia Gandhi is keen to have all top Opposition party leaders, including Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who is yet to confirm.

NDA ally TDP could also attend the Congress leader's dinner, said a senior Opposition leader.With both countries keen to move out of the shadow of the face-off in Doklam, India and China are set to revive a mechanism for sharing data on trans-boundary rivers.



India and China will soon hold a meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism, which was set up in 2006 for interaction and cooperation on sharing of flood-season hydrological data, emergency management and other issues regarding trans-border rivers, like Brahmaputra and Sutlej, sources told DH.

The 10th meeting of the Mechanism was held in New Delhi in April 2016. No meeting was held in 2017 a a year that saw the troubled ties between India and China hitting a new low.

Sources said that the next meeting of the Mechanism on trans-boundary rivers would take place soon in Beijing and the officials were in touch to finalise the date.

The two neighbouring nations had bilateral arrangements for China to share with India hydrological data on cross-border rivers between May 15 and October 15 every year. China, however, did not share with India any data on Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers during the stipulated period in 2017.

Beijing's reluctance to share river data with New Delhi added yet another irritant to the strained bilateral relations, which reached its lowest ebb during the 72-day-long face-off between Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army at Doklam Plateau in western Bhutan.

The hydrological data received from China helps India to prepare for a rise in water level of the Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers during monsoon and assess the possibility of a flood or flood-like situation and its extent.

The overflowing Brahmaputra last year caused four waves of flood that wreaked havoc in Assam, killing over 160 people and displacing a large number of people in 29 districts. Over 10,000 acres of agricultural land in Punjab was also inundated by waters of Sutlej last year.

MoUs

New Delhi and Beijing first inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2002 for sharing of hydrological data on Yaluzangbu or Brahmaputra. The MoU provided for Beijing sharing with New Delhi hydrological information a water level, discharge and rainfall a recorded at three stations a Nugesha, Yangcun and Nuxia a in upper reaches of Yaluzangbu or Brahmaputra in Tibet Autonomous Region of China from June 1 to October 15 every year.

The MoU was renewed in 2008 and 2013. A separate MoU on Strengthening Cooperation on Trans-Border Rivers was inked on October 23, 2013. This MoU provided for China to share data with India from May 15 (instead of June 15 as agreed upon earlier) till October 15 every year, beginning 2014. New Delhi has a similar arrangement with Beijing since 2005 to receive hydrological data recorded at Tsada Station on the upper reaches of Langqen Zangbo or Sutlej river in Tibet.

Beijing, however, claimed last year that since its river data collection stations in Tibet Autonomous Region had been damaged by flood and required renovation and upgradation, it had not been able to collect the data and share it with New Delhi.The BBMP is all set to acquire three acres of land along the northern periphery of the Jakkur aerodrome in northern Bengaluru despite the flying school objecting to projects in the area last September.



As per the latest notification, the deadline for filing objections to acquiring 11,097.04 sq mt of land along the northern compound of the aerodrome ended on Tuesday.

Civic body officials said they hadn't received any objection so far.

"The project was approved at the government level after ministers from different departments considered it essential to connect a landlocked GKVK Layout.

"Until yesterday, we did not receive any objection to our notification. We will take the next step as per the procedure and call tenders soon," a senior BBMP official in charge of the project said.

The airport metro line is estimated to take away five metres of land along the aerodrome's western wall.

"About the road, we wrote to them (BBMP) last year objecting to any land acquisition. We are losing land on all sides, which limits the possibility of extending the runway," a source in the school said.

A school official said the flying school had suffered due to the elevated highway. The elevated metro line will render nearly half of the runway unusable. "For years, the aerodrome land (about 225 acres) has been the first option for any development project," he said.

Will help school: MLA

Local MLA Krishna Byre Gowda claimed the new road would benefit the flying school by providing for the runway expansion. "The length of the runway is going to increase. The government is acquiring 10 acres of land for this purpose. That expansion area includes a CDP Road," he said, explaining the new road is an alternative to the kutcha road that will be subsumed into the runway.

He stressed that the new road will not affect the operations of the flying school. "The new road is necessitated by the runway expansion. If the runway expansion does not take place, there is no need to make this road," he added.

Captain Arvind Sharma, one of the tenants of the aerodrome, rejected the claim that the new road will not affect the flying activities. "The square shape of the aerodrome has a purpose. Unlike commercial airstrips, expansive additional space on both sides of the runway has been provided here so that during an emergency, there is space for trainee pilots to land the aircraft without harming anyone," he said.

The alternatives

Two roads that could have been used to connect GKVK Layout to Ballari Road have been blocked by private construction. Officials said Jakkur Plantation Road, handed over to the BBMP by a group of private developers, was their first choice, but it had to be dropped as acquiring the private land seemed a costly affair.

"There was an access road from Jakkur Main Road to GKVK Layout which has been recently occupied by a private party. A dispute is going on regarding the ownership of the land. So, we had to find a new way," a BBMP official said.Bengaluru Mayor R Sampath Raj said on Tuesday that the city is not staring at a water crisis this summer.

"No need to worry for the next three months. Rains are expected after the summer. There is no water crisis in the city as reported by a section of the media," Raj said.

The mayor held a meeting with officials from the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) on Tuesday.

He said, "The BWSSB officials have made all the necessary preparations."

The public can call BWSSB's 24/7 helpline 080-2223888 for lodging complaints regarding the supply of water.

Meanwhile, the BWSSB will be issuing the no-objection certificates (NOCs) to all residential buildings, commercial buildings and educational institutions of certain measure in 110 villages which were temporarily withheld for lack of water and sewerage infrastructure.Karnataka government is hand-in-glove with the Jihadi forces and the state has become a haven for anti-national forces, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday.



Addressing the valedictory programme of the 'Jana Suraksha Yatre' organised by the BJP here, he said that a BJP government alone can instil a feeling of security among people of Karnataka, by curbing the anti-national forces. The Congress government encouraged such forces by withdrawing the cases against the activists of KFD and PFI. As a result, the Hindu activists were butchered mercilessly in the state, he stated.

"An atmosphere of terror is being spread by Jihadi forces and the state government is encouraging these forces. The state government itself is posing a threat to people of Karnataka and, the brutal murders of 24 Hindu activists are a proof of it. No development works are going on in Karnataka," the BJP leader charged.

Adityanath honoured the family members of 24 Hindu activists who were murdered in different parts of the state over the last five years.

He said the Congress has become a problem for the entire country and called upon people to make Karnataka free of Congress. Karnataka has become "the ATM of Congress and anti-national elements," he remarked.

"The BJP is forming governments in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. The Congress' achievement in these states has been zero. If northeast can bring the BJP to power, why not Karnataka," he asked and, called upon the people to install a BJP government in the state to make ''crime-free and corruption-free'' Karnataka a reality.

Adityanath started his speech by saying "Mangalurina Nanna Bandhugalige Namaskaragalu", and recalled the connection of seer Gorakshanath of Gorakhpur with Kadali Yogeshwar Mutt and Manjunath Temple, Kadri.RS polls: Congress may field Sam Pitroda or Janardan Dwivedi



NEW DELHI: The Congress may field Gandhi family loyalist and technocrat Sam Pitroda or senior leader Janardan Dwivedi from Karnataka for the Rajya Sabha polls on March 23.

With the Congress planning to field three nominees for the polls, the party top brass suggested that the selection of one candidate should be left to them, while the other two can be selected by the state leadership.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Pradesh Congress Committee president G Parameshwara met the party president Rahul Gandhi here and discussed the candidates.

Siddaramaiah suggested that all the three should be selected from among the local leaders instead of an outsider.

He also said that sending state leaders to the Rajya Sabha will also help the coming Assembly polls.

However, Rahul reportedly said that since the party wanted strong leaders in the Upper House, they wanted someone like Pitroda or Dwivedi. The party top leaders will finalise the names soon.

Some state leaders suggested the names of former Lok Sabha Speakers Meira

Kumar and Shivraj Patil.

The state leadership also suggested the names of Wakf Minister Roshan Baig or state's additional special representative to Delhi Salim Ahmed from Muslim quota and chief minister's loyalist Chenna Reddy for the third seat.

'All will be from K'taka'

When asked about the candidates, Siddaramaiah said the names are yet to be finalised. "All the three candidates will be from Karnataka only and no outsider will be fielded."

He also said JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda did not seek the Congress support for his party candidate in the polls.

When the Congress can win all the three seats easily, how can it support the JD(S), he asked.

The elections will be held for four vacant seats and the BJP can win one seat while the Congress can win two seats unopposed. To win the third seat, though Congress has some votes, it requires additional votes.

The Congress is planning to field the third candidate and hoping to get extra votes from the JD(S).Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the state government will take proper steps after studying the Legislature Committee report on BMIC and will not spare NICE promoter and MLA Ashok Kheny if the panel recommended action against him.



Defending the Congress decision to induct Kheny, Bidar South MLA, Siddaramaiah dismissed the talks that Kheny will influence the government decision on House Committee report which is pending before it. He also junked reports that the Congress high command had prevailed upon the state leadership to admit Kheny.

On criticism by a section of his party MLAs from Bengaluru over inducting Kheny, the chief minister said "he has joined the party without any pre-condition and we have not promised him the ticket in the next Assembly polls." Asked why the Congress was inducting "tainted leaders", Siddaramaiah said, "Kheny has not gone to jail."

Siddaramaiah said the party will not induct mining baron and former minister G Janardhana Reddy.

Dismissing the rumors that Reddy will join the Congress, he said that since the party had launched a massive campaign against Reddy earlier, he will not be admitted into the party.

However, he told reporters that the party had inducted other leaders from Ballari, such as B Anand Singh and B Nagendra, after taking political situation into consideration. But, the party has not promised the ticket to these two leaders.

Siddaramaiah was here to hold discussions with Congress president Rahul Gandhi on selecting candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections from the state.

Stating that the Assembly polls will be a fight between 'communalism and secularism', Siddaramaiah said more and more Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah toured the state it would be more advantageous to the Congress.Bidar South MLA and businessman Ashok Kheny joining the ruling Congress seems to be the final nail in the coffin as far as the legislature committee report on irregularities in Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project is concerned.



Kheny is the Managing Director of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Limited (NICE), the promoter of the controversial project. In December 2016, an 11-member panel headed by Law Minister T B Jayachandra found large-scale irregularities in the implementation of the project and recommended its take over by the state government.

The committee sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into shortcomings in the project implementation. The report is likely to be kept on the back burner.

The Congress is unlikely to implement any of the recommendations of the report even if it comes back to power as Kheny has now got the backing of party strongman D K Shivakumar. It is another matter that Kheny has good connections with the BJP also.

For his part, Kheny has been trying to strike a positive chord with the Congress for some time now. He voted for the Congress candidate during the Rajya Sabha polls in 2016.

He rarely spoke against the ruling dispensation in the Assembly.

The Congress observers feel that it is just a matter of time that the opposition in the party over Kheny's induction dies down. "Legislators in whose constituencies farmers lost their land to the BMIC project are protesting. They have no option but to oppose", a party functionary, who did not want to be named, said.

BJP angle

Interestingly, the BJP has only registered a token protest on the induction of Kheny into the Congress. BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa was pretty slow in reacting to the development. Both Yeddyurappa and Kheny belong to the dominant Lingayat community. Kheny is said to have helped Yeddyurappa when mining baron

G Janardhana Reddy and others rebelled against him in 2009 when he was the chief minister. BJP members on the BMIC House panel are also silent. The legislature panel had noted that large parcels of land in BMIC project were owned by proxy (benami) by one Rudresh. Rudresh contested on the BJP ticket from Ramanagara Assembly constituency in 2009 and is said to be close to Kheny as well as Yeddyurappa.

The only strong voice in the BJP against Kheny's induction into the Congress was that of Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar.

"Ashok Kheny, who was accused of land grabbing along Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway, was to be jailed by Karnataka CM @siddaramaiah. Instead he has been taken into the Congress. This proves what PM @narendramodi Ji had said i.e. @siddaramaiah govt is a #SeedaRupaiyaSarkar," (sic) Javadekar tweeted.The JD(S) Vikasa Parva Padayatra lost steam even before it took off on day one, with party leaders leaving the Basavanagudi candidate stranded, merely a couple of hours into the campaign.



The party gave a start to its Vikasa Parva Padayatra in south Bengaluru on Tuesday, with JD(S) national working president P G R Sindhia and MLC T A Sharavana leading the workers from Basavanagudi, after performing puja at the Dodda Ganapathi Temple in the locality.

Hundreds of party workers traversed through N R Colony, Vidyapeetha Circle, Kathriguppe, Seetha Circle, Girinagar and Srinagar before reaching Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple.

The padayatra started off with much enthusiasm at around 11 am, with workers shouting anti-BJP and anti-Congress slogans, even as many followed the campaign in autorickshaws, on bikes and cars, causing traffic jams along the way.

The padayatra however soon started losing steam, as the handful of leaders (including Sindhia, Sharavana and JD-S MLA K Gopalaiah) left one after the other, deserting the party workers and the JD(S) Basavanagudi candidate Bagegowda.

By the time the padayatra culminated at Gavipuram at around 3 pm, Bagegowda was left alone with a few party workers to cheer him on.

Earlier, Sindhia said that if the JD(S) is voted to power, the party would give thrust to Bengaluru development. He said that though there was a stable government for five years, the Congress government, which could have developed Bengaluru into a model city, failed to do so.

The padayatra is however said to pick up pace on Wednesday as JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy is said to participate in it. The padayatra will criss-cross Padmanabhanagar constituency on the second day.

The JD(S) plans to take the padayatra through all 28 Assembly constituencies of Bengaluru.

Besides attacking the national parties, the party also plans to highlight the contributions made by Kumaraswamy and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda to Bengaluru.A silent protest will be organised on Women's Day on Thursday to draw the attention towards justice for rape victims. New India Charitable Trust will hold the march from Mysore Bank Circle to Freedom Park to demand that the judiciary expedite judgement in rape trials.



Addressing the media, Vijay Tata and his wife Amrita Tata, founders of the trust said, "Even after the Nirbhaya incident and even after anti-rape laws were amended, nothing much has changed in the way we treat the rape victims and in the judiciary."

"If the judiciary is strong and delivers justice on time, then a sense of fear comes along and a person would think many times before committing heinous crimes like rape. Even in the Nirbhaya case, the rapists are still languishing in jail," he added.

Vijay Tata said that millions of cases are pending before the courts which continue to struggle due to lack of manpower, infrastructure, and reform in the legal and judicial framework. He said he will meet the Chief Justices of India and Karnataka to give a representation for speeding up of trials.

The trust shared some statistics about the rape scene in India, where 90% of rapes go unreported. Of those reported, only 30% go to the trial stage and of them, only 1/3rd result in imprisonment. In 2017, 34,651 cases of rape were reported in the country.Three men from Mandya district, who were arrested by the Special Investigation Team in connection with the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, have been released recently.



They are Girish of Hemmanahalli in Maddur taluk, Abhilash of Kestur and Anil Kumar of Srirangapatna.

The police had arrested them, suspecting them to be accomplices of K T Naveen Kumar, a suspect in the case.

Speaking to reporters, Girish said, "The police told us that Naveen Kumar was arrested while selling bullets near Majestic in Bengaluru on February 18. But, Naveen told us that he was arrested on February 14, when he was at his wife's place in Birur. Based on the information given by Naveen, the police arrested Anil Kumar on February 14 and Abhilash and me on February 15".

"The police took us to an unidentified place, after blindfolding us. We found that we were at a hotel, where Naveen was also present. They thrashed Naveen and asked us to confess before the judge that Naveen gave us some training in Gauri Lankesh's murder case. When we declined, we were also assaulted. However, when we were produced before the judge, we did not say anything as forced by the police and started crying. The judge, who was angry with the police, ordered our release," he said.

"The police filed a case of moving in a suspicious manner in Jnanabharathi police station limits (in Bengaluru) and released us. They are trying to frame Naveen in Gauri Lankesh murder case. Just because we had spoken to Naveen over cellphone, they are trying to make us witnesses against him. I have decided to write a letter in this regard to the judge as we are facing a life threat," Girish said.

However, Superintendent of Police G Radhika said, "I have no information on the arrest of four accused from the district in Gauri Lankesh murder case".Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G Parameshwara on Tuesday mocked the BJP after a statue of Communist leader Vladimir Lenin was pulled down by a crowd in Tripura, where the BJP is set to form a government.



"A statue of communist leader Lenin has been demolished using a bulldozer in less than 48 hours in Tripura, thanks to BJP. This is the first accomplishment of the new government - unleashing violence," he tweeted.

The incident comes days after the BJP swept polls in Tripura, dislodging the Communist government after 25 years.The BJP's resounding "Sunya" (zero) to "Shikar" (pinnacle) victory in the hill state of Tripura has boosted the morale of the Karnataka unit of the party which is now planning to scale-up its election campaign at multiple levels, both at the grassroots and in the social media.



The state unit which has nine parallel ongoing simultaneous election campaigns - targetting almost every segment of the electorate from farmers to techies to urban voters - has decided to intensify them in the coming days.

The BJP's penchant for campaigns is in sharp contrast to that of the ruling Congress which goes into poll mode only during the visits of its president Rahul Gandhi. The Congress is yet to complete even one-round of pre-election tour of the state: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah only visited Assembly segments in which the party emerged victorious in the 2013 polls during his tour last month.

On the other end, the BJP has already covered the entire state through the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Parivarthana Yatra led by party president B S Yeddyurappa criss-crossing all the 224 Assembly constituencies.

According to sources, the party now plans to increase its presence in the social media. BJP president Amit Shah recently chaired the first district-level social media interaction the party organised in Udupi for its social media workers of the coastal district. More than 1,000 youth participated and pledged to devote at least two hours a day, especially on WhatsApp and Facebook. The party has set a target to reach 51 lakh electorate by creating 20,000 Whatsapp groups.

At the grassroots, the sources said the party will extend its "Save Bengaluru" padayatra campaign to other cities. "Save Mysuru" "Save Kalaburagi", "Save Belagavi", will be launched soon after the completion of the Bengaluru-leg on March 15. The "Save Bengaluru" padayatra is basically a protest march against the "maladministration" of the Congress in running the state capital.

Shah is planning to address a series of "Navashakti conventions" to boost the morale of booth-level workers. Sources said a bungalow near Race Course Road in Bengaluru has been booked for Shah, where he will be setting an "election war room" soon.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adiyananth will be making frequent visits to Karnataka to address election rallies.Schools across the country are having discussions about school safety and school culture following the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Ensuring that campuses remain a safe place has become a priority and concerns have escalated locally as authorities have responded to at least 17 threats to high schools around San Diego County since the Feb. 14 shooting in Parklandin Carmel Valley, two teenagers were arrested for making two separate threats of violence at Torrey Pines High School and on March 5, a Canyon Crest Academy student was arrested for allegedly making a criminal threat. None of the threats were determined to be credible.

As Canyon Crest Academy Principal Brett Killeen prepared to have the discussion on safety at his school, he turned to his Raven Advisory Board, made up of high school students.

As adults we all talk about what we can do better to make our campus safer but we also need the students voices on how to make the campus safer, Killeen said.

Killeen created the Raven Advisory Board this year as he wanted a representative group of students to connect with periodically and get their input on a variety of issues. The group is a cross-section of students from each grade level, students recommended by teachers as great candidates to be a sounding board for the principal.

Tracy Yates, who leads the schools Wellness Committee, helped put the group together and they have met four times this school year, focusing on CCAs vision and values as the school continues to grow.

On Feb. 23, the discussion centered on safety and culture. Killeen asked the group to brainstorm on two topics: Things students would like us to do to make you feel safer and What do you not want us to do?

With respect to active shooter drills, they want us to be careful about how we do it so we dont freak people out, Killeen said. They are perfectly fine with seeing more closed gates but they dont want us to close campus as juniors and seniors enjoy being able to leave campus for lunch.

They also put No arming teachers. They were pretty adamant about that. They dont think thats a great idea.

As far as things the school could do, students said that everyone should be made aware there is a psychologist available for students on campus and preferred short conversations about plans for active shooters or campus lockdowns.

Killeen said CCA, like all San Dieguito Union High School District schools, has an emergency response plan in place and staff received additional safety training from the San Diego Police Department last week. What he heard from the students is a need for some caution in regard to educating students about these scary situations.

A link on the schools home page leads to various support services available for students such as a crisis hotline, suicide prevention, grief assistance and anxiety helpers but students suggested more awareness for those kinds of resources through assemblies and programs.

As the topic is so important, Killeen said he planned to have the same discussions with his Associated Student Body leadership and Peer Assisted Listeners groups to get more student input in the coming week.

I think the kids want us to strike a balance between a school that they love and is inclusive and feels safe with practical things to make it physically safer but not taking away something that they feel is working for them, Killeen said. They want some freedoms.

In just his second year at CCA, Killeen said he is interested in community and students opinions before he launches into any solutions.

They always impress me, Killeen said of his students. I love working with students and hearing what they have to say.

DMUSD has placed strong emphasis on safety

Last week, members of the Del Mar Union School District (DMUSD) met with representatives from Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit founded by those who lost family members in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. DMUSD President Kristin Gibson said the organization stays out of politics it is silent on gun control but offers free programs to schools that help build inclusive climates where kids feel connected and trains teachers and older students to look for the signs of potential violence.

Statistically speaking we know our schools are really safe places and Im very confident that we have excellent policies and protocols in place, said Gibson at the Feb. 28 board meeting.

That said, Gibson noted that she has walked on several campuses where a teacher or child has died a violent deathshe attended Sandy Hook Elementary as a second and third grader and was a graduate student at San Diego State University when three professors were shot and killed by a student in 1996, one of them the father of the flower girl in her wedding.

I do believe that there are things that we can do to prevent these incidents, maybe not 100 percent but certainly to decrease their prevalence, Gibson said.

Sandy Hook Promise offers some solutions and programs she hopes schools will consider implementing such as safety assessment and intervention and Start With Hello, a middle school program that stresses the importance of inclusion and the tragic results that can result when people are excluded.

Board member Doug Rafner said the desire to make DMUSDs campuses physically safer began years ago when there was an intruder on the Ashley Falls campus. It sparked the need for a district-wide fencing projectsall DMUSD campuses now are completely fenced with one entry and exit point.

We have done that and were still meeting with people to increase whatever we can do because I think vigilance and awareness is a way to fight this, Rafner said.

In addition to perimeter fencing and the single point entry, every visitor to a DMUSD school is checked in and scanned against a national database.

We have really focused a lot in recent years on safety, said Superintendent Holly McClurg, noting the district has a very strong partnership with San Diego Police Department. Each school has its own safety plan and the schools drill for fire, earthquake and lockdown situations.

Additionally the districts leadership team was trained on options-based response which is specific to active shooter events. The training was recommended by the Department of Homeland Security and the plan is for all district staff to be trained

I accentuate staff members. We train our staff members what to do, our children are children, they come to school, they should feel safe, McClurg said. We are training our staff members what to do so that they know what to do in that type of situation. Our children just need to know that they show up at school and well take really good care of them.

Rafner acknowledged what the Parkland students are doing as a community is a positive method of trying to effect change and raise awareness.

We have younger kids, but I think no less desirous of making change, Rafner said. I leave it to our teachers and our parents to keep them educated to the point that they can be as eloquent as the ones that are stepping up in Florida because, after all, its their world to take over someday.When Kristin Gaspar took her seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in 2016, she told her staff about her desire to work with the countys most vulnerable populations: the formerly incarcerated, the addicted and the homeless. Her bold vision was to create a university to teach people how to live and empower the hopeless.

She found that a model of that type of organization, with proven results, was already in existence with The Other Side Academy in Salt Lake City, a home and school where program participants learn social, vocational and life skills and run a booming moving business.

Chairwoman Kristin Gaspar Courtesy

At her first State of the County address on Feb. 27, Chairwoman Gaspar announced that she was bringing The Other Side Academy to San Diego, helping to rebuild lives and transform those who would have likely spent the rest of their days living off the system into self-sufficient assets in the community. Gaspar announced that she already had secured $2 million in commitments from the community for San Diego Countys Other Side as well as formed a partnership with Sheriff Bill Gore for San Diego Countys Other Side, with support from District Attorney Summer Stephan and Public Defender Randy Mise.

This can be built and sustained without ongoing taxpayer dollars, said Gaspar, adding that county staff is working to locate a program site.

Innovation was the major theme of Gaspars address, held at the Scripps Seaside Forum in La Jolla.

The state of the county is innovative and strong. It just is, Gaspar said.

Gaspar spoke about the accomplishments and initiatives that she and her fellow supervisors have taken on, doing things that havent been done before or building on past innovations.

Gaspar said District 5 Supervisor Bill Horn, who has been on the board for 26 years, has worked to make veterans a priorityshe said the first North County Homeless Vets Stand Down event he sponsored was a great success and his annual veterans conference had record-breaking attendance and this year had a focus on women.

Gaspar spoke about teaming up with Supervisor Dianne Jacob to develop a pilot program creating critical response teams for seniors with dementia with the Alzheimer Project, as well as working with Supervisor Ron Roberts to enhance back-country fire safety with the use of high-definition cameras to spot and track wildfires and a high-speed broadband network that will connect more than 60 back-country fire stations.

Gaspar also praised the countys Live Well San Diego initiative for creating strong partnerships that promote better health and safety across San Diego. She complimented county efforts to address substance abuse and food insecurity, and Live Well partnerships that she said have saved millions in taxpayer dollars.

We are building capacity through those community partners and we will be able to serve 30 percent more people over the next three years, Gaspar said.

Since taking office, Gaspar said she has visited hundreds of nonprofits in San Diego and was most impressed by models that involve people taking personal responsibility for themselves and playing an active role in their transformations.She highlighted the innovative approaches taken by local nonprofits like Solutions for Change, Workshop for Warriors and Doors for Change, which has placed over 1,800 homeless youth in long-term housing while teaching them how to make it on their own.

One of the things that appealed to me most when I joined the board was how to strengthen county social services by identifying gaps in the delivery system, Gaspar said.

She hopes that The Other Side can be one of those in San Diego County, a self-sustaining social enterprise, not government handouts, a place where people are living and working together to make each other better and more accountable.

In her Innov18 address Gaspar, the youngest woman ever elected to the county board, pointed to trailblazer Mildred Greene, who 100 years ago in 1918 ran for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to fill the seat of her late husband Harry. At the time, no woman had ever been elected to the county board in the state.

Greene bested seven male candidates in the election and not only became the first woman elected to a county board but the sheriff so admired her determination to fix county roads that he also named her deputy sheriff.

Gaspar said that 100 years ago there were 100,000 people living in San Diego County; today there are 3.5 million.

An increase in population means an increase in challenges, but Im proud to say that this board has moved us boldly into the future, Gaspar said.

Gaspar said she hopes the county will continue down the road Mildred Greene began when she defied odds and ran for county supervisor, with vision and innovation that moves government beyond the status quo so that 2018 is greater than 1918 couldve ever imagined.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors will have two seats up for election in 2018including Rancho Santa Fes District 5. There are currently three candidates for District 5: San Marcos Mayor Jim Desmond, attorney/small businessman Robert Gerard and Oceanside City Councilmember Jerome Jerry Kern. The primary will be held June 5.Save my User ID and Password

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Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site.DMU Dean of Business to tell Hong Kong festival business must be more sustainable

A more sustainable approach to global business will be explored by experts from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) at the GREAT Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong.

The festival, taking place 21-24 March and run by the UKs Department for International Trade, focuses on how creativity, technology and innovation will change the way we work, live, learn and play in the years to come.

DMU is the sole education partner for the GREAT campaign, and will be part of a packed programme that includes keynote speakers, panel discussions and masterclasses looking at how businesses can make the most of new technologies and markets while ensuring they promote sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices.

Speaking ahead of the festival, Professor Dana Brown, Principal of DMUs Leicester Castle Business School, believes that a change of approach is required from the business leaders of the future.

She said: Business leaders of the future really truly need to think about business differently from the way we thought about it in the past.

Ive worked in business schools for 15 years and the way that we have taught business, weve really focused on exploitation of assets. We need to think differently.

Prof. Brown thinks that the leaders of businesses in the future will need to consider business models that take into account their impact on the environment.

She added: We know that our environment cannot sustain the way we have been doing business and we know that the people on this planet need us to think about business differently.

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I want to challenge the future business leaders to think about the broader purpose of business, and business models that can be less exploitative and more purposeful in delivering for the world.

As the official education partner of GREAT, DMU is showcasing the innovations of students and graduates in the fields of fashion, Architecture, Game Art and cyber security. Top UK figures speaking at the festival include chef Tom Kerridge, lastminute.com co-founder Brent Hoberman, former GCHQ director Robert Hannigan and Blippar CEO Ambarish Mitra.Greenhouse gas emissions of hydropower in the Mekong River Basin can exceed fossil fuel sources

Greenhouse gas emissions of hydropower in the Mekong River Basin can exceed fossil fuel energy sources

Hydropower is commonly considered as a clean energy source to fuel Southeast Asian economic growth. A recent study published in Environmental Research Letters finds that hydropower in the Mekong River Basin, the largest river in Southeast Asia, might not always be climate friendly.

The median greenhouse gas (GHG) emission of hydropower was estimated to be 26 kg CO2e/MWh over 100-year lifetime, which is within the range of other renewable energy sources (<190 kg CO2e/MWh).

The variation between the individual hydropower projects was, however, large: nearly 20 per cent of the hydropower reservoirs had higher emissions than other renewable energy sources and in several cases the emissions equalled those from fossil fuel energy sources (>380 kg CO2e/MWh).

The study concludes that hydropower in the Mekong cannot be considered categorically as a clean energy source; instead, the emissions should be evaluated case-by-case together with other social and environmental impacts.

Mekong River is a global hot spot for hydropower development. The economy in the region is growing rapidly and hydropower is broadly seen as a viable source for satisfying growing energy demands.

However, the extensiveness of hydropower development has raised concerns on ecological and social sustainability, particularly in the case of rich inland fisheries of which millions depend for livelihoods and food. Less attention is put, however, on the potential climate impacts of the hydropower although case studies from other tropical regions show that hydropower emissions cannot be neglected. The emissions originate mainly from degradation of organic material in the reservoir but also from dam construction.

In the Mekong Basin emission measurements exist only from a few reservoirs, and the study led by Aalto University, Finland, is the first one to estimate the emissions of the entire hydropower development in the basin.

The study estimated emissions of 64 existing and 77 planned hydropower reservoirs using statistical models that are based on global emission measurements. The focus was on gross emissions of CO2 and CH4 through the reservoirs water surface. The results are reported as CO2 equivalents (CO2e) that combines the CO2 and CH4 emissions.

"The hydropower related emissions started in the Mekong in mid-1960's when the first large reservoir was built in Thailand, and the emissions increased considerably in early 2000's when hydropower development became more intensive. Currently the emissions are estimated to be around 15 million tonnes of CO2e per year, which is more than total emissions of all sectors in Lao PDR in year 2013", says Dr Timo Rasanen who led the study. The GHG emissions are expected to increase when more hydropower is built. However, if construction of new reservoirs is halted, the emissions will decline slowly in time.

"Highest emissions were generally found in hydropower projects that had large reservoirs compared to the electricity generating capacity and were located in warm sub-tropical areas. These findings suggest that the emissions of future hydropower projects can be reduced by designing and choosing the location appropriately", summarises Assistant Professor Matti Kummu. In addition, emissions can be mitigated by carefully removing the vegetation from the reservoir area before filling of the reservoir, and by minimising the amount of organic material entering the reservoir from the catchment.

The study calls for further research on GHG emissions of hydropower and improved inclusion of climate impacts in strategic environmental assessments (SEA) of hydropower in the Mekong to help to exclude most harmful projects. The results of the study are tentative and more extensive measurement and modelling campaigns are urgently needed to improve the accuracy of the emissions estimates.

The research was published in Environmental Research Letters in January 2018.Please DOUX follow us

Doux Reviews

has been on the web since 2004 and features thousands of episode reviews of the best classic and current television shows as well as many book and movie reviewsGender equality seems to be the topic on everyones lips  yet despite an increase in awareness and such extensive media coverage, its something that many businesses still struggle to achieve. As women in leadership roles of male dominated businesses, what can we do to inspire an internal culture shift?

When I first stepped into my role as Chief Operating Officer of Stockdale & Leggo, I experienced a wave of sexism and discrimination that I was not at all prepared for. Although I was relatively new to the real estate industry, I knew that my extensive experience in business made me an excellent candidate for the role  and I had to wonder whether a male with the same background as mine would have been met with the same animosity that I endured.

My initial experience painted a pretty grim picture of the current organisational culture, and I knew quite quickly that these attitudes were certainly not going to facilitate the growth of the group. If we were going to be able to continue on as a successful real estate franchise, we needed to act fast and inspire a serious cultural shift.

Here are the top 5 strategies I used to shift an 80-year-old organisational culture within 12 months.

Provide ongoing education

One of the most crucial components of inspiring a major cultural change such as this is to ensure you offer ongoing education and support. As part of this process, present the facts about gender equality in the workplace and make time to map out exactly what this will look like in your business.

Often, it is all too easy to presume that everyone at the table has had the same life and learning experiences as us, however thats rarely the case. Granted, we are in the age of information and ignorance is hardly a valid excuse, but if you want to achieve a smooth transition you should try to avoid accidentally alienating people who may require some additional support and education.

Set achievable targets

When tackling the issue of gender inequality, its important to set achievable goals and targets that can be tracked over time. Businesses can start out with excellent intentions to change their internal culture, however failure to monitor their progress can result in their initial goal being forgotten.

At Stockdale & Leggo, we set a long-term goal of achieving a 50/50 gender ratio split in our franchises by the year 2025. Currently, we are only at 20/62, but we have put the necessary wheels in motion and are well underway to achieving our goal. Only 5 years ago we had only 3 female franchisees so we are certainly moving steadily in the right direction.

Encourage team building

To ensure that everyone is on board with your intention to overhaul the internal culture of your business, its important to encourage team building on all levels. As the old adage goes, we are only as strong as our weakest link!

Allow your employees the opportunity to get to know one another on a more friendly level, without the constant need for competition. Consider making it part of your plan to host regular team building events and social gatherings  even something as simple as the occasional team lunch!

Adopt a zero-tolerance policy

Unfortunately, I have found that there are always those who refuse to see reason and fail to take responsibility for their own actions. In the event of sexism or discrimination, I believe adopting a zero-tolerance policy is the only way to eradicate these behaviours from your business.

While some have questioned my tough approach, its imperative to take a strong stand on this kind of conduct if you want to transform the culture of your business and put an end to gender-based inequality in the workplace once and for all.

Be patient

Lastly, my final piece of advice is to be patient. In recent years, women have managed to achieve a great deal but there is still a long road ahead of us. Ending gender inequality in the workplace is something that takes time and careful planning. It is not something that is going to happen overnight, but if we continue to work together towards building a more unified workforce, there is truly no limit to what we can achieve.

About the author

Anna Thomas is the Chief Operating Officer of major Australian real estate network, Stockdale & Leggo. She was recognised as a Telstra Business Womens Awards Finalist in the Corporate and Private Award in 2016, a 2017 Finalist in the Real Estate Business Awards Industry Thought Leader of the Year Award and a Bronze Stevie winner in the Woman of the Year category in the 2017 International Business Awards. She is also the Founder and Brand Ambassador of the Empowered Women in Real Estate initiative, a community empowering women to believe in themselves and step forward into leadership roles.Online pet care marketplace Mad Paws has secured $5 million in Series A funding, with super-fast, sustainable growth over the past year cited by CEO Alexis Soulopoulos as a key reason why his Airbnb for pets is in demand amongst investors.

Launched in November 2014 by Soulopoulos and his co-founders Jan Pacas, Rolf Weber, Justus Hammer and Bjorn Behrendt, Mad Paws enables pet owners across Australia to book a local, vetted and insured pet sitter from a pool of 15,000 candidates. To date, 300,000 pets have been registered on the platform.

Mad Paws Series A round saw it onboard Qantas, Microequities Venture Capital, Scale Up Media Fund and Airtasker CEO Tim Fung as new investors, with a repeat investment made by Macdoch Ventures. Meanwhile, Fung has also signed up to join the company board.

Soulopoulos told Dynamic Businesses that the time was right for Mad Paws to raise Series A funding due to a tripling in business over the past year and a self-imposed directive to aim for nothing less than our current growth trajectory in the future.

The Series A funding will support this objective by enabling us to not only appoint additional customer and pet sitter support staff but enhance our technology, he said. In turn, this will ensure the best possible service for pets and their owners. Plus, were confident that these investments will mean we continue to achieve the sustainable and fast business growth our investors want to see.

Soulopoulos, who is also a co-founder of Australias first sharing economy accelerator The Sharing Hub, said demand to invest in Mad Paws Series A round was very high, with the reasons being threefold.

Firstly, Mad Paws has experienced super-fast, sustainable growth and our unit economics are looking very healthy, he said. Secondly, the $12 billion pet industry in Australia is massive and we are the clear market leader in the pet services category. Thirdly, our team is a strong, hard-working bunch with a real passion to make pet ownership easier for all Australian pet owners.

Asked to account for Mad Paws fast growth, Soulopoulos attributed it to a laser focus on the company pet owners and sitters, including a thorough vetting process for the latter. He added, Our community is loyal, passionate and rapidly spreading the word about our platform, and by being close to our users, were able to build technology that serves their needs.

Due to demand for Mad Paws Series A, Soulopoulos said he and his team were able to partner with investors who not only shared their vision for the company but could add value to it.

Qantas, for example, is a perfect strategic fit, he said. Qantas takes care of those who travel, while Mad Paws looks after their four-legged friends who stay at home. We are extremely excited to be working with this iconic Australian brand, and the opportunity for our users to earn Qantas Points with each pet stay booking is a great added bonus.

Microequities Venture Capital is also a great fit  the experience of the partners as investors in the Australian startup space is unprecedented and their laser focus on the right metrics such as how life time values and acquisition cost stack up is very much aligned with our strategy.

Commenting on Fungs appointment to Mad Paws board, Soulopoulos said the serial entrepreneur had been informally advising his company since it launched.

I value Tims views tremendously, Soulopoulos said. He is, in my view one of Australias best startup leaders with specialised expertise in marketplaces from his experiences with Airtasker. Marketplaces such as Airtasker, Mad Paws, Spacer or CarNextDoor face many similar challenges and opportunities and so its very valuable for all us to exchange insights!

Related: Its harder to understand digital tech, new business models at 10,000 feet says Mad Paws co-founder, Sharing economy awards: entries now open, Sharing economy veterans officially launch their accelerator for the booming sector and Australias first sharing economy accelerator launches; head identifies start-up must-haves.Novels in English translation by Boris Akunin (Russia), Dasa Drndic (Croatia) and Burhan Sonmez (Turkey) up for 20,000 prize - winner announced 10 April 2018

Three novels have been announced as the finalists of the first EBRD Literature Prize, a 20,000 award launched in 2017 by the London-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in partnership with the British Council and the London Book Fair.

The three finalists are:

All the Worlds a Stage by Boris Akunin, translated from Russian by Andrew Bromfield (Weidenfeld & Nicolson);

Belladonna by Dasa Drndic, translated from Croatian by Celia Hawkesworth (Maclehose/Quercus);

Istanbul Istanbul by Burhan Sonmez, translated from Turkish by Umit Hussein (Telegram Books).

The EBRD is a multilateral development bank, created after the fall of the Berlin wall to help emerging economies move towards open markets. The Bank launched the prize in recognition of the vibrancy of its regions literature, which is still little known in the English-speaking world.

The prize will be awarded to the best work of literary fiction originally written in a language from one of the 37 economies where the Bank invests, translated into English and published by a UK publisher. The winner will receive the top prize of 20,000, split evenly between the author and the translator, and the two runner-up titles will receive 2,000, similarly divided.

Rosie Goldsmith, the chair of the judging panel, said: These three novels form a perfect trio of great craft, insight and originality. Belladonna is an unflinching but brilliant and beautiful novel of ideas. Istanbul Istanbul provides a witty, wonderful and wise window on the world and on our flawed humanity but without leaving the prison cell. And All The Worlds A Stage is a thrillingly entertaining, informative and literary romp through Russian history. As judges we were unanimous. These are astonishingly good reads.

All the Worlds a Stage is part of Boris Akunins popular historical mystery series featuring detective Erast Fandorin, set in the theatrical world of imperial Russia.

Belladonna is a work which references the darkest hours of the last century: the Holocaust in Croatia, the breakdown of Yugoslavia and resurgence of ethnic hatred through the eyes and memories of a dying man, academic Andreas Ban.

Istanbul Istanbul is set in Turkeys largest city after a military coup; four prisoners tell ten stories filled with love and humour, reminiscent of Giovanni Boccaccios The Decameron, while awaiting their fate.

The winner will be announced in London at an award ceremony at the EBRDs headquarters at One Exchange Square, London, on 10 April 2018.

A special event will also be held at London Book Fair (LBF) at 11:30 on 11 April 2018 with the title Whose Prize is it Anyway? featuring the prize winners and judges. This year, LBF is showcasing books from the Baltic states, one of the EBRD regions of operations.

The judges chose the three finalists from the six shortlisted titles, announced on 5 February. They were:

SEE ALL INFORMATION/ANNOUNCEMENTS OF THE EBRD LITERATURE PRIZE

About the EBRD Literature Prize:

The prize provides a unique opportunity to reflect the culture and creativity of almost 40 economies where the Bank invests, from Morocco to Mongolia, from Estonia to Egypt. The prize will be awarded to the best work of literary fiction translated from the original language into English and published by a UK publisher in the 18 months prior to 15 November 2017. Divided equally between author and translator, it champions the art of translation as well as the extraordinary richness, depth and variety of arts and history in the countries in the Banks region. The EBRD Literature Prize is a project of the Banks Community Initiative.

About the EBRD:

The EBRD was set up in 1991 after the fall of the Berlin Wall to meet the challenge of an extraordinary moment in Europes history: the collapse of communism. It is a multilateral bank with almost 70 shareholders which promotes the development of the private sector and entrepreneurial initiatives in 37 economies across three continents.

About the judges:

Peter Frankopan is Professor of Global History at Oxford University. His most recent book, The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, was an international number 1 bestseller.

Gabriel Gbadamosi is a poet, playwright, essayist and broadcaster. He was a Judith E. Wilson Fellow for creative writing at Cambridge University. His London novel Vauxhall won the 2011 Tibor Jones Pageturner Prize.

Lucy Hannah is a writer and producer who founded Commonwealth Writers in 2011. She has worked for a range of organisations on communication for development projects, mostly in areas of conflict and post-conflict, including South Sudan, Chechnya and Afghanistan.

Rosie Goldsmith, chair of the judging panel, is an award-winning journalist specialising in arts and current affairs in the UK and abroad, and a champion of international literature. She is Founder and Director of the European Literature Network.

For all media enquiries, please contact:

Nikki Mander at Mander Barrow PR Ltd, nikki@manderbarrowpr.com; +44 7813 806297

Svitlana Pyrkalo at the EBRD, pyrkalos@ebrd.com; +44 7802 510751India's membership will pave the way for more joint investment in EBRD regions

Shareholders of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have agreed to India becoming the Banks 69th member, setting the stage for an increase in joint investment with Indian companies in the EBRDs regions.

The Indian government applied for EBRD membership on 18 December 2017, saying the step would benefit both the Bank and India. India will take a shareholding in the EBRD but it will not be a recipient of EBRD financing.

The EBRDs Board of Governors, which represents all of the existing shareholders, voted in favour of Indias application.

EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti said: This is an important step in the relationship between the EBRD and India, allowing us to build further on already very close ties.

The EBRD has long worked with top-class Indian companies on investments in the EBRDs regions, which comprise 38 economies across three continents. The Bank has cooperated with Indian enterprises on joint projects worth nearly 1 billion, including investments with Tata, SREI and Jindal.

One recent example of cooperation is in Turkey where the EBRD and Mahindra & Mahindra are both shareholders in the Turkish agricultural machinery manufacturer Hisarlar, after Mahindra bought a 75.1 per cent stake in 2017. The EBRD has an 18.7 per cent stake in the Turkish company.

The total value of joint India-EBRD investments in EBRD economies currently stands at 982 million, with the majority of the transactions in the private sector.

The EBRD also works closely with leading Indian chambers such as the Confederation of Indian Industry, and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India. It recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

In 2017, the EBRD signed an accord to strengthen ties with the International Solar Alliance, which was launched during the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris at the initiative of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former French President Francois Hollande as a platform for cooperation among solar resource-rich economies.Blog Archive June 2021 (1) May 2021 (77) April 2021 (77) March 2021 (82) February 2021 (68) January 2021 (64) December 2020 (67) November 2020 (66) October 2020 (66) September 2020 (67) August 2020 (74) July 2020 (83) June 2020 (92) May 2020 (86) April 2020 (104) March 2020 (105) February 2020 (74) January 2020 (75) December 2019 (75) November 2019 (70) October 2019 (89) September 2019 (69) August 2019 (81) July 2019 (77) June 2019 (73) May 2019 (110) April 2019 (110) March 2019 (102) February 2019 (85) January 2019 (123) December 2018 (116) November 2018 (112) October 2018 (121) September 2018 (107) August 2018 (150) July 2018 (163) June 2018 (190) May 2018 (145) April 2018 (112) March 2018 (124) February 2018 (113) January 2018 (164) December 2017 (150) November 2017 (144) October 2017 (169) September 2017 (171) August 2017 (135) July 2017 (131) June 2017 (147) May 2017 (160) April 2017 (138) March 2017 (156) February 2017 (143) January 2017 (203) December 2016 (208) November 2016 (185) October 2016 (173) September 2016 (194) August 2016 (232) July 2016 (225) June 2016 (238) May 2016 (231) April 2016 (215) March 2016 (246) February 2016 (226) January 2016 (252) December 2015 (230) November 2015 (250) October 2015 (234) September 2015 (222) August 2015 (253) July 2015 (275) June 2015 (279) May 2015 (223) April 2015 (226) March 2015 (243) February 2015 (258) January 2015 (281) December 2014 (292) November 2014 (296) October 2014 (413) September 2014 (472) August 2014 (506) July 2014 (483) June 2014 (488) May 2014 (512) April 2014 (497) March 2014 (531) February 2014 (482) January 2014 (535) December 2013 (482) November 2013 (441) October 2013 (416) September 2013 (491) August 2013 (521) July 2013 (491) June 2013 (470) May 2013 (457) April 2013 (426) March 2013 (420) February 2013 (414) January 2013 (489) December 2012 (433) November 2012 (504) October 2012 (469) September 2012 (430) August 2012 (427) July 2012 (360) June 2012 (336) May 2012 (362) April 2012 (322) March 2012 (263) February 2012 (224) January 2012 (291) December 2011 (295) November 2011 (325) October 2011 (330) September 2011 (319) August 2011 (333) July 2011 (318) June 2011 (387) May 2011 (373) April 2011 (389) March 2011 (375) February 2011 (335) January 2011 (400) December 2010 (445) November 2010 (395) October 2010 (312) September 2010 (262) August 2010 (277) July 2010 (323) June 2010 (386) May 2010 (360) April 2010 (333) March 2010 (351) February 2010 (336) January 2010 (384) December 2009 (353) November 2009 (300) October 2009 (308) September 2009 (350) August 2009 (298) July 2009 (255) June 2009 (203) May 2009 (193) April 2009 (186) March 2009 (197) February 2009 (173) January 2009 (148) December 2008 (181) November 2008 (197) October 2008 (236) September 2008 (304) August 2008 (314) July 2008 (273) June 2008 (27) May 2008 (1) April 2008 (6) October 2007 (1) May 2007 (1) April 2007 (6) March 2007 (2) February 2007 (1) October 2006 (1) September 2006 (1) August 2006 (4) July 2006 (4) June 2006 (1) July 2005 (1) May 2005 (2) March 2005 (1) June 2004 (2) May 2004 (1) April 2004 (4) March 2004 (2) February 2004 (2) July 2003 (2) June 2003 (5)Latest News

British Council invites applications from Indian education institutions for Going Global Partnerships grants The partnership is aimed to create joint bachelors, masters, diploma or certificate courses on themes of

Alert: REET admit card released; check details here REET 2021 recruitment is conducted to fulfil the requirement of 32000 Grade 3 teacher posts

UPSC CISF Interview Schedule 2020 released A total of 85 candidates have been selected to appear for the interview round



Thai Union welcomes Thailand prime minister to Samut Sakhon manufacturing plant



Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his cabinet members visited one of Thai Union Group manufacturing plants in Samut Sakhon's Mahachai district, during a mobile cabinet meeting in Samut Sakhon and Petchburi.



During the visit, Thai Union's top management led by chairman Kraisorn Chansiri, CEO Thiraphong Chansiri and Rittirong Boonmechote, president for global frozen, welcomed Chan-o-cha and other ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, Deputy Prime Minister Chatchai Sarikulya, Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda and Kobsak Pootrakool, Minister of the Prime Minister Office.



During the meeting, Thai Union executives briefed the mobile cabinet about the organisation's business, in addition to an overview of the Thai seafood industry. After the briefing, the Prime Minister's delegation viewed production lines and talked to Thai Union workers.



The mobile cabinet meeting objective is to have a better understanding of development in the two provinces. Samut Sakhon has strong potential to become the country's seafood hub due to the substantial seafood manufacturing and distribution activities already serving both domestic and export markets.



Thai Union itself plays a big role in driving the Thai seafood industry. With its base in Samut Sakhon for more than 40 years, the company has factories in Mahachai district, employing over 10,000 Thai and migrant workers.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.Palo Alto County residents were more than ecstatic after Friday nights Palo Alto Gaming Development Corporations Grant Awards.

Since 2006, Wild Rose Casino has provided Palo Alto County with almost 20 million dollars in grant money. Because of Friday nights 2017 Grant Cycle Awards, an additional $1,687,784.55 was given to organizations in Palo Alto County. Fifteen full grants were awarded and 26 mini-grants were given this year as well as grants to each of the cities of Palo Alto County.

This year was a sad year for the Gaming Board. The final two original members of the board retired on Friday night. Larry (Skip) Wallace and Bill Lapczenski were honored after 13 years on the Palo Alto County Gaming Development Corporation Board.

Lapczenski and Wallace started on the board before the Casino was even licensed in 2005. Towards the end of the evening, the new PACGDC president, Brian Bormann, presented Wallace and Lapczenski with plaques thanking them for their years of service.

There were six of us, Wallace began. He then asked Rose Reit to stand up. She was one of the originals. I remember the line that she said after Iowa Racing and Gaming, turn the busses around. We did. Also like to recognize, as you knew, at the time, Julie Clarkson- shes a native here- Julie Kliegl. Her and Rose gave a tremendous presentation down there and they got the license. And we had Norlyn [Stowell]. Bill and I, were the last. I think we started in 2004 before we even had the license. We had the license in 05. Started in 2006.

The original board members were responsible for bringing the Casino to the town of Emmetsburg. Without their efforts, PAGCDC would not exists.

So the only thing I would like to say is, when we started this, we took a trip and remember Mary Ellen Chamberlain, she said its easy to give money away, its hard to do it responsibly. If we are knit-picky, we are trying to do it responsibly, Wallace concluded.

Id just like to thank everybody that writes the grants. Theyre the winners, Lapczenski said. Palo Alto County is the winner in the whole trip that weve taken over the last 14 years. Its been a great ride, and congratulations to all the recipients.

The largest grant awarded on Friday night was $72,525.00 which went to The Friendly Ducks of Mallard for a splash pad.

The Palo Alto Conservation Board was awarded $51,684.00 for the Lost Island Huston Park Restroom and Sewer Site in Ruthven.

The Emmetsburg Fire Department received $50,983.00 for Self-contained Breathing Apparatuses.

Lost Island Sanitary Sewer District was awarded $36,320.00 for an Emergency Alarm System upgrade.

The Five Island Trail Corporation received $35,475.00 for Five Island Trail E. Side Phase Three.

For a complete list of awards, please read our special section that will be published on Thursday, March 8s edition of The Democrat.In 2017, the City of Emmetsburg and Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) jointly commissioned a study of Five Island Lakes watershed in hopes to identify management options to improve and protect the quality of the lakes water.

Currently, Five Island Lake has high levels of phosphorous due to residential and agricultural waste. The study, which is on going, is being conducted by FYRA engineering. Throughout the study process, representatives of FYRA have been working with two groups: a Technical Advisory Team (TAT Committee) which is being made up of regional IDNR and NRCA officials, lake restoration board members, city staff, and a Citizens Advisory Team (CAT Committee) which consists of a broad range of local citizens. The study process is now at a point where the FYRA, the TAT, and CAT committees seek public input.

A public meeting will be held in the Jack Kibbe Room at The Shores at Five Island Community Center on Wednesday, March 7 for the above purpose. At this time, the committees will share findings as well as brainstorm with the public ways in which we can improve our lake.

The meeting will begin at 4:00 p.m. with a brief presentation by FYRA followed by breakout sessions during which interested citizens can obtain information regarding the studys purpose and status and can ask questions regarding the same.

The City of Emmetsburg, IDNR, and FYRA hope to draw a sizable crowd in order to inform the general public about the important project. Notes from the meeting with be posted on the Citys website at Emmetsburg.com/recreation following the March 7 meeting or those who are unable to attend.Note: This is post #70 in a weekly video series on basic economics.

GDP is the market value of all finished goods and services, produced within a country in a year. But what does market value mean? And what defines a finished good?

In this video, Marginal Revolution University helps us make sense of this important economic indicator by explaining how GDP is computed. Youll learn why the eggs in your homemade omelet part of the GDP, but the eggs your baker uses are not, as well as why a bottle of French wine contributes to Frances GDP, even if you bought it in the United States.

(If you find the pace of the videos too slow, Id recommend watching them at 1.5 to 2 times the speed. You can adjust the speed at which the video plays by clicking on Settings (the gear symbol) and changing Speed from normal to 1.25, 1.5 or 2.)

Click here to see other videos in the Introduction to Economics series.French cement giant Lafarge promotes terrorism

French company Lafarge continues to supply terrorists in Syrias northwestern Afrin region with building material for tunnels.

On Jan. 20 Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to remove PKK/YPG and Daesh terrorists from Afrin and to establish security and stability along Turkey's borders and the region as well as protect Syrians from terrorist cruelty and oppression.

As Turkeys Operation Olive Branch continues, US and Western countries continue to supply arms and ammunition as well as financial and infrastructural support to terrorist organizations. Tunnels built by PKK/YPG terrorists in Afrin, using concrete and cement supplied by Lafarge, produced in its factory in southeastern Kobane, are being used to hinder the ongoing advance of Turkish Armed Forces units.

The factory located alongside of US military base French cement company Lafarge, was previously embroiled in a scandal after evidence detailing its dealings with Daesh terrorists were revealed.PKK blocks civilian exit from Afrin: UN

Local authorities continue to block the exodus of civilians from Syrias Afrin region, the UN spokesman said Monday, referring to PKK/YPG terrorists.

United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that the UN has no direct contact with civilians in Afrin and it is critical that people be able to move freely.

Dujarric added that nearly 5,000 civilians have managed to leave the region of northern Syria.

UN Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock said earlier that civilians who want to flee Afrin continue to be stopped at exit points and prevented from accessing safer areas by PKK/YPG terrorists.Taraji P. Henson supports Ryan Seacrest despite social media criticizing the actress for allegedly shading the talk show host during an interview at Sunday's Oscars.

The Truth

Seacrest was on hand at the star-studded event to interview guests on the red carpet and among those he interviewed was Henson. The pair was talking about Best Supporting Actress nominee Mary J. Blige when many misinterpreted Henson's comment and her gesture.

"The universe has a way of taking care of good people," Henson said with a smile and touched Seacrest's chin.

"Know what I mean?" she added, and Seacrest replied, "I agree."

The gesture and her comment had people falsely misconstruing that Henson was shading the E! News show host. Twitterverse blew up with criticisms against the Empire star. The assumption was backed up by the actress' reply to ABC's Wendi Mclendon-Covey after she left Seacrest.

"I'm great now that I'm in your company," Henson said when Covey asked how she is doing.

However, the 47-year-old author of Around the Way Girl: A Memoir later clarified that she did not insult or shade Seacrest. Instead, she was trying to cheer him on and keep his spirits up. She said that her gesture was meant to "keep his chin up."

"It's an awkward position to be in. He's been cleared but anyone can say anything," Henson later clarified in an interview with People and added that she "absolutely" supports Seacrest.

The American Idol host also later sent some love to Henson in a tweet following the misunderstanding.

"Nothing but love for my friend @TherealTaraji. Thanks for hanging out with us on the #ERedCarpet! #Oscars," Seacrest tweeted.

The Diss

Before the clarification, many social media users accused Henson of shading Seacrest during her red carpet interview.

Watching that clip of Taraji P. Henson talking to Ryan Seacrest pic.twitter.com/RVm7DkUZP2  Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) March 5, 2018

However, there were also those who did not think that the actress dissed Seacrest. Instead, they thought her gesture was a sign of support. One Twitter user said Henson did not throw shade at Seacrest.

"I felt like it was the opposite," one Twitter user wrote.

Meanwhile, another pointed out that the interview ended with Seacrest and Henson hugging each other.

pic.twitter.com/FifHYePAL7 The rest of the Taraji P. Henson & Ryan Seacrest interview that people are acting like didnt happen #oscars  Siobhan Morris (@siomo) March 5, 2018

Seacrest attended the 2018 Oscars despite the scandal he is facing. Suzie Hardy, a former E! News stylist, accused the Live with Kelly and Ryan star of sexual harassment and abuse. He has since denied the allegations and an investigation into the lawsuit yielded insufficient evidence that can support Hardy's claims. Seacrest also accused Hardy of blackmail.Frances McDormand celebrated her 90th Academy Awards win with tequila and was gracious enough to share the drink with fellow winner Allison Janney. The spontaneous interaction was caught on camera.

Tequila Sip

Good Morning America shared some of the best moments from the 2018 Oscars on its official Twitter page, and Janney and McDormand's tequila moment was among them. In the video, Janney is seen backstage talking to Good Morning America co-anchor Lara Spencer about her 2018 Oscars win when McDormand walks pass them. The reporter softly reaches out to the actress and asks her for a few congratulatory words for Janney.

"Cheers darling," McDormand says then offers the I, Tonya star a sip of her tequila. She physically puts the straw from her drink into Janney's mouth.

"Have a little sip, have a little sip, it's tequila," the Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri star says before turning around to hug Spencer. The reporter then congratulates her on her acceptance speech and she brushes it off.

"Well, you know, we know, it's theater, don't we?" McDormand replies before she walks away.

pic.twitter.com/49ta3E65Io @AllisonBJanney on the moment Frances McDormand asked all the female nominees in every category to stand with her: "That was the best moment. It was really special." #Oscars  Good Morning America (@GMA) March 5, 2018

Supporting Actress Win

In her interview, Janney talks about her Academy Award win for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Tonya Harding's mother. It was the first time the actress attended the star-studded event, so the occasion is really memorable for her and her winning moment "unforgettable."

"It's one I'll treasure forever. I will never forget. Every part of this day is emblazoned into my mind," Janney tells Spencer then picks up her glass of champagne and adds, "Yes, I wanna remember, have a little bit of this just to enhance it."

Janney talks about her acceptance speech and reveals that she wrote "pages and pages of speeches." She also tells Spencer that she will save her speeches and take photos of them and probably upload them in the future. She also credits her friends who helped her come up with ideas for her speech.

"It's pretty funny. All these brilliant writer friends of mine have all contributed to giving me ideas and I've stolen from every single one of them," The Mom star adds. It was at this moment that McDormand passes by.

On her part, McDormand won Best Actress at the 2018 Oscars. She gave an empowering acceptance speech where she acknowledged the presence of the women in the audience. Janney tells Spencer that one of her favorite moments at the Oscars was when McDormand asked all the women to stand up during her speech.Martin Shkreli, who was convicted of securities fraud in August, has been ordered to surrender $7.36 million worth of assets to the federal government.

Shkreli Ordered To Fork Over Wu-Tang Clan Album

Days before his sentencing for the securities fraud conviction, U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto ordered the ex-pharmaceutical exec to hand over his "substitute" assets to the feds if he was broke and unable to cough up the cash, as his lawyers claimed last year.

These assets include $5 million in cash in a personal trading account, Shkreli's stake in the company Vyera Pharmaceuticals, a Pablo Picasso painting, the Lil' Wayne album The Carter V, as well as the one-and-only copy of the Wu Tang Clan album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, which he acquired for $2 million at an auction in 2015. The order comes three months after federal prosecutors asked the judge for permission to seize his assets.

Securities Fraud Case

In August, the former hedge fund manager was convicted of two counts of securities fraud and a conspiracy charge after defrauding investors of his two hedge funds: MSMB Capital and MSMB Healthcare.

Shkreli was accused of lying to investors about the financial performance of their investment in the funds. He was also found guilty of manipulating stock shares of a separate biotech company founded by him, Retrophin.

His sentencing has been scheduled for Friday, March 9, and Shrkreli, who has been in jail since September, could be facing a maximum penalty of up to two decades in prison.

However, Shkreli's lawyers asked the judge for a reduced sentence between 12 and 18 months in prison. His counsel argued in a court filing that Shkreli should be given a lenient sentence because his investors eventually made a profit after he paid them in stock and cash from Retrophin.

Most Hated Man In America

Before being convicted of securities fraud, the "Pharma Bro" received widespread criticism in 2015 while he was CEO of another company called Turing Pharmaceuticals.

Shkreli's company purchased the manufacturing rights of a critical drug known as Daraprim, which is often used to treat a deadly parasitic infection in people suffering from HIV or AIDS. He then raised the price of the drug by 5,000 percent from $13.50 per pill to $750 per pill. The 34-year-old came under a lot of fire over the move and earned the nickname of the "most-hated man in America."It's official - Stormi Webster has a more lavish lifestyle and bedroom than most people based on the snap Kylie Jenner shared.

Life Of Kylie

The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star was uncharacteristically quiet on social media throughout her pregnancy. She's been more active since Stormi's birth, sharing a recent post about the baby being one month old.

In a Snapchat post on Monday afternoon, Jenner gave the public a little glimpse into her baby's gorgeous nursery. Naturally, it's ideal for the daughter of a multi-millionaire makeup mogul - girly pink and decked out with sweet little touches.

A giant heart filled with butterflies can be seen in the short clip, along with a matching pink rug, and a toy mouse full of candy.

"I love her room," Kylie's Snapchat read.

It makes sense that Stormi's room is designed to within an inch of its life, as a source revealed last month that Kylie was into buying things for her daughter and perfecting the look of the nursery. Another insider confirmed the color scheme as classic pink and white.

Rising To The Occasion

The Snapchat post is just the latest instance of Jenner sharing more about her motherhood experience on social media. Last weekend, she shared the very first photo of Stormi's face, again on Snapchat.

"My pretty girl," she captioned the clip, which showed the newborn happily sucking on a pacifier.

Jenner also shared a photo in her underwear, proudly showing off her post-baby body just one month after giving birth.

"It's been a big adjustment for Kylie, but she's loving being a mom and watching all of the little things that Stormi is doing each day. She's exhausted and emotional, but she's also completely in love," a source gushed to E! News.

The source further revealed that Jenner is getting a lot of help from both a baby nurse and her sisters, two of whom have already had babies of their own, with the third, Khloe, due next month. Kylie and Khloe are reportedly comparing notes on establishing a feeding and sleeping schedule for Stormi.

Jenner and her partner, rapper Travis Scott, welcomed their daughter on Feb. 1 following nearly a year of intense media speculation. The two went public about the pregnancy and gave fans an inside look into their experience of becoming parents via a sweet YouTube video.

The young couple made time for a date night this past Sunday, at Seaspice in Miami.Model and reality star Kendall Jenner was reportedly rushed to the hospital days before her stunning appearance at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party. The 22-year-old suffered a bad reaction to a vitamin drip and had to be immediately treated by medical professionals.

Jenner's Health Scare

Jenner spent a few hours in Mount Cedars Sinai Hospital where she was quickly checked and released. There isn't word yet on what kind of vitamin drip the young model used that landed her in the hospital, but Jenner made a quick recovery and was able to attend the party on March 5. The reality star came in a tight-fitted, black mini-dress that showed off her well-toned legs.

tell me more A post shared by Kendall (@kendalljenner) on Mar 5, 2018 at 10:48am PST

Jenner's Previous Health Struggles

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star has been open with her struggles with anxiety in the past. Jenner's mom and manager, Kris Jenner, has also stated that during Fashion Week, the model's anxiety becomes worse. The past year, the model didn't appear in as many shows, and on an episode of KUTWK, the model called her mom after suffering a panic attack.

missing you @riccardotisci17 A post shared by Kendall (@kendalljenner) on Dec 21, 2017 at 12:28pm PST

Jenner was signed to Wilhelmina models at the age of 14. Since then, the model was featured on Teen Vogue, American Cheerleader, Miss Vogue Australia, and Harper's Bazaar Australia.

In 2014, Jenner began walking in shows for high-fashion designers such as Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Chanel, Donna Karan, Diane von Furstenberg, Tommy Hilfiger, Fendi, Dolce & Gabbana, and Balmain in New York, Milan, and Paris Fashion Week.

The fashion icon faced public backlash for her involvement in the Pepsi "Live for Now" ad that debuted in April 2017. The commercial cast her in a role in which she used the beverage to make peace between police officers and protesters. This ad was highly criticized for borrowing imagery from the Black Lives Matter movement.

Jenner apologized for the controversial commercial and was reportedly "devastated" by the reaction.

Currently, Jenner is in a relationship with Detroit Pistons player Blake Griffin.Letters

COVID It is ironic the Federal Government appointees are blaming the unvaccinated U.S. citizens for the new COVID-19 explosion. When at the same time, people  900,000 so far and going up  are crossing the southern border, coming in hot with COVID in their body. Government appointees sprinkle these people into the interior of the U.S.

Safety At Rural Road Intersections Crawford County Farm Bureau Board of Directors wants to remind everyone when traveling on rural roads to slow down at intersections, especially where there is tall corn.

A plea for a plea To the Editor, Mr. Schauer and Ms. Creasman wrote a pitiful plea to their followers (Times News July 14) to be Silent No More. Their call to action for support of 

In response to the July 14 Letter to the Editor by Harrison County Chair and Vice-Chair. It was a relief to read the recent Letter to the Editor submitted by Benjamin Schauer and Jan Creasman. Their letter strongly outlined our current political climate, but did so in a respectful manner. They asked the reader to think, rather than telling the reader what to think.

Dig Deeper After my last editorial in this paper on the extreme property tax increases being forced on Harrison County taxpayers, I was tipped off to dig deeper into what really is going on with our County Assessor and Boards.

Read more lettersThe UK government has crafted an educational mandate for religious schools that Sohrab Ahmari at Commentary calls Orwellian.

Under the proposal, all schools would be required to teach children from age 4 and up age-appropriate content that includes information about same-sex marriage and transgenderism. Catholics, evangelicals, Orthodox Jews, Muslims, and others with traditional views on sex and gender would have to comply. No exceptions.

He notes that a senior government adviser stated it is not OK for Catholic [or other religious] schools to be homophobic and anti-gay marriage  although the latter position has been official Catholic dogma since time immemorial.

The European problem is the Canadian problem, as well. Taxpayer-subsidized parochial schools are being coerced to teach a similar curriculum, because Catholic teachings on contraception and gender identity would attack or hurt others  deny science, deny evidence, and deny human rights, according to the premier of Alberta.

As transatlantic governments strive to impose national education standards even on religious schools, a different model is on display in the U.S. Betsy DeVos critiqued federal intrusion on local education, a realm properly controlled by local communities  and parents. AEIs Andy Smarick records:

The Bush and the Obama approaches had the same Washington experts telling educators how to behave. They operated under the same false premise: that Washington knows whats best for educators, parents, and students. She added that when it comes to education  and any other issue in public life  those closest to the problem are always better able to solve it. The lessons of history, DeVos concluded, should force us to admit that federal action has its limits.

Forcing religious taxpayers to fund the transgression of their consciences should be one such limit. The quality of childrens education, and the authority of parents  which may be said to be priordial and inalienable  should not depend on prevailing government ideology.

There are two problems preventing the government from agreeing with such a reasonable statement.

One is the issue of government funding. The UK has 7,000 publicly funded parochial schools, including 48 Jewish, 27 Muslim, 11 Sikh, and five Hindu schools. Canadas private schools get 70 percent of their funding from the government. Even as outspoken a proponent of private education as DeVos told Congress, Schools that receive federal funds must follow federal law. Period.

There is only one safe road open for religious schools that want to maintain their faith once the government changes hands: Reject all government funding. Taxpayer funding inevitably brings bureaucratic regulation.

The second part of the problem is more fundamental. A recent YouGov poll found that 85 percent of Brits deemed teaching sex and relationship education (SRE) very important or quite important. The poll ranked sex ed the fifth most important subject in school  behind science but ahead of history, geography, and business studies. Less than half as many said the same of religious education, which ranked fourth from the bottom ahead of drama, classics, and Latin. The disparity may explain why a policy that would crush parental rights is being advanced by members of the Conservative Party.

This poll underscores a stark reality: Only a religious and virtuous people can long maintain a limited government.

(Photo credit: Tedder. This photo has been cropped. CC BY 3.0.)The European Union and Japan have intensified their mutual relations in response to the changing geopolitical dynamic such as Donald Trump, the rise of China and Brexit. While tighter relations between these two major global players will not directly compensate for these developments, they may substantially advance free trade and fundamental values worldwide if managed well. In a separate but related development, the mutual relations have just been given a major boost when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wrapped up a historic visit to Eastern Europe, the first of a sitting Japanese Prime Minister in more than hundred years.

To emphasize that this visit was really important, 30 representatives from Japanese business circles accompanied him to the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and the Balkans (Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia). Abes communications were clear and consistent throughout the visit: Tokyo wants to take advantage of the recently finalized Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU to deepen its engagement with the region. A new era for Japan and the EU is about to begin, the Japanese Prime Minister commented. EU leaders described the deal as a win-win agreement, with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker hailing it for its strategic importance.

Once the economic deal comes into force, it will enhance the business ties between the two economies and set global standards for third countries with which they trade. But the benefits of the deal go well beyond trade. Likely for the first time since the end of the Cold War, this kind of deal could bridge the distance between Japan and the EU with concrete political results. The EU and Japan are hopeful that the EPA will come into force by spring 2019 before Brexit and the last few months of the current European Commission. Until then, the agreement will have to be legally verified, ratified, and translated in all the official languages.

Having taken its lessons from the complicated ratification process of the EU-Canada CETA, the European Commission has tried to be very transparent about the EPA in anticipation of some objections. Tokyo is similarly committed to making sure that the document is ratified successfully, both by addressing concerns at home, and by courting the support of European countries. Given the challenging global geopolitical context, both the EU and Japan diligently promote free trade and fundamental values and emphasize that they are key components of their engagement. Alongside the EPA negotiations, Japan has also worked tirelessly and painstakingly to save the TPP after the US had pulled out from the agreement.

Japanese leaders acknowledge that the tough EPA talks were likewise a trust-building activity that gave them a new sense of appreciation for the competence and professionalism of EU negotiators. This new wave of appreciation and closeness could bring more opportunities for economic and political cooperation, as demonstrated by Prime Minister Abes visit to Eastern European countries, which were previously off the radar for Japanese businessmen and investors.

EU-Japan Partnership Agreements Herald New Era of Closer Cooperation  Commentary by Irina Angelescu  European Council on Foreign Relations / ECFR.

(The Commentary can be downloaded here)Luxembourg and Austria are going to sue the European Commission for allowing Hungary to expand its Paks nuclear plant, Luxembourg announced on Monday (5 March), in a firm stand against nuclear energy. Stubbornly anti-nuclear Austria, who is Hungarys neighbor, has said that it would initiate a lawsuit against the EU executive with Europes top court. We are going to actively support Austrias claim, Luxemburgs environment minister Carole Dieschbourg said, adding that it is important that no public funds be invested in nuclear power. It is definitely the wrong way.

Hungary is planning to build two new reactors at its Paks nuclear site. The construction will be helped by Russias Rosatom, a Russian state corporation headquartered in Moscow that specializes in nuclear energy, and has been given a green light by the EU Commission. The regulators justified their approval by saying that Hungarian authorities had agreed to several measures to ensure fair competition. In response to the looming legal action, the EU executive said that it would defend its decision in court. In many such complex cases, the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice has ruled in favor of the Commissions decisions.

Approximately 30% of the electricity produced in the EU is generated by nuclear power. There are 130 nuclear reactors in operation in 14 EU countries. It is up to the decision of each EU member state to decide whether to include nuclear power in its energy mix or not. Nuclear power currently being produced is released by a process called nuclear fission that involves the splitting of atoms using uranium to release energy. The peaceful use of nuclear energy within the bloc is regulated by the 1957 Euratom Treaty, which established the European Atomic Energy Community, or Euratom. Though a separate legal entity from the EU, Euroatom is governed by the EUs institutions.US President Donald Trump said that the US would impose tariffs on European car exports if the European Union choose to retaliate against his newly imposed duties on metals. If the E.U. wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on US companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the US, Mr. Trump tweeted. They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance!

Despite the warnings, imposing tax on the imports of European cars would prove to be more challenging than President Trump suggests. European automakers employ thousands of American workers and have factories in a number of US states including Alabama, South Carolina, Michigan and Texas. For example, the German carmaker BMW manufactures sport-utility cars in South Carolina and exports at least 70% of them abroad.

The White House is to enact a law that would impose 25% tariffs on imported steel and 10% on aluminum. Some economists warn that tariffs that are not applied through the World Trade Organization (WTO) could generate a series of reprisals and retaliatory actions that could lead to a trade war. The war might have even already started when the EU Commission responded at the end of last week that it would retaliate against any tariffs on metals.

The EU executive said that it was preparing a package that would affect a total of $3.5 billion in US exports including denim, bourbon, and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker promised to defend European jobs, saying that we mustshow that we also take measures. Mr. Juncker then added that I dont like to use the word trade war, but I cant say how this wouldnt be warlike behavior.This Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon!

Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page?Hello Expat World



I wonder how other people have organised the financing of purchasing property in France.



We found a house we like, in a town we like, and we're close to signing a compromise de vente with a view to completing in September. In the meantime we will sell our existing house in the UK and move lock-stock-and-two-cats to France.



Fortunately, we don't have to sell in the UK to finance the purchase, but we will need to realise various other assets (savings, investments etc.).



Now it would seem sensible to me, to have a euro account in a strong financial institution and drip feed sterling assets into euros on a regular basis so that come September we have the balance in euros waiting to go. (i.e. de-risking exchange rate movements.)



What other people do? I guess many purchases are second homes, and I wonder how do/did you build your euro pile?



What would use as your euro account? With the amount of money involved, we'd exceed the 85k/person guarantee. In the UK I would use (the government backed) NS&I, but this will be in euros and I can't find any equivalent for euros.



At the moment I'm minded to open an HSBC account (local branch here and a local branch in France) and use a currency account to store the euros, but I see a number of adverts from money exchange shops that all say they have better rates than banks  though it's hard to find any real provenance.



Any thoughts would be very welcome.



Thanks

Robin



PS: Thanks also for the board resources. This is my first-time post and I'm a right newbie.I live a bit inland from Lannion, north of the RN12. My commune is a zone blanche, meaning no high speed internet. We are waiting on fiber optique instalation which is meant to come onstream this year. In the meantime we make do with satelite, so you have instalation costs, plus tiered cost of gigabites. I am paying 56euro per months for 25 giga, the service us free after midnight if you want to binge download. I do not know how that compares for the highspeed services available if you do not live in a zone blanche. If you search in google the words tv & brittany you will find several services that will help you get set up. If you have highspeed in your area the ask your neighbours and shop around.

The Mayor of London is to launch a new online portal to make it easier for European Union citizens to get the information they need to stay in the UK after Brexit.There are around one million EU citizens living in London and while their rights post-Brexit are still unclear, the Government has stated that they will need to apply for settled status to remain after Brexit.Sadiq Khan is concerned that EU citizens and their families may be worried about their employment status and ability to access services after Brexit, while language skills may also be a barrier to applying for settled status.The new website will provide European citizens with information about their rights post-Brexit and direct them to expert legal advice, support services and guidance on employment rights. It will signpost the most vulnerable to advice and support services in London.We estimate there may be as many as 25,000 Eastern European Londoners who may struggle with accessing the new settled scheme, said Barbara Drozdowicz, chief executive officer of the East European Resource Centre.Barriers include lack of awareness, poor English skill, low confidence in using technical legal language to tackle applications and difficulties resulting from frail health or age, she added.Khan has called for the UK to remain part of the EU Single Market, with continued qualified freedom of movement ensuring that EU citizens would retain their rights to live and work in Britain.There are approximately one million European Londoners and they are part of the fabric of this city, working hard, paying taxes and playing a major role in civic and cultural life. They will always be welcome here, he said.I want to make sure that any future process for them is as simple and stress free as possible after what has been a particularly uncertain and daunting period for them, especially for the most vulnerable, he added.Failte Ireland today commenced a series of GDPR workshops targeting owners and managers of visitor attractions and activity based tourism businesses. The purpose of the workshops is to provide clarity around GDPR and practical steps that can be taken to ensure compliance.



Speaking at the launch of the workshops in the Failte Ireland head office on Amiens Street, Dublin, Helen McDaid, National Enterprise & Hospitality Development Manager at Failte Ireland said that the training is targeted at smaller businesses and will offer impartial advice on the issue of GDPR compliance.



Many of our tourism businesses are small to medium sized enterprises and we identified that there may be a knowledge gap in relation to their requirements under GDPR. The workshops aim to fill that gap and are active learning sessions to assist businesses in understanding how GDPR will impact on the various business functions they undertake. We aim to clearly outline the practical steps which are needed to ensure compliance.



The workshops provide information on the following:

 GDPR background and terminology

 Role definitions and responsibilities

 How GDPR affects your marketing activities

 The dos and donts of managing data

 Policies and procedures to meet GDPR requirements

 How to manage data risk

 Privacy by default



Further workshops will be held in the following locations:

 Thursday March 8th  Dublin  Failte Ireland offices, Amiens Street

 March 20th  Galway  The Galmont Hotel

 April 10th  Donegal  The Silver Tassie Hotel, Letterkenny





See link to our Business Supports Guide



Jump to topThe lack of grain shipments coming out of Saskatchewan is concerning the provinces Minister of Agriculture.

Latest numbers show a sharp drop off in supplied hopper car orders, especially from CN, who dropped from 34% down to 29%.

Lyle Stewart held a meeting via teleconference with both CP Rail and CN to talk about this issue, before addressing reporters late Friday afternoon.

He said with CN only meeting their orders five out of the last 23 weeks and CP meeting it 10 out of the last 23, its not just the weather affecting the shipments.

We forcefully made that point with both railways that its cold in western Canada in the winter, and thats not new, stated Stewart. However, the stats nowadays, the trains are longer and nowadays, they shorten trains in Alberta before they cross the mountains when the temperature is below minus 20.

Stewart said the winter plays a role, it cant be the sole impediment to grain shipments, something he said the companies acknowledged.

However, when it comes down to it, Stewart said its simple: Saskatchewan has many trade partners counting on their shipments to arrive in good condition and on time.

Source : CKRMThe CCA, along with Canadian red meat sector representatives, is participating in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Minister Lawrence MacAulays trade mission to Japan and Korea this week. The trade mission comes at a fortuitous time as Canada will officially sign onto the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in Chile on March 8. CCA representatives will be present for that event also, to impress upon the government the need for a swift implementation of the flagship agreement to ensure Canada has first-mover advantage.

The CPTPP will provide Canadas beef producers with competitive access to Japan and dynamic markets in the Asia-Pacific region. The Ministers trade mission includes a bilateral meeting and roundtable with industry, and meetings with retail outlets including Costco Japan and importers with the Japanese Meat Traders Association. On previous missions, beef importers in Japan stated that while pleased to have secured a year-round supply of Canadian beef, the combination of the 38.5 per cent tariff and safeguard trigger dampened their ability to significantly increase their purchases of Canadian beef.

The current Japanese 50 per cent safeguard tariff on frozen beef has been in place since July 2017. Once the CPTPP is implemented, Canadian beef will be imported into Japan at the same preferential tariff as Australian beef and we will also be relieved from the Japanese safeguard tariff on frozen beef.

Canada Beef representatives will also be on hand in Tokyo and participate at the Foodex 2018 and host a cooking demonstration. In Seoul, Canada Beef will promote Canadian beef to shoppers at the Lotte Mart and participate in other activities.

The CCA will explore potential for Korea to join the CPTPP while in Seoul. The CCA believes that acceleration of Koreas beef tariff phaseout to match the U.S. access (under the 2013 U.S.-Korea FTA) should be another condition of Koreas entry into the CPTPP. Under the terms of the 2014 Canada-Korea FTA, the 40 per cent Korean tariff on fresh and frozen beef will be fully eliminated in 15 equal annual steps and the 18 per cent tariff on offals will be fully eliminated in 11 equal annual steps.

Source : Canadian Cattlemens AssociationWith declining flock numbers and rapid acceptance of Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) in the past five years, it is now estimated studs registered with MerinoSelect are supplying 47 per cent of Merino sires for commercial flocks in Australia, the report claims.

It estimates more than 80pc of semen used in Merino ram breeding is now supplied by studs using MerinoSelect.

The report, Estimating the growing impact of MerinoSelect by Co-operative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation (Sheep CRC) chief executive James Rowe, said use of MerinoSelect for commercial ram selection was a growing trend.

The last assessment in 2014 estimated only 18pc of Merino rams were produced by studs using MerinoSelect, it said.

Launched in 2005, MerinoSelect provides members with access to a database of sheep genetics related to wool production and specification, carcase, lambing and worm resistance, expressed as ASBVs.

Together with LambPlan, it comprises the commercial products developed using Federal government, CRC and participant funding, offered by Sheep Genetics, the national genetic information and evaluation service for the wool and meat sectors with 6.5 million animals on its database.

Professor Rowes report indicates that after an initial rush of registrations the number of studs using MerinoSelect had settled at about 150 by 2011.

But that number had doubled to about 300 by 2015 and last year increased 5pc on 2016 registrations to reach 350 in a rapidly rising trend.

The trend line for studs using MerinoSelect also indicates a much faster rate of increase in ram sales compared to sales from studs that are not, his report states.

The difference in rate of growth of ram sales was about 300 rams a year, or a total of 19,800 more rams sold by Top 20 flocks in MerinoSelect from 2005 to 2016, it states.

For semen sales the trend line indicates nearly four times faster growth from studs using MerinoSelect.

Professor Rowe acknowledges other industry genomic tools like the Information Nucleus program which became Meat and Livestock Australias Resource Flock, the RamSelect web-based app and wider DNA testing for parentage, particular traits like poll and production and for flock profiling, had contributed to the trend.

Also, the numbers of sheep recorded each year with Sheep Genetics had jumped from about 50,000 in 2011 to nearly 90,000 in 2014 and by last year was more than 100,000.

But during the period from 2012 to 2016, the report points out, the number of Merino ewes joined to Merino rams dropped from 20.7 million to 17.8 million, reducing the number of rams needed and helping to inflate the percentage of sires chosen from MerinoSelect-registered studs.

The report focusses on the Merino sector because of its relative importance to the entire sheep industry, contributing over 75pc of the genetic make-up of the Australian flock, and the perception that the Merino sector has been slow to adopt new genetic technologies, professor Rowe said.

In fact, the data shows that use of ASBVs is now becoming the norm in the Merino industry, with the number of sheep registered with MerinoSelect having doubled since 2011.

This trend has been accelerated by the availability of DNA testing and the fast growing demand for poll rams, he said.

In reviewing genetic technology uptake in the Merino sector, the trend lines show strong growth in the number of studs using MerinoSelect and increasing sales of rams and semen by studs that are members of MerinoSelect.

The availability of DNA tests also appears to have accelerated the swing towards poll rams among Merino breeders and their clients.

This shows that working with our participants and particularly with Sheep Genetics, the initiatives delivered through the CRC are having a real impact on the industry.

The use of genomic information through MerinoSelect and the recent introduction of single step analysis will further increase the rate of genetic gain achieved by studs that are members of MerinoSelect and provides further incentive for membership of MerinoSelect, professor Rowe said.

Sheep CRC operates as part of the federal Industry, Innovation and Science Departments CRC program.

It is a collaboration of more than 40 organisations from across industry, government and the commercial sector, and includes producer groups, farm advisers, universities and research organisations, meat processors and retailers.By Julia Kite

Julia Kite

When I read fiction, I like a story that tidies up all its loose ends. That is why, at first consideration, it seems strange that I am so fascinated by real-life cases of missing people and how they are perceived  because for some of them, there is no resolution and there is no ending, happy or otherwise. The ones that do have the ending everyone dreaded inevitably grab headlines, with photographs from happier times splashed around the media, but eventually the tides of the news cycle wash them into the archives and leave their family and friends to try to rebuild their lives. These people, who have no choice but to watch and wait and bear the brunt of tragedy, cannot escape when the media pack up and walk away. Theyre the ones who will forever replay what-ifs in their heads and second guess their actions from the last time life had a normal. When I began writing The Hope and Anchor, I knew I wanted to write about those people, the ones left behind when cameras depart.

Years ago, after I had moved to California from London, my first time back in England was for Christmas, and I remember how all the papers screamed the disappearance of Joanna Yeates in Bristol. Her cheerful face in those photographs with her university cap and gown, or cuddling a kitten  they stared out at the country as everyone went about their festive preparations. Twenty-five-year-old Joanna had no dodgy past, no hint of trouble about her; she could have been one of any millions of women walking home on her own. We watched her on CCTV, the last moments of her promising life reduced to buying a pizza and some cider. Joanna was found murdered on Christmas Day, and I remember thinking there seemed a particular cruelty in her family having to live out their worst nightmare in public then, making statements to a country that could easily switch it all off and be of good cheer because they werent the ones whod had love ripped out of their lives.

On the other hand, I dont remember how I first heard about Joyce Vincent, the woman who lay dead and unnoticed in her North London flat for more than two years. Most likely it was when Carol Morleys acclaimed film Dreams of a Life brought together the old friends, the ex-boyfriends, the work colleagues, all united in disbelief that this vivacious, talented woman could simply disappear into London and out of their lives, let alone die unnoticed. With so little known about the real Joyce Vincents psychology and motivations, and only scraps of memory cobbled together into speculation, the lurid headlines about the dead woman in the bedsit created a Joyce that seemed to belong to anybody who looked. Facts were few and far between, but undeniably real were the words and reactions of everybody who had loved her enough to share what they knew of her life with a filmmaker.

Both these women, missing and then dead, became a perverse kind of public property, their lives suddenly of general interest only because of their tragic victimhood. Joanna never asked for complete strangers to debate what became of her pizza or look at pictures of her forensically-ransacked flat; Joyce didnt grant her blessing for people shed never met to wonder about what may have happened in her past to turn her into a recluse before her death. Their stories were told without permission, without any vetting power.

Yet writing fiction is, by definition, an exercise in telling stories that are not your own. I knew in writing The Hope and Anchor that I didnt want to rehash any of these real events  after all, they are not mine to tell. Instead, I wanted to look at the stewards of the missing persons legacy, the family and friends who never applied for this job. That is why my book is not a standard mystery. Its less important what actually happened to Angela, our missing woman, than what led up to those events her entire life, and how her girlfriend and her sister attempt to pick up the pieces and reconcile with her legacy when suddenly the Angela they loved seems to belong to everybody.

Who owns a missing persons past? Who gets to tell her story when shes gone, and what story is that going to be? How do you mourn a tragedy that goes from private to public, and what is owed to a crime victim who is no longer around to reap any justice or compensation? These questions have no hard and fast answers. Survivors must keep living, tackling the same mundanities as those untouched by violent loss, even if those lives can never go back to their previous normality. My goal in writing The Hope and Anchor was to show there is no roadmap for the uncertainty of grief, no morality tale or simple platitude to guide the way. Life, in all its messiness, doesnt come with a guarantee of tidy endings. The story behind how the living continue in the face of death is what fascinates me so much.A honeymoon is all about celebrating the beginning of a fresh chapter together and unplugging from the outside world before reality kicks in. Were all guilty of not being able to switch off, and in fact, Booking.com has recently surveyed the British public to find that 92% of us have thought about getting away from it all for a while by going off the grid. So, its only fitting that newlyweds share a unique experience together in a fabulously foreign part of the world. From staying in the treetops in Sweden to relaxing on a deserted beach in the French Polynesia, Booking.com has put a list of top destinations for honeymooners to escape to and relax.

Weddings on Female First

As well as a destination guide, Booking.com is offering a lucky couple the opportunity to win a two night luxury stay amongst the spectacular treetops in Northern Sweden. Here, you can let your imagination run wild as you experience Swedens natural beauty from the comfort of your very own luxurious canopy hideaway. For a stunningly remote honeymoon, enter at www.booking.com for your chance to win this exclusive stay.

10 Destinations to get off the grid-

Boden, Sweden

With miles of forest to explore, the picturesque Scandinavian surroundings in Boden are the ideal place for a relaxing honeymoon. Just 50 miles south of the Arctic Circle, you can also witness the stunning Northern lights from this quaint town. Nearly half of Brits (45%) say that a converted tree house would be one of their top choices of unique accommodation they dream of staying in. For a truly unique and isolated experience, stay in the Harads forest in the Treehotel.

Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

A beautiful view was voted the top accommodation requirement by 59% of Brits looking for truly off the grid escape, so why not visit Torres del Paine National Park? Located in Chile, the park is a well-known destination for people who want to embrace nature and escape their busy lifestyles. With its soaring mountains, icebergs and rare wildlife, its an idyllic location to be at one with nature. Located in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park, Ecocamp Patagonia is set in charming domes inspired by the ancient dwellings of the region.

Remote Reefs in Rangiroa, French Polynesia

The weather plays a huge factor in planning a getaway, as 65% say the British weather makes us want to escape. Rangiroa is one of the largest atolls (a ring-shaped reef, island, or chain of islands formed of coral) in the world and the definition of complete seclusion. Spend your days on the stunning beach, head out on a boat trip or explore the beautiful lagoon, passes and reefs from under water. Choose one of the Va'a i te Moana bungalows for your very own private home away from home.

Puerto Maldonado, Peru

Looking for a complete digital detox? Look no further than Puerto Maldonado, the gateway to the Amazon jungle and the starting point for visits to the Manu National Reserve or Tambota National Park. Over 4 in 10 (43%) of us feel as though we need to be contactable 24/7 so this is the ideal location to escape, as there no WiFi or signal in many of the properties along the river. Located in the middle of the jungle, the Sotupa Eco House features a range of rooms with views of the Tambopata River and guarantees a quiet space for guests where they can enjoy the interrupted jungle.

Ushuaia, Argentina

Ushuaia is located in a bay on the southernmost coast of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego and is often known as the end of the world. Its regarded as one of the most extremely remote locations, in the middle nowhere. Home to penguins, stunning scenery and natural parks, its great for adventurers to explore. Stay in the middle of the Cerro Alarken Natural Reserve at the Arakur Ushuaia Resort & Spa.

The Highlands, Scotland

Short haul holidays are very popular, as 74% of British travellers would prefer a trip close to home to escape. Take a trip to Tobermory, a small town remotely located in the Isle of Mull and surrounded by countryside, lochs and parks. With more than half (52%) of us saying that peace and quiet of the countryside is in their top three happy places , this is an ideal location to stay. The Glengorm Castle offers a unique and remote location in the Scottish highlands.

Madagascar, East Africa

With flawless beaches, reefs and a giant baobab forests, Madagascar is definitely up there on the list when it comes to exotic surroundings. This giant Island is also well known for its rich and diverse wildlife, with plenty of opportunities to do a safari as well as fishing, diving, swimming, helicopter rides and lemur-filled night walks. The Demeure de la Compagnie Generale des Huiles Precieuses accommodation features a private beach area and offers the best of both worlds with a touch of luxury in some truly unforgettable settings.

Whitefish, Montana

For an unforgettable escape spend hitting stunning trails surrounded by a backdrop of awe-inspiring scenery, Montana is a top pick. Home to the Whitefish Mountain Resort and to Glacier National Park, this off-the-beaten-track destination is the perfect romantic escape. Lodge at Whitefish Lake is located on the shore of Whitefish Lake and boasts of an award winning restaurant, a full service spa, and a gym.

Riberia Grande, Portugal

Situated in the municipality in the northern part of the island of Sao Minguel in the Portuguese Azores, often referred to as the non-tropical Hawaii, is the perfect place to rejuvenate with a real digital detox. As well as a unique diversity of landscapes, Riberia Grande offers the beauty of the Lagoa do Fogo, chosen as one of the seven Portuguese Wonders in the wild beach category. The Santa Barbara Eco-Beach Resort is a great choice for travellers looking to stay in an exotic location, with privileged views of the mountains and direct access to the sea.

Mystras, Greece

A deserted Byzantine city on Mount Tagetos near the city of Sparta, Mystras is one of the most mystical and dramatic historic sites that the Peloponnese can offer. Let yourself be captivated by the destinations medieval splendour and wander around the Palace of the Despots, the beautiful Cathedral of Saint Dimitrios and the impressive monasteries. Set amidst lush greenery, at an altitude of 600 metres, the traditionally built Guesthouse Mazaraki is situated close to the picturesque village of Mystras, offering views of the Byzantine castle of Mystras and the city of Sparta.Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-CategoryWith US President Donald Trump stepping up his rhetoric over the trade imbalance between China and the United States and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang responding by talking up the country's advances as a centre of technology innovation, intellectual property is in the spotlight. How do investors, tempted by China's hot startup scene, protect themselves and profit Consultant Damon Matteo, who advises companies on commercialising high-value innovations and IP assets, gives his perspective on China's IP regime.

Looking backward we see China reaching a nominal GDP second only to the US, built largely on the shoulders of its manufacturing prowess. Looking forward we see China moving swiftly to a cutting-edge...Devroye "Hybrid Trumpet" Hair Punch Infringes Dr. U Patent

REDONDO BEACH, California, March 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --Dr. U Devices, a leading provider of advanced hair restoration solutions, today announced through its attorneys at Kilpatrick Townsend that it has filed a complaint for patent infringement with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in New York City. The complaint seeks money damages and an injunction against the manufacture, use and sale of Devroye Instruments' infringing hair punches in the United States.

Dr. U Devices contends that Dr. Jean Devroye and his Devroye Instruments' "Hybrid Trumpet" hair punch infringe U.S. Patent No. 8,876,847, which issued on November 4, 2014 to Dr. Sanusi Umar, founder of Dr. U Devices, and claims Dr. Umar's pioneering concave-sided punch. The complaint alleges that Dr. Devroye copied this proprietary technology after attending a March 2016 workshop in Paraguay, where Dr. Umar presented his patented "UPunch" technology to Dr. Devroye and others. Within months of that workshop, Dr. Devroye began selling his infringing product to others, including Dr. Robert True, who was also named as a defendant in the complaint. Dr. Umar learned of Dr. Devroye's infringement at a trade show in Las Vegas in September 2016, where he also notified Dr. Devroye of the '847 Patent. Undeterred, according to the complaint, Dr. Devroye has continued to manufacture and sell infringing devices. Today's U.S. complaint follows a similar German complaint filed in November 2017 against Devroye for infringement of German patent rights to Dr. Umar's concave-sided punch.

Dr. Umar commented: "I put years of hard work into developing UPunch to help people seeking hair restoration treatment. It is deeply regrettable that anyone-especially a colleague-would knock off my invention and present it as her/his own."

Dr. Umar is a noted hair restoration surgeon, dermatologist, and clinical faculty member of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). An inventor on numerous United States patents, Dr. Umar is a pioneer and innovator in the field of hair replacement therapies.

Dr. U Devices is now launching its new UPunch product for use in follicle unit extraction procedures worldwide. Dr. U Devices intends to vigorously defend its patented technology against unlawful sale and use in the United States.Two of the biggest adversaries in education politics are teachers unions and the charter school establishment.

Charters, after all, were set up, in part, to free schools from many state and district regulationsincluding collective bargaining contracts. And unions see the rapid expansion of non-unionized charter schools in some cities as a threat to their existence.

But that doesnt mean that charter schools cant be unionized, and some of them are. For example, the teachers at one of the most prominent charter networks in California, Green Dot Public Schools, have always been unionized. More recently, teachers unions have notched a couple of highly-publicized wins recently in places such as Chicago, New Orleans, and the District of Columbia.

Beyond those anecdotes, however, the overall number of unionized charter schools as a percentage nationally has dropped slightlyfrom 12.3 percent to 11.3 percentsince 2010, according to new data from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

But thats not to say teachers unions are not making new inroads into the charter sector. Within the world of unionized charter schools, a much larger share is now affiliated with a charter school network.

A Growing Trend?

In 2010, less than 10 percent of unionized charter schools belonged to either a nonprofit charter management organization or a for-profit education management organization. Today, that number is pushing 20 percent.

Why the uptick? It likely comes down to strategy.

One reason that it might be that CMOs or EMOs are more likely to be unionized is is that they are easier targets from a unionization perspective, said Katharine Strunk, a professor of education policy at Michigan State University. It makes more sense for them to spend their energy going to a place where they can get more teachers and more schools. Its actually a lot of work to try to go in and unionize a set of teachers.

In addition to the fact that a union gets more bang for their buck if they organize the staff in an entire network of charter schools versus a single, independent school, its also a bigger symbolic victory, said Todd Ziebarth, the senior vice president for state advocacy for the National Alliance.

And there are ways that networks can make themselves a bigger target, he said.

If schools and networks havent been careful and thoughtful about ensuring that teachers have a voice, whether its one school or 10 schools ... then they do run a greater risk of being unionized, he said. Thats something these networks have to really prioritize if they want to stay union-free as they grow.

What About Janus?

Whatever trends in charter unionization were seeing now could be completely scrambled by the U.S. Supreme Courts forthcoming decision in Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 31 .

If the High Court rules that its unconstitutional for public employee unions to charge fees to workers who choose not to join the union, that could significantly affect the unions appetites for organizing charter teachers.

But in what way is less clear.

I asked both Strunk and Ziebarth how a ruling against the unions could affect organizing efforts in charter schools. Both said it could go either way.

With less money and fewer resources, teachers unions may pull back their efforts to organize charter schools. While charters make up a sizable proportion of schools in some major cities, nationally, they account for less than 10 percent of all public schools.

Or the reverse could be true: in search of new dues-paying members, teachers unions may double down on chartersespecially those that belong to the large networks.

Related stories:Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 5, 2018) - CHC Student Housing Corp. ("CHC" or the "Company") (TSXV: CHC) announces that its shareholders did not approve the previously announced sale of its London and Kingston properties at its shareholders meeting held on March 5, 2018. As the proposed transaction constitutes a "Reviewable Disposition" as defined in Policy 5.3 - Acquisitions and Dispositions of Non-Cash Assets of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV"), it is subject to approval of the TSXV and, as a requirement to such approval, approval by the Company's shareholders. Since the shareholders have not approved the proposed transaction, it will not proceed.

Following the results of the shareholders vote, certain changes have been made to the management and board of CHC. Andrew ("Drew") Coles and Thomas Murphy have been appointed directors of the Company, while Philip Gillin has resigned as a director. In addition, Mark Hansen has resigned as President and CEO of the Company, and Drew Coles has been appointed interim President and CEO.

Drew Coles is the President and CEO of Full-G Capital, which he founded in April 2017. He has held senior management positions in the Canadian hospitality industry for over 13 years. Prior to founding Full-G Capital, he served as President and CEO of InnVest REIT, and oversaw the C$2.1 billion sale and privatization of the company to Bluesky Hotels and Resorts in August 2016. Mr. Coles also served on the Board of Trustees of Innvest REIT from January 2015 to March 2017. From January 2015 to August 2016 he served as Chairman of Choice Hotels Canada. Mr. Coles previously served as Vice President, Hotels at Oxford Properties Group, where he was Oxford's senior leader responsible for the investment performance and expansion of its luxury hotel portfolio, which under his leadership, experienced exceptional investment performance, income growth and capital reinvestment. In other previous roles, Mr. Coles worked with Delta Hotels which was owned by both bcIMC and Fairmont Raffles Hotels International. He is a director of Avante Logixx Inc. (TSXV:XX). He holds an Honors MBA from Webster University (St. Louis, Missouri) and a BA Economics from Acadia University.

Thomas Murphy, CPA, CA is the Managing Director of Canonfield Inc., a private real estate investment company, in which capacity he has served since 1995. He has over 35 years of real estate investment, development, and financial experience. Prior to 1995, Mr. Murphy was a senior executive with Olympia & York Developments Limited, where he worked on many large and complex transactions involving commercial real estate, debt, corporate finance, and accounting and tax issues. His responsibilities have included involvement in acquisitions, dispositions, financing and restructuring, tax planning and compliance and reporting. Mr. Murphy holds a CPA, CA designation and a Bachelor of Business Management degree from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Ryerson University).

"On behalf of the Board, I thank Mark and Phil for their service to CHC", said Gordon Pridham, Chairman of the Company.

The appointments of Mr. Coles and Mr. Murphy are subject to acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange.

Given the results of the shareholders vote, CHC has also commenced discussions with a third party to explore alternative transactions for financing and reorganizing the Company. While the Company has commenced these discussions, there is no certainty that any alternative transactions will be completed. The Company will disclose ongoing developments with respect to these discussions if, as and when they occur.

The Company also wishes to disclose that Smycorp Investments Inc., a company owned and controlled by Craig Smith, a director of the Company, intends to advance certain funds to CHC for working capital purposes while the Company pursues its discussions regarding alternative transactions for financing and reorganizing the Company.

About CHC Student Housing Corp.

CHC Student Housing Corp. is an owner and operator of student housing properties located in proximity to universities in primary and well understood secondary markets.

Forward Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and other similar expressions. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release represent the Company's expectations as of the date hereof, and are subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities regulations.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information, please contact:

Craig Smith, Director

CHC Student Housing Corp.

Telephone: (416) 359-2360

Email: craig.smith@cushwake.comWASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Federal Trade Commission Monday said it will challenge J.M. Smucker Co.'s (SJM) $285 million bid for the Wesson cooking oil brand owned by Conagra Brands Inc. According to FTC, J.M. Smucker's acquisition of Wesson cooking oil brand 'is likely 'substantially to lessen competition, or to tend to create a monopoly' in violation of the Clayton Act.' The deal will reduce competition in the US for canola and vegetable oils, as Smucker currently owns the Crisco brand and by acquiring the Wesson brand, it would control at least 70 percent of the canola and vegetable oils market. Ohio-based Smucker and Chicago-based Conagra both manufacture and sell a wide range of food products, including canola and vegetable oil, other types of oils, and shortening. Under the proposed acquisition, Smucker would obtain all intellectual property rights to the Wesson brand, as well as inventory and manufacturing equipment. The complaint alleges that the acquisition is likely to increase Smucker's negotiating leverage against retailers, especially traditional grocers, by eliminating the vigorous head-to-head competition that exists between the Crisco and Wesson brands today. The retailers, and ultimately consumers, would likely face higher prices for branded canola and vegetable cooking oil, the complaint states. 'Cooks across the U.S. benefit from the competition between the staple brands Wesson and Crisco. We are taking this action to preserve the benefits of that competition,' said Ian Conner, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Competition. 'After attempted price increases by each brand over the last two years were limited by intense competition from the other, this transaction eliminates that restraint and would allow Smucker to raise prices on both brands.' 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.MAPLEWOOD (dpa-AFX) - 3M (MMM) Monday said it has appointed Michael Roman as the new Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2018. Meanwhile, current CEO Inge Thulin will move to a newly created position of Executive Chairman of the board. 'After a thorough and thoughtful succession planning process, Mike is the clear choice to lead 3M into the future as CEO,' said Thulin. 'He is an accomplished, results-oriented and high-integrity leader, with an excellent track record of growing sales, improving operational efficiency and increasing value across a wide range of global businesses.' Roman has served as chief operating officer and executive vice president since July 2017, with direct responsibility for 3M's five business groups, along with the company's international operations. 'It is an honor to lead 3M into the future,' said Roman. 'Inge's leadership has taken 3M to new heights, and I look forward to building on our momentum and delivering value for customers and shareholders.' In his new role as executive chairman of the board, Thulin will continue to chair 3M's Board of Directors while also working closely with Roman on longer-term strategic initiatives for the company. Thulin has served as 3M's chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer since 2012. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Like-for-like sales in the United Kingdom climbed 0.6 percent on year in February, the British Retail Consortium said on Tuesday. That exceeded expectations for an increase of 0.5 percent and was unchanged from the January reading. Food sales climbed an annual 2.8 percent, the data showed, while non-food item sales skidded 1.1 percent. 'There's little sign that consumer confidence, rather than financial reality, has much to do with the current weakness in spending,' said Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC. 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.CVS and a Subsidiary of Euroshop, C-star, Join Forces to Create an International Retail Exchange Platform with Over 200 Smart Retail Vendors, Offering One-stop Premium Retail Solutions Worldwide.

SHANGHAI, March 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hosted by UBM Sinoexpo, the 15th China International Self-service, Kiosk and Vending Show (CVS) - the second largest in the world- is the place to get all of the resources required for a business' goals and to fulfil the needs of the entire convenience services industry.

Now with its collaboration with C-Star- Shanghai's International Trade Fair for Solutions and Trends All about Retail- the future of retail is about to be reshaped.

World of Retail

The two trade fairs will be held from April 26 to 28, 2018 at Shanghai New International Expo Centre, concurrently with Hotel Plus, with an expected turnout of over 200,000 trade visitors, including industry professionals and consumers.

As the official satellite show of EuroShop, the world's No.1 Retail Trade Fair, C-star presents the latest developments in global retail industry.

After 15 yearsof continuous growth, CVS is now recognised as the industry's most valuable self-service and retail trade fair.

This partnership will allow CVS and C-star to explore massive new business opportunities and be able to connect upstream and downstream retail industries by integrating their resources, strengths, exhibitors and audience relationship.

'World of Retail' will explore emerging industry trends, build the best exchange platform through both online and offline channels for manufacturers and retailers from home and abroad, and provide quality and comprehensive solutions for retailers and buyers worldwide.

CVS 2018

The organizers expect to hold more than 200 exhibitors, featuring many well-known global corporate brands, and emerging industry players. Further, CVS comprehensively focuses on the smart retail field by concurrently holding Shanghai Smart Retailing Show 2018 and Smart Retailing Summit Forum 2018, further expanding in exhibition scale, integration of self-service and smart retail resources, and to create a cross-sector event.

C-star 2018



In addition, C-star 2018 International Retail Forum will be held concurrently as a knowledge platform for the retail industry. Themed"Retail, People-Oriented," this forum connects domestic and foreign retail experts, industry leaders, real estate developers, shopping mall executives, retail brands and additional high-profile speakers, to create the best platform for gaining new knowledge in a wide spectrum of business areas.

This partnership brings together both organizer's resources, and combines both parties' strengths and industry clout to bring real changes and innovations to the global retail business.

Early online registration for both major events is encouraged for all visitors. Please visit their official website:



CVS pre-registration:

https://sinoexpo.ubmonlinereg.com.cn/Registration/default.aspx?fid=750&lang=en&utm_source=prnewswire

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/649026/CVS_Show_2018.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/649027/C_Star_Retail.jpgTOKYO, March 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Global Food Safety Initiative reveals new Benchmarking Requirements, Version 7.2, covering the whole supply chain and focussing on improving auditor competency

It's the latest initiative in GFSI's mission to advance food safety and encourage industry action

Announced at the Global Food Safety Conference in Tokyo , the industry's annual rendezvous for the advancement of food safety globally

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) today announced the release of the latest version of the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements, a document outlining what makes a good food safety system and enabling the benchmarking of food safety certification programmes. Version 7.2 focusses on improving auditor competency and covering the entire supply chain, providing FMCG businesses with an outline of requirements for a robust food safety infrastructure and explaining the step-by-step process for applying for a GFSI-recognised certification programme. The announcement came at this year's Global Food Safety Conference, taking place in Tokyo on 5th-8th March. The latest version is the result of a year of work from a dedicated task force, consisting of representatives from GFSI-recognised Certification Programme Owners (CPOs), accreditation and certification bodies and the wider food industry, making it the strongest yet.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160614/379055LOGO )



Over the last 18 years, the GFSI has brought together the most influential food industry stakeholders, encouraging them to collaborate on the advancement of food safety. The GFSI Benchmarking Requirements have been an essential part of that mission since the publication of the first version in 2001. The documents outline the requirements of what constitutes a good Food Safety System and the step-by-step process for CPOs to apply for to enrol in a GFSI-recognised certification programme. The latest version focusses on stricter auditor assessment and coverage of the full supply chain from farm to fork.

The GFSI Benchmarking Requirements are always evolving. They are continually kept updated, adapting to changes in industry and government, reflecting best practices across the board from individuals to institutions.

GFSI has also released an update to its Technical Equivalence documents, for public government-owned programmes. This now includes a formal published process and technical requirements aligned to the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements.

The GFSI Auditor Exam

Version 7.2 introduces requirements for auditors of GFSI-recognised certification programmes to have passed an exam. The exam is based on the content of the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements and is designed to assess competency across a range of skills. The exam questions cover both sector-specific technical skills, such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements and standard auditing skills such as sampling and evidence gathering.

Certification Programme Owners have nine months to translate into their programme's management processes and three years to assess all auditors.

This is a huge task. To mitigate against the scale of this undertaking, the benchmarking requirements include a mutual recognition of exam results between CPOs. This means auditors may only need to take the exam once. Assessing auditors will ensure a baseline knowledge for all auditors and thus increase further confidence in GFSI-recognised certification.

Covering the Whole Supply Chain - from Farm to Fork

In addition to the auditor exam, two new scopes of recognition were introduced in version 7.2 of the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements:

Catering (Scope G)

Retail & Wholesale (Scope H)

With these latest additions, the GFSI scopes of recognition now cover the full supply chain from farm to fork.

Our ambition is that a certified chain of custody is possible all the way from primary production to the end consumer. Each link in the chain is strengthened by certified Food Safety Management Systems and good industry practice.

A Collaborative Effort

A key objective of GFSI is to provide a unique international stakeholder platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange and networking. The work undertaken by GFSI and the task force to produce the latest version of the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements has also been a huge collaborative effort.

Marie-Claude Quentin, GFSI Senior Technical Manager, said: "I would like to thank everyone who participated in this effort. This latest version is certainly the strongest yet and will lay the foundation for future versions. We're extremely grateful to every member of the group who worked hard to pull this version together".

Latest version of the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements v7.2 are now available to view and download online. For more information and to download a copy, please head to the Benchmarking section of the GFSI website.

About the Global Food Safety Initiative

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) brings together key actors of the food industry to collaboratively drive continuous improvement in food safety management systems around the world. With a vision of Safe food for consumers everywhere, food industry leaders created GFSI in 2000 to find collaborative solutions to collective concerns, notably to reduce food safety risks, audit duplication and costs while building trust throughout the supply chain. The GFSI community works on a volunteer basis and is composed of the world's leading food safety experts from retail, manufacturing and food service companies, as well as international organisations, governments, academia and service providers to the global food industry. GFSI is powered by The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), a global industry network working to support Better Lives Through Better Business.

About The Consumer Goods Forum

The Consumer Goods Forum ("CGF") is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 3.5 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises more than 50 manufacturer and retailer CEOs. For more information, please visit: http://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com .

For further information, please contact:

Lisa Prevert

Communications Manager

The Consumer Goods Forum

l.prevert@theconsumergoodsforum.com

ProPhotonix Announces Appointment of Chief Financial Officer

SALEM, NH / ACCESSWIRE / March 6, 2018 / ProPhotonix Limited (OTC PINK: STKR) (AIM: PPIX), a high technology designer and manufacturer of LED illumination systems and laser diode modules, with operations in Ireland and the United Kingdom, today announces the appointment of Edward Dolan as the Company's Chief Financial Officer (non-Board) with immediate effect.

Edward ("Ed") has joined the Company from AC Lordi, a private equity backed professional services firm, and has previously held positions at Nypro (a Jabil company), Yankee Candle Corporation - where he acted as Director of Accounting with responsibility for all activities of the accounting group - and 3COM Corporation, where Ed managed the corporate accounting group. Ed is a certified public accountant (CPA) and worked for Price Waterhouse Coopers, LLP earlier in his career.

Phil Feeley, who has acted as the Company's Corporate Controller and then its Chief Financial Officer for over 12 years, is retiring at the end of May, until which time he will carry out an orderly handover of his responsibilities.

Tim Losik, President and CEO of ProPhotonix, stated - "We are pleased to welcome Edward to ProPhotonix at an exciting time for the Company. Ed brings a wealth of experience and talent and I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to grow our business.

"Phil has made a significant contribution to the Company over the past 12 years and, on behalf of the Board, I would like to thank him for his dedication and commitment to the Company and wish him the very best in his retirement."



Enquiries:

ProPhotonix Limited

ir@prophotonix.com



Tim Losik, President and CEO

Tel: +1 603 893 8778



Cantor Fitzgerald Europe

(Nominated Adviser and Broker)

Andrew Craig

Richard Salmond

Tel: +44 (0)207 894 7000

About ProPhotonix

ProPhotonix Limited, headquartered in Salem, New Hampshire, is a high technology designer and manufacturer of LED illumination systems and laser diode modules for industry leading OEMs and medical equipment companies. In addition, the Company distributes premium diodes for Ushio (formerly OCLARO), Osram, QSI, Panasonic, and Sony. The Company serves a wide range of markets including the machine vision, industrial inspection, security, and medical markets. ProPhotonix has offices and subsidiaries in the U.S., Ireland, U.K., and Europe. For more information about ProPhotonix and its innovative products, visit the Company's web site at www.prophotonix.com.

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service ("RIS"), this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

Cautionary Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including without limitation, those with respect to ProPhotonix's goals, plans and strategies set forth herein are forward-looking statements. The following important factors and uncertainties, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements: uncertainty that cash balances may not be sufficient to allow ProPhotonix to meet all of its business goals; uncertainty that ProPhotonix's new products will gain market acceptance; the risk that delays and unanticipated expenses in developing new products could delay the commercial release of those products and affect revenue estimates; the risk that one of our competitors could develop and bring to market a technology that is superior to those products that we are currently developing; and ProPhotonix's ability to capitalize on its significant research and development efforts by successfully marketing those products that the Company develops. Forward-looking statements represent management's current expectations and are inherently uncertain. All Company, brand, and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. ProPhotonix undertakes no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: ProPhotonix LimitedLONDON (dpa-AFX) - Ashtead Group Plc. (AHT.L), an equipment rental company, reported that its third-quarter profit before taxation increased 24 percent to 194.3 million pounds from 171.2 million pounds last year. Earnings per share surged to 110.2 pence from 22.0 pence a year ago. Underlying profit before tax was 205.1 million pounds, compared to 178.7 million pounds last year. Underlying earnings per share were 32.2 pence, compared to 23.0 pence a year ago. Revenue for the quarter grew 22 percent to 916.1 million pounds from 804.5 million pounds a year ago. Rental revenue increased 24 percent to 845.5 million pounds from 729.2 million pounds last year. Looking ahead, the company said it expects full-year results will be in line with prior expectations. The company noted that while currency continued to be a headwind, it expects this to be mitigated by the strong underlying performance in North America. Separately, Ashtead Group said that Suzanne Wood, Finance Director since July 2012, has notified the Group of her intention to spend more time in the U.S. and will be standing down as the Group's Finance Director with effect from 31 March 2018. As part of the Group's long-term succession planning, Michael Pratt will succeed Suzanne as Group Finance Director. Michael has been Deputy Group Finance Director and Group Treasurer since 2012, having joined the Group in 2003 from PricewaterhouseCoopers. 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.Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG.L), an Ireland-based provider of paper-based packaging solutions, said its board of directors has unanimously rejected an unsolicited and 'highly opportunistic' proposal from International Paper Co. (IP), headquartered in Memphis, USA. Under the proposal, Smurfit Kappa shareholders would receive a combination of cash and a minority holding in the combined business. However, Smurfit noted that the proposal fails entirely to reflect the Group's 'strong growth prospects and attractive industry outlook.' The board of Smurfit Kappa has carefully considered the proposal and believes it is in the best interests of the Group's shareholders and other stakeholders to pursue its future as an independent company. The company advised its shareholders to take no action. Smurfit Kappa recently announced record EBITDA for 2017 of 1.24 billion euros as well as a full year ROCE of 15 percent, and noted that the underlying positive trading conditions have continued into 2018. 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.New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has chosen Houston Superintendent Richard Carranza as his new schools chancellor, less than a week after the citys top choice publicly backed out of the job.

This time around, de Blasios selection of the citys top educatorwho oversees the schooling of 1.1 million childrenunfolded more smoothly.

Mayor de Blasio, his wife Chirlane McCray, Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina, and Carranza were photographed entering City Hall, all but guaranteeing that this hire would stick. And the group sat for a nearly-hour long press conference. Last week, Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, who had accepted the chancellors job from de Blasio, stunned the mayor and much of New York City with his dramatic public change of heart to stay in Florida.

In some ways, Carranza is a much better philosophical fit for de Blasio than Carvalho as de Blasio super-charges his education agenda with less than four years left in his final term.

De Blasio touted Carranzas work in San Franciscoimproved graduation rates, higher test scores, narrowing of the achievement gap for Latino and low-income studentsas the record of someone who can achieve results while focusing on equity.

He introduced Carranza, the grandson of Mexican immigrants, as a person whose story embodies the American dream, and he called Carranza an educators educator.

Hes someone who understands our children and our parents, de Blasio said.

Carranza said that there was no daylight between them in their aspirations for the citys children and that they were synergistically on the same page.

De Blasio said that Carranza shared his sense of urgency and has real experience in the kinds of change that de Blasio is trying to accomplish in New York City.

From English-Learner to Schools Chief

Equity and improving the education of vulnerable students have been a key part of Carranzas work in the 215,000-student Houston district, where he started as superintendent in Aug. 2016, and in San Francisco, where Carranza was superintendent from 2012 to 2016. He was also focused on reducing the overidentification of students of color in special education programs in San Francisco.

The son of sheet metal worker and a hair dresser in the barrios of Tucson, Ariz., Carranza did not speak any English until he attended Tucson public schools.

He started his career as a bilingual social studies teacher in Tucson. A mariachi player, Carranza started a youth mariachi band for students in the district.

De Blasio said it was a close call between Carvalho and Carranza. After he decided to go with Carvalho as his choice to replace Farina, de Blasio called Carranza on Wednesday to let him know how much he admired him and that he hoped their paths would cross again someday.

Some day turned out to be the next day, after Carvalho publicly declined the offer to move to New York City to take the job.

By 5 p.m. Thursday, Carranza and de Blasio were again discussing the job, and Carranza flew up to New York City on Saturday. After meetings over the weekend, an offer was made at 10 p.m. on Sunday night, which Carranza accepted.

He will be paid at the same base salary as Houston, about $345,000.

He endorsed the de Blasios community schools initiatives as a way to help vulnerable students, and is a passionate supporter of arts education.

At times, he sounded like Farina. In answer to a question about improving schools, he referenced Anthony Bryk, the former University of Chicago professor, who is now president of the Carnegie Foundation. Bryks work has also been a cornerstone for Farinas school improvement.

Among the things that Carranza said he looks for in schools: leadership, teaching, curriculum, school organization, wraparound services, and parent empowerment.

This is the first time that Carranza will be working in a district in which the superintendent reports directly to the mayor. In both Houston and San Francisco, he was hired by the school board.

He is also entering a system with a very heated charter-traditional school debate. Carranza said that he was pro really good schools, and that he has seen both good and bad traditional district and charter schools. Further, he said, thats the wrong question. He said the question was about providing a great education for children.

That said, he added that he was a passionate supporter of public schools.

A Short Tenure in Houston

On the job in Houston for less than two years, Carranza helped the citys schools rebound after the devastating Hurricane Harvey flooded several buildings and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

About two weeks later, Carranza reopened the schools and made attendance adjustments to those that were heavily damaged and could not be reopened in time.

More recently, the district estimated that there will be a $115 million budget shortfall, partly as a result of the hurricane damage. The district is also facing some state pressure to improve academic performance at some of its lowest performing schools in the coming years or face takeover.

The Houston school board acknowledged that Carranzas departure comes amid several challenges.

Still, the school board, which will meet Thursday to discuss the transition, wished him well.

We the Board wish Carranza the best in his endeavors and appreciate the leadership he brought to this district, Board President Rhonda Skillern-Jones said in a statement. We are committed to continuing the work he began and moving the district forward.

Michael Mulgrew, the president of the United Federation of Teachers, which represents New York City teachers, was optimistic about Carranza.

Mr. Carranza has earned a reputation for collaboration with teachers, parents and school communities and has been a real champion of public schools, Mulgrew said in a statement. We are encouraged by his commitment to all children, his resistance to a testing culture and his support for the community schools approach.

Eva Moskowitz, the founder and president of the high-performing charter school network, Success Academy Charter Schools, offered congratulations.

We look forward to showing you the 46 Success Academies that make up the highest performing school district in the state, she said.

Carranza was profiled in 2015 in Education Weeks Leaders To Learn From special report for his work with English-language learners in San Francisco Unified.

Photo: Houston Superintendent Richard A. Carranza, left, and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio shake hands as Carranza is introduced as the New York City schools chancellor at a press briefing March 5 in New York. -- Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office via APGlobal Switch, a leading owner, developer and operator of large-scale, carrier and cloud neutral data centres in Europe and Asia-Pacific, today announced that its Amsterdam data centre has achieved ISO 50001:2011 certification for its energy management system.

The achievement of ISO 50001 certification is in line with Global Switch's continued drive for sustainability and energy efficiency in the design, building and operation of its data centres around the world. Under the standard, organisations have to have a measurable, data-driven energy efficiency policy in place, which acts as a catalyst for continual improvement of its energy use. Global Switch Amsterdam joins Global Switch Madrid in achieving ISO 50001, whilst all other Global Switch data centres are well advanced in achieving certification.

At Global Switch's Amsterdam data centre, the continual drive for energy efficiency has been in place since the beginning, which is reflected in considerable improvements of the Power Usage Efficiency (commonly referred to as PUE) metric over time. Stage 1 of a planned expansion to the data centre had a design PUE of 1.35, whilst subsequent stages will have a target PUE of 1.2.

"We are very pleased with achieving this latest certification for our data centre," says Johan Groeneweg, Managing Director for Global Switch Amsterdam. "For our customers, having a thorough energy management system in place is paramount. The amount of energy that our customers use, is large enough for us to make a real contribution by continuously increasing our efficiency in powering their IT equipment."

Global Switch Amsterdam is planning the second phase of the expansion to its existing data centre in Amsterdam. The first phase was pre-let to a leading international telecommunications services provider with the space having been delivered on time and to best-in-class standards. The second phase of the expansion will offer highly efficient and resilient data centre solutions attractive to a range of customers who will benefit from having direct access to the extensive ecosystems, connectivity and low latency of Global Switch Amsterdam.

The ISO 50001:2011 certification has been awarded by BSI Group and is valid until 2021. In addition to ISO 50001, Global Switch Amsterdam has certifications for: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISAE 3402 Type 2, PCI DSS, OHSAS 18001 and AMS-IX.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About Global Switch

Global Switch is a leading owner, operator and developer of large-scale, carrier and cloud neutral, multi-customer data centres in Europe and Asia-Pacific. Founded in 1998, Global Switch has a proven business model, demonstrable track record and is the highest credit rated data centre company in the world with investment grade credit ratings from Fitch, Moody's and Standard Poor's.

Global Switch is a vital and strategic partner for customers that require secure and resilient data centre services with scalable capacity and a high level customer service. The Company's focus is on highly resilient, central, low latency, network dense locations in prime city centre locations and internet hubs close to its customers on the edge of financial and business districts.

Global Switch's data centres operate exclusively in the Tier I markets of Europe and Asia Pacific to Tier III or higher and currently total around 320,000 sq m (3,450,000 sq ft) of floor space. They are occupied by a broad range of customers, global and national, large and small including government organisations, financial institutions, enterprises, global systems integrators, telecommunication carriers, cloud and managed service providers and other hosting businesses.

For more information visit: www.globalswitch.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180306005180/en/

Contacts:

Global Switch

Ali Ballantine

Group Director, Marketing Communications

+44 20 7802 5154

aballantine@globalswitch.comHONG KONG, March 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Everbright Sun Hung Kai Company Limited ("Everbright Sun Hung Kai" or the "company") is pleased to announce that it has been assigned by Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") first-time "Baa3" long-term issuer and "Prime-3" short-term issuer ratings with stable long-term rating outlook.

According to Moody's, the "Baa3" long-term issuer rating reflects Everbright Sun Hung Kai's long-established foundation in Hong Kong's retail brokerage business, diversified funding sources, and relatively low leverage, together with its support from the Mainland Government via its parent, Everbright Securities Company Limited ("Everbright Securities"), and ultimate parent, China Everbright Group Limited ("China Everbright Group"). Everbright Sun Hung Kai is the international arm of Everbright Securities and one of the key offshore subsidiaries of China Everbright Group.

Mr. Li Bingtao, CEO of Everbright Sun Hung Kai, says, "We are pleased about Moody's ratings which endorse the credit and financial strengths of Everbright Sun Hung Kai. With an all-round and diversified business model, healthy asset and business growth and profitability, and support from our parent companies, we will continue to develop our four core businesses prudently."

With its heritage in the financial industry beginning in 1969, the company demonstrates a strong presence in the retail brokerage business in Hong Kong, including wealth management and margin lending. Everbright Sun Hung Kai has considerable potential to post enhancement in its corporate finance and capital markets business, asset management, structured finance, and cross-border financial business in Hong Kong and Mainland China, citing the Moody's report.

Since the acquisition by Everbright Securities in 2015, the parents have been assisting Everbright Sun Hung Kai to access different funding sources, including secured and unsecured bank loans, revolving credits, repurchase agreements (repos), long-term loans, and syndicated loans to support the operations of Everbright Sun Hung Kai. In September 2017, Everbright Sun Hung Kai received three-year syndicated loans totaling HK$4.5 billion from different banks, which further improved the company's funding and liquidity position.

About Everbright Sun Hung Kai Company Limited

Everbright Sun Hung Kai Company Limited ("EBSHKCL") is a leading financial institution with four core businesses, Wealth Management and Brokerage, Corporate Finance and Capital Markets, Asset Management, and Investment and Structured Financing. Operating under the Everbright Sun Hung Kai brand ("EBSHK") as well as the EBSHK Direct and EBSHK Private sub-brands, EBSHKCL is a subsidiary of Everbright Securities Company Limited ("Everbright Securities", SSE: 601788, HKEX: 6178), with Sun Hung Kai & Co. Limited (HKEX: 86) as its substantial shareholder, serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients in Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland China, and the U.K.

Backed by Everbright Securities and China Everbright Group member companies coupled with its heritage in the financial industry beginning in 1969, EBSHK has emerged to be a full-fledged financial platform with excellent cross-border and global financial services. EBSHKCL, through its subsidiaries, currently has about HK$103 billion* in assets under management, custody, and/or advice. For more information, please visit www.ebshk.com.

*As of December 31, 2017PALMA, Spain and SAN DIEGO, March 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Laboratoris Sanifit S.L., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on treatments for calcification disorders, announced today the completion of its Phase II clinical trial of SNF472, its lead candidate for the treatment of the orphan disease calciphylaxis (calcific uraemic arteriolopathy, CUA), with both primary and secondary endpoints being successfully met. Full trial results will be presented at a scientific meeting in mid-2018.

The Phase II clinical trial was an open label, single arm, repeat dose study which assessed the effect of 12 weeks of treatment with SNF472 on wound healing in Calciphylaxis patients receiving dialysis. The results of the study showed that both the primary endpoint, wound healing, and the secondary endpoint, reduction of pain, were successfully met. The study was conducted in the USA, Spain and the UK.

Calciphylaxis is a rare condition characterised by vascular calcification and thrombosis leading to necrosis (cellular death) of the skin and fatty tissues. The condition is predominantly seen in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients receiving dialysis therapy. Patients suffering from calciphylaxis experience painful skin ulcers leading to a high risk of infection and a mortality rate of 55% in the first year after diagnosis. SNF472 has been granted orphan drug designation by both the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of calciphylaxis.

Commenting on the announcement, Dr Alex Gold, Chief Medical Officer of Sanifit said, "We are very pleased with the results of the study. There is a high unmet medical need for treatment of calciphylaxis and the Phase II results demonstrate that SNF472 has considerable potential for ESRD patients suffering from calciphylaxis. This is a devastating condition with high morbidity and mortality and no approved treatment options. We plan to confirm the therapeutic potential of SNF472 in a Phase III clinical study."

Sanifit is preparing to initiate a Phase III trial in 2018 after finalizing the ongoing dialogue on its design with the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the EMA.

About SNF472

SNF472 is an intravenous formulation with a novel mechanism of action for haemodialysis patients with cardiovascular diseases linked to calcification. SNF472 is being developed for two indications: cardiovascular disease in dialysis patients and for the treatment of calciphylaxis. SNF472 has orphan drug status for the treatment of calciphylaxis from both the EMA and FDA. SNF472 selectively blocks the pathological cardiovascular calcification progression and poses an innovative solution for these unmet medical needs. The intravenous route is promising for dialysis patients as it assures 100% compliance.

About Sanifit

Sanifit is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of SNF472. The company was founded in 2007 as a spin-off of the University of the Balearic Islands and expanded its activities in the USA in 2016 with the incorporation of a subsidiary with offices in San Diego. SNF472 is an experimental drug for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases linked to calcification in the End Stage Renal Disease population undergoing haemodialysis. Sanifit has completed Phase I studies with healthy volunteers and haemodialysis patients, and after a recent series C funding round of $41.3M (36.6M), Sanifit has launched two Phase II programs in ESRD and in the orphan space in calciphylaxis. For more information please visit www.sanifit.com

For Media Enquiries:



Hume Brophy

Conor Griffin, Alexander Protsenko, Jonothan Blackbourn

Tel: +44-(0)-20-7862-6475

Email: sanifit@humebrophy.com

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Since 2008, the University of Cape Town has trained 151 paediatricians, paediatric sub-specialists and paediatric nurses, from across Africathrough the African Paediatric Fellowship Programme (APFP). The addition of the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal to APFP will enable 150 morepaediatric specialists to be trained in the next three years, doubling the number of doctors and nurses trained to date.

APFP is the preeminent program dedicated to training African paediatric doctors and post- graduate nurses. Prof. Ashraf Coovadia, Dept. Head, Paediatrics & Child Health at Wits states,"There's a critical shortage of child-health providers in Africa. Without an adequate number of trained experts, it's difficult to make a significant difference in the way a country's health care system can respond to the needs of infants and children."

There is less than one paediatrician per 100,000 children in Africa, compared to an estimated 99 paediatricians per 100,000 children in the United States. With support from APFP, these numbers have changed significantly. There were four paediatricians in Malawi in 2009; eight years later, there are now 15 paediatricians, including the country's first Neonatologist and 94 qualified specialist children's nurses,

APFP works closely with Ministries of Health and 33 partner universities from 13 African countries, who select candidates for the program, pay their salaries while in training and ensure there are positions available to them upon completion. APFP fellows are primarily returning to the public health system, where the need for child health professionals is the greatest. This collaboration has resulted in 98% of graduates remaining in their home country, leading the delivery of high-quality child health services,training and research.

APFP fellow Dr.JoyceBalagadde-Kambugu of Uganda's Cancer Institute adds, "The African Paediatric Fellowship Programme changed my life and changed the outlook for childhood cancer in Uganda.The training I received through APFP equipped me with the knowledge and skills I needed to start the first dedicated paediatric oncology service in Uganda, where today we see approximately 450 children per year."

APFP relies on donor funding to cover tuition, professional fees and living expenses for the fellows during their training. Funders to date include The ELMA Foundation, Harry Crossley Foundation, Vitol Foundation and The Red Cross Children's Hospital Trust. For more information or to support APFP please visit www.TheAPFP.org.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/647933/APFP.jpgSTOCKHOLM, March. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Invuo Technologies AB (publ) ("Invuo") has met an agreement with AJ Group ("AJ Group") that brings financial flexibility to Invuo. The agreement entails that AJ Group will invest approximately SEK 52million in shares and by acquiring the SDS loans as described in detail below.

The Board of Directors of Invuo has, pursuant to an authorisation from the annual general meeting 2017, resolved on a directed issue of shares of approximately SEK 26 million to the new strategic shareholder AJ Group, a highly successful multi-national conglomerate. The subscription price has been set at SEK 1.60 per share based on the volume weighted average price of the Invuo share between 12 February 2018 and 2 March 2018. The issue will raise SEK 26,135,849.60 for Invuo and a total of 16,334,906 shares have been issued. Payment for the shares shall be made in cash not later than March 30, 2018, or such later date as the Board of Directors resolves. The issue will entail dilution for the current shareholders of Invuo of approximately 16.6 per cent, after full dilution.

The issue has been implemented with deviation from the shareholders' preferential rights and the right to subscribe for the shares was only granted to AJ Group. The purpose of the issue, and the reason for the deviation from the shareholders' preferential right, was to strengthen Invuo's financial position. According to the Board of Directors' assessment, a private placement of shares was, at this point of time, the most favourable way to strengthen Invuo's financial position and the Board of Directors believes that the approach chosen for this issue does not grant an unfair advantage for the subscriber.

Furthermore, AJ Group will purchase loans held by Invuo in Seamless Distribution Systems AB (publ) ("SDS") for a total amount of SEK 20 million. After the purchase SDS will not have any outstanding debt to Invuo.

In addition, Invuo and AJ Group have agreed, as part of the transaction, that Invuo will propose to the annual general meeting 2018 a directed issue of 3,665,094 shares and 5,000,000 warrants to AJ Group. The proposal will include that the shares will have a subscription price per share of SEK 1.60, corresponding to the volume weighted average price of the Invuo share between 12 February 2018 and 2 March 2018 and the strike price of the warrants is proposed to be SEK 3.20, corresponding to the volume weighted average price of the Invuo share between 12 February 2018 and 2 March 2018 multiplied by two.

Shareholders representing 42 per cent of the shares and votes in Invuo have commited to vote in favour of the above described proposals at the annual general meeting 2018.

In total, Invuo expects to receive approximately SEK 52 million from the resolved directed issue of shares and the issue of shares and warrants after the resolution from the annual general meeting 2018 (pre-expenses), excluding funds from potential exercise of the warrants. Exercise of the warrants would raise an additional approximately SEK 16 million (pre-expenses).

Invuo CEO, John Longhurst, commented; "We are incredibly grateful to welcome AJ Group as a strategic investor in Invuo. AJ Group has a long track record of success in identifying and investing in high growth opportunities. Their support of Invuo's mission is transformational, and is a strong vote of confidence in the Company's decision to focus on its B2B activities. The Management and Board of Directors of Invuo can now focus 100 % of our energies on delivering the operating plan. Our MeaWallet business is delivering accelerating traction in a segment of the payments value chain that is also seeing accelerating growth. Our eProducts division is moving solidly toward sustained profitability."

After resolution of the issue of shares and warrants at the annual general meeting, AJ Group will be the largest shareholder with just less than 20 % of the shares in Invuo. The coming weeks Invuo's nomination committee will finalise its preparations for the upcoming annual general meeting in April 2018. Following AJ Group's investment in Invuo, the nomination committee has agreed to propose to the annual general meeting 2018 that AJ Group may appoint a representative as member of the Board of Directors of Invuo. The nomination committee's full proposal will be presented in the notice to the annual general meeting 2018, scheduled for late March 2018.

For further information, please contact:

John Longhurst,

CEO

john.longhurst@invuo.com

+46-8-564-878-00

This information is such that Invuo Technologies AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. This information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at CET 08:50 on March 6, 2018.

About Invuo

Since 2001 Invuo has been providing its proprietary solutions and systems for mobile phone transactions. Invuo operates in two main business areas; mobile phone payment solutions provided through the brand MeaWallet', and distribution of e-products.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/invuo-technologies-ab/r/invuo-resolves-on-issues-and-sells-sds-loans-to-aj-group,c2465641

The following files are available for download:BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - At 3:15 am ET Tuesday, the Federal Statistical Office releases Swiss consumer price data for February. Prices are expected to climb 0.6 percent annually after rising 0.7 percent in January. Ahead of the data, the Swiss franc dropped against its major rivals. As of 3:10 am ET, the Swiss franc was trading at 1.1610 against the euro, 1.3009 against the pound, 0.9411 against the U.S. dollar and 112.79 against the yen. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.Ashtead said reported rental revenue increased 21% to 2.6bn for the nine months to the end of January and underlying pre-tax profit was up by 24% on a constant currency basis to 742m. The equipment rental group said it expected capital expenditure for the year to be towards the upper end of guidance at around 1.2bn, adding that it expected full year results to be line with expectations. The company's Sunbelt operation in the US contributed $75m-$85m in rental revenue thanks to its work in ...

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.Sidley Austin LLP is pleased to announce that Maria Isabel ("Marie") Manley has joined the firm in London as a partner in its global Life Sciences practice. She will lead the Life Sciences team in London. Ms. Manley comes to Sidley from Bristows LLP, where she was the leader of its Life Sciences regulatory department.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180306005802/en/

Marie Manley (Photo: Business Wire)

Ms. Manley is a highly ranked leader in EU life sciences law, whose practice reaches across the entire EU and globally. Her remits have included bet-the-company regulatory matters and major EU court tests. Ms. Manley represents a wide range of development-stage, specialty and established global life sciences companies, and concentrates her practices on both European and UK life sciences regulatory law. She has particular experience on issues arising during the life cycle of medicinal products, including advertising, product liability and competition. Ms. Manley also advises clients in the chemical, medical devices, cosmetics and food sectors, and has represented clients in proceedings before both national and European courts and the regulatory agencies in the UK and across Europe.

"Marie's arrival signals our ongoing commitment to global life sciences and the London market," said Matthew Dening, managing partner of Sidley's London office. "Marie's deep understanding of the EU and UK regulatory climates and her extensive experience in contentious proceedings will enhance our offering to life sciences clients. We are pleased to announce that she's chosen to join Sidley."

"I am delighted to join Sidley, a global firm with a well-established reputation in the life sciences sector," said Ms. Manley. "It provides a new and exciting platform to grow and develop my practice and assist my clients in a globalized world where bio/pharma companies are facing multiple cross-border challenges in which consistency of approach in all key jurisdictions is paramount."

Ms. Manley is the latest addition to Sidley's award-winning Life Sciences group, a multidisciplinary global network of lawyers focused on several areas, including food, drug and medical device regulation, compliance and enforcement, healthcare, products liability, intellectual property, competition, corporate/transactional, private equity, securities, international trade and arbitrations, privacy and environmental. Lawyers in this group advise clients on timely and important topics affecting the industry, including electronic health records systems, digital health products, EU drug pricing regulation, False Claims Act enforcement issues and Chinese foreign drug regulation matters.

With 2,000 lawyers in 20 offices around the globe, Sidley is a premier legal adviser for clients across the spectrum of industries. Follow Sidley on Twitter @SidleyLaw.

For purposes of the New York State Bar rules, this press release may be considered Attorney Advertising and our headquarters are Sidley Austin LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, +1 212 839 5300; One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60603, +1 312 853 7000; and 1501 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, +1 202 736 8000.

Sidley and Sidley Austin refer to Sidley Austin LLP and affiliated partnerships as explained at www.sidley.com/disclaimer.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180306005802/en/

Contacts:

Sidley

Kellie Mullins, Director, Public Relations

+1-312-456-8716

kmullins@sidley.comKeller Group plc

Notification and public disclosure of transactions by Persons Discharging Managerial Responsibilities ("PDMRs)



Annual Bonus Plan

On 5 March 2018, Keller Group plc (the "Company") awarded deferred bonus shares totaling 12,819 Ordinary Shares of 10 pence each in the Company, under the terms of the Keller Group Deferred Bonus Plan (the "plan"), in respect of the year ended 31 December 2017, to Thorsten Holl, a PDMR, as set out below.

The Company has received notification from Mr Holl pursuant to article 19 of regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on market abuse ("Market Abuse Regulation" or "MAR"), on 6 March 2018, who was given deferred bonus shares in respect of the following number of Ordinary shares of 10 pence each in the Company, under the plan in accordance with the respective rules.

Name Position No. of Ordinary Shares

* Thorsten Holl President of EMEA 12,819

* The price used to calculate the maximum number of ordinary shares under the Deferred Bonus Plan was 9.10, being the average closing price on 27 February 2018, 28 February 2018 and 1 March 2018 of the Company's shares on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.

Annual bonus payments above 100% of salary are deferred into Company shares for a period of three years and eligible for dividend equivalents over the period from the date the deferred award is granted, to the date of its vesting. Malus and clawback may operate in respect of deferred bonus shares.

For the purposes of article 19 of MAR, the above transactions took place in the United Kingdom, with a grant date of 5 March 2018 and the PDMRs being notified on 6 March 2018.

K A A Porritt

Group Company Secretary

6 March 2018

www.keller.com

LEI number: 549300QO4MBL43UHSN10

Classification: 3.1 (Additional regulated information required to be disclosed under the laws of a Member State)SME Development Bank Malaysia Berhad (SME Bank), the country's development financial institution, has chosen Wolters Kluwer's OneSumX to provide its software for managing International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 9. The accounting standard replaces the IAS 39 standard and came into effect at the start of the year. It addresses classification and measurement, impairment methodology and hedge accounting.

OneSumX IFRS 9 is a comprehensive and modular solution which provides the financial industry with a solid framework to capture and store all relevant contractual information, manage events and transactions, IFRS calculations, accounting generation and processing up to the delivery of the disclosures.

"Due to the 2018 IFRS 9 deadline it was necessary for the bank to select a vendor that could provide us with the best solution and system implementation in the fastest time possible," commented Shahazana Shaari, Head of Group Information Technology. "We required a tried and tested vendor that was able to set up classification and measurement of financial assets and financial liability, host credit impairment models and produce IFRS disclosure reports. Wolters Kluwer's OneSumX IFRS 9 provides an end-to-end solution, which successfully addresses all of the bank's requirements."

Leading financial services firms from across the world have implemented the company's OneSumX solution for Regulatory Reporting, Risk and Finance (including IFRS 9 solutions). Major financial services providers that have recently announced their use of Wolters Kluwer include Bahrain Middle East Bank, China Everbright Bank, China Merchants Bank, LGT, Nordea, BBVA and CIBC.

Wolters Kluwer has received a number of recent awards, providing independent verification of its leading market position in integrated regulatory reporting. Chartis Research, for example, recently named Wolters Kluwer a Category Leader for IFRS 9 solutions, for the second year running, as well as a Category Leader in its Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II) Report. Wolters Kluwer has won a number of other accolades for its dominant position in regulatory reporting from the likes of Wealth & Finance International, FinTech Finance, Data Management Review and Corporate Vision magazine.

About Wolters Kluwer Governance, Risk Compliance

Wolters Kluwer Governance, Risk Compliance (GRC) is a division of Wolters Kluwer which provides legal, finance, risk and compliance professionals and small business owners with a broad spectrum of solutions, services and expertise needed to help manage myriad governance, risk and compliance needs in dynamic markets and regulatory environments.

Wolters Kluwer N.V. (AEX: WKL) is a global leader in information services and solutions for professionals in the health, tax and accounting, risk and compliance, finance and legal sectors. Wolters Kluwer reported 2017 annual revenues of 4.4 billion. The company, headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries and employs 19,000 people worldwide.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180306005225/en/

Contacts:

Wolters Kluwer

Paul Lyon

Office +44 20 3197 6586, Mobile +44 77 6539 1824

Director of International Corporate Communications

Governance, Risk Compliance

Paul.Lyon@wolterskluwer.comUPDATED Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School will be exempt from fees for the Advanced Placement program and the SAT. They will also be excused from required state tests this year if the governor signs a measure approved by the Florida legislature.

The state Senate voted Monday to let students at the Parkland, Fla., high school skip Floridas standardized tests, according to the Associated Press . The House followed suit later in the day, according to the Orlando Sentinel . A gunman killed 17 students and adults at the high school on Feb. 14.

The bill allows students to take the reading, writing, and math tests known as the FSAs, or Florida Standards Assessments, if they wish, but it would permit the high school to keep its current A rating even if many or all of the students decided to skip the exams, the AP reported. The measure also allows studentswho missed two weeks of school after the shootingsto graduate with fewer class hours than are required, the Sentinel reported.

The legislation, House Bill 7055 , now heads to Gov. Rick Scotts desk.

Separately, all current students at Stoneman Douglas High School have been exempted from fees in the College Boards Advanced Placement and SAT programs for the rest of their high school years. That means that 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students wont have to pay anything to take the SAT exam or AP classes or to send their scores to colleges.

The College Boards move came last Friday, in the wake of a controversy about a Feb. 21 letter from company President David Coleman to College Board members , in which he referred to the role AP classes have played in the education of student activists from Stoneman Douglas, and also appeared to critique one of those student activists position on gun control.

The letter sparked anger from college counselors and admissions officers, and the College Board issued a statement apologizing for having taken the focus away from the needs of the Parkland community.

When anger persisted, however, Coleman reached out privately to members of the College Board community, and several reported on social media and listservs that he had apologized.

Late last week, Coleman sent a letter to a private counselors Facebook group called ACCEPT, offering to waive fees for all College Board programs. One college official posted the letter on Twitter on March 2.

Get High School & Beyond posts delivered to your inbox as soon as theyre published. Sign up here . Also, for news and analysis of issues that shape adolescents preparation for work and higher education.Raymond Yip (centre), HKTDC Deputy Executive Director, and two of the conference's featured speakers - Spencer Wong (L), Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of McCann & Spencer, and Tommy Li (R), Creative Director of Tommy Li Design Workshop Ltd - introduce details of the inaugural MarketingPulse at a media luncheon.



HKTDC Comms & Public Affairs Billy Ng Tel: +852 2584 4393 Email: billy.km.ng@hktdc.org

HONG KONG, Mar 6, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will launch the inaugural MarketingPulse conference on Wed 21 March. Featuring more than 30 international experts in marketing, media, advertising and brand management, the conference will examine the latest marketing trends and offer insights and success stories from top industry representatives.The conference aims to help companies enhance their competitiveness in marketing and brand promotion, while highlighting Hong Kong's standing as the region's premier marketing hub. The event is tailored for corporate executives, marketing and advertising agency representatives and brand representatives.- A showcase of marketing strategies and market analysis"Multinational corporations, SMEs and start-ups all rely on effective marketing to promote their products and services to target customers and to drive sales," said Raymond Yip, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director. "To effectively attract customers in different markets, age groups and categories, companies need different techniques and market knowledge."For that reason, MarketingPulse will explore a diverse range of topical marketing subjects, including content marketing, social media applications, key opinion leader (KOL) tactics, and marketing strategies for the Chinese mainland, to meet the many needs and interests of corporations, marketers and participants attending the conference."- Heads of global brands to share experienceTo maintain customer loyalty and attract new clients, companies must have a comprehensive brand management strategy, requiring a combination of marketing and business strategies and agility in navigating market changes.MarketingPulse will feature insights from heads of top global brands, including Sara Riis-Carstensen, Head of Global Branding of De Beers, who will discuss how to keep brands fresh. Kei Suzuki, Director of Ryohin Keikaku Co, Ltd., will share how MUJI turned a household product company into a lifestyle brand.JiPeng Men, Vice President of JD.com, will explain how the company quickly established a firm foothold in a highly competitive e-tailing industry. Evan Greene, Chief Marketing Officer of The Recording Academy (The GRAMMYs), and Qin Hai Hu, Brand Director of Chinese mainland skincare product brand Pechoin, will share how they rejuvenated their respective brands.- Gurus to share how to capitalise creativityCreative advertisers and marketers are indispensable to launching brand campaigns. The conference will feature several legendary advertising figures, including Joshua Grossberg, Group Creative Director of McCann New York; Peter Lefebvre, Creative Director of Leo Burnett; Kazuhiro Shimura, Creative Director of Dentsu Inc; Spencer Wong, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of McCann & Spencer; and Tommy Li, Creative Director of Tommy Li Design Workshop Ltd. During these sessions, the speakers will discuss the role of creative marketing in winning over consumers.- Capture the latest marketing strategies and technologiesWith the constantly evolving global marketing playbook and marketing strategies now intricately linked with digital media platforms, Assaf Tarnopolsky, Director of Marketing Solutions, South East Asia, North Asia & Japan, LinkedIn; and Maya Hari, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Twitter; will explain the ins and outs of social media marketing. In other sessions, Viveca Chan, Chairman and CEO of WE Marketing Group; 3water Li, founder of W, who is widely respected in the industry for his comprehensive interactive marketing strategy; Kosuke Sogo, CEO and co-founder of AnyMind Group, a company with expertise in matching KOLs and brands with big data; and Vincent Tsui, founder and CEO of Toast Communications Ltd, will discuss how to leverage new media marketing to target different markets.Apart from new media, other types of new technology, such as big data and artificial intelligence (AI), are also disrupting the marketing landscape. The HKTDC will organise a breakout session, in collaboration with the IAB Hong Kong powered by HKDMA, to explore "How Big Data Changes the Face of Marketing?". The session will feature several data analytics and digital experts, who will show how these technologies can be used to enhance marketing.- Exhibition and business-matching service to create solid business opportunitiesMarketingPulse will also feature an Exhibition Zone, gathering nearly 20 companies engaged in new media advertising and marketing, content marketing, search engine optimisation, data-driven marketing solutions, customer service platforms and AI platforms.These companies will showcase their innovative marketing strategies, technologies and solutions, while highlighting Hong Kong's marketing prowess. An on-site business matching service will arrange one-on-one meetings for brands and exhibiting marketing agencies to explore collaboration opportunities. The HKTDC will also organise various networking events for brand representatives and marketing companies to exchange intelligence and build networks.MarketingPulse enjoys the support of leading marketing industry organisations, including the Council of Public Relations Firms of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Association of Interactive Marketing, the HKMA Digital Marketing Community, The Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Advertisers Association.Visit the MarketingPulse website for the latest programme and speaker list. For interviews with speakers, please email your interview outline and contact information to billy.km.ng@hktdc.org.MarketingPulse- Date: 21 March 2018 (Wednesday)- Time: 9am-6pm- Venue: Halls 3DE, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre- Who Should Attend: Corporate management, brand representatives, advertising agency representatives, creatives, marketers- Format: Forums, dialogue sessions, exhibition and networking events- Supporting Organisations: Council of Public Relations Firms of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Association of Interactive Marketing, HKMA Digital Marketing Community, IAB Hong Kong powered by HKDMA, The Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Advertisers Association- Fee: HK$1,950 / US$250- Website: www.marketingpulse.com.hkPhoto download: http://bit.ly/2FuZ7MCAbout HKTDCEstablished in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc, LinkedIn.- Google+: https://plus.google.com/+hktdc- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdc- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-councilSource: HKTDCContact:Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.SHENZHEN, China, March 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- From April 14to 162018, Shenzhen eCig Expo (hereinafter referred to as IECIE) hosted by Shenzhen UBM Creativity Exhibition Co., Ltd. will be formally opened in Halls 6/7/8/9 of Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center. This is the fourth session since itwas firstheld in 2015 and is evaluated as one of the most influential global eCig expos with the largest scale in the industry.

IECIE has always been striving to create the most professional B2B one-stop platform for exhibitors to promote the global eCig industry communication and development, further the pioneering innovation in the industry for mutual benefit and achievewin-win results.

Compared with previous expos, this time the scale is further amplified up to 37,500aZ, over 1500 brands, 50,000 professional visitors from 45 countries and regions and 350 domestic and overseas media will join, striving to drivethe promotion of vape culture and making it a high-level benchmark in the domain.

"Each year IECIE is a great vape party withprofessional and extensive types of visitorsand grasps the attention of global trendsetters. This year, similarly, vapers, offline stores, distributors, dealers, e-commerce, trading companies, overseas buyers, investment and financing institutions and group purchasing from all over the world are attracted and will take an active part in it," says Leeon, IECIE project director.

With the passionate cooperation of the expo and the concept of "vape and pop culture," this year the IECIE exhibitors will present increasingly cutting-edge products, with more diversified content and more creative forms. A hall for closed system related products will be established for the first time; the exhibitswill not only bethe industrial big data urgently needed, but also a forecast for future industrial tendencies that will effectively promote the eCig industry - the "blue ocean" not to be neglected to advance steadily and develop.

Another vision of the expo is to comply with health trends and popularize the eCig industry for visitors in an omnibearing way. "Compared with traditional cigarettes, eCigs greatly reduceharm to the body and are gradually becoming a preferred choice for health-conscious smokers to quit and replace cigarettes," says Leeon.

Why is IECIE being held in Shenzhen? The answer is obvious - by virtue of the advantages of electronic engineering and foreign trade industrial chain, Shenzhen has already become the global eCig industry cluster district. Data shows that in 2016 the global saleroom of eCigreached 10 billion USD and eCigs produced in Shenzhen accounted for over 80% of the output value worldwide. A host of excellent eCig enterprises are springing up, such as iJOY, Sigelei, Joytech, Aspire, SMOK, Hangsen, Vaptio, VAPORESSO, and Kimree.

Shenzhen also spares no effort in boosting the industrial standardization.At the end of 2017, it issued the first batch of domestic eCig industry group standards and started the implementation. It serves as an assistant for industrial development and innovation.

The audience pre-registration and application system of IECIE 2018 has already been opened on official website (www.iecie.com).

From Dec 7 to 9 of 2018, UBM Creativity will hold the "Shanghai Vape & CHAO Fete" at Shanghai New International Expo Center to create a vape party in combination with pop and street elements.

About the Organizer:

UBM Asia is the largest trade show organizer in Asia with over 290 events. In 2016, it helped almost 50,000 exhibitors do business in 11 niche sectors. Most of its events have been around for decades and are the must-attend event in their sectors in that country, region or even the world.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/649598/UBM_2017_IECIE_2.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/649599/UBM_2017_IECIE_1.jpgBRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. shares extended gains from the previous session on Tuesday as worries about an imminent trade war eased and Prime Minister Theresa May said she was confident of reaching a good Brexit deal. The benchmark FTSE 100 was up 65 points or 0.91 percent at 7,181 in opening deals after rising 0.7 percent the previous day. Smurfit Kappa shares jumped over 18 percent after the packaging company rejected an 'unsolicited and highly opportunistic' takeover offer from International Paper Co. Tullow Oil rose about 1 percent after crude oil prices rose more than 2 percent overnight amid reports that Libya is suffering supply interruptions. Intertek Group climbed 4 percent. The product testing, inspection and certification company lifted its full year dividend after reporting a 13 percent increase in pretax profit for 2017. Bookmaker William Hill rose over 1 percent after signing a binding agreement to dispose of William Hill Australia to CrownBet Holdings Pty Ltd for an enterprise value of A$300 million. Ashtead Group shares slumped 4.4 percent. The equipment rental company forecast full-year results in line with its expectations. Just Eat plunged 10 percent as it reported a pre-tax loss of 76.0m for 2017, compared with a profit 91.3m in 2016. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.SHANGHAI, March 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 6, in advance of its appearance at the 2018 Appliances & Electronics World Expo (2018 AWE) in Shanghai, Haier, the world's No.1 Major Appliances brand, holds a conference to discuss its Smart Home-Service Robot Strategy 1.0 and officially announces its entrance into the service robot field (the "Conference"). At this Conference, Haier and Soft Bank Robotics Group Corp. (SBRG) reacha strategic partnership. The two sides will join hands to explore the service robot market in China's smart store and smart home fields, starting with SBRG's humanoid robot 'Pepper'. Also the two parties will jointly develop special version of Pepper for Smart Store &Smart Home which is based on U+OS, an open system developed by Haier.

'Pepper', SBRG's humanoid robot, is the first robot to be integrated into Haier smart home platform. Possessing a human-like appearance, it can be linked with a variety of smart appliances and equipment. Its unique active and emotional interaction will improve human-machine communication. For example, Pepper can act as a butler, coordinating all Haier smart appliances in the home, optimizing them based on each family's preferences. In the next 5 years, Haier aims to develop its service robot division into an independent unit, becoming a leader in the domestic robotics industry. Haier has already made preparations at the channel, service and product levels to vigorously promote the popularization of smart homes and the partnership with SBRG will enhance the strategies of both sides.

"The service robot is a natural extension and an effective complement to Haier's smart home strategy," said Wang Ye, Vice President of Haier Home Appliance Industry Group and General Manager of Advanced Innovation Center. "Haier will continue to improve the features and functions available to consumers from service robots within smart homes and accelerate the development of the industry."

Wang continued, "Furthermore, the cooperation between SBRG and Haier will allow both companies to explore new ways that robots can be used in both domestic and commercial settings."

About Haier

Haier, the world's No.1 Major Appliances brand with a 10.5% volume market share. (Source: Euromonitor International Limited; volume sales in units based on 2017 data). Currently, the Group's brands include Haier, Casarte, Leader from PRC, GE Appliances from U.S, AQUA from Japan, Fisher & Paykel from New Zealand. Each brand has its own market position and provides smart home experiences for users. Haier Group boasts 66 trading companies, 10 R&D Centers, 108 manufacturing bases and 24 innovative industrial parks with more than 73,000 employees across the world. Haier Group builds a global selling network comprised of 143,300 sales outlets spanning more than 160 countries. The Haier Group's global revenues of 2017 were 241.9 billion RMB, with year-on-year growth of 20%. Haier is today the world's leading brand of major household appliances and is now transforming from a traditional manufacturer to an open entrepreneurship platform. Haier will extend its ecosystem to social networks and community economies while building the smart home ecosystem, continuously enhancing the user value of Haier products and services, to provide interconnect smart home experiences and qualitied products globally. For more information, visit: http://www.haier.net/en/Philip Hammond has stressed the urgency of securing an implementation deal between Britain and the EU by the end of this month, warning that without it airlines will not know if they can safely schedule flights for spring 2019. The chancellor told a parliamentary committee that it was in the interests of both sides to agree to the terms of the transition period at the March EU council meeting. - Guardian ...he also said no-deal planning must continue until the end of 2020, publicly recognising ...

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.06 March 2018

MetalNRG PLC

(the "Company" or "MetalNRG")

Pilbara Palomino Cobalt Project Licence Application Granted

MetalNRG plc (NEX:MNRG), the natural resource investing company quoted on the NEX Exchange Growth Market in London is pleased to confirm that one of the Palomino Cobalt Project exploration licence application, over which the Company has the right to acquire 100%, has now been granted.

Information relating to this licence and the investment by the Company in Australian Cobalt and the Palomino Cobalt project was outlined within the Company's news announcement dated 29 June 2017 with the original transaction information replicated below to assist readers.

Highlights:

Application for exploration licence E46/1167 now granted by the Western Australia Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety;

E46/1167 represents an area covering ten graticular blocks or circa 31.9 square kilometres of ground;

The area covered by the Palomino Cobalt Project

MetalNRG has the right to acquire 100% of the Palomino Cobalt project, when the licence applications are granted, subject to the issue to the vendors of two million MetalNRG shares;

MetalNRG is taking the steps to finalise this transaction and is working with our Joint Venture partners to prepare a work programme for next stage exploration;

Further information will follow shortly via market announcements.

Rolf Gerritsen, MetalNRG's new Chief Executive Officer, added: "I am delighted to announce the award of this important exploration licence which marks formal commencement of the Company's first direct project investment.

Cobalt is a highly attractive metal for resource investors. With the current LME cobalt cash price up 38% since June 2017, at $79,000/t, it is a good time to be investing in new cobalt opportunities.

I look forward to providing further updates to market as we embark on progressing this exciting project."

Original Transaction Information (updated from 29 June 2017) (except that the block has been revised to "circa 32 square kilometres" instead of "circa 40 square kilometres" as originally stated in the announcement of 29 June 2017"):

"The Palomino Cobalt Project is an exploration block of circa 32 square kilometres in Western Australia covered by exploration licence applications that we understand has been submitted on a first-in-line basis. The ground is prospective for cobalt and with significant evidence of cobalt mineralisation from surface based exploration work and notably stream sediment sampling.

In addition the Company, with the vendors, will be seeking to secure additional ground in the area of a similar square kilometre footprint with immediate effect to double the area covered by the existing applications.

To secure the right to acquire 100% of the above licence applications, when they become granted licences and subject to the normal regulatory approvals needed for licence transfers, MetalNRG has agreed to cover the direct costs of the vendor up to circa A$15,000 and to issue one million MetalNRG shares to the vendors at a deemed price of 1.5p per new ordinary MetalNRG share.

Upon granting of the applications MetalNRG will issue a further two million shares to the vendors at a deemed price of 1.5p per new MetalNRG ordinary share."

On 27 October 20017 it was further announced:

"In recognition of the additional work that has been undertaken by our Australian partner, Redstone Metals Pty Limited ("Redstone"), the Company has agreed to issue 500,000 new ordinary MetalNRG plc shares to Redstone at a deemed price of 1.5p which reflected the share price at the time the work was undertaken. This is separate and in addition to the original terms agreed for the right to acquire Palomino as outlined above and detailed originally within our announcement of 29 June 2017.

The technical information contained in this disclosure has been read and approved by Mr Nick O'Reilly (MSc, DIC, MAusIMM, FGS), who is a qualified geologist who acts as Competent Person. Mr O'Reilly is a Principal consultant working for Mining Analyst Consulting Ltd which has been retained by MetalNRG PLC to provide technical support."

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

This announcement contains inside information for the purpose of Articles 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014.

Contact details:Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 6, 2018) - MAX RESOURCE CORP. (TSXV: MXR) (OTC Pink: MXROF) (FSE: M1D) ("MXR" or the "Company") further to our news release dated February 26 2018, we are pleased to release preliminary copper assay results, that form part of our due diligence, related to the executed binding letter of intent ("LOI") to acquire 100% of the outstanding share capital of Copperbelt Minerals Corp. ("CMC") a private Canadian company (the "Acquisition"), that currently holds the Gachala Copperbelt Project ("Project"), which covers are area of approximately 400 square kilometers and is located in Cundinamarca Department of central Colombia, approximately 50 kilometres east of the capital of Bogota.

As part of our due diligence process, MAX conducted initial confirmation sampling at some of the historic adits and a known mineralized outcrop. The 13 individual grab sample values ranged from 0.09% to 11.4% copper. Nine of the 13 samples returned values above 1% copper, a complete listing of results is included in the table below. Multi-element analyses are pending.

MAX Resource Corp. cautions investors that grab samples are selected samples and are not necessarily representative of mineralization hosted on the property.

This initial sample program forms part of the comprehensive due diligence program. The Company is awaiting the following:

Assay results from an extensive channel sampling program, taken from an outcrop near the historic Cerro de Cerro copper mine, which included a zone returning 22.8 m averaging 3.16% copper

Assay results from a newly discovered area located 700 meters north of Cerro de Cobre.

Results of the interpretation of the Longwave infrared (LWIR) survey, in identifying copper anomalies in areas of dense and ground cover. This survey was conducted last month and covered an area of approximately 10,000 square kilometers and includes MXR's 400 square kilometer Project area.

Results from examination of a number of other areas around the Project area.





Brett Matich, MAX Chief Executive Officer, commented "The initial examination and the confirmation results indicate the Cerro de Cobre host rock is a reduced siliciclastic unit supporting our model of an African Copperbelt-style deposit in eastern Colombia, further we are very thrilled with these results at this early stage.

Mr. Matich also stated "Historically, this Cerro de Cobre copper mine has been interpreted as a skarn, however its location at the base of a significant shale package located just above an accumulation of oxidized red beds strongly fits the copper / cobalt model for mineralization found in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. The grades and extents of mineralization observed are consistent with Africa Copperbelt-style mineralization."

MAX Resource Corp. cautions investors the presence of copper and cobalt mineralization in the DRC and Zambian deposits is not necessarily indicative of mineralization on the Cerro De Cobre property.

Sample Number Copper AKCCR001 1.01% AKCCR002 0.38% AKCCR003 1.25% AKCCR004 2.40% AKCCR005 0.989% AKCCR006 1.66% AKCCR007 7.76% AKCCR008 11.40% AKCCR009 10.50% AKCCR010 9.32% AKCCR011 1.34% AKCCR012 0.0902% AKCCR013 0.0991%

All samples from the Phase I surface program were sent to the ACTLABS COLOMBIA S.A.S. laboratory, an ISO 9001: 2008 certified facility. All samples were collected by MAX Resource Corp. contractor personnel and securely stored until delivery to ACTLABS. At this early stage of exploration, MAX Resource Corp. is relying on the certified standards utilized by ACTLABS as part of it analysis protocols. No QA/QC anomalies were noted in the analyses.





To view an enhanced version of Cerro de Cobre Mineral Claims, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3834/33342_a1520310071335_77.jpg





The Gachala Copper Project

The Project underlies a 400 square kilometers section of a 250 kilometer long belt of sedimentary rocks believed to be analogous to the Zambian Copper Belt of Africa. (Source: Rodriguez and Warden (1993). Overview of some Colombian gold deposits and their development potential. Mineralium Deposita Volume 28, pages 47-57).

The Project consists of 4 mineral claims and 21 exploration applications totaling approximately 400 square kilometers and includes the historic Cerro de Cobre copper mine, where 2008 channel sampling returned 22.8 metres grading 3.16% copper and 15.3 g/t silver. Subsequent Mobile Metal Ion (MMI) soil sampling defined a 1,500 metre by 800 metre copper-in-soil anomaly encompassing the two zones, open in all directions. Colombian Mines Corporation felt there was a high potential for repetition on the opposite side of the hosting anticline and further felt the geology suggested mineralization may extend beyond the limits of known anomalous zones. (Source: Colombian Mines Corporation News Releases dated 15-May-2008 and 14-Nov-2012 respectively).

The historic sampling combined with the recent mapping and sampling completed by MAX indicates copper appears to be widely dispersed throughout the 400 square kilometer property holdings.

The Company cautions investors that the presence of copper mineralization in the Andean Copper Belt is not necessarily indicative of copper mineralization on the Project. The Company further cautions investors that it has not yet verified the historical data.

What is LWIR

MAX has access to Long Wave InfraRed (LWIR) proprietary technology. MAX's survey was over an area of approximately 10,000 square kilometers. LWIR is well suited to Colombia, as LWIR allows viewing of mineral spectra in the first 30 to 60 cm of the earth's surface through dense vegetation. LWIR bands have the ability to map or identify, through reflectance spectroscopy against a set of known standards, mineral distribution over extremely large areas covered by moderate vegetation and shallow cover. MAX is awaiting the results of the interpretation of the LWIR survey, which are expected soon.

About Max Resource Corp.

Max Resource Corp., a Canadian-based exploration company, its focussed on acquiring advanced exploration projects which are located within the under-explored northern section of the richly endowed Andean Copper Belt, of Colombia.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF MAX RESOURCE CORP.

"Brett Matich"

Brett Matich, CEO and President

Tim Henneberry, P. Geo (British Columbia), a member of the Max Resource Corp. Advisory Board, is the qualified person who has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release on behalf of the Company.

Further information regarding the Company can be found on SEDAR at www.SEDAR.com, or by contacting the Company directly at (604) 365 1522

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed as "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements pertaining to completion of the Acquisition and any approvals required in connection with the Acquisition. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include: changes in market conditions, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in the price of commodities (particularly copper), unanticipated changes in key management personnel and general social, economic or geo-political conditions. Mining exploration and development is an inherently risky business. Accordingly the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. We seek safe harbor.OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/06/18 -- Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. ("Tetra" or the "Corporation") (TSX VENTURE: TBP)(OTCQB: TBPMF) announced today that its partner PS Innovations will be seeking CE Marking for its Rx Princeps? Inhalation Device, thereby opening the door to Tetra's commercialization efforts in Europe.

Tetra's development and manufacturing partner, PS Innovations, will be seeking CE Marking for Tetra's Rx Princeps? Inhalation Device, which is used in conjunction with a dried loose cannabis, such as Rx Princeps?, to provide relief for advanced cancer pain and non-cancer pain patients.

Rx Princeps? is a unique blend of 3 strains of medical cannabis. Its production has been standardized in order to ensure a lot-to-lot consistent composition in its active ingredients (THC and CBD). Rx Princeps? is composed of the same medical cannabis blend used to produce PPP001, the lead product in Tetra's pipeline of five cannabinoid-based prescription drugs seeking Health Canada and FDA approval in Canada and the United States.

"CE marking" is the process that guarantees a product's conformity to the European regulations and is required to allow Tetra to commercialize and trade on the European and European Economic Area markets. Under the European regulation, Rx Princeps? Inhalation Device will be considered as a Class 1 Medical Device.

"This is significant for Tetra since there are a number of European countries, with Germany at the forefront, where medical cannabis has been legalized," said Bernard Fortier, Tetra's CEO.

The annual potential estimate for the medical cannabis European market value is EUR35.7b, according to the European cannabis report from a Prohibition Partners November 2017 report. In the US, the consumption devices market grew 116.5% in 2016 (year over year growth, New Frontier data report 2016).

"We know that more than half the people who consume cannabis choose to smoke it," said Mr. Fortier. "This first step into Europe with a strong partner like PS Innovations solidifies our strategic focus on global expansion and potentially offers the European medical community and their patients the most innovative therapeutic options."

PS Innovations will ensure that the Rx Princeps? Inhalation Device meets all the relevant Essential Requirements of the European Medical Device Directive and then register the product with the Competent Authority and affix the CE marking.

About PS Innovations:

PS Innovations was created in 2017 to bring new devices for the use of Cannabis products, and the creation of machinery dedicated to the manufacture of Cannabis based dosage forms. Current devices on the market today are designed for the use of tobacco, and not cannabis derived products. Cannabis is unique in many ways, and does not always behave in the manner that tobacco products do. PS Innovations has been able to bring to the market a Class I medical device, namely an inhalation device (pipe) specific to the ACMPR (Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations) use of dry loose cannabis.

About Tetra Bio-Pharma:

Tetra Bio-Pharma (TSX VENTURE: TBP)(OTCQB: TBPMF) is a biopharmaceutical leader in cannabinoid-based drug discovery and clinical development. Tetra is focusing on three core business pillars: clinical research, pharmaceutical promotion and retail commercialization of cannabinoid-based products.

More information at: www.tetrabiopharma.com

Source: Tetra Bio-Pharma

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements

Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Corporation believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Corporation's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Corporation to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, failure to obtain sufficient financing to execute the Corporation's business plan; competition; regulation and anticipated and unanticipated costs and delays, the success of the Corporation's research strategies, the applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion and uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the timing of clinical trials, the timing and outcomes of regulatory or intellectual property decisions and other risks disclosed in the Corporation's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Although the Corporation has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. While no definitive documentation has yet been signed by the parties and there is no certainty that such documentation will be signed The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Corporation does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities legislation.

Contacts:

Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc.

Dr. Anne-Sophie Courtois, DVM

Vice President, Marketing & Communications

investors@tetrabiopharma.com

1 (438) 899-7575



Washington

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVosin a speech she labeled tough love"laid into states accountability plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act for not being ambitious enough, lacking innovation, and not taking full advantage of the laws flexibilities.

Her jarring, 40-minute address struck a harsh, somewhat dismissive tone, with DeVos telling state schools chiefs that while she doesnt believe its her job to force President Donald Trumps education agenda onto states, shes held her tongue for too long.

The state plans turned in to her department that describe how states will use billions of federal dollars have barely met the minimum requirements of the law and are compliance-driven, she said. That defeats the purpose of the law, she said, which was to allow for states to take charge of the nations education agenda.

ESSA was enacted partially in response to the widespread calls from state school chiefsincluding many in this roomto give you the flexibility and opportunity to address your states unique challenges, DeVos said to those gathered for the Council of Chief State School Officers legislative conference here. Well, this law gives you that chance. The trouble is ... I dont see much evidence that youve yet seized it. At least not in the ESSA plans Ive thus far approved.

And she told chiefs that just because a plan complies with the law doesnt mean it does whats best for students. ESSA plans arent a ceiling. ... These plans merely establish the floor.

The comments drew widespread condemnation from state chiefs who have so far tried to forge a conciliatory relationship with the U.S. Department of Education under DeVos.

Several said that their education initiatives should not be judged solely on the planning documents that describe how they will use federal funds.

Our ESSA plan is just a subset of all the things going on in Ohio, said Paolo DeMaria, Ohios superintendent of public instruction. We havent gotten it all figured out yet.

ESSAs devolution of policymaking power from federal to state control has unleashed a flurry of action in states , they pointed out, including initiatives to overhaul state funding formulas , historic shifts in governance authority , and tough conversations between policymakers, teachers, and parents over lagging academic indicators.

Much of that work will play out in the coming years.

Ive never seen more talk about innovation in our state than Ive seen in the last year, said North Dakota Superintendent Kirsten Baesler, who took issue with DeVos tone.

DeVos has spent her tenure traveling the country pushing vouchers, charter schools, and other options to give parents more choice, which has drawn the ire of teachers and others. She has also pushed for less federal regulation over education policy. In a sign of the times, she dramatically consolidated her department last month, laying off several dozen employees.

Despite her harsh words for states ESSA plans, however, DeVos so far has approved 33 state plans, along with those of the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. At the national level, Democrats in Congress have accused DeVos of approving plans that dont meet basic tenets of the law , especially how states handle the test scores of special education students, English Language Learners and students of color.

Some state chiefs said at Mondays conference that the ESSA approval process has been confusing and inconsistent. While some states are allowed to flout the law in areas around student accountability, others are given the go-ahead, said Stephen Pruitt, Kentuckys education commissioner.

You can be consistently good or consistently bad but dont be inconsistent, Pruitt quipped.

But DeVos said while shes approved plenty of plans that she thinks meet bare miminum requirements of the law, shes been disappointed in how plans fall short on ways to improve public education systems.

I have refrained from expressing my opinion, thus far, out of respect for the process, she said. But since were all in this room together now, I couldnt pass up the opportunity to share some candid thoughts. Around my house, we call it tough love.

For example, she said some states redesigned ESSA-compliance report cards are confusing, lack detail, and send conflicting messages about student success. She seemed to be alluding to Californias dashboard approach which has received plenty of criticism within the state.

She challenged chiefs to eschew a compliance mentality in dealing with schools where students are bullied, stepping over rats, breathing in mold, and dodging fists, and lacking the teachers and technology they need to learn.

And she said shes been disappointed in how few states are interested in innovative assessment programs authorized under ESSAs flexibility.

There are some bright spots among the plans, said DeVos, calling out some parts of Louisianas and New Mexicos plans. But even the best plan is short on the meaningful solutions that the law encourages. Even the best plan doesnt take full advantage of the laws built-in flexibility. And launching a PR push to defend these plans doesnt change that. It misses the point, DeVos said.

State chiefs in recent months have described hurdles in collecting and disseminating reliable data , recalibrating state accountability systems in an environment politically hostile toward tests and dealing with a constant churn in political leadership that makes it difficult to set into place long-term agendas.

They have repeatedly said theyre committed to equity between student groups, though a growing chorus of civil rights groups say thats not true based on the evidence they see.

Not all of the state chiefs at Mondays conference took issue with the secretarys comments.

Nevada state education Superintendent Steve Canavero, whose state has consistently been ranked as having some of the worst academic outcomes in the nation, said he appreciated DeVos prodding to do better.

I appreciate the push, he said. Shes challenging us to rethink our flexibilities.

Photo: Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos speaks to the Council of Chief State School Officers conference in Washington on March 5. (Maria Danilova/AP)

Dont miss another State EdWatch post. Sign up here to get news alerts in your email inbox. And make sure to follow @StateEdWatch on Twitter for the latest news from state K-12 policy and politics.CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Japanese yen slipped against its major counterparts in the European session on Tuesday, as sentiment improved after South Korea confirmed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is open to hold 'candid' talks with the U.S. and would suspend nuclear tests, if military threats are removed. Both leaders will meet for a summit at the end of April along the border, the statement said. 'North Korea has clearly expressed its intention for denuclearlization on the Korean peninsula, and if there is no military threat, and North Korea's regime security is promised, they have clarified that there is no reason to hold nuclear weapons,' according to a statement. The yen declined to 6-day lows of 147.98 against the pound, 113.48 against Swiss franc and 83.22 against the Aussie, from its early highs of 146.55, 112.61 and 82.17, respectively. The yen dropped to a weekly low of 131.94 against the euro and a 4-day low of 82.30 against the loonie, off its early highs of 130.60 and 81.54, respectively. The yen reversed from its early highs of 76.68 against the kiwi and 105.85 against the greenback, falling to 5-day lows of 77.59 and 106.46, respectively. The yen is likely to find support around 110.00 against the greenback, 134.00 against the euro, 116.00 against the franc, 151.00 against the pound, 85.00 against the aussie, 79.00 against the kiwi and 84.00 against the loonie. 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.Partnership Gives Hotels an Edge with Early Access to New Beta Products and Unique Data

NEW YORK, March 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --TravelClick, a leading global provider of data and revenue-generating solutions for hoteliers, today announced the Company's expanded relationship with longtime partner Google to enable hoteliers to drive more direct bookings and revenue. This partnership helps independent and small to mid-sized hotel chains to better identify, attract and convert guests when using the combined Google and TravelClick solutions.

"In a world where hundreds of thousands of hotels compete daily to win reservations, Google's meta search and advertising platforms make it easier for independent and small to mid-sized hotel chains to be discovered by consumers," said Curtis Brewer, Senior Vice President of Reservations and Website Solutions at TravelClick. "When hoteliers engage with these same consumers using TravelClick's CRM guest profiles, forward-looking demand data and best-in-class booking engine, hoteliers are able to convert more consumers into paying guests and optimize their pricing."

With Google Premier Partner Status, TravelClick can now offer its hotel customers priority access to Google beta products, elite account support and performance review with a dedicated, global account team and unique pieces of data for campaign optimization.

"TravelClick is a global leader in the hospitality industry, and we are excited to work with them to help hoteliers drive more revenue," added Ru Roberts, Senior Industry Head of Travel at Google. "Our combined efforts provide a platform for hoteliers to be able to reach the 60 percent of travelers who use Google when they begin to search for travel accommodations and then leverage TravelClick to convert those searches into bookings."

"Working with both TravelClick and Google we have been able to identify opportunities to reach new consumer groups in a very targeted manner using a very in-depth audience segmentation strategy," said Adarsh Rangaswamy, Corporate Director, Digital Marketing at Millennium Hotels and Resorts. "This has yielded strong results in a channel that previously had not been a strong performance marketing channelfor us.Additionally, the unique insights of both Google's and TravelClick's data has enabled us to identify new opportunities that we otherwise would have not been aware of."

To learn more about the latest trends in digital media from TravelClick and Google, register and attend one of the following webinars:

Tuesday, March 13, 2018 , 1:00 PM SGT / 4:00 PM AEST: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2564110982945260291

, SGT / AEST: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2564110982945260291 Tuesday, March 13, 2018 , 9:00 AM EDT / 1:00 PM GMT : https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7654759659594927875

, / : https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7654759659594927875 Thursday, March 15, 2018 , 11:00 AM PST / 2:00 PM EDT : https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2087853123327846915

About TravelClick

TravelClickoffers innovative, cloud-based and data-driven solutions for hotels around the globe to maximize revenue. TravelClick enables over 50,000 hoteliers to drive better business decisions and know, acquire, convert and retain guests. The Company's interconnected suite of solutions includes Business Intelligence, Reservations & Booking Engine, Media, Web & Video and Guest Management. As a trusted hotel partner with more than 30 years of industry experience, TravelClick operates in 176 countries, with local experts in 39 countries and 14 offices in New York, Atlanta, Barcelona, Bucharest, Chicago, Dubai, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Ottawa, Paris, Shanghai and Singapore. The Company also provides its hotel customers with access to a global network of over 600 travel-focused partners. Follow TravelClick onFacebook,TwitterandLinkedIn.

NEW YORK, March 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

NetworkNewsWire Editorial Coverage

American smokers are stubbing out their cigarettes. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that the proportion of the adult American population that has smoked at least 100 cigarettes during their lifetimes stood at 15.5 percent in 2016, down from 20.9 percent in 2005 (http://nnw.fm/J6dQp). Of course, quitting smoking does not always mean saying no to nicotine. The stimulant, credited with some health benefits, is highly addictive. As a result, alternative delivery biotechnologies for nicotine have become a recent R&D focus for cigarette manufacturers and other companies, including Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTC: LXRP) (LXRP Profile), Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE: MO), British American Tobacco (LSE: BATS), Imperial Brands, (LSE: IMB) (OTC: IMBBY) and Philip Morris International, Inc. (NYSE: PM). With close to 38 million American smokers still puffing away, and nearly 1 billion worldwide, these companies are developing safer products and delivery technologies, which may wean smokers away from a habit estimated to kill about 480,000 (1 in 5) adult Americans every year.

In the 20th Century, the average American was smoking 4,345 manufactured cigarettes per year (http://nnw.fm/k7n5A). In the early 1960s, the Surgeon General of the United States published a damning report that linked smoking to lung cancer, emphysema and heart disease, and since then the percentage of American adults who smoke has declined in every year the CDC has surveyed. Around the time of the Surgeon General's warning in 1963, 42.4 percent of American adults smoked; 50 years later, in 2013, that rate had fallen to 21.6 percent. In 2016, it dipped even further to 15.5 percent (http://nnw.fm/Mo3wa).

Recognizing this significant downturn, paired with the fact that regardless of health risks a population of consumers will continue nicotine use, biotech innovators and even big tobacco companies are looking for ways to reduce the hazards of smoking.

The Case for Smoking Alternatives

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) is gaining prominence for its proprietary delivery technology capable of changing the way active pharmaceutical ingredients ("APIs") such as cannabinoids and nicotine enter the body. The company's DehydraTECH' technology enables delivery of lipophilic active agents within foods, beverages, capsules and other ingestible formats, thus improving the performance of beneficial ingestible products across four categories: taste, smell, speed of action, and bioabsorption and bioavailability. DehyraTECH has already been proven effective in cannabinoid delivery and is currently undergoing testing for nicotine delivery in lab animals.

When it comes to smoking, this is of considerable importance for two reasons.

First, in 2016 a Royal College of Physicians (RCP) report concluded that "nicotine alone in the doses used by smokers represents little if any hazard to the user" - rather, it is the combination of more than 4,000 chemicals released from the combustion of tobacco that is damaging. Complementary to this finding is research by the BMJ, which shows that there is no safe level of smoking and that "only complete cessation is protective and should be emphasized by all prevention measures and policies ... any exposure to cigarette smoke is too much."

Secondly, Lexaria's technology addresses a vital concern smoking poses to the body: human lungs were not designed to become pathways for drug absorption; their sole purpose is to deliver oxygen to the blood. Nature did, however, design an ingenious system for drug and nutrient absorption, and that method is ingestible food and drink.

Lexaria's technology is custom-designed to work with the human gastro intestinal (GI) system to deliver APIs more effectively (DehydraTECH can deliver payload molecules to the bloodstream in as little as 10 to 15 minutes, as opposed to 60 to 90 minutes for current methods), but still respects the body's inherent internal safety mechanisms.

Delivering minute proportions of nicotine through edible food formats like coffee or breath mints has never been successfully achieved in the past, because when detected by the GI system, nicotine is generally flushed from the intestines through cramping and GI distress.

Lexaria's DehyraTECH technology, however, acts as a trojan horse, demonstrating potential to deliver nicotine through the GI with sharply lowered side effects.

Patented Technology is Rooted in Cannabinoids, Includes Nicotine Coverage

At present, Lexaria is the only company in the world that has been awarded patents for the improved (oral or ingestible, including pills) delivery of all cannabinoids both, psychoactive and non. These patents have been awarded in the United States and Australia and are pending in 40 more countries. This puts the company in the unusually advantageous position of owning proprietary technology that can deliver a vast range of cannabinoid-based drugs.

The company recently received a new patent award in the U.S. that also protects its delivery system for use with nicotine, potentially offering the biggest disruption to nicotine delivery since the invention of the cigarette.

"Lexaria has now locked-up the IP for its next-generation drug delivery system" Lexaria CEO Chris Bunka explained in the press release (http://nnw.fm/Q8JxJ). "This ground-breaking, patented IP builds a foundation for new business opportunities in 2018 including what could be the world's first nicotine edibles for the smokeless tobacco industry, or improved new products for NSAID-derived pain management, as well as in the rapidly growing cannabis market."

Licensing Model in Action

Lexaria's DehydraTECH system is being utilized in a number of consumer products developed by the company under three distinct brands: ViPova', Lexaria Energy and TurboCBD'. In recent months, Lexaria has executed several key agreements that demonstrate the versatility of its technology and serve as examples of the company's out-licensing model.

Most recently, Lexaria entered into a five-year licensing agreement with Biolog, Inc., in which Biolog (a Utah company, not to be confused with a California cell phenotyping company of the same name) will use DehydraTECHTM to empower a unique set of next-generation food and beverage cannabis infusion products to be sold in the United States (http://nnw.fm/8FvlH).

In January 2018, Lexaria also announced a licensing agreement with Cannfections Group, Inc. Per the agreement, Lexaria will provide its DehydraTECH technology to enhance the performance of Cannfections' cannabis-infused chocolates and candies to be developed and sold in Canada and internationally. The founders of Cannfections currently manufacture chocolate retail products for several leading international and domestic chocolate brands (http://nnw.fm/Ovvy7).

Tobacco Industry Potential

Rather than being a competitor to tobacco and cannabis companies, Lexaria aims to out-license its technology to third-party partners such as major cigarette manufacturers. Lexaria is expected to conduct its first in-vivo nicotine absorption tests in March and results are expected shortly thereafter. If positive, the industry could have its first data supporting a viable delivery technique for edible forms of nicotine. Tests are being conducted at a highly regarded, third-party laboratory.

Two giants in the industry, Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE: MO) and Philip Morris (NYSE: PM), are collaborating on the production and distribution of a gadget that they claim will reduce the risk of tobacco-related ailments for smokers who eschew cigarettes in favor of it. However, the partnership appears to be sailing through rough waters. A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel concluded almost unanimously (one abstention in the 8-0 vote)that Philip Morris had not shown that its heat-not-burn device reduces the risk of smoking-related ailments. The panel did find, however, that switching to the device, known as the iQos, reduces exposure to harmful chemicals (http://nnw.fm/xsW9F).

Meanwhile, British American Tobacco (LSE: BATS.L) emphasizes the economic value of tobacco in general, but has also invested more than $1 billion into the development of Next Generation Products ("NGPs") such as e-cigarettes and tobacco-heating products.



Without abandoning its core focus on cigarettes and other tobacco products, Imperial Brands, (LSE: IMB.L) (OTCQX: IMBBY) is also exploring the potential of NGPs to offer smokers an alternative to combustible tobacco. " ... NGPs offer us considerable growth opportunities. We are significantly stepping up our level of NGP activity in 2018 and beyond, expanding our portfolio with new product launches in new and existing markets," the company states on its website.



With big tobacco on board to cater to consumer trends, Lexaria occupies an interesting position in the marketplace as it continues to advance its alternative delivery system for potential out-licensing to companies like Altria, Philip Morris, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands and others. The global tobacco industry is almost unimaginably large and orders of magnitude larger than cannabis. If proven effective, Lexaria's technology could have the most practical and healthful application to the world's 1 billion smokers than anything that has come before.

For more information on Lexaria, visit Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP)

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Globant's digital journey model to support Thomas Cook Money's goal of transforming holiday money and insurance services

LONDON, March 6 , 2018 /PRNewswire/ --Globant (NYSE: GLOB), a digitally native technology services company, focused on creating digital journeys, announces it has been selected as one of the preferred IT Development providers of Thomas Cook Money to transform the holiday money and insurance services it provides to its customers, to give them more control.

Globant specializes in building agile teams and combining engineering and design to create unique digital experiences. This, paired with its portfolio of global financial services, technology and travel clients, will support Thomas Cook Money on their mission to help customers save, spend, borrow and protect their holiday money, both at home and abroad.

Martin Migoya, CEO at Globant. "Our focus on creating unique and seamless digital experiences is central to the work we will do with Thomas Cook Money. It needs an agile partner who can move fast and learn quickly to optimize the customer experience. At Globant, we constantly strive to create the most innovative products and ways of thinking in the industry, and this gives Thomas Cook a competitive edge as it continues to transform its services. Our employees and culture are what really set us apart as everyone is deeply rooted in their commitment to digital transformation. We are always thinking of new ways to improve business outcomes through our studios and labs and are excited to lend that mindset and skill set to Thomas Cook."

"Thomas Cook Money is not a bank. We're a holiday company with a mission to help make holiday money easier to manage for everyone all year round, not just for the two weeks customers are away. Our helpful new digital products let you save-up, pay for, spend and protect on your holidays. Digital disruption and innovation has to be at the heart of any business wishing to deliver brilliant customer experiences, and Globant's international presence and expertise in next-level trends, such as AI, UX and IoT, supported our decision to work together to deliver the best digital experiences for holiday makers." Haakan Andresen, Technology Director, Thomas Cook Money

Globant and Thomas Cook Group have worked together for over five years and are delighted to continue this long-term relationship, supporting Thomas Cook Money's IT requirements as they continue to grow and build their business.

About Globant

We are a digitally native technology services company. We are passionate about building the new way of being digital. We want to help our clients emotionally connect with consumers and employees, leveraging the power of artificial intelligence for business optimization. We are the place where engineering, design, and innovation meet scale.

Globant has more than 6,700 professionals in 12 countries working for companies like LinkedIn, BBVA, EA, and Coca Cola, among others.

We were named a Worldwide Leader of Digital Strategy Consulting Services by IDC MarketScape report (2016 and 2017)

We were also featured as a business case study at Harvard , MIT , and Stanford.

For more information, visit www.globant.com

About Thomas Cook Money

Thomas Cook Group plc launched its new financial services division; Thomas Cook Money Ltd, in November 2017. Thomas Cook Money brings all of Thomas Cook's existing financial services under one roof and has new products to help customers plan, save, borrow and spend, both at home and abroad. These include Lyk, an app-based prepaid travel card and Roam, a flexible travel insurance product. Thomas Cook Money unites a digitally led vision to a long heritage of foreign exchange and travel insurance to deliver a modern customer experience to holiday money.www.thomascookmoney.com

Media Contact

Meg Avril

Walker Sands Communications

Meg.avril@walkersands.com

312-648-6007

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/460822/globant_logo.jpgTSYS (NYSE: TSS) today announced that Permanent TSB has extended its agreement with TSYS to continue processing the bank's credit and debit card portfolios. TSYS will also provide additional services such as analytics and fraud and risk management.

Permanent TSB is a longstanding financial services provider in the Irish market, with origins dating back to 1884. Offering a broad range of banking products to its more than one million customers, Permanent TSB is a significant provider of financial services across the Republic of Ireland.

"We have deep roots in the Irish payments industry, and Permanent TSB is certainly a big part of our foundation in Ireland," said Ashley Beard, Director of Account Management, TSYS International. "We're excited to continue this relationship and to be given the chance to help the bank enhance and expand their product offerings that enable them to provide a seamless experience to their customers."

"Our experience with TSYS, not only in the Irish market, but across Europe, is just one aspect of why they are a valuable partner," said Kevin Curley, Head of Payments and Account Operations at Permanent TSB. "We count on them to continue providing innovative new products and features, along with their strong customer service, as we look to improve our cardholders' experience."

Details of the long-term agreement were not disclosed.

About TSYS

TSYS (NYSE: TSS) is a leading global payments provider, offering seamless, secure and innovative solutions across the payments spectrum from issuer processing and merchant acquiring to prepaid program management. We succeed because we put people, and their needs, at the heart of every decision. It's an approach we call 'People-Centered Payments

Our headquarters are located in Columbus, Ga., U.S.A., with approximately 12,000 team members and local offices across 13 countries. TSYS generated revenue of $4.9 billion in 2017, while processing more than 27.8 billion transactions. We are a member of The Civic 50 and were named one of the 2018 World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere magazine. TSYS is a member of the S&P 500 and routinely posts all important information on its website. For more, visit tsys.com.

About Permanent TSB

The Group is a significant provider of retail financial services in Ireland offering a broad range of banking products and financial services to its customers including residential mortgages, term loans, current accounts, retail and corporate deposits, credit cards and overdrafts as well as general insurance, pensions and investments.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180306005968/en/

Contacts:

TSYS Media Relations

Cyle Mims, +1-706-644-3110

cylemims@tsys.com

or

TSYS Investor Relations

Shawn Roberts, +1-706-644-6081

shawnroberts@tsys.comAndersen Global is proud to announce a presence in Warsaw, Poland by way of a Collaboration Agreement with two leading tax and legal firms, A2Z Tax Legal, led by Marcin Matyka, and SOL Financial Services, led by Oleg Szczerbak.

Global Chairman and Andersen Tax LLC CEO, Mark Vorsatz, commented, "As we expand our platform in Europe, the collaboration with A2Z Tax Legal and SOL Financial Services will play a key role in our client service and business development efforts across the region. The addition demonstrates our dedication to providing seamless services in Europe and worldwide. Marcin, Oleg and their teams together constitute an excellent complement for Andersen Global and I am impressed by their commitment to providing outstanding client service."

"The collaboration with Andersen Global positions us to provide outstanding, international service to our clients. Andersen's strategy of focusing on both tax and legal services is consistent with our standards of independence and transparency," said Oleg. "We look forward to joining Andersen Global, a best-in-class organization with whom we share core values."

A2Z Tax Legal specializes in tax, legal, transfer pricing, consultancy services, including VAT consultancy, due diligence, customs consultancy, mergers acquisitions, labor law, administrative law and valuation.

SOL Financial Services is an accounting and consulting firm founded in 2006. The firm provides quality solutions in the area of accounting predominantly for international corporations, individual entrepreneurs and high net worth individuals, and specializes in accounting and payroll solutions, tax and management reporting, outsourcing and other business support services.

Andersen Global is an international association of legally separate, independent member firms comprised of tax and legal professionals around the world. Established in 2013 by U.S. member firm Andersen Tax LLC, Andersen Global now has more than 2,500 professionals worldwide and a presence in over 86 locations through its member firms and collaborating firms.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180306005170/en/

Contacts:

Andersen Tax

Shereen Ameri, 650-289-5742Following on from the real-world fuel economy measurements, the protocol developed by Groupe PSA, T&E, FNE and Bureau Veritas has been adapted to measure NOx and particulate emissions in real driving conditions

Measures tested on recent Peugeot, Citroen and DS cars show excellent results for both NOx 1 and particulate number emissions

They reflect Groupe PSA's undertaking to introduce in 2017, three years ahead of 2020 European emissions standards vehicles meeting the standards' RDE conformity factor of 1.5.

Regulatory News:

As it committed in March 2017, Groupe PSA (Paris:UG) has adapted the CO 2 measurement protocol with the NGOs T&E and FNE to measure pollutants (NOX and particles). Today, the Group is releasing the first results on five Peugeot, Citroen and DS vehicles that comply with the Euro 6d-TEMP2 standard. See box below.

Estimated average real-world emissions for a vehicle with low mileage (1) Euro 6 RDE compliant models NOx (mg/km) Particulate number (PN) (1011 /km) Fuel Economy Protocol results 2020 limit Protocol results 2020 limit Protocol results Peugeot 208 1.2L PureTech 82 MT5 28 WLTP: 60 RDE: 90* 5.5 No legal limit 6.3 Peugeot 308 1.2L PureTech 130 MT6 13 3.5 WLTP: 6.0 RDE: 9.0 6.8 Peugeot 308 SW 1.5L BlueHDi 130 MT6 52 WLTP: 80 RDE: 120* 2.0 5.7 Citroen C3 1.5L BlueHDi 110 MT6 40 0.8 5.0 DS 7 CROSSBACK BlueHDi 180 Automatique 30 3.1 7.1

* Based on current CF 1.5 tbc by E. C.

(1) Estimated average emissions based on data obtained from the test protocol, for a vehicle with a mileage between 1 000 and 20 000 km at the time of the test. These estimates are provided as a guide and for information purposes only, and are based on the assumptions and conditions of the test protocol. These estimates are entirely separate from the NOx and PN emissions stated pursuant to the framework directive 2007/46/EC (which are the only official values) and therefore have no general applicability. NOx emissions increase with mileage and fluctuate according to the usage conditions of the vehicle. The test protocol is available on the Groupe PSA's website, www.groupe-psa.com

These good results confirm the performance of the selected technologies and Groupe PSA's undertaking to meet the targets set by the EU emissions standards three years ahead of schedule.

Emissions testing will be available for 80% of Euro 6d-TEMP compliant vehicles sold in Europe, by the end of 2018 in the case of passenger cars and by the end of 2019 for light commercial vehicles. The test protocol will also be extended to Groupe PSA hybrid vehicles in 2019.

Moreover, in addition to the fuel consumption test findings already released for passenger cars in real driving conditions, this month Groupe PSA is disclosing on the brands website consumption figures for all Euro 6b compliant light commercial vehicles, including the Peugeot Partner, Expert and Boxer and the Citroen Berlingo, Jumpy, and Jumper.

This process, carried out in collaboration with two NGOs, T&E and FNE, under the supervision of Bureau Veritas, was honoured for its effectiveness and robustness by an ECOBEST 2017 award.

Gilles le Borgne, Groupe PSA Executive Vice President, Quality and Engineering, said: "The excellent test results from our first vehicles demonstrate the validity of Groupe PSA's technological choices.We have met the current target set by European standards three years ahead of schedule in the case of emissions in real driving conditions.We are pursuing our commitment to transparency with our customers through this undertaking, which was initiated in 2015 and continues to make a difference in the sector."

Greg Archer, clean vehicles director with sustainable transport group, Transport Environment, said: "PSA is unquestionably the leader in the way it communicates about the emissions from its cars. It is providing its customers with clear transparent data about real world emissions, which no other company does. In doing so PSA shows it has nothing to hide."

Philippe Lanternier, Executive Vice-President, Corporate and Business Development at Bureau Veritas added: "Bureau Veritas, as an independent and internationally recognized body, attests that the extended protocol to measure NOx and particulate emissions has been conducted in line with up-to-date specifications and that the results are reliable. We are confident in the continued deployment of the protocol without compromising its auditability.

For more information:

The test protocol developed by Groupe PSA, T&E, FNE and Bureau Veritas wins the ECOBEST 2017

A real-world fuel consumption test protocol developed by Groupe PSA, T&E, FNE and Bureau Veritas provides accurate information for drivers

Groupe PSA, NGOs T&E and FNE, and Bureau Veritas publish the protocol for measuring real-world fuel consumption

First results of realworld fuel consumption

About Groupe PSA

Groupe PSA designs unique automotive experiences and delivers mobility solutions to meet all client expectations. The Group has five car brands, PeugeotCitroenDSOpel and Vauxhall, as well as a wide array of mobility and smart services under its Free2Move brand, aiming to become a great car maker and the preferred mobility provider. It is an early innovator in the field of autonomous and connected cars. It is also involved in financing activities through Banque PSA Finance and in automotive equipment via Faurecia. Find out more at groupe-psa.com/en

Media library: https://medialibrary.groupe-psa.com/ / Twitter: @GroupePSA

About Transport Environment

Established in 1990, Transport Environment (T&E) is the leading European NGO campaigning for cleaner transport. T&E represents 53 organisations from 26 countries across Europe. It has contributed to a number of high-profile EU policy changes such as binding standards for more fuel efficient cars and more sustainable biofuels. www.transportenvironment.org

About France Nature Environnement

France Nature Environnement is the French federation of associations for the protection of nature and the environment. It provides a voice for 3,500 associations, grouped into 74 member organisations, present throughout both mainland France and the overseas territories. France Nature Environnement, wherever nature needs us. www.fne.asso.fr

About Bureau Veritas

Bureau Veritas is a global leader in testing, inspection and certification services. It offers services and solutions to ensure that clients' assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility. The group has 73,000 employees in 1,400 offices and laboratories around the world.

For more information: www.bureauveritas.fr

1 Nitrous oxides

2 The current standard

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180306006174/en/

Contacts:

MEDIA

Groupe PSA

Laure de Servigny, +33 (0)6 70 18 88 75

or

Transport Environment:

+32 (0)484 27 87 91

or

France Nature Environnement:

+33 (0)6 01 00 31 28

or

Bureau Veritas:

+33 (0)6 55 24 76 01StarLeaf reinforces its position as the leading native to Microsoft meeting room solution that caters for both Microsoft Skype for Business and Teams users.

StarLeaf, leading provider of meeting room and management solutions for Microsoft, is the first manufacturer to deliver full meeting room support for Microsoft Teams, the chat-based workspace in Microsoft Office 365. This new product development provides the enterprise with investment protection, by delivering one meeting room environment that automatically works for both Skype for Business and Teams users.

The StarLeaf GTm family of systems allow organizations, currently using Skype for Business, and looking forwards to using Microsoft Teams, to deploy meeting room solutions that work seamlessly with both Microsoft platforms. This announcement cements StarLeaf's position as the leading provider of Microsoft UC meeting room solutions for the enterprise.

"Throughout our product development we maintain a sharp focus on the user experience. This absolute commitment has allowed us to deliver a simple and consistent meeting room environment regardless of whether the system is joining a Skype for Business or a Microsoft Teams meeting," said Jonathan Williams, Head of StarLeaf's Microsoft Business Unit.

"As Microsoft delivers on its roadmap for Microsoft Teams, we will continue to deliver on our roadmap to ensure that our customers continue to realize a return on their investment, while also receiving new features and advancements from both the meeting room itself, and from the essential meeting room management platform."

Jonathan concluded: "Our position and product direction is clear. No matter what course Microsoft's platform takes, we are fully committed to delivering enterprise meeting room and management solutions that work today and more importantly in the future."

At Enterprise Connect (March 2018), StarLeaf will be showcasing this functionality on booth #212 where the GTm meeting room system will be available to join both a Microsoft Teams meeting and a Skype for Business meeting via the press of a single button. Visit us at Enterprise Connect to book a demo.

About StarLeaf's Microsoft meeting room solutions

The StarLeaf family of video meeting room and management solutions for Microsoft UC, provides the enterprise with all it needs to equip all of its meeting spaces, from huddle rooms through to larger meeting rooms. For end users, the StarLeaf GTm offers a beautifully simple and familiar environment, while admins benefit from a native system that registers directly to the Skype for Business Server and/or Office365. In addition, the StarLeaf Maestro platform gives admins management oversight and control of their meeting rooms. http://www.starleaf.com/.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180306006125/en/

Contacts:

For more information and media contact:

StarLeaf

Michele Durban, +447788446055

Michele.durban@starleaf.comNearly 80 percent of respondents of an online survey by the Oklahoma Education Association said they would support shutting down schools to force the legislature to approve a pay increase. The survey results were published Monday on the OEAs website.

Momentum for a strike has been building recently in Oklahoma as teachers have had their hopes for a pay bump dashed time and again. This survey shows that teachers have the will to follow in the footsteps of their striking counterparts in West Virginia, who today have reached an agreement with lawmakers on a pay raise . West Virginia teachers have been on strike since Feb. 22.

The 10,841 survey respondents were made up of OEA members, nonmember education employees, parents, retirees, community members and students. The survey was sent directly to members a couple of times, according to Doug Folks, a spokesman for the OEA. Others accessed the survey online. Of the 5,602 OEA respondents, 81 percent supported a walkout. And of the 934 parents who completed the survey, 76 percent supported a strike. See the full breakdown in the charts below.

Overall, 57 percent of survey completers said they thought the community would support a walkout, and 34 percent were unsure.

On the possibility of losing their jobs over the strike, 41 percent of all OEA members and nonmember education employees together are not concerned.

The survey results are not a surprise considering that Oklahoma teachers are among the lowest paid in the country . Educators, including the states 2016 Teacher of the Year, are fleeing to neighboring states like Texas, where teachers can command higher pay . One teacher, Teresa Danks, resorted to panhandling for school supplies (in part to raise awareness on Facebook). She recently started a walkout petition on change.org that has so far garnered more than 26,000 signatures.

Among Oklahoma teachers many disappointments was the defeat in February of the Step Up Oklahoma plan , which would have raised enough money to give teachers a $5,000 annual pay raise by imposing additional taxes on cigarettes, diesel fuel, and wind energy. In November 2016, Oklahoma voters defeated a ballot initiative that would have given most teachers $5,000 pay bumps . Those raises were going to be funded with a new 1 percent state sales tax.

Now Oklahoma teachers are pinning their hopes on a strike. On Thursday, March 8, Oklahoma Education Association will announce details about a new plan for raising revenue to support a pay raise along with a strategy for closing schools in the meantime.

In 2017, OEA members adopted a legislative plan for the 2018 session called Together Were Stronger . The plan would have given a $10,000 pay raise to Oklahoma teachers over three years, a 5 percent cost-of-living increase for retirees, and increased funding for education to account for a 4 percent growth in enrollment.

But the legislature failed to advance any bills containing even parts of the Together Were Stronger plan, the OEA said in a statement. Thats despite thousands of emails and phone calls, days of action at the capitol, and community forums across the state.

Lawmakers inaction has lead to this crucial grassroots movement of educators to take drastic efforts to save public education and ensure students receive a quality education that prepares them for the future, said OEA president Alicia Priest in a statement .

See also:The number of passenger on international flights was 191 thousand in February and decreased by 5% compared to February last year. The decrease is mainly due to less passengers on the tourist market to Iceland. The demand was not in line with the total capacity increase on that market. The total capacity decreased by 1% and the passenger load factor was 74.3% compared to 75.9% in February last year. The number of passengers on domestic and regional flights were just short of 22 thousand, decreasing by 3% compared to February last year. There was a great deal of weather disruptions during the month, and thus a significant number of domestic flights were cancelled. The capacity in February was 11% higher than in February last year, due to flights to Belfast in cooperation with Icelandair, which started in June 2017 and flights on the route between Keflavik and Akureyri which started in the end of February 2017. The passenger load factor was 62.6%. Sold block hours in charter flights increased by 44% between as a result of new long-term assignments. Freight increased by 24% due to more import to Iceland, but a strike in the seafood industry in Iceland last year, which effected the export of fish negatively, also affects the comparison. The number of sold room nights at the Company's Hotels was down by 5% from last year. The main reason is closing of hotel rooms in Icelandair Hotel Natura due to renovation. The number of sold hotel rooms increased between years at all other hotels. The room utilisation was 81.6% compared to 85.6% in February 2017. INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS FEB 18 FEB 17 CHG (%) YTD 18 YTD 17 CHG (%) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Passengers 190,720 200,264 -5% 399,646 405,998 -2% Load Factor 74.3% 75.9% -1.6 ppt 73.1% 74.7% -1.6 ppt Available Seat KM 767.5 772.8 -1% 1,675.5 1,628.0 3% (ASK'000,000) DOMESTIC AND REGIONAL FEB 18 FEB 17 CHG (%) YTD 18 YTD 17 CHG (%) FLIGHTS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Passengers 21,850 22,494 -3% 44,149 42,719 3% Load Factor 62.6% 68.0% -5.4 ppt 60.0% 65.1% -5.1 ppt Available Seat KM 12.5 11.3 11% 26.5 22.4 18% (ASK'000,000) CHARTER FLIGHTS FEB 18 FEB 17 CHG (%) YTD 18 YTD 17 CHG (%) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fleet Utilisation 100.0% 100.0% 0.0 ppt 100.0% 99.1% 0.9 ppt Sold Block Hours 2,694 1,871 44% 5,709 3,718 54% CARGO FEB 18 FEB 17 CHG (%) YTD 18 YTD 17 CHG (%) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Freight Tonne KM 9,337 7,525 24% 19,854 14,922 33% (FTK'000) HOTELS FEB 18 FEB 17 CHG (%) YTD 18 YTD 17 CHG (%) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Available Hotel Room 25,116 25,116 0% 52,923 52,923 0% Nights Sold Hotel Room Nights 20,503 21,511 -5% 39,211 40,745 -4% Occupancy of Hotel Rooms 81.6% 85.6% -4.0 ppt 74.1% 77.0% -2.9 ppt For further information please contact: Bogi Nils Bogason, CFO, Icelandair Group tel: + 354 665-8801 Iris Hulda orisdottir, Director Investor Relations, Icelandair Group tel: + 354 840-7010 Attachment: https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=667244Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB (hereinafter - and ESO), identification code 304151376, registered office placed at Aguonu str. 24, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania. The total number of registered ordinary shares issued by company is 894 630 333; ISIN code LT0000130023. An Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of ESO is to be convened on the initiative and by the decision of the Board of company on 6 March 2018. The date, time and place of the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders: The Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of ESO will be held on 30 March 2018, at 9.00 a.m., on the premises of ESO (Aguonu str. 24, second floor, 207 hall, Vilnius). The shareholder registration will start at 8.25 a.m. and will end at 8.55 a.m. The record date of these General Meetings is 23 March 2018. Only persons who are shareholders of ESO at the end of the record date of the General Meeting of Shareholders of company shall have the right to attend and vote at the General Meeting of Shareholders of ESO. The following agenda of the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of ESO was approved by the decision of the Board of company on 6 March 2018 and the following draft decisions is proposed: Agenda of the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of ESO: 1. Regarding the approval of the Annual Report of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB for the year 2017. 2. Regarding the approval of the audited Annual Financial Statements of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB for the year 2017. 3. Regarding the allocation of the profit (loss) of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB of the year 2017. 4. Regarding the approval of the new version of the Articles of Association of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB. 5. Regarding recall of the Supervisory Board of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB. 6. Election of the members of the Supervisory board of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB. 7. Regarding the approval of terms and conditions of contracts with members of the Supervisory board of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB. The proposed drafts decisions of the General Meeting of Shareholders of ESO on the abovementioned agenda items: 1. Regarding the approval of the Annual Report of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB for the year 2017. "1.1. Approve the Annual Report of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB (see attached)." 2. Regarding the approval of the audited Annual Financial Statements of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB for the year 2017. "2.1. Approve the Annual Financial Statements of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB for the year 2017 (see attached) audited by the audit company PricewaterhouseCoopers UAB." 3. Regarding the allocation of the profit (loss) of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB of the year 2017. "3.1. To allocate the profit (loss) of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB of the year 2017 (see attached)." 4. Regarding the approval of the new version of the Articles of Association of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB. "4.1. Approve a new version of the Articles of Association of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB (see attached). 4.2. Authorize the General Director of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB to sign the amended Articles of Association of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB and personally or through his authorized persons carry out all actions to implement this decision." 5. Regarding recall of the Supervisory Board of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB. "5.1. To recall in corpore the Supervisory Board of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB." 6. Election of the members of the Supervisory board of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB. "6.1. To elect for a period of 4 (four) years the persons named below as members of the Supervisory board of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB: 6.1.1. Darius Maikstenas (personal code and place of residence must not be published); 6.1.2. Darius Kasauskas (personal code and place of residence must not be published). 6.2. To establish that members of the Supervisory board of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB shall start their activities upon the end of the General Meeting of Shareholders that elected them." 7. Regarding the approval of terms and conditions of contracts with members of the Supervisory board of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB. "7.1. To approve the terms and conditions of the agreement for the protection of confidential information concluded with the members of the Supervisory Board (see attached); 7.2. To approve the terms and conditions of the contract regarding the activities of the member of Supervisory Board (see attached); 7.3. To authorize Chief Executive Officer of the Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB (with the right to re-authorize) to sign the contracts on security of confidential information and regarding activities of newly appointed Members of the Supervisory Board." Shareholders participating in the General Meeting of Shareholders of ESO shall produce an identity document. Shareholders shall be granted pecuniary and non-pecuniary rights provided for by laws and other legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania. Shareholders entitled to participate in the aforementioned shareholder meeting shall have the right to authorize, in writing, a natural or legal person to participate and vote on their behalf at the General Meetings of Shareholders indicated in this notice. Such a written authorization shall be approved in accordance with the procedure laid down in legal acts and shall be delivered to Aguonu str. 24, Vilnius no later than by the end of shareholder registration for a relevant General Meeting. Shareholders entitled to participate in the General Meeting of Shareholders of ESO shall also have the right to authorize, by electronic means of communication, a natural or legal person to participate and vote on their behalf at the General Meeting of Shareholders. An authorization issued by electronic means of communication shall be recognized as valid provided that the security of the information transferred is ensured and it is possible to identify the shareholder. Shareholders shall report the issuance of an authorization by electronic means of communication by sending it by e-mail to info@eso.lt not later than by the end of the working day on 29 March 2018 (4:30 p.m.). The authorized person shall have an identity document and shall enjoy the same rights at the General Meeting as the shareholder represented by him would enjoy (unless the issued authorization or laws provide for narrower rights of the authorized person). The shareholder's right to participate in the General Meeting of Shareholders shall also include the right to ask. ESO has not approved any special authorization form of the abovementioned General Meeting of Shareholders. The agenda of the General Meeting of Shareholders of ESO may be supplemented on the initiative of shareholders of company whose shares held in company carry at least 1/20 of all votes at the General Meeting of Shareholders of ESO. The proposal to supplement the agenda of the respective General Meeting of Shareholders shall be accompanied by draft decisions or, where no decisions have to be taken, by explanations on each proposed agenda item of the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders. The agenda shall be supplemented if the proposal is received no later than 14 before the respective General Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholders whose shares held in ESO carry at least 1/20 of all votes at the General Meeting of Shareholders of company shall have the right to propose, at any time before the General Meeting of Shareholders of ESO, new draft decisions on issues that are included or will be included in the agendas of the General Meeting of Shareholders of ESO. Proposals on the supplementation of the respective agenda or relevant draft decisions shall be submitted in writing to ESO, Aguonu str. 24, Vilnius, or by e-mail to info@eso.lt. Shareholders of ESO shall have the right to present questions related to the agenda of the General Meeting of Shareholders of company. Questions may be presented by e-mail to info@eso.lt or delivered to ESO to Aguonu str. 24, Vilnius, no later than 3 working days before the General Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholders will be able to vote on the agenda items of the General Meeting of Shareholders of ESO in writing by filling in ballot papers. At the request of a shareholder, ESO shall send, free of charge, a ballot paper to the shareholder by registered post or deliver it by hand against signature no later than 10 days before the General Meeting of Shareholders of ESO. A completed ballot paper shall be signed by the shareholder or a person authorized by the shareholder. Where a person authorized by the shareholder casts a vote, a document certifying the right to vote shall be attached to the completed ballot paper. Filled and signed general ballot paper and the document confirming the voting right can be sent to the company by registered mail or delivered at Aguonu str. 24, Vilnius, no later before the General Meeting of Shareholders. The company retains the right not to recognize the advance vote of the shareholder or his/her authorized representative, if his/her submitted general ballot paper does not meet the requirements of Paragraphs 3 and 4 of Article 30 of the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania, was received to late or is filled so that the true will of the shareholder on an individual matter cannot be determined. Electronic means of communication shall not be used for participation and voting at either of the abovementioned General Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholders can familiarize themselves with documents related to the agenda of the General Meeting of Shareholders of ESO, draft decisions on the agenda, documents to be submitted to General Meeting of Shareholders and other information related to the implementation of the rights of shareholders specified in this notice on the website of ESO at www.eso.lt from the date of this notice as well as on the premises of ESO (Aguonu str. 24, Vilnius) during working hours (7.30-11.30 a.m. and 12.15-4.30 p.m.; 7.30-11.30 a.m. and 12.15-3.15 p.m. on Fridays). Representative for Public Relations Akvile Adomaityte, akvile.adomaityte@eso.lt, tel. +370 684 12130. Attachment: https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=667283NEW DELHI (dpa-AFX) - After crude oil, the United States has begun exporting liquified natural gas (LNG) to India. The first shipment of LNG, under a 20-year deal between India's state-owned gas utility GAIL India and Cheniere Energy, flagged off from the latter's Sabine Pass liquefaction facility in Louisiana Monday. The ship set sail after a ceremony attended by Cheniere President and CEO Jack Fusco, GAIL Chairman and Managing Director B.C. Tripathi, and India's Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray, Under the terms of the 20-year Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA), Cheniere will deliver to GAIL approximately 3.5 million tonnes of LNG per year. Fusco said he looks forward to decades of mutually beneficial cooperation between Cheniere and GAIL, the leading natural gas company of India. 'India remains an important market for LNG, and one that we hope will continue to show signs of growth,' he added. It comes four months after India imported its first shipment of crude oil from the US. India imported US crude oil in October, two years after the US lifted a ban on oil exports. 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) - The USS Carl Vinson arrived in Danang, Vietnam, Monday, becoming the first aircraft carrier to dock in the country since the Vietnam War ended in 1975. The guided missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain and destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer are also making the port call, DoD News reported. The Vietnamese port was also the site of the first arrival of U.S. combat troops, when Marines landed there in 1965. The three American ships are conducting a port visit with about 6,500 sailors and Marines aboard. Vietnamese leaders agreed to the four-day port call during President Donald Trump's visit to the country last year. 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.NOTIFICATION AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE EU MARKET ABUSE REGULATION OF TRANSACTIONS BY PERSONS DISCHARGING MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

March 6, 2018

Royal Dutch Shell plc announces that each of the following Persons Discharging Managerial Responsibilities ("PDMRs") have received the number of shares of Royal Dutch Shell plc as set out below following the vesting of conditional awards granted in 2015 under the Long Term Incentive Plan ("LTIP") and the Deferred Bonus Plan ("DBP").

Details of the LTIP and DBP can be found in the Royal Dutch Shell plc Annual Report and Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2016 (www.shell.com/annualreport).

LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN PDMR VESTING DATE SHARE TYPE NUMBER OF SHARES VESTED Ben van Beurden March 2, 2018 RDSA 158,510 Jessica Uhl March 2, 2018 RDS.A 12,117 John Abbott March 2, 2018 RDSB 43,703 Harry Brekelmans March 2, 2018 RDSA 43,891 Andrew Brown March 2, 2018 RDSB 43,703 Ronan Cassidy March 2, 2018 RDSB 17,044 Donny Ching March 2, 2018 RDSA 31,601 Maarten Wetselaar March 2, 2018 RDSA 22,823

DEFERRED BONUS PLAN PDMR VESTING DATE SHARE TYPE NUMBER OF SHARES VESTED Ben van Beurden March 2, 2018 RDSA 76,847 John Abbott March 2, 2018 RDSB 29,340 Harry Brekelmans March 2, 2018 RDSA 21,285 Andrew Brown March 2, 2018 RDSB 30,526 Donny Ching March 2, 2018 RDSA 17,687

The Notification of Dealing Form for each PDMR can be found below.

This notification is made in accordance with Article 19 of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

Mark Edwards

Deputy Company Secretary

ENQUIRIES

Shell Media Relations

International, UK, European Press: +44 20 7934 5550

Shell Investor Relations

Europe: + 31 70 377 4540

United States: +1 832 337 2034

LEI number of Royal Dutch Shell plc: 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70

Classification: Additional regulated information required to be disclosed under the laws of a Member State.

1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated First Name(s) Ben Last Name(s) van Beurden 2. Reason for the notification Position/status Chief Executive Officer Initial notification/ amendment Initial notification 3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor Full name of the entity Royal Dutch Shell plc Legal Entity Identifier code 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70 4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted Description of the financial instrument A ordinary shares of 0.07 each Identification Code GB00B03MLX29 Nature of the transaction Vesting of awards granted in 2015 under the Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) Currency EUR Price NIL Volume 158,510 Total N/A Aggregated information

Volume

Price

Total

158,510

NIL

N/A Date of transaction March 2, 2018 Place of transaction Outside a trading venue

1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated First Name(s) Uhl Last Name(s) Jessica 2. Reason for the notification Position/status Chief Financial Officer Initial notification/ amendment Initial notification 3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor Full name of the entity Royal Dutch Shell plc Legal Entity Identifier code 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70 4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted Description of the financial instrument A American Depository Shares (RDS.A) Identification Code US7802592060 Nature of the transaction Vesting of awards granted in 2015 under the Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) Currency USD Price NIL Volume 12,117 Total N/A Aggregated information

Volume

Price

Total

12,117

NIL

N/A Date of transaction March 2, 2018 Place of transaction Outside a trading venue

1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated First Name(s) John Last Name(s) Abbott 2. Reason for the notification Position/status Downstream Director Initial notification/ amendment Initial notification 3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor Full name of the entity Royal Dutch Shell plc Legal Entity Identifier code 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70 4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted Description of the financial instrument B ordinary shares of 0.07 each Identification Code GB00B03MM408 Nature of the transaction Vesting of awards granted in 2015 under the Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) Currency GBP Price NIL Volume 43,703 Total N/A Aggregated information

Volume

Price

Total

43,703

NIL

N/A Date of transaction March 2, 2018 Place of transaction Outside a trading venue

1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated First Name(s) Harry Last Name(s) Brekelmans 2. Reason for the notification Position/status Projects and Technology Director Initial notification/ amendment Initial notification 3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor Full name of the entity Royal Dutch Shell plc Legal Entity Identifier code 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70 4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted Description of the financial instrument A ordinary shares of 0.07 each Identification Code GB00B03MLX29 Nature of the transaction Vesting of awards granted in 2015 under the Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) Currency EUR Price NIL Volume 43,891 Total N/A Aggregated information

Volume

Price

Total

43,891

NIL

N/A Date of transaction March 2, 2018 Place of transaction Outside a trading venue

1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated First Name(s) Andrew Last Name(s) Brown 2. Reason for the notification Position/status Upstream Director Initial notification/ amendment Initial notification 3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor Full name of the entity Royal Dutch Shell plc Legal Entity Identifier code 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70 4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted Description of the financial instrument B ordinary shares of 0.07 each Identification Code GB00B03MM408 Nature of the transaction Vesting of awards granted in 2015 under the Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) Currency GBP Price NIL Volume 43,703 Total N/A Aggregated information

Volume

Price

Total

43,703

NIL

N/A Date of transaction March 2, 2018 Place of transaction Outside a trading venue

1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated First Name(s) Ronan Last Name(s) Cassidy 2. Reason for the notification Position/status Chief Human Resources & Corporate Officer Initial notification/ amendment Initial notification 3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor Full name of the entity Royal Dutch Shell plc Legal Entity Identifier code 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70 4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted Description of the financial instrument B ordinary shares of 0.07 each Identification Code GB00B03MM408 Nature of the transaction Vesting of awards granted in 2015 under the Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) Currency GBP Price NIL Volume 17,044 Total N/A Aggregated information

Volume

Price

Total

17,044

NIL

N/A Date of transaction March 2, 2018 Place of transaction Outside a trading venue

1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated First Name(s) Donny Last Name(s) Ching 2. Reason for the notification Position/status Legal Director Initial notification/ amendment Initial notification 3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor Full name of the entity Royal Dutch Shell plc Legal Entity Identifier code 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70 4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted Description of the financial instrument A ordinary shares of 0.07 each Identification Code GB00B03MLX29 Nature of the transaction Vesting of awards granted in 2015 under the Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) Currency EUR Price NIL Volume 31,601 Total N/A Aggregated information

Volume

Price

Total

31,601

NIL

N/A Date of transaction March 2, 2018 Place of transaction Outside a trading venue

1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated First Name(s) Maarten Last Name(s) Wetselaar 2. Reason for the notification Position/status Integrated Gas and New Energies Director Initial notification/ amendment Initial notification 3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor Full name of the entity Royal Dutch Shell plc Legal Entity Identifier code 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70 4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted Description of the financial instrument A ordinary shares of 0.07 each Identification Code GB00B03MLX29 Nature of the transaction Vesting of awards granted in 2015 under the Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) Currency EUR Price NIL Volume 22,823 Total N/A Aggregated information

Volume

Price

Total

22,823

NIL

N/A Date of transaction March 2, 2018 Place of transaction Outside a trading venue

1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated First Name(s) Ben Last Name(s) van Beurden 2. Reason for the notification Position/status Chief Executive Officer Initial notification/ amendment Initial notification 3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor Full name of the entity Royal Dutch Shell plc Legal Entity Identifier code 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70 4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted Description of the financial instrument A ordinary shares of 0.07 each Identification Code GB00B03MLX29 Nature of the transaction Vesting of awards granted in 2015 under the Deferred Bonus Plan (DBP) Currency EUR Price NIL Volume 76,847 Total N/A Aggregated information

Volume

Price

Total

76,847

NIL

N/A Date of transaction March 2, 2018 Place of transaction Outside a trading venue





1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated First Name(s) John Last Name(s) Abbott 2. Reason for the notification Position/status Downstream Director Initial notification/ amendment Initial notification 3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor Full name of the entity Royal Dutch Shell plc Legal Entity Identifier code 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70 4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted Description of the financial instrument B ordinary shares of 0.07 each Identification Code GB00B03MM408 Nature of the transaction Vesting of awards granted in 2015 under the Deferred Bonus Plan (DBP) Currency GBP Price NIL Volume 29,340 Total N/A Aggregated information

Volume

Price

Total

29,340

NIL

N/A Date of transaction March 2, 2018 Place of transaction Outside a trading venue

1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated First Name(s) Harry Last Name(s) Brekelmans 2. Reason for the notification Position/status Projects and Technology Director Initial notification/ amendment Initial notification 3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor Full name of the entity Royal Dutch Shell plc Legal Entity Identifier code 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70 4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted Description of the financial instrument A ordinary shares of 0.07 each Identification Code GB00B03MLX29 Nature of the transaction Vesting of awards granted in 2015 under the Deferred Bonus Plan (DBP) Currency EUR Price NIL Volume 21,285 Total N/A Aggregated information

Volume

Price

Total

21,285

NIL

N/A Date of transaction March 2, 2018 Place of transaction Outside a trading venue

1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated First Name(s) Andrew Last Name(s) Brown 2. Reason for the notification Position/status Upstream Director Initial notification/ amendment Initial notification 3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor Full name of the entity Royal Dutch Shell plc Legal Entity Identifier code 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70 4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted Description of the financial instrument B ordinary shares of 0.07 each Identification Code GB00B03MM408 Nature of the transaction Vesting of awards granted in 2015 under the Deferred Bonus Plan (DBP) Currency GBP Price NIL Volume 30,526 Total N/A Aggregated information

Volume

Price

Total

30,526

NIL

N/A Date of transaction March 2, 2018 Place of transaction Outside a trading venueCitigroup Inc. is announcing the redemption, in whole, constituting SGD 100,000,000 of its 3.50% Fixed Rate Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due April 2020 (the "2020 notes") (ISIN XS0216282557), and the redemption, in whole, constituting CHF 182,115,000 in aggregate principal amount, of its 2.75% Fixed Floating Rate Callable Subordinated Notes due April 2021 (the "2021 notes" and together with the 2020 notes, the "notes") (ISIN: CH0024683192).

The redemption date for the 2020 notes is April 9, 2018 (the "2020 notes redemption date"), and the redemption date for the 2021 notes is April 6, 2018 (the "2021 notes redemption date" and together with the 2020 notes redemption date, the "redemption dates"). The cash redemption price payable for the 2020 notes on the 2020 notes redemption date will equal par plus approximately SGD 1,200,000 in accrued and unpaid interest, and the cash redemption price payable for the 2021 notes on the 2021 notes redemption date will equal par plus approximately CHF 206,736.95 in accrued and unpaid interest.

The redemptions announced today are consistent with Citigroup's liability management strategy, and reflects its ongoing efforts to enhance the efficiency of its funding and capital structure. Since 2015, Citigroup redeemed or retired $28.7 billion of its securities, reducing Citigroup's overall funding costs. Citigroup will continue to consider opportunities to redeem or repurchase securities, based on several factors, including without limitation, the economic value, regulatory changes, potential impact on Citigroup's net interest margin and borrowing costs, the overall remaining tenor of Citigroup's debt portfolio, capital impact, as well as overall market conditions.

Citigroup's Basel III Tier 2 Capital will not be materially affected by the planned redemptions.

Beginning on the redemption dates, the notes will no longer be outstanding and interest will no longer accrue on such securities.

Citibank, N.A. is the paying agent for the 2020 notes. For further information on the 2020 notes, please see the related final terms at the following web address: http://www.citigroup.com/citi/fixedincome/data/docs/350due040820mtn.pdf

Credit Suisse is the paying agent on the 2021 notes. For further information on the 2021 notes, please see the related final terms at the following web address: http://www.citigroup.com/citi/fixedincome/data/docs/275due040621mtn.pdf

Citi

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://blog.citigroup.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180306006142/en/

Contacts:

Citi

Media:

Mark Costiglio, 212-559-4114

or

Investors:

Susan Kendall, 212-559-2718

or

Fixed Income Investors:

Thomas Rogers, 212-559-5091OXFORD, England, March 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --New research by business psychology firm, Pearn Kandola, has revealed that a shocking 60 per cent of black and 42 per cent of Asian people have experienced racism at work, as opposed to just 14 per cent of white people.

One in five (20 per cent) of those have received verbal or physical abuse, while nearly a third (29 per cent) feel that they have been intentionally excluded from work or social events because of their race. A further fifth (19 per cent) believe that they have been falsely accused or criticised by their colleagues, and as many as 59 per cent also feel that colleagues have made assumptions about their ability, character or behaviour, based on their ethnicity.

Professor Binna Kandola OBE, senior partner at Pearn Kandola, commented: "These results clearly show that racism is still rife throughout the workplace, for black and Asian people in particular. The fact that examples of 'subtle racism', such as making assumptions about someone based on race, are the most commonly experienced form, indicates there is still a lack of awareness around these types of actions and the response they illicit. It's important that we recognise the serious impact of any act of racism, regardless of how overt."

Of the different forms of discrimination that respondents have experienced, black people are most likely to feel that colleagues treat them differently because of their race (45 per cent). Asian and white people, meanwhile, are most likely to feel that colleagues have made assumptions about their ability or behaviour based on their race (53 and 7 per cent respectively).

Professor Kandola concluded: "To think that a significant number of people have experienced physical or verbal abuse at work, a supposed place of safety, is simply unacceptable. We need to work harder to not only tackle instances of racism where we encounter it, but also to raise awareness of the more 'subtle' forms of racism that are becoming a daily norm. Abuse and exclusion on racial grounds can do serious harm, but promoting stereotypes can do just as much to foster the ongoing culture of racism."

Professor Kandola's new book, 'Racism at Work: The Danger of Indifference', which addresses the evolution of racial bias in the workplace over the last 60 years, will be published on 6th March. For further details, please see here.

Notes to editors

* The research for Pearn Kandola was carried out via Mechanical Turk and Prolific between 20th November 2017 and 19th January 2018 resulting in 1,422 respondents.

About Pearn Kandola

Pearn Kandola LLP is a Business Psychology consultancy specialising in Assessment, Development and Diversity. Based in Oxford, our clients include private, public and voluntary sector organisations in the UK and globally, with whom we work in partnership to develop and deliver tailored, innovative, pragmatic and cost-effective solutions to develop the potential and performance of their people.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/650504/PEARN_KANDOLA_Racism_Work_Infographic.jpgSEATTLE (dpa-AFX) - A teenager was refused service at a Starbucks drive-thru after she rode through on a horse. Aspen Cline, a teenager from Mayer Arizona, said the coffee chain refused to serve her a frappaccino when she rode through the drive-thru on a horse. However, Starbucks reportedly said that the order was refused based on safety reasons. According to Aspen's parents, Aspen and a friend decided that they wanted to take their horses to a Starbucks drive-thru on her birthday. Aspen had seen internet videos of others riding their horses through the Starbucks drive-thru. 'We attempted to take them through the Starbucks drive-thru, didn't exactly go as planned,' Aspen told ABC 15. 'We weren't given any reason, just we can't take your order. Me and my friend were going to get Frappuccinos for us and a cup of whipped cream for the horses.' A Starbucks spokesperson told ABC 15 that their drive-through is for cars only. He said that policy is for animal, rider and employee safety. If the outlet had been notified early, then barista could have found a way to serve Aspen and her horse. 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.Regulatory News:

Ipsen (Euronext:IPN; ADR:IPSEY) today announced that lanreotide (Somatuline), cabozantinib (Cabometyx), and telotristat ethyl (Xermelo), alongside research on real-world NET treatment, nuclear medicine and imaging, and the patient experience will be highlighted in 18 posters at the 15th Annual ENETS (European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society) Conference, to be held from March 7th to March 9th in Barcelona, Spain. The posters will be presented during two poster sessions: March 8th from 15:20 pm to 16:05 pm (CET) and March 9th from 10:40 am to 11:30 am (CET).

"Ipsen remains committed to advancing research and education in order to better understand and continuously improve treatment options for patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Our goal is to optimize the treatment outcomes and quality of life of patients with NETs. We are pleased to present encouraging scientific and clinical data from our portofolio in neuroendocrine tumors and carcinoid syndrome," said Sotirios Stergiopoulos, MD, Senior Vice-President, Head of Global Medical Affairs (GMA) and Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Ipsen.

The presentations upcoming on Cabometyx, Xermelo, Somatuline and 68Ga-OPS-202 are based on the results of investigational research studies.

Lanreotide (Somatuline) is featured in 4 posters:

Poster H19 Category: Medical Treatment Chemotherapy Somatostatin Analogues, Interferon

Title: Disease control in progressive pancreatic and intestinal neuroendocrine tumours by combined treatment with lanreotide autogel and temozolomide: the SONNET study

Authors: M. Pavel, U.-F. Pape, M. Raderer, A. Rinke, D. Horsch, H. Lahner, T. Denecke, A. Koch, N. Liyanage, A. Raspel

Poster J09 Category: Medical Treatment Others Not Specified

Title: Observational study of perception of information and quality of life in patients with neuroendocrine tumor starting lanreotide Study design

Authors: V. Hautefeuille, F. Bonnetain, D. Gueguen, A. Houchard, P. Hammel

Poster H14 Category: Medical Treatment Chemotherapy Somatostatin Analogues, Interferon

Title: Somatostatin Analog (SSA) Usage in Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs): A Retrospective Database Analysis with Supplemental Chart Review

Authors: A.J. Klink, B. Feinberg, H.T. Yu, D. Ray, S. Pulgar, A. Phan, A. Vinik

Poster K01 Category: Nuclear Medicine Imaging and Therapy (PRRT)

Title: Influence of Lanreotide on Uptake of [68Ga]-DOTATATE in Patients with NETs

Authors: E.A. Aalbersberg, B.J. de Wi van der Veen, L.J. Saveur,G.D. Valk, M.E.T. Tesselaar, M.P.M. Stokkel

Investigator-lead study

Cabozantinib (Cabometyx) is featured in 1 poster:

Poster I05 Category Medical Treatment Targeted Therapies

Title: Phase II trial of cabozantinib in patients with carcinoid and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Authors: J. A. Chan, J. E. Faris, J. E. Murphy, L. S. Blaszkowsky, N. J. McCleary, J. A. Meyerhardt, T. A. Abrams, S. Zhang, A. Reardon, B. Fitzpatrick, M. H. Kulke, D. P. Ryan

Investigator-lead study

Telotristat (Xermelo) is featured in 1 poster:

Poster J06 Category: Medical Treatment Others, Not Specified

TELESTAR/TELECAST time to sustained BM improvement "[Lexicon-lead study]" Telotristat

Title: Time to Sustained Improvement in Bowel Movement Frequency with Telotristat Ethyl: Analyses of Two Phase 3 Studies in Carcinoid Syndrome

Authors: J. S. Dillon, M. H. Kulke, D. Horsch, L. B. Anthony, R. R. P. Warner, E. Bergsland, S. Welin, T. M. O'Dorisio, P. L. Kunz, Chad McKee, P. Lapuerta, M. Pavel

Lexicon-lead study

68Ga-OPS202 is featured in 1 poster:

Poster K25 Category: Nuclear Medicine Imaging and Therapy (PRRT)

Title: Study to Evaluate the Optimal Dose of 68Ga-OPS202 as a PET Imaging Agent in Patients with GEP -NET

Authors: I. Virgolini, A. Brouwers, A. Haug H. Grnbk, A. Kjr, D. Novac, A. Ang, C. Miller, J. Kaufmann, J. Czernin

6 posters present Real World Data:

Poster D53 Category: Epidemiology/Natural History/Prognosis Registries, Nationwide and Regional Surveys

Title: Prevalence of Carcinoid Syndrome in the European Union: Systematic Review

Authors : G. Nayroles, A. Bergamasco, J. Mouchet, Y. Moride

Poster J05 Category: Medical Treatment

Title: On-going Evaluation of the Use of Resources and the Costs (UR/C) Associated with Controlled or Uncontrolled Carcinoid Syndrome (CS) in Patients (pts) with Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs). RECOSY Study

Authors A. Custodio, A. Carmona-Bayonas, C. Villabona, M. Perez, G. de la Cruz, P. Jimenez-Fonseca

Poster D05 Category: Medical Treatment Epidemiology Natural History/Prognosis Registries, Nationwide and Regional Surveys

Title: Direct cost of metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP-NET) Grade 1 or 2 (G1/G2) in relation to time since diagnosis shows growing importance of somatostatin analogues (SSA)

Authors D. Granfeldt, A. Bjorstad, T. Marlow, J. Dinet, P. Myrenfors, E. Lesen, I. Bjorholt, A-K. Elf, V. Johanson

Poster D06 Category: Epidemiology/Natural History/Prognosis Registries, Nationwide and Regional Surveys

Title: Long-acting Somatostatin Analogue (LA-SSA) Treatment Durations in Patients Diagnosed with Metastatic Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours (GEP-NET) Grade 1 or 2 (G1/G2) in Sweden

Authors: D. Granfeldt, A. Bjorstad, T. Marlow, J. Dinet, P.Myrenfors, E. Lesen, I. Bjorholt, A-K. Elf, V. Johanson

Title: Long-acting Somatostatin Analogue (LA-SSA) Treatment Durations in Patients Diagnosed with Metastatic Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours (GEP-NET) Grade 1 or 2 (G1/G2) in Sweden Authors: D. Granfeldt, A. Bjorstad, T. Marlow, J. Dinet, P.Myrenfors, E. Lesen, I. Bjorholt, A-K. Elf, V. Johanson Poster D77 Category: Epidemiology/Natural History/Prognosis Registries, Nationwide and Regional Surveys

Title: Long-acting Somatostatin Analogue (LA-SSA) Treatment Patterns in Patients Diagnosed with Metastatic Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours (GEP-NET) Grade 1 or 2 (G1/G2) in Sweden

Authors: A. Bjorstad, D. Granfeldt, T. Marlow, J. Dinet, P. Myrenfors, E. Lesen, I. Bjorholt, A-K. Elf, V. Johanson

Title: Long-acting Somatostatin Analogue (LA-SSA) Treatment Patterns in Patients Diagnosed with Metastatic Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours (GEP-NET) Grade 1 or 2 (G1/G2) in Sweden Authors: A. Bjorstad, D. Granfeldt, T. Marlow, J. Dinet, P. Myrenfors, E. Lesen, I. Bjorholt, A-K. Elf, V. Johanson Poster H09 Category: Medical Treatment Chemotherapy Somatostayin Analogues, Interferon

Title: Therapeutic sequences in patients with G1-G2 neuroendocrine tumors (NETs): an observational, multicentre, prospective/retrospective study

Authors: A.A. Faggiano, S.A. Di Maio, S.B Tafuto, C.C Mocerino, A.D Di Sarno, G.E Palmieri, I.F Puliafito, I.G De Luca, V.H Guarnotta, S.I Leo, L.J Tozzi, A.A Colao

Investigator-lead study

2 posters present data on NET and carcinoid syndrome:

Poster J13 Category: Medical Treatment, Others Not Specified

Title: Patient and Clinician Perspectives on Symptom Priorities across the Spectrum of Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs)

Authors: K.A. Kaiser, K.A. Webster, S. Shaunfield, G.J. Greene, S.E. Yount, L. Lacson, A.B. Benson III, D.M. Halperin, M. Feuilly, F. Marteau, and D. Cella

Investigator-lead study

Poster D20 Category: Epidemiology/Natural History/Prognosis Registries, Nationwide and Regional Surveys

Title: Carcinoid syndrome open questions Evaluations from a real life setting

Authors: R. Fijalkowski, A. Singh, R. Baum, H. Kulkarni, K. Niepsch, D. Kaemmerer, M. Hommann, D. Hoersch

Investigator-lead study

Patient experience and quality of life is featured in 2 posters:

Poster D59 Category: Epidemiology/Natural History/Prognosis Registries, Nationwide and Regional Surveys

Title: Patient survey devoted to characterizing experience and expectations of patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors (NET)

Authors: M. Sarabi, D. Gueguen, E. Baudin

Poster J08 Category: Medical treatment, Others Not Specified

Title: Clinical Utility (CU) Evaluation of the Health-Related Quality-Of-Life (HRQoL) QLQ-GINET21 Questionnaire (QNR) in the Treatment of Patients (pts) with Gastrointestinal (GI) Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs). QUALINETS Study

Authors: J. Gallego, O. Reig, J. Sastre, I. Garcia, A. Segura, J. Capdevila, A. Carmona, I. Sevilla, T. Alonso, G. Crespo, L. Garcia, D. Arnau, G. de la Cruz, M. Benavent

Predicting response to SSAs:

Poster F08 Category: Biomarkers

Title: Plasma Protein hK14 Strongly Predict Pronounced Chromogranin A Response in Small Intestinal Neuroendocrine Tumor Patients After Somatostatin Analog Treatment: The Nordic EXPLAIN Biomarker Study

Authors: M. Kjellman, U.Knigge, S.Welin, H.Gronbaek, E.This-Evensen, H.Sorbye, MT Jrgensen, V. Johansson, S. Metso, K.Becker, T. Strom, P.Myrenfors, R. Belusa and The Nordic NET Biomarker Group

ABOUT SOMATULINE

Somatuline Autogel Depot is made of the active substance lanreotide, which is a somatostatin analogue that inhibits the secretion of growth hormone and certain hormones secreted by the digestive system.

The main indications of Somatulineand Somatuline Autogel are the following:

Treatment of acromegaly when circulating levels of growth hormone and/or Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 remain abnormal after surgery and/or radiotherapy, or in patients who otherwise require medical treatment.

Treatment of symptoms associated with carcinoid syndrome related to neuroendocrine tumors (ex-US).

Anti-proliferative treatment of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION UNITED STATES

Contraindications:

Somatuline is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to lanreotide. Allergic reactions (including angioedema and anaphylaxis) have been reported following administration of lanreotide.

Warnings and Precautions:

Cholelithiasis and Gallbladder Sludge: Somatuline may reduce gallbladder motility and lead to gallstone formation. Periodic monitoring may be needed.

Hypoglycemia or Hyperglycemia: Pharmacological studies show that Somatuline, like somatostatin and other somatostatin analogs, inhibits the secretion of insulin and glucagon. Blood glucose levels should be monitored when Somatuline treatment is initiated, or when the dose is altered, and antidiabetic treatment should be adjusted accordingly.

Cardiac Abnormalities: Somatuline may decrease heart rate. In 81 patients with baseline heart rates of 60 beats per minute (bpm) treated with Somatuline DEPOT in the GEPNETs clinical trial, the incidence of heart rate 60 bpm was 23% (19/81) with Somatuline vs 16% (15/94) with placebo; 10 patients (12%) had documented heart rates 60 bpm on more than one visit. The incidence of documented episodes of heart rate 50 bpm or bradycardia reported as an adverse event was 1% in each treatment group. Initiate appropriate medical management in patients who develop symptomatic bradycardia.



In patients without underlying cardiac disease, Somatuline may lead to a decrease in heart rate without necessarily reaching the threshold of bradycardia. In patients suffering from cardiac disorders prior to treatment, sinus bradycardia may occur. Care should be taken when initiating treatment in patients with bradycardia.

Drug Interactions: The pharmacological gastrointestinal effects of Somatuline may reduce the intestinal absorption of concomitant drugs. Concomitant administration of Somatuline Depot may decrease the relative bioavailability of cyclosporine and may necessitate the adjustment of cyclosporine dose to maintain therapeutic levels.

Adverse Reactions:

In the GEP-NET pivotal trial, the most common adverse reactions (incidence >10% and more common than placebo) in patients treated with Somatuline DEPOT vs placebo were abdominal pain (34% vs 24%), musculoskeletal pain (19% vs 13%), vomiting (19% vs 9%), headache (16% vs 11%), injection site reaction (15% vs 7%), hyperglycemia (14% vs 5%), hypertension (14% vs 5%), and cholelithiasis (14% vs 7%).

You may report suspected adverse reactions to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or to Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. at 1-888-980-2889.

Please see the full Prescribing Information for Somatuline Depot by accessing the following link.

ABOUT CABOMETYX

CABOMETYX 20mg, 40mg and 60mg film-coated tablets

Active ingredient: Cabozantinib (S)-malate 20mg, 40mg and 60mg

Other components: Lactose

Indications: CABOMETYX is indicated for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in adults following prior vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-targeted therapy

Dosage and Administration: The recommended dose of CABOMETYX is 60 mg once daily. Treatment should continue until the patient is no longer clinically benefiting from therapy or until unacceptable toxicity occurs. Management of suspected adverse drug reactions may require temporary interruption and/or dose reduction of CABOMETYX therapy. For dose modification, please refer to full SmPC. CABOMETYX is for oral use. The tablets should be swallowed whole and not crushed. Patients should be instructed to not eat anything for at least 2 hours before through 1 hour after taking CABOMETYX

Contraindications: Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients listed in the SmPC.

Special warnings and precautions for use: As most events can occur early in the course of treatment, the physician should evaluate the patient closely during the first eight weeks of treatment to determine if dose modifications are warranted. Events that generally have early onset include hypocalcaemia, hypokalaemia, thrombocytopenia, hypertension, palmarplantar erythrodysaesthesia syndrome (PPES), proteinuria, and gastrointestinal (GI) events (abdominal pain, mucosal inflammation, constipation, diarrhoea, vomiting). Dose reductions and dose interruptions due to an AE occurred in 59.8% and 70%, respectively, of cabozantinib-treated patients in the pivotal clinical trial. Two dose reductions were required in 19.3% of patients. The median time to first dose reduction was 55 days, and to first dose interruption was 38 days.

Perforations and fistulas: Serious gastrointestinal perforations and fistulas, sometimes fatal, have been observed with cabozantinib. Patients who have inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, peritonitis, diverticulitis, or appendicitis), have tumour infiltration in the GI tract, or have complications from prior GI surgery (particularly when associated with delayed or incomplete healing) should be carefully evaluated before initiating cabozantinib therapy and subsequently they should be monitored closely for symptoms of perforations and fistulas including abscesses. Persistent or recurring diarrhoea while on treatment may be a risk factor for the development of anal fistula. Cabozantinib should be discontinued in patients who experience a GI perforation or a fistula that cannot be adequately managed.

Thromboembolic events: Events of venous thromboembolism, including pulmonary embolism, and events of arterial thromboembolism have been observed with cabozantinib. Cabozantinib should be used with caution in patients who are at risk for, or who have a history of, these events. Cabozantinib should be discontinued in patients who develop an acute myocardial infarction or any other clinically significant arterial thromboembolic complication.

Haemorrhage: Severe haemorrhage has been observed with cabozantinib. Patients who have a history of severe bleeding prior to treatment initiation should be carefully evaluated before initiating cabozantinib therapy. Cabozantinib should not be administered to patients that have or are at risk for severe haemorrhage.

Wound complications: Wound complications have been observed with cabozantinib. Cabozantinib treatment should be stopped at least 28 days prior to scheduled surgery, including dental surgery, if possible. The decision to resume cabozantinib therapy after surgery should be based on clinical judgment of adequate wound healing. Cabozantinib should be discontinued in patients with wound healing complications requiring medical intervention.

Hypertension: Hypertension has been observed with cabozantinib. Blood pressure should be well-controlled prior to initiating cabozantinib. During treatment with cabozantinib, all patients should be monitored for hypertension and treated as needed with standard anti-hypertensive therapy. In the case of persistent hypertension despite use of anti-hypertensives, the cabozantinib dose should be reduced. Cabozantinib should be discontinued if hypertension is severe and persistent despite anti-hypertensive therapy and dose reduction of cabozantinib. In case of hypertensive crisis, cabozantinib should be discontinued.

Palmar-plantar erythrodysaesthesia syndrome: Palmar-plantar erythrodysaesthesia syndrome (PPES) has been observed with cabozantinib. When PPES is severe, interruption of treatment with cabozantinib should be considered. Cabozantinib should be restarted with a lower dose when PPES has been resolved to grade 1.

Proteinuria: Proteinuria has been observed with cabozantinib. Urine protein should be monitored regularly during cabozantinib treatment. Cabozantinib should be discontinued in patients who develop nephrotic syndrome.

Reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome: Reversible Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome (RPLS), also known as Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES), has been observed with cabozantinib. This syndrome should be considered in any patient presenting with multiple symptoms, including seizures, headache, visual disturbances, confusion or altered mental function. Cabozantinib treatment should be discontinued in patients with RPLS.

Prolongation of QT interval

Cabozantinib should be used with caution in patients with a history of QT interval prolongation, patients who are taking antiarrhythmics, or patients with relevant pre-existing cardiac disease, bradycardia, or electrolyte disturbances. When using cabozantinib, periodic monitoring with on-treatment ECGs and electrolytes (serum calcium, potassium, and magnesium) should be considered.

Interactions: CYP3A4 inducers and inhibitors: Cabozantinib is a CYP3A4 substrate. Concurrent administration of cabozantinib with the strong CYP3A4 inhibitor ketoconazole resulted in an increase in cabozantinib plasma exposure. Caution is required when administering cabozantinib with agents that are strong CYP3A4 inhibitors. Concurrent administration of cabozantinib with the strong CYP3A4 inducer rifampicin resulted in a decrease in cabozantinib plasma exposure. Therefore, chronic administration of agents that are strong CYP3A4 inducers with cabozantinib should be avoided. P-glycoprotein substrates: Cabozantinib was an inhibitor but not a substrate, of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) transport activities in a bi-directional assay system using MDCK-MDR1 cells. Therefore, cabozantinib may have the potential to increase plasma concentrations of co-administered substrates of P-gp. Subjects should be cautioned regarding taking a P-gp substrate while receiving Cabozantinib. MRP2 inhibitors: Administration of MRP2 inhibitors may result in increases in cabozantinib plasma concentrations. Therefore, concomitant use of MRP2 inhibitors should be approached with caution. Bile salt-sequestering agents: Bile salt-sequestering agents may interact with cabozantinib and may impact absorption (or reabsorption) resulting in potentially decreased exposure. The clinical significance of these potential interactions is unknown. Excipient related warnings: Patients with rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption should not take this medicine.

Pregnancy and lactation: Avoid pregnancy, use effective methods of contraception and discontinue breast-feeding during treatment with cabozantinib, and for at least 4 months after completing therapy.

Drive and use machines: Caution is recommended

Undesirable effects:

The most common serious adverse reactions associated with cabozantinib are abdominal pain (3%), pleural effusion (3%), diarrhoea (2%), and nausea (2%). The most frequent adverse reactions of any grade (experienced by at least 25% of patients) included diarrhoea (74%), fatigue (56%), nausea (50%), decreased appetite (46%), palmar-plantar erythrodysaesthesia syndrome (PPES) (42%), hypertension (37%), vomiting (32%), weight decreased (31%), and constipation (25%). Other very common adverse reactions: anemia, hypophosphataemia, hypoalbuminaemia, hypomagnesaemia, hyponatraemia, hypokalaemia,hyperkalaemia, hypocalcaemia, hyperbilirubinemia, dysgeusia, headache, dizziness, dysphonia, dyspnea, cough, stomatitis, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, rash, dry skin, muscle spasms, arthralgia, proteinuria, mucosal inflammation, serum ALT, AST, and ALP increased, creatinine increased, triglycerides increased, hyperglycaemia, hypoglycaemia, lymphopenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, GGT increased, amylase increased, blood cholesterol increased, lipase increased

For all common and uncommon adverse reactions, please refer to full SmPC. For more information, see the regularly updated registered product information on the European Medicine Agency www.ema.europa.eu

ABOUT XERMELO (TELOTRISTAT ETHYL)

Xermelo is a novel, orally administered, inhibitor of the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH). Through inhibition of TPH, the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of serotonin, Xermelo was designed to reduce the production of serotonin within neuroendocrine tumors.

On 22 October 2014, Ipsen and Lexicon announced that they had entered into an exclusive licensing agreement for Ipsen to commercialize Xermelo (telotristat ethyl) in all territories excluding the United States and Japan, where Lexicon retains the rights. On 28 February 2017, Lexicon received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Xermelo as a first and only orally administered therapy for the treatment of carcinoid syndrome diarrhea in combination with somatostatin analog (SSA) therapy in adults inadequately controlled by SSA therapy.

General safety information about Xermelo

In clinical trials, over 230 patients with carcinoid syndrome were treated with Xermelo. The placebo-controlled safety analyses were focused on the integrated data from the 12-week placebo-controlled double-blind periods from the two phase 3 randomized clinical trials. For this safety analysis, 71 patients received placebo and 70 patients received Xermelo 250 mg three times daily. The most commonly reported adverse reactions in patients treated with telotristat ethyl were abdominal pain (26%), gamma-glutamyl transferase increased (11%) and fatigue (10%). They were generally of mild or moderate intensity. The most frequently reported adverse reaction leading to discontinuation of telotristat ethyl was abdominal pain in 7.1% of patients (5/70).

About Ipsen

Ipsen is a global specialty-driven biopharmaceutical group focused on innovation and specialty care. The group develops and commercializes innovative medicines in three key therapeutic areas Oncology, Neurosciences and Rare Diseases. Its commitment to oncology is exemplified through its growing portfolio of key therapies for prostate cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, renal cell carcinoma and pancreatic cancer. Ipsen also has a well-established Consumer Healthcare business. With total sales over 1.9 billion in 2017, Ipsen sells more than 20 drugs in over 115 countries, with a direct commercial presence in more than 30 countries. Ipsen's R&D is focused on its innovative and differentiated technological platforms located in the heart of the leading biotechnological and life sciences hubs (Paris-Saclay, France; Oxford, UK; Cambridge, US). The Group has about 5,400 employees worldwide. Ipsen is listed in Paris (Euronext: IPN) and in the United States through a Sponsored Level I American Depositary Receipt program (ADR: IPSEY). For more information on Ipsen, visit www.ipsen.com

Ipsen Forward Looking Statement

The forward-looking statements, objectives and targets contained herein are based on the Group's management strategy, current views and assumptions. Such statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those anticipated herein. All of the above risks could affect the Group's future ability to achieve its financial targets, which were set assuming reasonable macroeconomic conditions based on the information available today. Use of the words "believes," "anticipates" and "expects" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, including the Group's expectations regarding future events, including regulatory filings and determinations. Moreover, the targets described in this document were prepared without taking into account external growth assumptions and potential future acquisitions, which may alter these parameters. These objectives are based on data and assumptions regarded as reasonable by the Group. These targets depend on conditions or facts likely to happen in the future, and not exclusively on historical data. Actual results may depart significantly from these targets given the occurrence of certain risks and uncertainties, notably the fact that a promising product in early development phase or clinical trial may end up never being launched on the market or reaching its commercial targets, notably for regulatory or competition reasons. The Group must face or might face competition from generic products that might translate into a loss of market share. Furthermore, the Research and Development process involves several stages each of which involves the substantial risk that the Group may fail to achieve its objectives and be forced to abandon its efforts with regards to a product in which it has invested significant sums. Therefore, the Group cannot be certain that favourable results obtained during pre-clinical trials will be confirmed subsequently during clinical trials, or that the results of clinical trials will be sufficient to demonstrate the safe and effective nature of the product concerned. There can be no guarantees a product will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that the product will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Other risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the Group's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the Group's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions. The Group also depends on third parties to develop and market some of its products which could potentially generate substantial royalties; these partners could behave in such ways which could cause damage to the Group's activities and financial results. The Group cannot be certain that its partners will fulfil their obligations. It might be unable to obtain any benefit from those agreements. A default by any of the Group's partners could generate lower revenues than expected. Such situations could have a negative impact on the Group's business, financial position or performance. The Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward looking statements, targets or estimates contained in this press release to reflect any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which any such statements are based, unless so required by applicable law. The Group's business is subject to the risk factors outlined in its registration documents filed with the French Autorite des Marches Financiers.

The risks and uncertainties set out are not exhaustive and the reader is advised to refer to the Group's 2016 Registration Document available on its website (www.ipsen.com).

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Senior Manager, Global External Communications

Tel.: +33 (0)1 58 33 51 17

E-mail: brigitte.le.guennec@ipsen.com

or

Financial Community

Eugenia Litz

Vice-President Investor Relations

Tel.: +44 (0) 1753 627721

E-mail: eugenia.litz@ipsen.comLOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 6, 2018 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of BRF S.A. ("BRF" or "the Company") (BRFS) for violations of 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Investors who purchased the Company's shares are encouraged to contact the firm.

If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.

We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall, or Sherin Mahdavian, of the Schall Law Firm, 1880 Century Park East, Suite 404, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 424-303-1964, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at brian@schallfirm.com.

The class in this case has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.

The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. On March 5, 2018, Reuters reported that Brazilian federal police arrested BRF's former chief executive officer on charges that he and other executives were aware that BRF committed fraud by trying to avoid food safety checks. When the truth was revealed to the investing public, shares of BRF fell $1.83 or over 19% to close at $7.59 per share on March 5, 2018, causing shareholders harm.

The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world, and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.

CONTACT:

The Schall Law Firm

Brian Schall, Esq.,

Sherin Mahdavian, Esq.,

Schallfirm.com

SOURCE: The Schall Law FirmUpdated

On the ninth school day of the statewide West Virginia teacher strike, the state legislature struck a deal to give all teachers a 5 percent raise in hopes of ending the strike.

Update, 3/6, 3:40 pm: Schools across the state will be reopening as early as tomorrow, Gov. Jim Justice announced as he signed the bill granting state employees, including teachers, a 5 percent pay raise. He said he wrote a letter to the state superintendent of schools about working with county superintendents to create flexibility in satisfying the 180-day requirement for school calendars.

Our children have suffered enough, Justice said. We need to return some sense of normalcy to the education process. Families should and will have time for summer vacation.

Justice made this announcement during a press conference with union leaders and legislators behind him. Justice took the stage to teachers cheering and chanting, Yes, we did! The teachers also began singing John Denvers Take Me Home, Country Roads, which is the states official song.

Justice stressed the importance of investing in education. In West Virginia, weve proven how to be dead last over and over and over, he said. Weve got to move away from the idea that education is just some necessary evil that needs to be funded.

Some counties have already announced that schools will reopen on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.

Update, 3/6, 1:30 pm: The state senate and house both unanimously passed the bill that gave state employees, including teachers, a 5 percent pay raise this year. After the senate passed the bill, teachers in the state capitol applauded and chanted , Back to school!

The strike and its strong outcome should be seen as a shot across the bow to every lawmaker who may underestimate the support teachers have, the hard job they do, and their willingness to stand up for what they deserve as they educate the next generation, said Christine Campbell, the president of AFT-West Virginia, in a statement.

Union officials had made clear that they would continue striking until all school employees were given a 5 percent raise this year. Justice had reached that deal with union officials last week , but on Saturday night, the state senate trimmed the pay raise to 4 percent in its version of the bill. The sticking point was that Justices deal would have given school employees a 5 percent raise, and all other public employees a 3 percent raisebut the senates proposal would have given an across-the-board 4 percent pay raise to all state employees.

Now, Justice said his team made additional cuts to give all state employees a 5 percent raise.

All the focus should have always been on fairness and getting the kids back in school, Justice tweeted.

The West Virginia Education Associations Facebook page shared a seven-second clip of teachers in the state capitol cheering upon hearing the news that a deal had been reached.

WE WON!, the unions Facebook page read.

The house and senate conference committee agreed to the deal. Legislative leaders have said they want to suspend the rules to have both chambers pass the bill today, so teachers can go back to work tomorrow.

In addition to the pay raise, the other issue raised by teachers was rising health insurance premiums. The insurance agency had agreed to freeze health-care premiums and rates for 16 months while Justice assembles a task forcethat includes teachersto find a more permanent solution. Update: Justice said at the press conference that appointments to this task force would be made by Thursday.

Striking in West Virginia is illegal. Teachers could be punished by being denied pay, suspended, fired, barred from teaching in a public school for a year, charged with a criminal misdemeanor, or even fined or jailed if they do not comply with a court injunction ordering them to return to work. The states attorney general had said his office would assist and support any state agency, county board of education, or superintendent as they enforce the law, but so far, there have been no legal consequences for striking teachers.

The next potential statewide walkout could be in Oklahoma . Thousands of teachers there have called for a strike to protest pay raises. Oklahoma teachers are the worst paid in the nation.

Image: Teacher Elisha Lewis holds a sign outside the senate chambers during a rally by striking teachers at the West Virginia capitol on March 5, in Charleston, W.Va. Tyler Evert/APKick Off Summer Fun at Annual Flint Camper & RV Show, March 15-18, 2018

FLINT, MI / ACCESSWIRE / March 6, 2018 / Kick off summer travel plans with a visit to the Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles and Campgrounds (MARVAC) 41st Annual Flint Camper and RV Show, March 15-18, 2018. The show will be at Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center, 3501 Lapeer Road, Flint, Mich., located south of I-69 at the Center Road exit. The show is open weekdays from 2 - 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

There will be more than 50 new 2018 units including folding campers, fifth-wheel travel trailers, toy haulers and travel trailers from area dealers including Leisure Days Travel Trailer Sales in Clio; General RV Center in Birch Run; Hamilton's RV Outlet in Saginaw; Tri-City RV in Bay City; Circle K RVs in Lapeer and McDowell RV Sales & Service in North Branch. Special show prices range from $6,995 to more than $75,000.

"Vacationing by RV is an affordable and laid-back way to explore Michigan," said Darren Ing, MARVAC show director. "With the new 'Sales Tax on the Difference' upgrading your current RV has never been more affordable." People trading-in a used RV to purchase a new RV will now only be taxed on the difference between the value of the trade-in and the new RV purchase, explained Ing.

For example, if the trade-in value of an RV is $50,000 and a new 2018 RV is $100,000, the six percent sales tax will only be applied on the difference, or $50,000, Ing explained.

With multiple MARVAC member campgrounds, RV financing and RV rentals, the Flint Camper & RV Show is a family-friendly event with exhibits throughout the Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center. Attendees can pick up a complimentary copy of the 2018 Michigan RV & Campgrounds directory.

Attendees can sign up to win a Marvelous MARVAC Michigan Giveaway! Prizes include free camping stays and more from 10 participating MARVAC members. Winners and prizes will be chosen at random after the show ends March 18, 2018.

Adult admission is $6; senior admission (55 and over) is $5 and children 12 and under are free! Parking is free. Coupons for $1 off admission are at area Big Boy restaurants, local participating RV dealers, Dort Federal Credit Union's eight locations, the View Newspapers and online at www.marvac.org. For more information call 517.349.8881.

SOURCE: Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles and CampgroundsVancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 6, 2018) - Vangold Mining Corp. (TSXV: VAN) (OTC Pink: VGLDF) (FSE: E35B) ("Vangold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement financing of up to 16,666,667 Units consisting of one common share and one share purchase warrant at a price of $0.12 per unit (the "Offering"). Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share at $0.25 per share until the close of business on the day which is 36 months from the date of issue of the warrant.

Vangold intends to use the proceeds of up to $2,000,000 of the Offering to fund the Phase 2 drill program targeting the lower El Pinguico vein extension, and for general working capital.

Closing of the proposed Offering is subject to a number of conditions, including receipt of all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals, including approval from the TSX Venture Exchange. Finders fees may be payable in connection with this private placement. All the securities issuable will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of closing.

About Vangold Mining Corp.

Vangold is a development-stage silver and gold company with nine mining concessions in the Guanajuato, Mexico Mining District. Vangold is aggressively pursuing its production plans by bringing the historic El Pinguico mine back online. Having an acquisition focus, targeting advanced mineral properties and the pursuit of near production opportunities will continue to fuel our growth.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"Cameron S. King"

President, CEO and Director

O: + 1-778-945-2940

M: +1 604 499 6545

E: cking@vangoldmining.com

For further information contact:

Mr. Howard Milne, Corporate Development

Telephone: 604-377-8994

Email: howard@vangoldmining.com

Further information is available on Vangold Mining's website at: www.vangoldmining.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information

This News Release may contain, in addition to historical information, forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phases such as "believe," "expect," "plan," "anticipate" and similar expressions identifying forward-looking statements. Investors should not rely on forward-looking statements because they are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Vangold's expectations, and expressly does not undertake any duty to update forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to the following, limited operating history, proposed exploration and/or drill programs and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Vangold to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.MISSION VIEJO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 6, 2018 / CynergisTek, Inc. (NYSE American: CTEK), a leader in healthcare cybersecurity and information management, today announced that it will be presenting at the inaugural LD Micro Virtual Conference on Thursday, March 8th at 7:30 AM PST. Mac McMillan, CEO and President of CynergisTek, will be giving the presentation and answering questions from investors.

You can access the presentation at the following link: https://cynergistek.com/investor-relations/

The conference will be held via webcast and will feature over 50 companies in the small / micro-cap space.

About CynergisTek Inc.

CynergisTek is a top-ranked cybersecurity and information management consulting firm dedicated to serving the healthcare industry. CynergisTek offers specialized services and solutions to help organizations achieve privacy, security, compliance, and document output management goals. Since 2004, the company has served as a partner to hundreds of healthcare organizations and is dedicated to supporting and educating the industry by contributing to relevant industry associations. The company has been named in numerous research reports as one of the top firms that provider organizations turn to for privacy and security and won the 2017 Best in KLAS award for Cyber Security Advisory Services.

Profiles powered by LD Micro - News Compliments of ACCESSWIRE.

About LD Micro

LD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the microcap space. What started out as a newsletter highlighting unique companies has transformed into an event platform hosting several influential conferences annually (Invitational, Summit, and Main Event).

In 2015, LDM launched the first pure microcap index (the LDMi) to exclusively provide intraday information on the entire sector. LD will continue to provide valuable tools for the benefit of everyone in the small and microcap universe.

For those interested in attending, please contact David Scher at david@ldmicro.com or visit www.ldmicro.com for more information.

Contact:

Bryan Flynn

InvestorRelations@CynergisTek.com

SOURCE: CynergisTek, Inc.WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - J. M. Smucker Co. (SJM) Tuesday said it has agreed with Conagra Brands Inc., to terminate the deal to acquire Wesson oil brand. On Monday, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission had announced that it filed an administrative complaint challenging the proposed transaction. 'While we disagree with the FTC's conclusion, we have mutually determined with Conagra that it is not in the best interest of either party to expend the anticipated significant additional time and resources to challenge the FTC's administrative complaint,' said Mark Smucker, Chief Executive Officer. 'We believe the FTC underestimated the significant role that private label brands play in the oils category, which account for approximately 50 percent of all cooking oil sales and hold significantly higher market share at some retailers. This transaction was expected to provide significant cost synergies to ensure that branded oil products would remain competitive in the market. We continue to be committed to delivering value to our consumers and customers with our Crisco brand and oils business.' FTC had challenged J.M. Smucker's $285 million bid for the Wesson cooking oil brand owned by Conagra. The agency said the deal 'is likely 'substantially to lessen competition, or to tend to create a monopoly' in violation of the Clayton Act.' The deal will reduce competition in the US for canola and vegetable oils, as Smucker currently owns the Crisco brand and by acquiring the Wesson brand, it would control at least 70 percent of the canola and vegetable oils market. 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.BizVibe, a smart B2B networking platform for global B2B buyers and suppliers, announced today the next generation of its B2B networking platform for the top stainless steel suppliers in China.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180306006551/en/

Stainless Steel Suppliers in China BizVibe Announces a New B2B Networking Platform for Stainless Steel Industry in China (Graphic: Business Wire)

With the update, businesses can establish a faster and more efficient path from company discovery to getting better quotes and building long-lasting profitable business partnerships with the leading stainless steel suppliers in China.

Stainless steel is a steel alloy that has several notable advantages, including rust-resistance, toughness, and it is light in weight, while the manufacturers of stainless steel are also benefiting from carbon dioxide emissions reduction, energy and water conservation, and lower air pollution. Therefore, stainless steel has become one of the most preferred raw materials for many metal product manufacturers. Today, stainless steel products are widely used in various industries including metal products, mechanical engineering, construction, motor vehicles and parts, electrical machinery, and transport. China has been leading the global market in the production and exports of stainless steel over the recent years. BizVibe's latest update connects businesses to the top stainless steel producers, suppliers, and exporters in China and helps users discover thousands of opportunities daily. BizVibe has innovated the modern networking platform to make your sourcing process faster, smarter and more hassle-free. Connect and network with China's leading stainless steel companies on BizVibe now, and help your business grow to another level.

View more about this market: How BizVibe is helping buyers connect with leading stainless steel producers, suppliers, and exporters in China

Why Connect with Companies from China's Stainless Steel Industry?

The global stainless steel market looks promising in 2018, as recent market reports suggest that the global stainless steel market was valued at US$ 85.5 billion in 2016 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.2% by 2025. When it comes to production volume, the global stainless steel production totaled 45.71 million tonnes in 2016, rising 8.30% year-on-year. The growth of the global market has been mainly driven by the significant increase in stainless steel output in China over the recent years. China is now the world's largest stainless steel producing country, where production rose by 12.76% year-on-year to 24.73 million tonnes in 2016, up from 21.93 million tonnes in 2015. Stainless steel exports from China grew by 19.36% year-on-year to 3.78 million tonnes in 2016. Since the leading stainless steel producers in China are focusing on value-added products and developing profitable downstream sectors, China's production and export of stainless steels are expected to grow further over the next few years, and so do the business opportunities in China's stainless steel market.

Looking for more information on this market? Check BizVibe's detailed breakdown of the stainless steel industry in China

Not only does BizVibe's networking platform introduce businesses to verified stainless steel suppliers in China, the intelligent B2B networking platform also connects global trade professionals with over 7 million prospecting and sourcing candidates in over 700+ industries. BizVibe cuts research time, allowing you to go after the real opportunities.

Network with Top Stainless Steel Suppliers in China

BizVibe connects like-minded buyers and suppliers to help companies keep up with the market demand. Join for free today to find your next big opportunity in a community of leading stainless steel suppliers in China.

BizVibe's New Networking Platform Helps You Find

Top stainless steel suppliers in China

Valuable product quotes that convert

Relevant business chatter in China' stainless steel market

China's Top Stainless Steel Suppliers on BizVibe

Tuhuang

Xinyu Iron Steel Co Ltd

BAOSTEEL

Increase your company's exposure. Add your company to the BizVibe network and instantly match with the top exporters, suppliers, and buyers around the world.

Browse News Related to the Stainless Steel Industry in China

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Mexican Silver Industry Continues to Shine in the Global Market

Connecting on BizVibe

BizVibe has been specifically designed to help industry professionals connect with like-minded businesses, providing them with a seamless, efficient, and easy-to-use platform. Using cutting-edge technology and advanced match-making algorithms, BizVibe has launched the smartest networking platform on the planet, something that can truly help companies find the right matches.

With extensive feedback from communities across multiple industries, BizVibe was able to identify the core problems and uncertainties when finding potential trade partners. Using this feedback, BizVibe developed an efficient networking platform dedicated to buyers, sellers, importers, exporters, manufacturers, and suppliers, helping thousands of users to connect, engage, and make business deals daily.

About BizVibe

The single-minded focus of BizVibe's platform is to make networking easier. Over the years, we've searched far and wide to figure out how businesses connect and enable trade. That first interaction is usually fraught with the uncertainty of finding a potential partner vs. a potential nightmare. With this in mind, we've designed a robust set of tools to help companies generate leads, shortlist prospects, network with businesses from around the world and trade seamlessly.

BizVibe is headquartered in Toronto and has offices in London, Bangalore, and Beijing. For more information on the BizVibe network, please contact us.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180306006551/en/

Contacts:

BizVibe

Sony Gomes

Media Marketing Executive

media@bizvibe.comFrederic Rombaut, former Managing Director of Cisco Investment International and founder of Qualcomm Ventures Europe, is joining Seraphim Capital , a London-based space tech venture capital firm, as a General Partner.

Rombaut is recognized as a thought leader in deep tech venture capital investment and corporate business development, having worked on 75 transactions totalling more than $14 billion over his career. He previously led Cisco Investment International (and its $2.5 billion investment commitment to Europe), founded Qualcomm Ventures Europe, and is an Apax Partners alumnus.

Rombaut started his career with an IBM startup, before launching the Bouygues groups corporate development arm where he successfully co-founded Bouygues Telecom, a 10+ billion network operator.

Led by Mark Boggett, CEO, Seraphim Capital is a venture capital fund focused on the $350 billion space-tech market, backed by some of the corporates in the global space industry including SES, Airbus and Telespazio and has a strategic partnership with the European Space Agency.

Seraphim typically invests at Series A stage into all aspects of the space ecosystem, including constellations of small satellites, analytics, networking systems, small launchers, drones, and UAVs.

The current fund, focused on companies with ties to the UK, has created a space ecosystem in the UK by its affiliation with the UK Space Tech Angels and its soon to be launched Seraphim Space Camp Accelerator.

The firm is raising a new fund that have a more global scope.

FinSMEs

06/03/2018Quest Products, a Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin-based provider of consumer packaged goods and ecommerce services, received a majority investment from Promus Equity Partners.

In conjunction with this deal, whose amount was not disclosed, Quest has acquired Clinere Products and its line of consumer ear-cleaning products.

Promus Equity Partners made the investment along with Quests management team, while Avante Mezzanine Partners provided mezzanine debt and participated in the equity investment. MB Financial provided a senior credit facility.

Led by Mike Brennan, Mark McGreevy, Mark Milliman and Don Ryan, Quest provides branded consumer packaged goods and e-commerce services. It owns or controls four leading brands and multiple new, emerging products in the over-the-counter health care space.

FinSMEs

06/03/2018Snyk, a London, UK-based provider of a solution for addressing vulnerabilities in open source libraries, closed a $7m Series A round of funding.

The round, which brings total funding to date to $10m, was led by Boldstart Ventures and Canaan Partners with participation from Heavybit, FundFire, and Peter McKay (Co-CEO of Veeam), among others. As part of this funding round, McKay will join Snyks board of directors.

The company intends to use the funds to deploy additional product offerings that improve the secure usage of open source for developers and and scale beyond the 20 languages and platforms it currently supports.

Led by Guy Podjarny, CEO and co-founder, Snyk provides companies with a platform to address vulnerabilities in open source libraries.

The platform integrates into the developer workflow, connecting with source control (e.g. GitHub, BitBucket, GitLab), hooking into your CI/CD pipelines and continuously monitoring PaaS and Serverless apps in production to proactively fix found issues. It does it by relying on its extensive proprietary vulnerability database, maintained by its security research team in Israel.

There are over 120,000 developers using the platform, 100,000 projects protected, 350,000 downloads per month, and partnerships with Heroku, JFrog and Microsoft Sonar.

Current customers include Auth0, Digital Ocean, and Skyscanner.

FinSMEs

06/03/2018Luther and Cody Dickinson have made it their mission to keep alive the sound of the Mississippi hill country blues; however, they have never been strict traditionalists. As the North Mississippi Allstars, theyve soaked their songs in raw, unadulterated rock n roll while stirring in fatback funk, slippery soul and righteous gospel to HERNANDO, Miss.  For more than 20 years,andhave made it their mission to keep alive the sound of the Mississippi hill country blues; however, they have never been strict traditionalists. As thetheyve soaked their songs in raw, unadulterated rock n roll while stirring in fatback funk, slippery soul and righteous gospel to Rolling Stones David Fricke proclaimed that deep roots, improvising valor and live-Cream brawn come easily to the band, while the Oxford American credits them as having saved and revitalized southern rock. reshape and push the blues into contemporary relevance. Their red-hot stew of roots music  and ferocious live shows  have attracted ardent fans around the globe. Critics have been generous with their praise too.s David Fricke proclaimed that deep roots, improvising valor and live-Cream brawn come easily to the band, while thecredits them as having saved and revitalized southern rock.

The North Mississippi Allstars latest effort, Blue Dances Music (due out on March 9, 2018), might be their boldest effort to date. The sonically experimental EP introduces loops and programming to live recordings of tracks from their most recent album, Prayer for Peace, creating, in Cody Dickinsons words, an opportunity to explore this musical landscape with full realization.

This project, which Cody describes as something that was just meant to be, began when their song Prayer for Peace was recorded by the Blind Boys of Alabama. A copy of it got to the Dickinsons, who happened to be writing beats fused with gospel chord changes and blues rhythms. When they matched this music with the Blind Boys a cappella singing, it all clicked and BDM was born. This melding of rural blues and dance rhythms actually isnt the big sonic leap you might think because Hill Country Blues has always been one-chord, hypnotic dance music.

Besides Prayer For Peace, the EP holds reimagined versions of Miss Maybelle, Run Red Rooster, and the Royal Remix of Need To Be Free, featuring Sharde Thomas, Rev Sekou, Al Kapone, Frayser Boy and DJ Spanish Fly. Blues Dance Music takes listeners on a journey through gospel, blues and rock music that has been fused with dance hall beats.

The size and scope of Blues Dance Music is something Luther and Cody are extremely proud of. The album, confides Cody, took on a life of its own  I think you can hear the excitement of discovery in the music.

The Dickinsons also are excited because this spring they will get to do one of the things that they love the best: play live. Starting in early April, North Mississippi Allstars will embark on a six-week tour. On April 5, they will kick things off in St. Louis, followed by shows in Kansas City and Bloomington, IL; however, most of their time will be spent traipsing around their old stomping grounds in southeastern America. Stops will include appearances at the Savannah Music Festival and Merlefest, as well as a trip north for a show in Asbury Park, N.J. You can find the complete tour itinerary below. Given the Dickinsons affection for live performances, you can bet these wont be the only stages that theyll be playing on this year.

North Mississippi Allstars tour dates:

Thurs., April 5 ST. LOUIS, MO Delmar Hall

Fri., April 6 KANSAS CITY, MO Knuckleheads

Sun., April 8 BLOOMINGTON, IL Castle Theatre

Thurs., April 12 SAVANNAH, GA Savannah Music Festival

Fri., April 13 BIRMINGHAM, AL Avondale Brewing Company

Thurs., April 19 MACON, GA Hargray Capitol Theatre

Fri., April 20 LIVE OAK, FL Wanee Festival

Sat., April 21 CHARLESTON, SC Music Farm

Fri., April 27 ASBURY PARK, NJ House of Independents

Sat., April 28 WILKESBORO, NC Merlefest

Fri., May 4 MEMPHIS, TN Beale Street Music Festival

Sat., May 5 NEW ORLEANS, LA Tipitinas

Sun., May 6 DALLAS, TX Dallas International Guitar Festical

Fri., May 11 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA Jefferson TheatreAn arbitration tribunal in an interim order has restrained debt-ridden Reliance Communications (RCom) from sale, transfer or mortgaging of assets

New Delhi: An arbitration tribunal in an interim order has restrained debt-ridden Reliance Communications from sale, transfer or mortgaging of assets.

"...we direct that the Claimant (RCom) and its affiliates are restrained from transferring, alienating. encumbrances or disposing off any of its assets without specific permission/leave of the Arbitral tribunal," the Arbitration Tribunal comprising Justice Swatanter Kumar, Justice SB Sinha and Justice VS Sirpurkar said in an order on an appeal by telecom gear maker Ericsson India.

Ericsson has sought relief from the tribunal over payments that the Anil Ambani-led RCom owes to it.

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio has signed a pact to acquire mobile business assets including spectrum, mobile towers and optical fibre network of Reliance Communications-- owned by his younger brother Anil Ambani.

The deal was expected to complete by March 2018 and bring relief to RCom which is reeling under debt of over Rs 38,000 crore.

The tribunal said that the respondent (Ericsson) has made out an arguable case and the tribunal if of the opinion that in the event if the firm will suffer "irretrievable injury" if it is denied in any relief.

"Irreparable injury in the opinion of tribunal would mean substantial injury. The applicant cannot be denied a legal remedy that is available under the law," the tribunal order said.

Ericsson has submitted various claims before tribunal including Rs 1,200 crore admitted by RCom in their correspondence and Rs 1,012 crore dues which RCom allegedly failed to pay despite repeated promises, assurance and undertakings.

Lenders of RCom have invoked "strategic debt restructuring" programme to recover dues from the company.

(Disclosure - Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd)Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged the then Congress-led UPA govt 'destroyed' the economy by not letting the real stressed assets get reflected in banks books.

New Delhi: The BJP on Monday sought to corner former finance minister P Chidambaram, alleging that he granted seven private firms, including scam-accused Gitanjali Gems, gold import benefits on the day of counting of 2014 Lok Sabha poll votes and asked the Congress how much "cut" was given to whom for the decision.

Senior party leader and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad targeted the Congress and Chidambaram, whose son Karti Chidambaram has been arrested by the CBI in a corruption case, at a press conference which was described by the BJP as an "expose on the politics of lies and deceit" of the opposition party.

Prasad alleged that the then Congress-led UPA government "destroyed" the economy by not letting the real stressed assets get reflected in banks books and said total advances given by banks in the last six years of its rule rose to Rs 52.15 lakh crore from Rs 18.06 lakh crore in 2008.

Only 36 percent of these advances were identified as stressed assets but they rose to 82 percent, he said, alleging that under the then "so-called economist" prime minister Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram, the banking system was "sought to be derailed by interventions, patronage and pressure".

However, it was Chidambaram who was the main target of the ruling party.

He, Prasad alleged, gave seven private firms benefits under 80:20 gold import scheme on 16 May, 2014, the day Narendra Modi-led BJP was swept to power, ousting the UPA.

"What does it mean? On May 16, the Manmohan Singh government is losing, P Chidambarams chair is in danger... Chidamrabarm and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi should tell us why this order to benefit seven private firms was passed on that day. Is it corruption or jumla (rhetoric)?" he asked.

They want true picture of Chidambram to appear before the country, Prasad, said and also sought to target the Congress top brass as he claimed that the then finance minister was doing so with "blessings" of others.

It was the "height of shamelessness" to take such a decision on May 16, the BJP leader said, adding that the RBI had cleared it a few days later before the Narendra Modi-led government scrapped the decision within a few months of coming into power.

"Mr Chidambaram please reply, is it jumla or blatant favouritism, mala fide conduct and rampant corruption? The Congress party should answer who were these people lobbying for Gitanjali and what was the cut," he asked.

No corrupt people will be spared by the BJP government, he said

Chidambaram has repeatedly used the term jumla to mock the BJP governments policies.

The Congress has been resorting to "fear, lies, concoction and confusion" to target the BJP government, he said, and spoke about the oppositions campaign on the Rafale deal and several other issues to claim that these were all baseless charges.

Blaming the Congress for scams which came to light recently, he said the party had planted so many "land mines" when it was in power than some of them kept exploding on and off.

He cited a recent case of fraud registered by the CBI against a son-in-law of Punjab chief minister and Congress leader Amarinder Singh and described it as a "textbook case" in this regard.

The Congress is anti-reform and that is why it is opposed to Aadhaar and the GST because these measures bring about transparency and curb corruption, he claimed.

Prasad reiterated the governments stand that no loan given under its tenure had turned into a non-performing asset (NPA).

He also said Jatin Mehta, a businessman who is also said to have fled India after defaulting on loans, had escaped India in 2012.

Rahul Gandhi must answer these questions when he returns from Italy, he said. Taking a dig at the Congress chief, Prasad said Gandhi can take his help in use of social media as he was also the IT minister and Gandhi was often found "lacking in homework" in his tweets targeting the government.It is alleged that Choksi and Modi got LoUs and Foreign Letters of Credit (FLCs) of Rs 12,636 crore issued in favour of foreign branches of Indian banks based on fraudulent claims.

Shares of Gitanjali Gems cracked another 5 percent in morning trade on bourses on Tuesday after CBI said that the PNB fraud was going on since 2010.

The CBI on Monday said the violation of norms for issuance of Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) to benefit billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi had been going on since 2010.

Reacting to the development, Gitanjali Gems stocck slumped 5 percent, to hit its fresh 52-week low of Rs 18.35 on BSE. This is the 14th straight session of fall for the stock. It has lost as much as 75 percent since 14 February, the day the PNB fraud came to light.

On the NSE, the stock fell to a 52-week low of Rs 18.30.

CBI, which secured a 12-day remand of four accused arrested on Monday, explained the modus operandi involved in the alleged Rs 12,636-crore PNB fraud before the special CBI court here.

An LoU would be issued to one of the firms of Modi and Choksi, and after the money was credited to the applicants' account, a new LoU would be obtained to "adjust" the earlier one, the CBI lawyer said.

This had been going on since 2010, the lawyer said, while seeking remand of four accused including Aniyath Shiv Raman Nair, Director of Gitanjali Group of Companies of Choksi.

It is alleged that Choksi and Modi got LoUs and Foreign Letters of Credit (FLCs) of Rs 12,636 crore issued in favour of foreign branches of Indian banks based on fraudulent claims.Reuters has uncovered new evidence that shows the RBI also failed for years to either detect the fraud or respond adequately to red flags in the banking system.

New Delhi/Mumbai: Gokulnath Shetty, a middle-aged bank manager of middling rank, spent his days in the foreign exchange department on the mezzanine floor of Punjab National Banks Brady House branch in Mumbai.

It was there, past the loan desk and up a flight of stairs, that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) says Shetty hatched Indias largest-ever bank fraud, which the bank values at nearly $2 billion and says was engineered between 2011 and 2017.

The room where Shetty worked was visited on a quarterly basis by external auditors approved by the central bank, who sifted through documents but failed to spot any problem, according to interviews with two bank employees with first-hand knowledge of the departments operations.

In the three weeks since details of the alleged fraud was disclosed, Indian authorities and the media have squarely blamed Punjab National Bank, and a group of high-flying jewellers including diamond tycoon Nirav Modi.

But Reuters has uncovered new evidence that shows the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) also failed for years to either detect the fraud, respond adequately to red flags in the banking system, or correct a breakdown of normal practices at the nations second-largest state-run bank. The RBI is in charge of supervising lenders and meant to act as the bottom-line guarantor that the banking system is sound.

That heightens worries about what other problems might lurk within Indias state-run lenders, which hold some 70 percent of the sectors assets in the worlds fastest-growing major economy.

The RBI, presented with a list of findings and questions for this story sent to a spokesman, did not respond. Punjab National did not respond to a similar request. Shettys lawyer, Vikram Sutaria, said his client is not guilty.

Hands-off approach

Interviews with 12 current and former officials at the RBI and senior executives at some of the countrys largest banks, and a review of dozens of pages of internal central bank circulars, reveal a system that in many cases had little hope of catching criminal activity.

The reporting shows:

- The RBI takes a hands-off approach: Its inspections concentrate on whether the broader systems are sound, not the details of whats happening in a particular banking operation.

- External auditors approved by the RBI, known as statutory auditors, in many cases only do top line reviews, not in-depth inspections. In Punjab Nationals case they have been changed regularly, 18 different firms used over seven years. Though the auditors swapped hand-off notes, no one auditor was able to delve into the banks operations for any extended period.

- Those external auditors met with Shetty, but their audits of Punjab National published in the banks annual reports from 2011 to 2017 did not raise alarms.

- The RBI knew by 2016 there was a laundry list of problems at Indian banks that the central bank said exposed the bank to heightened risk of fraudulent activities.

- The central bank did not compel state banks to link their banking software with the SWIFT global interbank messaging network, a key vulnerability in the Punjab National fraud.

Shetty Sir

A current senior RBI official involved in the scrutiny of banks acknowledged there were shortcomings.

This has been going on for six years and nobody pointed it out, not the auditors and not the RBI inspection, he said.

In Punjab National Banks initial criminal complaint, and then court documents filed in February by the CBI, deputy manager Shetty is accused of having sent letters of undertaking, essentially credit guarantees, over the SWIFT network without logging those transactions in the banks internal software.

Two internal auditors who sat with Shetty in the branch have also been arrested, among more than a dozen people picked up by law enforcement so far.

Asked about the specifics of allegations against Shetty, who has been arrested but not charged, his lawyer, Sutaria, declined to discuss them.

The alleged beneficiaries of the transactions were companies controlled by Nirav Modi, whose diamond creations have glimmered across the flesh of film stars, and his uncle Mehul Choksi, who also owns a large jewellery operation. Neither man has been charged with a crime. Both are currently outside the country and have denied the allegations.

Two co-workers described Shetty as a socially taciturn man who, after starting the work day by moisturising his face and hands with Ponds cream, began sipping a seemingly endless series of cups of tea and dialling up customers on his iPhone.

Shetty, they said, declined to show others how to operate the SWIFT system.

No one would work on SWIFT in his absence, said one of the co-workers. Even customers used to say if Shetty sir is not around lets not proceed with anything.

Representatives of Modi, the jeweller, would spend hours in the office, sometimes eating lunch there, two employees at the branch said. It was as if they were bank employees, said one banker who still works in the currency exchange office.

Audit framework

The framework for auditing Indias banks is set up to provide three levels of scrutiny: continuous monitoring by internal auditors, quarterly inspection by statutory auditors and an annual inspection by the RBI, according to interviews with officials at the central bank.

The banks cornerstone internal, or concurrent auditors, are expected to run daily checks on all SWIFT transactions, according to RBI officials.

But a former senior RBI official with direct knowledge of the central banks oversight of foreign exchange transactions said they often do not provide much of a backstop.

Sometimes the concurrent auditor just blindly signs whatever is given to him without verifying what is going on, the official said.

Asked about the RBIs annual audit, a current official who previously worked in its supervision division said the central bank has moved away from doing annual branch inspections, instead relying primarily on data from the lenders headquarters.

Earlier, the branches of banks were at least scared that RBI might catch any malpractice, the official said.

R Gandhi, deputy governor at the RBI from 2014 to 2017, said the statutory audit process, which is carried out by private accounting firms, was not meant to be comprehensive.

A 100 percent audit is specified only for high-risk areas, he said.

Explaining the RBIs approach overall, he added: We are supervisors. The prime objective of RBIs audit should be to see that systems and procedures are there and those are functioning.

Two of the RBI-approved statutory auditors who inspected the Mumbai branch confirmed they met Shetty in the foreign exchange room.

One auditor, who inspected the branch on a quarterly basis between October 2011 and September 2012, said he raised the question of why Nirav Modi was getting so much credit.

The auditor, who asked not to be named, said his concerns were raised to the banks audit committee but he was told by Punjab National executives: Let this go this time, we will note this and take steps.

The details, he said, would have been available to RBI officials through his subsequent report, but as far as he was aware no action was taken.

Reuters called the other 16 accounting firms listed in the banks annual report from the 2010-11 fiscal year to the most recent. The calls were either unanswered or met with refusal to discuss particulars of the audits.

Warning signs



Documents show that the RBI knew more than a year before the current scandal that there were warning signs about how Indian banks administered the SWIFT network.

Transactions such as the letters of undertaking sent by Shetty result in credit being given to a borrower in an account known as a nostro, which is owned by the issuing bank - in this case Punjab National - but hosted by another bank overseas.

A letter on 3 August, 2016 from the RBI to bank executives warned of a recent incident involving attempted unauthorised transfer of funds from the nostro account of a bank.

The RBI asked the top management of Indian banks to not only ensure that appropriate controls were in place, but also to reconcile their nostro account transactions, that is, to check that they matched their banks internal records.

A 25 November, 2016 letter from the RBI listed what it described as problems that banks reported after receiving the August communication, a number of which were to show up in the Punjab National case.

Several Indian state-run banks had followed a decentralised set up for SWIFT, meaning that multiple branches and, as a result, significantly higher number of users had access to sending money across the global network.

In some cases, the RBI said, that meant more than 1,000 people being able to log on, which exposed the bank to heightened risk of fraudulent activities.

Several banks, the RBI wrote, had no/little audit oversight on the SWIFT framework despite significant financial ramifications.

Last month, after the fraud was discovered, the reserve bank set a April 30 deadline for integrating banks internal software and SWIFT.

Most big global banks began to connect SWIFT, originally standalone terminals like the telex machines they replaced - to their central systems in the 1990s.

Three executives with experience of the cash payments industry said this means transactions are automatically recorded and reconciled within the bank and, ideally, with counterparties. The chief executive officer of SWIFT from 1992 until 2007, Leonard Schrank, said: I cant imagine not incorporating SWIFT payments as part of overall reconciliation.SBI was responding to news dated 18 and 19 February 19, 2018 in some section of media that said the bank's Hong Kong branch has exposure in PNB scam

New Delhi: The country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) on Monday clarified that its Hong Kong branch did not have any exposure to the companies of multi-crore-rupee Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud main accused Nirav Modi or Mehul Choksi.

"We refer to the news dated February 18, 2018 and February 19, 2018 reported by some sections of media and advise that SBI Hong Kong Branch does not have any exposure against any corporates/banks based upon LOUs/LCs issued by PNB, Brady House Branch," the bank said in a statement.

"Further, SBI Hong Kong Branch does not have any exposure to the Nirav Modi Group of companies and/or Mehul Choksi group of companies whose names are linked to the PNB fraud," it added.One dont know for sure whether Adani is the biggest loan defaulter or not, but, indeed the Adani group owes big chunks of money to banks

If you talk about NPAs, (non-performing assets) or bad loans, which basically refer to money that is borrowed from a bank and not paid back on time, Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi are only guppies. There are bigger fishes in the NPA pool that, ironically, dont grab much attention as the guppies do. But, their names pop up once in a while and disappear in a bit. On Monday, BJP leader and member of Parliment Subramanian Swamy tweeted about Goutam Adani, apparently referring chairman of Adani group, saying Adani is the biggest NPA trapeze artiste in PSUs is Gautam Adani. It is time he is made accountable or a PIL is inevitable.

The biggest NPA trapeze artiste in PSUs is Gautam Adani. It is time he is made accountable or a PIL is inevitable  Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) March 6, 2018



One dont know for sure whether Adani is the biggest loan defaulter or not. But, indeed the Adani group owes big chunks of money to banks. According to Bloomberg data, Adani Power has a total debt, as of September 2017, at Rs 47,609.43 crore. Adani Transmission has total debt, as of September 2017, at Rs 8356.07 crore, Adani Ent, as of September 2017, at Rs 22424.44 crore and Adani Ports with total debt, as of September 2017, at Rs 20791.15 crore. But Adani isnt the only one. These may also include debt raised from other than banks.

According to data available with the Credit Information Bureau of India Ltd (CIBIL), Indian banks have reported wilful defaults of over Rs 111,738 crore involving 9,339 borrowers of which government banks have a share of Rs93,357 crore involving 7,564 borrowers as of September 2017 (as this Indian Express report explains). In June, 2017, Firstpost published the details of some of the large bank loan defaulters saying these firms may opt for bankruptcy after the new code came into effect.

To get an understanding it will be useful to revisit some of the names. These include Essar Steel (According to Bloomberg Essar steel debt as of March 2018 was at Rs 8173.05 crore on a standalone basis), Lanco Infratech (Lanco consolidated debt as of March 2017 was at Rs 43501.75 crore), Bhushan Steel (Bhushan Steel consolidated debt as of March 2018 was at Rs 46263.23 crore, primarily state-run lenders including State Bank of India (SBI) and Punjab National Bank).

There are several other names such as Monnet Ispat, Alok Industries, Era Infra engineering, ABG Shipyard, Jaypee Infratech, Amtek Auto and Jyoti structures. All these firms owe large amount of money to banks. Some of these may be in the process of paying back while some are looking options to declare bankruptcy.

The idea of listing these names is to just to make a point that while Mallyas and Modis hog the headlines and thereby put pressure on the system to act, the government and regulator shouldnt lose focus on other bigger loan defaulters. At the moment the government and RBI are progressing in a promising manner. The bankruptcy code is in place, the RBI and government seem to have learned the lessons hard way and has initiated steps to clean up the banking system. But, that is normal typically in the aftermath of the break of a scam. Investigators and regulators tend to act on those specific cases vigorously for a while before the enthusiasm soon dies down.

Even then other larger cases that arent in news tend to be ignored till a problem arises. Vijay Mallya is a good example. The Vijay Mallya-Kingfisher episode became a hot topic when the liquor king flew out of the country in March, 2016---four years after his loans to banks worth Rs9000 crore became NPAs. In fact, Mallyas escape and subsequent media focus on the case brought back the focus on NPAs in banking sector in a big way. The Nirav Modi-fraud and a series of other cases such as Rotomac and RP Infosystems have added fuel to the fire. But, it will be a mistake to see these cases in isolation and miss the larger picture.

Clearly, the RBI and the government acted too late to address the NPA crisis. The central bank came with a framework for the early identification of stressed assets in early 2015, which was followed up with actions from the government to give the contours for the bankruptcy code. The central bank, under Raghuram Rajan, read out the riot act to the banks asking them to declare all NPAs upfront and complete the process by March,217. The deadline wasnt met but the process triggered one of the biggest NPA hunts in the history of Indian banks.

In terms of loan size, all these cases---from Mallya to Modiare relatively small compared with a handful of other default cases. There needs to be a comprehensive plan to approach each of these cases. Even after the bankruptcy code in place, it is difficult to imagine how banks will be able to recover a substantial part of the money at stake because they need to either sell of the assets or force the defaulter promoter to pay back from his pocket.

As Mallya and now Nirav Modi episode have shown, this is easier said than done. It is not clear what suddenly provoked Swamy to take Gautam Adanis name from the list of big defaulters. But, in a certain way, Swamy has highlighted an important aspect, suggesting that the government and regulator should not miss the forest for the trees.When a film deals with a horrific real world event, is recreating how it happened enough? Or should it provide context as well? | Examining Erik Poppe's Utya 22.juli / U  July 22

Utya 22.juli (U  July 22), directed by Erik Poppe, depicts a terrible chapter in Norways history. On the day the film is named after, a right-wing extremist named Anders Behring Breivik set off bombs in the government offices in Oslo, then travelled to Utya island, the location of the Norwegian Labour Partys youth league summer camp, and opened indiscriminate fire. There, he killed 69 people and injured 200. Poppe wants to immerse us in these events. He recreates them with a you-are-there frisson, something familiar to us from films like United 93 which was about the events on the plane targeted at the White House on 9/11. (Indeed, the director of that nerve-shredding thriller, Paul Greengrass, is making his own movie about Breivik.)

Poppes film is part-homage, part-gimmick. Of the 90-minute running time, he uses the first 12 minutes to set up the characters. When we first see 19-year-old Kaja (Andrea Berntzen), she seems to be breaking the fourth wall, talking to us as she utters these words: We are on Utya island. Its the safest place on earth. Shes actually talking into her headset, reassuring her mother, who has heard about the bombings. Kajas Muslim friend, a boy named Issa, says, I hope it wasnt a Muslim group. The kids talk about Afghanistan, al Qaeda  they are engaged, interested in more than just the latest movie or pop song. These are kids that may end up changing the world. That makes the ensuing tragedy hurt even more.

It begins with what sounds like fireworks. These are really gunshots, and the remaining 72 minutes of the film  the exact duration for which Breiviks massacre unfolded, in the exact location (Utya island), featuring the exact number of shots fired by Breivik  are filmed in a single, agonising take. Its hard to argue against the effectiveness, the necessity, or the importance of the movie, especially in light of the recent Florida-school shooting. We are gripped by the awful sense of what its like when an unseen madman is targeting you and those around you. To stay in the woods surrounding the camp, or try to swim away, in 10-degree water? To save just your skin, or try saving others less strong, more numbed by the happenings? These are choices no one should have to face, not least children who have their whole lives ahead of them.

I was troubled by two aspects: One, the decision to tell the events largely through Kajas point of view. For most of the movie, the camera either follows her or sees what she sees  and this makes her a sort of heroine, not just in the sense that her deeds end up being heroic but also that she becomes the protagonist. This makes for a cleaner narrative, certainly, and you can see why Poppe opted for it  there is already so much chaos, so why risk narrative chaos as well, with multiple viewpoints? But this decision privileges Kajas experience over that of the others, who are no different. This may not be a big deal in a purely fictional enterprise, but with such painstaking care being taken to tell us this is how it really was, the focus on one student (Kaja) feels unfitting.

But the bigger issue is this: What use is it to merely reconstruct a horrifying event on screen? In one of the rare negative reviews of United 93, Keith Uhlich wrote in Slant: Greengrass is good at portraying confusion, but hes incapable of providing an artists clarity to an event that demands it. Theres no moral center to United 93; Greengrass and his employers trust that recreation, along with a heavily promoted, voluminously footnoted fidelity to fact will carry the day. In other words, what good is it to use your filmmaking prowess to simply show what happened without a glimpse at the why and the how?

In a superb piece on World Socialist Web Site, titled United 93: Everything but how and why it happened, Joanne Laurier zoomed in on the exact nature of the problem. Greengrass places titles at the end of the film, commenting on various facets of the 9/11 events. Why could he not have similarly begun his film with titles conveying the fact, for example, that in 1979 the US commenced giving financial and military backing to the Islamic fundamentalists engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Soviet-backed regime in Kabul? Or why not a title indicating that Osama bin Laden was essentially on the CIA payroll in the early 1980s, through Pakistani intelligence?

Breiviks attack may not have been a world-altering historical event on a similar scale, but the question is the same. Why not put the events in some kind of context? After all, Breivik did have his reasons, and these reasons did arise from world events. The cause is as important as the effect. Of course, a film neednt always be what you want it to be  and its the directors prerogative to show what hes interested in. Normally, this wouldnt be a problem. Its just that with films like United 93 or Utya 22.juli, we wonder whether its some kind of exploitation to eschew context and simply dramatise events that are guaranteed to do a number on the audience.

Then again, listen to what Ingrid Endredrud, who was 17 at the time of the attack, said in The Guardian: This film is so important because it captures what rightwing extremism can lead to. This is hate in its purest form and as a society we have to stand together against it. For me the reason for helping with this film is because it tells the story which for so many of us has been impossible to tell. She added that the film was a way of preserving an important part of Norways history. I guess thats another way to look at it. After all, in a World War II movie, we dont expect context. We allow history (what we know, what weve read) to do the job of contextualisation, and expect the film to just tell a story. Why should it be any different with Utya 22.juli?

Baradwaj Rangan is editor, Film Companion (South)Two people were arrested in Tamil Nadu's Vellore for vandalising a statue of iconic Dravidian leader Periyar, according to several media reports.

Two people were arrested in Tamil Nadu's Vellore for vandalising a statue of iconic Dravidian leader Periyar, according to several media reports.

According to CNN-News18, one Communist Party of India (CPI) activist and one Bharatiya Janata Party worker were arrested for the incident.

This incident comes hours after Tamil Nadu BJP leader H Raja said that EV Ramasamy, commonly known as 'Periyar', would meet a fate similar to Lenin. Raja slammed Periyar in a post he put up on Facebook, although he subsequently deleted it.

"Who is Lenin? What is his connection with India? What is the connection between Communism and India? Lenin's statue was broken down in Tripura. Today, it is Lenin's statue in Tripura. Tomorrow, it will be the caste zealot EV Ramasamy's (Periyar) statue in Tamil Nadu," he'd written.

Periyar was a 20th Century thinker, activist and politician who started the self-respect movement against Brahmin and upper caste hegemony. He is revered as a champion of the Dravidian movement in south India.

K Stalin, working president of the DMK, which revers Periyar and owes much of its ideology to the Dravidian cause, slammed Raja, and demanded his arrest under Goondas Act.

Meanwhile, Tripura remained on edge after two statues of Vladimir Lenin were razed within 24 hours of each other after the BJP's historic win, causing the CPM to lash out at the saffron party and seek Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention.

The first incident occurred in Sabroom Motor Stand on Sunday where a vehicle appeared to have been rammed into the pedestal where the idol stood. The second incident occurred Monday in Belonia town in south Tripura when a statue of Lenin was bulldozed with a JBM machine allegedly by BJP workers chanting Bharat mata ki jai.

With inputs from agenciesThe All India Shia Personal Law Board on Monday rejected any compromise and said that only a masjid can replace the demolished Babri Masjid on the disputed land in Ayodhya.

Even as chief for the Art of Living Sri Sri Ravi Shankar continued his campaign to find a amicable solution to the Ram Janmabhoomi issue, the All India Shia Personal Law Board on Monday rejected any compromise and said that only a masjid can replace the demolished Babri Masjid on the disputed land in Ayodhya, reported News18 Hindi.

While rejecting calls for a compromise, All India Shia Personal Law Board spokesperson Maulana Yasub Abbas told Amar Ujala that unnecessary statements on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue will not help resolve the case. "People like Sri Sri, Salman Nadvi and Waseem Rizvi need to stop making statements on the issue. There should not be any statement which can create a rift between Muslims and Hindus. This must stop," he told the publication.

Abbas' statement was in line with All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB)'s stance that there will be a mosque at the place, till "qayamat" (the final judgement). The land dedicated for mosque can't be sold, gifted or in any way alienated, the AIMPLB said in a statement. The decision was taken at the executive meeting of the AIMPLB on 10 February.

The Board had said that it never rejected the offers of conciliation by Hindu religious leaders and urged them to come forward with justifiable and honourable settlement. "However, they always had one answer that Muslims should unilaterally give up the mosque but Muslims can't do this because giving a mosque for worship of anyone other than Allah is 'haram' and there is no scope for this in Shariat. If Muslims do this they will be accountable to Allah," said the statement released in Urdu.

Moreover, the Shia Personal Law Board's statement came after the chairman of the Shia Waqf Board Waseem Rizvi wrote a letter to AIMPLB chairman Maulana Rabe Hasan Nadvi urging the board to surrender nine religious disputed places to Hindus, including Ram Temple in Ayodhya.



With inputs from IANSA truck carrying members of a wedding party crashed in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district and fell into a drain on Tuesday morning. At least 26 persons have died and dozens more are feared injured in the accident.

A truck carrying members of a wedding party crashed in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district and fell into a drain on Tuesday morning. At least 26 persons have died and dozens more are feared injured in the accident.

#UPDATE: Total 26 people dead, 12 injured after a truck they were travelling in fell into a drain in Bhavnagar, says Police #Gujarat  ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2018

A report on India Today said the accident took place in Palitana near Bhavnagar on the Rajkot highway on Tuesday morning. It said that the injured were rushed to the nearby Bharat Nagar Senior and Tindour Government Hospital for treatment.

Relief and rescue operations are currently underway. Senior police officers of the region have rushed to the accident spot, the report added.

However, a report in the AFP news agency put the death toll at 28, and said most of the deceased were women and children.

Initial investigations indicated the driver lost control causing the truck to swerve off the bridge and fall eight metres onto a dry riverbed in Gujarat state, police said.

"Around 60 persons were travelling in the truck and most victims are women and children," Gujarat police inspector KJ Kadapda told AFP. Officials indicated the toll could rise as many of the passengers, who were on their way to a wedding, remained trapped under the truck which overturned. Other injured victims have been rushed to hospital.

The accident happened in Bhavnagar district, about 200 kilometres from the state capital Ahmedabad.

The district collector, Harshadkumar Patel, told AFP that "at least 25 persons have lost their lives in the accident".

With inputs from AFPCould not establish database connection.

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The administrator has been notified and will resolve the problem ASAP.Both Houses of Parliament saw adjournments on the first day of the second-half of budget session, with opposition members seeking to corner the government on a range of issues, including the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh and demand for increasing quota beyond 50 percent in Telangana.

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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.

BJP may take the attack to the Opposition

However, Opposition created a ruckus in the House as soon as the session began.

Opposition MPs enter well of the Rajya Sabha. Opposition MPs shout slogans against Nirav Modi.

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.

Venkaiah Naidu reads all adjournment notices that have been issued today

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.

Proceedings begin in both Houses of the Parliament

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.

People will give befitting reply to deaths of our cadre, says BJP

Government ready for structural debate; Opposition needs to stop creating ruckus, says BJP

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.

Economic Offenders Bill to be tabled in the Parliament today, say reports

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.

Lok Sabha stands adjourned, to meet on Wednesday at 11 am

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.

Anu Aga says celebration of Women's Day is strange, calls for men to reject tokenism

"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.

Behind every successful man, there is a nationalised bank: Derek O'Brien

"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.

Girls should not be beaten up on Valentine's Day: AAP's Sanjay Singh

"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.

Rajya Sabha is in session now; Chair begins with obituary to ex-MP Hamida Habibullah

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.

Meanwhile, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan continues with business for the day

After passing a string of amendments, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourns Lok Sabha for the day

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.

TDP's exit is timely opportunity for BJP to grow in Andhra Pradesh: BJP

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.

'Before actual elections, there is always rehearsal in Parliament'

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.

Winners of the Bihar, Uttar Pradesh bypolls take oath in Lok Sabha

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.

'Andhra Pradesh will be our next Tripura': BJP national spokesperson

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.

Din in Rajya Sabha as YS Chowdary quotes Venkaiah Naidu's speech arguing for special speech for Andhra

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."

YSRCP just indulging in politics, not worried about state's welfare: TDP

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.

Both Houses are in session now

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.

'We are being cheated by the government': Chandrababu Naidu

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."

'Ready to discuss any issue with any member': Rajnath Singh

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.

'Will do whatever the Opposition does': Farooq Abdullah

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.

Samajwadi Party says government using AIADMK to scuttle no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha

Proceedings start in the Upper House without any audible protests.

The 39 Indians who were kidnapped in Iraq are dead, Sushma Swaraj tells Rajya Sabha.

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.

Bill to deal with economic offenders who leave the country in Lok Sabha today

"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.

Amendments to Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 being passed in Rajya Sabha

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.

Sumitra Mahajan brings up the issue of no-confidence motion notices; Lok Sabha adjourned for day

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.

Daily functioning of Parliament during Question Hours less than six minutes, shows 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.

According to News18, irate Opposition MPs are demanding discussion on the no-confidence motion.

Opposition MPs continue to sit in Rajya Sabha even after adjournment

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.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House until Tuesday amid loud protests by the Opposition

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.

Punjab Congress MPs demand financial help for families of Indians killed in Mosul

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

Political leaders elected as Rajya Sabha MPs last month, including Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, have taken oath of office.

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.

Rajya Sabha adjourned for the 6th time in a row for 15 minutes

New members who took oath on Wednesday, have not been given division: Anand Sharma

It is unfortunate that Rajya Sabha failed to carry out daily business: Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien

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.

PJ Kurien says he can move motion to expel members protesting in Rajya Sabha

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.

Lok Sabha is a platform to raise issues for welfare of people: LS Speaker

"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.

Why did Congress not allow business to happen? asks Ananth Kumar

Parliament latest updates: Amid ruckus in the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar appealed to the Opposition to stop obstructing the working of the Parliament. Lok Sabha has been adjourned for the day while Rajya Sabha will reconvene at 3.30 pm.

Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 2 pm. The Lok Sabha was also supposed to discuss the Punjab National Bank fraud case from noon onwards, say reports. The discussion is expected to go on for at least four hours today.

Both Houses of Parliament saw adjournments on the first day of the second-half of budget session, with opposition members seeking to corner the government on a range of issues, including the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh and demand for increasing quota beyond 50 percent in Telangana.

While the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after an earlier adjournment, the Rajya Sabha saw three adjournments.

As the upper House was reconvened at 2 p.m after two earlier adjournments, the opposition MPs were on their feet and many of them trooped near the Chair's podium, shouting slogans "Nirav Modi ko wapas laao (Bring Nirav Modi back)".

Diamantaire Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi of Geetanjali Gems are the main accused in the Rs 12,600-crore PNB fraud case.

Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien asked the agitating members to return to their seats but they kept shouting slogans.

On the other side of the podium, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs protested demanding special status to Andhra Pradesh, since Telangana was carved out of it.

Kurien said he was ready to allow a short duration discussion on the PNB frauds and asked Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad to start it. But, Azad said that discussion could be started only if the other parties agreed to it.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to bring back black money. The black money hasn't come, while the white money flew out of the country," Azad said.

Amid the din, Kurien adjourned the House for the day.

In the morning, as soon as the House met for the day, opposition MPs protested against the multi-crore PNB scam forcing two adjournments.

Several opposition MPs including Azad, Samajwadi Party's Naresh Agarwal and Trinamool Congress' Sukhendu Shekhar Roy had given notice to discuss the PNB scam under Rule 267 by suspending all listed business for the day.

From the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) side, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe had given notice under the same rule for discussion on relatives of former Union Ministers allegedly found involved in scams.

The Chair rejected the notices and asked them to raise the issues under other relevant rules.

In the Lok Sabha, opposition members from several parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the AIADMK, were on their feet raising different issues after the House met for the day.

Several members, including those from the TDP and the TRS, were displaying placards. While most of the TDP MPs were wearing yellow scarves, party MP Naramalli Sivaprasad from Chittoor was dressed as Lord Krishna.

The AIADMK members were demanding constitution of Cauvery Management Board.

Amid din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan announced that she had accepted resignation of Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader Neiphiu Rio as a member of the House with effect from February 22.

As the sloganeering continued, Mahajan adjourned the House for the day.

Earlier, when the House met in the morning for its first sitting of the second-half of budget session, similar protests were witnessed.

The Trinamool Congress and left paeties raised slogans in protest against the alleged bank fraud.

The members also paid tributes to four former members who had passed away.Keswani's statement on Dawood's desire to return came more than six months after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray made a similar revelation in Mumbai.

Thane: Well-known criminal lawyer Shyam Keswani on Tuesday said fugitive mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is reportedly "keen to return to India" but with certain preconditions which are not acceptable to the Indian government.

Speaking to the media outside the Thane Court, where he represented Iqbal Ibrahim Kaskar (the absconder don's brother) in an extortion case, the lawyer said among the conditions Dawood has stipulated are that he should be lodged only in the high-secure precincts of Arthur Road Central Jail (ARCJ) in Mumbai.

"He had also conveyed his intentions through (former union minister and eminent lawyer) Ram Jethmalani a few years ago but the Indian government has not entertained any of his preconditions to return," Keswani said.

The ARCJ is the same prison where the Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab was lodged for nearly four years till his hanging for his role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

Keswani's statement on Dawood's desire to return came more than six months after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray made a similar revelation in Mumbai.

In his explosive remarks, Thackeray had claimed that not only was Dawood keen to come back but he was reportedly negotiating a 'settlement' with the Modi government.

The MNS chief further said Dawood was very sick and wanted to breathe his last in India.

In a related development, Iqbal was sent to police custody till Friday by a Special Court here on Tuesday in a land-grab and extortion case filed against him by the Thane Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC).

At least two others wanted in this case  Bhavar Kothar and Bharat Jain  are absconding, said AEC chief Pradeep Sharma.

Opposing the police custody of Iqbal, currently in judicial custody for other cases, Keswani said it was puzzling when the crime was committed since his client (Iqbal) has been in police and judicial custody in Thane since his arrest on 19 September from Mumbai.

This is the same case in which, for the first time, the police have shown the three Kaskar siblings  Dawood, Anees (both absconding) and Iqbal  as accused.

The case pertains to alleged extortion of Rs 3 crore from a builder in a deal involving a 38-acre plot of land worth crores of rupees in Gorai, a coastal village in south-west Thane.India's recent Cabinet note on Tibet seems to be indicative of New Delhi's desire for a thaw, after a long period of relative tensions with China.

Caution seems to be writ large on the government's recent actions, as the senior-most bureaucrat in the country has directed senior political leaders and government functionaries not to participate in Tibet-related activities.

On the face of it, the direction seems to have been motivated by an event in New Delhi by the Tibetan government-in-exile, for which invites had gone out to major dignitaries and officials. The venue of one of the two events commemorating Dalai Lama's 60th year in exile has since been shifted from New Delhi to Dharamsala by the Tibetan government.

Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha's directive, in turn, was based on a request from Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, just prior to his visit to Beijing. While that was probably the immediate motivation, there is clearly far more to this first visit by the top diplomat to a country where he had served as ambassador. Subtle or not so subtle 'signalling' is an important part of diplomacy, and world capitals are usually adept at interpreting the signs in such actions which may indicate a sign of friendship, a thaw after a period of tension or a freeze.

In this case, it seems to be more indicative of New Delhi's desire for a thaw, after a long period of relative tensions with China, with the most recent instance of this being Beijing's shrillness on the Maldives situation. While China is not known for delicate diplomacy, its virtual warning to India  even if delivered through a prominent daily  against unilateral armed intervention was likely to have startled China watchers, not for its language, but for its outright interference in a region that has long been seen as India's backyard.

Added to this have been continuous reports of a very significant Chinese presence in the archipelago, to possibly include a future military base. Such developments when taken together with President Abdulla Yameen's needless and incendiary rhetoric, makes for a situation that could escalate to very serious proportions. There is clearly a need for dialogue, not with threats and use of the "Tibet card"  at least not yet  but with cool heads and clear objectives.

There's likely to be another reason behind the foreign secretary's caution. This is likely to be his first meeting with President Xi Jinping, who's term now seems likely to outlast both his own and the government he serves. The ever-smiling Xi is now a different man  for better or for worse. His elevation to a virtual president for life could, on the one hand, contribute towards making him more secure, and thus better positioned to deliver on key areas.

However, it is equally likely that he may feel the need to ward off threats from those who will find his elevation extremely irksome, to say the least. In this case, the president and his team would want to project a more hardline stance than before. This critical evaluation is likely to have been made by Indian intelligence agencies before the visit of the foreign secretary. A positive outlook would make all the difference in terms of regional dynamics.

Meanwhile, experts have observed that Beijing has recently hardened its stance on Tibet. At a press conference on the sidelines of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Congress last October, Zhang Yijiong, vice-minister of the Communist party Central Committees' United Front Work Department, and elevated as a full Central committee member, was heard to deliver a stern warning to foreign officials in meeting the Dalai Lama, which he said would be seen as an "insult to the Chinese people".

He also warned that attempts to present such visits as being in a personal capacity would not be entertained since these visitors were ultimately government representatives. Zhang seems to have done two tenures in Tibet, and his elevation in itself seems to recognise his value to the CCP.

A recognition of Chinese sensitivity on Tibet is apparent elsewhere. In London, a play on Tibetan exiles put together over the last three years by an Indian playwright Abhishek Majumdar has been canned by no less than the Royal Court Theatre. The irate playwright claimed that the cancellation was due to pressure from diverse sources.

Within Tibet itself, press reports of oppression and disappearances are common, including that of a monk based in South India who had been visiting his family. None of this matters very much at present. Media reports also include the news of a hike in the Chinese defence budget to almost $175 billion at a time when India's own defence spending is plateauing  to put it kindly. To put it in reverse, its time to talk softly, while searching about for that big stick.Ahead of the Karnataka assembly polls in April-May, Kannada film superstar Upendra on Tuesday announced his resignation from the party

Bengaluru: Ahead of the Karnataka assembly polls in April-May, Kannada film superstar Upendra on Tuesday announced his resignation from the party he formed last year after "internal issues" and vowed to form a new party soon.

"I have tendered my resignation to the Karnataka Pragnyavanta Janata Party (KPJP). I will soon register (with the Election Commission) my new party 'Prajakeeya' and contest in the upcoming state elections", Upendra told reporters.

The 49-year-old popular actor had taken the plunge into politics with the KPJP, which he formed on 31 October.

"The mindset with which I had entered politics was not to gain power or money but to bring about a change in governance," the actor said.

He said a few members of the KPJP were deflecting the party from the ideals it was set up on.

The party members had disagreements over the nomination of office bearers, party candidates and other issues, he said.

"Prajakeeya will continue to focus on having a transparent government, health, education and welfare of citizens," said the actor, clad in khaki.

While announcing the formation of the KPJP last year, the actor-director had attacked the current political system, saying several politicians make promises but do not deliver.

His party would be run by the people for the people to meet their needs, Upendra, known for his acting in Kannada, Telugu and Tamil films, had said.The Supreme Court refused to grant Karti Chidambaram interim protection from arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in alleged money laundering case related to INX Media. Karti, son of former Union minister P Chidambaram, sought quashing of the Enforcement Directorate's summons against him in the INX Media corruption case in a fresh plea.

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Former Union minister P Chidambaram's son Karti has been arrested by the CBI in Chennai, just hours after arriving from London.

The Congress has reacted to Karti Chidambaram's arrest, saying it was "diversionary tactics", and a result of "political vendetta" by the Centre.

Karti Chidambaram has been arrested by the CBI for not cooperating in the investigation of the INX media money laundering case. Karti is accused of receiving Rs 10 lakh from INX Media, in exchange of arranging Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance. "Karti 'used' his influence to manipulate a tax probe against INX Media in a case of violation of FIPB conditions to receive investment from Mauritius," the CBI had said.

Chidambaram, who is also a senior advocate, had claimed in his plea that as part of "political vendetta", the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have made "vexatious" searches and issued the repeated summons in these cases.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram had approached the Supreme Court seeking protection of his fundamental rights, including the right to privacy, amid summons to his son Karti Chidambaram and raids by the CBI and the ED in connection with cases related to Aircel-Maxis and INX Media.

Karti Chidambaram is currently being questioned in a lounge inside the airport, according to CNN-News18. Sources said that CBI plans to take him to Delhi on an 11 am flight and will try to present him in Delhi before 4 pm.

In May last year, the CBI had conducted raids at the Chennai houses of Chidambaram and his son. The raids and the arrest now relates to clearances given to INX Media. Karti allegedly facilitated the clearances for kickbacks in 2008 when Chidambaram was a Union minister in the UPA government. It is here that things become difficult for the top Congress leader. His involvement, direct or indirect, in the case can come under investigations post the arrest of his son.

The BJP has said laws are taking their own course and the party isn't involved in the functioning of the investigating agencies or of the judiciary, following accusations of "political vendetta" hurled by the Congress over the arrest of P Chidambaram's son Karti.

This isn't the first instance in which investigative agencies have moved against the Chidambarams. In April last year, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had issued a show-cause notice to Karti and a firm purportedly linked to him for alleged violations of the FEMA laws to the tune of Rs 45 crore. Also, the agency also issued a similar notice, after over two years of investigations, to another firm Vasan Health Care Private Limited, which is based in Chennai, for alleged forex violations of Rs 2,262 crore.

Not the first time agencies have moved against Chidambaram family

Advantage India holds 90,000 shares out of the 1.5 lakh equity shares of Vasan Eye Care. The firm procured the shares at a throwaway price of Rs 100 per share. However, the report states that it actually paid only one-third, or Rs 33 per share. It sold 60,000 shares in two tranches of Rs 30,000 to Sequoia Capital Investments, a Mauritius-based investment fund. In the first tranche, 30,000 shares were sold at Rs 7,500 per share or Rs 22.5 crore. Assuming that the second tranche was also sold at the same price and if the balance shares are valued at the same price, then Vasan Eye Care's share would amount to Rs 112.5 crore that Advantage acquired at a mere Rs 50 lakh, according to the report. Now, thats quite a killing, isnt it?

What is the value of Karti's company Advantages Wealth?

Kartis empire is spread across several countries, which would also mean several jurisdictions. The Singapore subsidiary of Advantage, Advantage Singapore, has real estate investments in at least 15 countries. But under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the Enforcement Directorate can expand its probe to any geographies and seek help of international agencies if needed.

The bigger trouble in waiting for the Chidambarams may be the Aircel-Maxis case. In a nutshell, the whole story of the Aircel-Maxis case pertains to the forced selling of Aircel in 2006 by its owner entrepreneur C Sivasankaran, allegedly under pressure from former Union telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran. To return the favour, Maxis invested around Rs 47 crore in the Sun Group, owned by Dayanidhi Marans brother, Kalanidhi Maran. Karti allegedly facilitated the whole transaction through his firm Advantage Consulting and passed along the bribes.

In 2015, former finance minister P Chidambaram had said in an interview, "If the government wishes to target me, they should do so directly, not harass friends of my son who carry on their own businesses and have nothing to do with politics." But Chidambarams apparent attempt to politicise the issue may not work, since the Congress itself will not want to get involved in the case, given its seriousness and its larger political implications. There is immense pressure on the Narendra Modi government not to lower its guard against corruption.

Nobody is above the law, says BJP's Sambit Patra

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing into Karti Chidambaram case is seeking details of certain companies based in Monaco, a tax haven country of Western Europe. According to sources the Letter Rogatory (LR) was sent after the agency had unearthed leads during the probe of companies linked to Karti and his associates. India has tax information exchange agreement with Monaco for sharing banking and ownership information about the companies.

CBI gave him a lot of chances but he continued with his lies, says Subramanian Swamy

Political sentiments depend on narratives. And narratives more often than not are built on signalling intent rather than actual progress or a patient approach. It is possible that Karti's arrest was forced by circumstances instead of procedure, but it presents the BJP with the chance to kill two birds with one stone: Regain the anti-corruption mojo and prove that graft breaches generational gap in the Congress. Read more here.

Karti Chidambaram's arrest could be an inflection point in the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) attempt to regain the narrative against corruption. For a party which came into power on the back of a promise to clean the swamp and take action against the kingpins behind the UPA's scam-tainted regime, the Narendra Modi government's four-year stint at the Centre has been quite an anti-climactic experience.

BJP will take up the issue of Karti Chidambaram's arrest in Parliament

Earlier, Abhishek Manu Singhvi had said it is a coincidence that the arrest happened at a time when the nation is attacking the Centre on 'ChhotaModi'

Coincidence to have the arrest at a time when the nation is questioning Centre on 'ChotaModi': Manu Singhvi

Karti says, "I have cooperated with the CBI and I'll be vindicated"

Former finance minister P Chidambaram cancelled his Oxford lecture and is rushing back to India as his wife Nalini flew from Chennai to New Delhi a while ago.

Congress says Centre trying to deflect the heat from unprecedented bank scams

Moreover, allegations of a political vendetta by the Opposition against the government are uncalled for and utterly baseless. The criminal justice system of our country also involves the judiciary, and if the arrest or even harassment of the accused is politically motivated, the judiciary will, in all such cases, provide relief. Read more here.

If the investigation agencies are indeed in possession of such evidence, Karti's arrest should have ideally happened earlier. Another charge by the agencies, that Karti was in the process of destroying evidence, is again very serious, and when proven, will make the accused ineligible for bail. One of the primary grounds for rejection of bail is the destruction of evidence, as has been established in Criminal Law.

PM and his ministers using political witchhunt and malicious intent to deflect heat from bank scam, says Congress

Defence lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi tells Court that it is the most bizarre case against Karti Chidambaram. The arrest is motivated. He hasn't been given a single summon in last 6 months and the allegations made by the CBI that he is not cooperating is not true when no summon has been issued after August 2017. Singhvi further says Karti has no connection with the Advantage Strategic Consulting (P) Limited which allegedly received kickbacks and always co-operated with ED and CBI in the case.- ANI

CBI will explain all details we don't wish to interfere, says Ravi Shankar Prasad

BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav says, "Law taking its own course, had it been vindictive it would have happened in the first year of our government. It took four years because a due legal process was followed. The agencies followed the process diligently & came to a conclusion."

Had it been vindictive it would have happened in the first year of govt, says Ram Madhav

Indrani Mukherjea had named Karti in a statement where she had said Karti had demanded $ 1 million for FIPB clearance.

Former finance minister P Chidambaram's son Karti's one-day CBI custody will come to an end on Thursday. The court is set to hear his bail plea on Thursday, reported News18.

"In their statement before ED, Peter alias Pratim Mukerjea and Indrani Mukerjea admitted that they had met P Chidambaram in his office in North Block, where Chidambaram told them to help the business of his son Karti, and to make foreign remittances for this purpose. They further admitted to having met Karti Chidambaram in Hotel Hyatt in Delhi, where a demand for illegal gratification of $1 million was made. It was further admitted that Karti Chidambaram suggested the names of Chess Management and Advantage Strategic as alternatives to make payments," the ED documents accessed by Firstpost said.

The promoter of INX Media Limited Peter and Indrani Mukerjea has named former finance minister P Chidambaram and even told the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths that he had asked them to help out the business of his son Karti Chidambaram during a meeting at North Block.

Indrani, they said, had confirmed in her statement to the CBI and ED that a payment of $7 lakh was made to the bank accounts of overseas firms linked to Karti.

The couple had also admitted that they subsequently met Karti at a five-star hotel in Delhi, where he allegedly made a demand of $1 million, they said, adding that this was reiterated by Indrani before the magistrate as well.

Karti Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI on Wednesday on the basis of confessional statements of INX Media Limited directors Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, alleging that they paid $7 lakh to him on the instructions of his father P Chidamabaram, as quid pro quo for a FIPB clearance, officials said.

Karti sent to his rightful place i.e. behind bars, says BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia

'Karti's arrest comes when nation is after Centre over Nirav Modi', says AM Singhvi

Speaking to CNN-News18, AAP leader Ashutosh said, "The Modi government has no answers on Nirav Modi. Law should be equal to everybody. They are trying to create news so that people's attention is diverted."

Narendra Modi govt has no answers on Nirav Modi, trying to divert people's attention: AAP leader

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said it was a classic diversionary tactic to hide "corruption scams, mal-governance and mal-administration that have marred this government".

While the Congress accused the BJP-led government of indulging in "political vendetta" and using the arrest as a "tactic" to divert attention from banking and other scams, the saffron party rejected the charge, saying there was no interference from the government and the law was taking its own course.

The arrest of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram on Wednesday led to a political slugfest between the Congress and the BJP.

Karti Chidambaram's arrest comes after his father and former finance minister P Chidambaram filed a petition in the Supreme Court alleging continued harassment of him and his family, reported The Hindu.

Following son Karti's arrest, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who was in England at the time, has cancelled his engagements and returned to New Delhi, reported Business Standard . Among his engagements was the Oxford Union debate on the motion This House Regrets the Partition of India on Thursday evening.

"Karti then tried to persuade Jet Airways to let him use his frequent flyer mileage to get an upgrade. The CBI resisted and managed to get him to fly economy," a senior agency official told India Today TV.

According to India Today , Karti Chidambaram demanded he be flown first class to New Delhi after his arrest at Chennai airport on Wednesday morning. However, the CBI was firm that rules only allowed travel by economy class.

Following arrest Karti Chidambaram wanted to fly first class to New Delhi: Report

Rejecting the CBI claim, senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi said both charges against his client were false. He said Karti appeared before the CBI and Enforcement Directorate for 30-40 hours and cooperated.

The CBI counsel told the Duty Magistrate that they needed his custodial interrogation since he was not cooperating with the probe and was going abroad frequently.

In Delhi, Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Anand granted the remand till 12.30 pm on Thursday when a regular CBI court will hear the agency that sought a 15-day remand of Karti for detailed questioning.

"Absolutely, political vendetta," he said and expressed confidence that he will eventually be vindicated.

While being taken to the court, Karti said his arrest was an act of political vendetta by the Narendra Modi government.

The defence counsel said Karti was ready for any conditions like surrender of passport and remaining within the city apart from marking daily attendance.

Describing the arrest as "malafide", Singhvi jocularly remarked that Karti was not a "Hindustan Leaver, but Hindustan Returner" for which he got the reward of arrest at the airport.

Singhvi said after 28 August last year, the CBI never issued summonses and whenever he went abroad he took court permission. He also rejected the charge of possible tampering with the evidence by Karti, saying this was a 10-year-old case based on documents and there was no question of tampering.

Rejecting the CBI claim, senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi said both charges against his client were false. He said Karti appeared before the CBI and Enforcement Directorate for 30-40 hours and cooperated.

"His silence on the entire saga raises serious questions about the role of the Narendra Modi government in the escape of (Punjab National Bank scam accused) Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi," Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam said.

On the other hand, the party said, despite India's biggest bank loot happening under his watch, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not answered a single legitimate question on the subject.

The Maharashtra Congress and the party's Mumbai city unit on Wednesday flayed the arrest of former Union minister P Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram, calling it "political vendetta" and said the Centre was "relying on statements of "habitual liar" Indrani Mukerjea in the matter.

CBI to ask for more time to grill Karti Chidambaram based on Indrani Mukherjea's claims, reports CNN-News18

The note further pointed out that this fact was also stated by Indrani in a statement recorded by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) before a magistrate under section 164 CrPC where she confirmed payment of $700,000 abroad.

"In their statement before ED, Peter alias Pratim Mukerjea and Indrani Mukerjea admitted that they had met P Chidambaram in his office in North Block, where Chidambaram told them to help the business of his son Karti, and to make foreign remittances for this purpose. They further admitted to having met Karti Chidambaram in Hotel Hyatt in Delhi, where a demand for illegal gratification of $1 million was made. It was further admitted that Karti Chidambaram suggested the names of Chess Management and Advantage Strategic as alternatives to make payments," the ED documents accessed by Firstpost said.

On Wednesday morning, police in Delhi swung into action following Karti's arrest in Chennai. The Patiala House court complex turned into a fortress, reported India Today . Barricades were put up. Karti's mother Nalini Chidambaram was also present when her son was brought in. Both were seen in conversation after the arguments concluded.

According to Business Standard , the Patiala Court will also be hearing the bail plea of S Bhaskararaman, Karti's CA, regarding the same case. He had filed the plea before the court on Wednesday. The Enforcement Directorate had arrested Bhaskararaman from a hotel on 16 February, after which he was sent to judicial custody for 14 days on 26 February, the report added.

It is to be understood that a mere denial holds no value in the eyes of law, or for people at large; it should be substantiated with evidence.

Even principally, such heinous allegations can't be brushed aside by just terming them "political vendetta". If at all the Congress party thinks that such actions are a result of a witch-hunt, it is incumbent upon them to come out with a factual rebuttal of the charges. These allegations have been floating in the media for over a year now, and all the Chidambaram father-son duo has done is deny them, instead of actually disproving them.

If one gets into details of the charges against Karti Chidambaram, his arrest will hardly come as a surprise. Instead, it would only look delayed, argues Raghav Pandey in this Firstpost article .

Quoting CBI sources, CNN-News18 reported that the investigative agency is hinging its argument to detain Karti Chidambaram to CBI custody in the INX Media case based on his CA, S Bhaskararaman and Indrani Mukherjea's statement.

According to CNN-News18, senior government lawyer Tushar Mehta will be representing the CBI in Thursday's hearing.

Ahead of Karti Chidambaram's hearing on Thursday at the Patiala House court complex, former finance minister P Chidambaram is reportedly at lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi's house, according to CNN-News18.

Around 200 Congress leaders held protests in Chennai on Thursday, raising slogans against the BJP over Karti Chidambaram's arrest, reported News18 . Questioning teh truth behind Indrani Mukherjea's statement implicating Karti and his father P Chidambaram, Congress leader Peter Alphonse said: "How can you trust the statement of Indrani Mukerjea? Her mental status is questionable. She has been in jail for two years. Her statement is questionable in court of law. This is a case of political vendetta.

Meanwhile, former finance minister P Chidambaram and lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, have left for the Patiala House court complex, reported CNN-News18.

According to CNN-News18, former finance minister P Chidambaram may be questioned by the CBI. Quoting CBI sources, the report said that he may be interrogated in the FIPB clearance case.

Speaking to CNN-News18, Subramanian Swamy said that he would give Indrani Mukerjea's statement weight because the CBI also has other collateral evidence to support it. He also said that he expects that former finance minister P Chidambaram will soon be taken into CBI custody for interrogation before the end of this month.

P Chidambaram will be joining his soon in CBI custody: Subramanian Swamy

Former finance minister P Chidambaram and Karti's lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi met just before the hearing at the latter's residence, India Today reported. The news channel said that the two Congressmen thrashed out a strategy to counter CBI's case against Karti.

However, Singhvi has previously also argued that Karti has been based out of India and has always answered CBI summons. This leaves no room for an arrest, the lawyer had argued.

According to CNN-News18, the CBI has argued in the case that Karti Chidambaram is not cooperating in probe and has been repeatedly going out of the country, making it difficult for the agency to interrogate him. The agency has sought 14-day custody of the former finance minister's son basis this argument.

According to Times Now, CBI sources have said they want to jointly grill Karti Chidambaram and his CA to match the disparities in their statements and confront onw with the claims made by the others. The investigation agency has sought a 14-day remand of the veteran Congress leader's son.

According to media reports, CBI lawyers have argued that the agency could not question Karti Chidambaram yesterday, when he was remanded to a 1-day custody, as he got admitted to a hospital and evaded questioning. The agency has now asked court to extend his remand.

FIPB Board members who cleared INX deal also to be grilled by CBI: CNN-News18

Karti's mother Nalini Chidambaram, who is also a senior advocate, was also seen sitting with him in the court. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi is leading the team of advocates for Karti.

Mehta, appearing in court on behalf of the CBI has argued that the agency is going plainly by evidence and that there is no political vendetta driving the case against Karti.

Delhi's Patiala House Court has reserved its order on the bail plea of Karti Chidambaram's chartered accountant. He will stay in jail till 7 March. There are reports that the CBI wants to jointly grill Karti and his CA to match up claims made by the two.

Singhvi, arguing in favour of Karti Chidambaram, called the case built up CBI bizarre. He said that the agency is making deliberate attempt to prejudice the court with half-baked facts, NDTV reported.

He then answered his question by saying that CBI didn't summon him because they did not have anything to ask.

Times Now reported that Singhvi told the court that the investigative agency has not issued a single summon to Karti after August 2017. The veteran lawyer and Congress leader asked that if tCBI felt that Karti was non-cooperative, they could have issued fresh summons. "Why did they not do so," he asked.

There is clear evidence of links between Karti Chidambaram and various companies, the CBI told the court. "We have emails and invoices indicating money was given to Advantage Strategic Consultancy Private Limited (ASCPL) in the time period when INX media received favours," CBI said claiming that all the companies could be traced back to Karti's businesses.

The party flagged the several banking scams unearthed recently and questioned the government's silence and inability to bring back absconding accused.

"Loot and scoot appears to be the modus operandi of thugs under this government," Randeep Surjewala said while addressing a press conference while the court was hearing the bail plea of Karti Chidambaram.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi said in court that the that the agency has failed to produce any new facts in the case, from what it had in May 2017 when the case was first registered. He said that the sole basis of arrest was Indrani Mukerjea's statement, which he said was accepted in whispers inside the court.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the court that the companies under lens for financial irregularities are not linked to Karti Chidambaram or any of his businesses. He also said that the CBI was only floating empty invoices for the benefit of the media. "Mere empty invoices, without proof of any payment being recieved is useless," Singhvi claimed.

'Karti not linked to companies under lens, invoices without payment useless': Abhishek Manu Singhvi argues in court

" How can CBI now cite statements of a couple (Indrani Mikerjea and Peter Mukerjea) which is being prosecuted by the same agency in Sheena Bora murder case and also in INX Media Case? You can't rule out they roped in Chidambarams in INX Media Case to seek certain favours in lieu of it," Singhvi argued.

Can't rely on statements of those charged under murder: Abhishek Manu Singhvi

The special court hearing Karti Chidambaram's bail plea and the CBI's request to a 14-day remand has reserved its order on both these issues. The order is expected shortly.

He said that Karti has appeared before the agency whenever he was called and therefore there is no basis for arrest or custody.

Pointing out that the legal basis to grant remand, or deny bail are mainly three threats, Singhvi said that Karti CHidambaram was neither at a flight risk, nor could the CBI prove any tampering of evidence, and there is no non-cooperation.

Special Judge Sunil Rana, who is hearing the demand of the agency seeking Karti's 14 days custodial interrogation, allowed him to meet his father P Chidambaram and mother Nalini Chidambaram inside courtroom in the presence of investigating officer. The order is expected shortly.

Karti Chidambaram is accused of seeking government clearance for foreign investments worth around Rs. 300 crore in television company INX Media in exchange for bribes back in 2007, when his father P Chidambaram was the Union finance minister.

Recap: Karti Chidambaram accused of accepting pay offs in return of govt clearance for FDI in INX media

Karti Chidambaram's lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the press that the CBI failed to prove how the bribe money allegedly travelled, or to provide remittance for the so called pay offs. "Matter has ended on fact that CBI is referring to large volumes of material not shared with us. But we've been able to show there is no case. Now we are leaving the matter to court," Singhvi said.

Karti, CBI officials' snap at each other over use of language

The CBI officials wanted Karti Chidambaram to remove the gold chains he is wearing, when in custody, but he expressed his reluctance to do so. His lawyer told the court that he wears them for religious reasons. At this point the judge had to interfere and ask both parties to not spar on trivial things and proceed with the investigation, NDTV reported. Moreover, Karti's request to be allowed to have home food was turned down.

Karti allowed to wear gold chains in custody but no to home food; can see lawyers twice a day

Karti Chidambaram, who was directly taken into CBI custody until 6 March as soon as the court pronounced its order, shouted across to the media that he will be vindicated, NDTV reported. Meanwhile, his father P Chidambaram maintained a stoic silence, as media personals hurled questions at him, both on his way in and out to the court.

The senior advocate, who has been representing Karti in the legal battle before the Supreme Court, said this was a case of "pure vendetta" as the CBI was helpless and had to take refuge of a statement by Indrani Mukerjea, an accused charged with murdering her own daughter.

The arrest of Karti Chidambaram by the CBI in the INX media case shows that the Indian investigating agencies are no longer caged parrots but "a singing parrot" of the government, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said.

The Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra has refused to grant interim protection to Karti from arrest by ED Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal,who appeared for Karti said Karti will be arrested by ED once the CBI custody is over (Toda). He submitted that it is the same transactions for which, his client is in CBI custody presently and ED cant investigate him without any FIR.

Supreme Court issued notice to Enforcement Directorate for quashing of all criminal proceedings initiated against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with FIPB approval for Aircel-Maxis and INX Media in 2006 and 2007.

In the petition, Karti said the ED's action is "the serious infringement of the Petitioner's fundamental right to live with dignity guaranteed under Article 21 read with Articles 14 and 19 of the Constitution of India."

Supreme Court also sought response from the Enforcement Directorate on Karti Chidambaram's fresh plea seeking protection from arrest. The top court lists matter for hearing on 8 March.

News18 reports that CBI cited the joint interrogation of Karti and Indrani Mukerjea of INX Media to extend the custody of the businessman. Appearing for Karti, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who also happens to be a senior Congress leader, stressed on personal liberty.

CBI to seek eight days more of custodial interrogation of Karti Chidambaram in INX Media case. But Karti looks to seek bail, and is likely to move Delhi High Court if denied this relief. CBI wants the hearing in post-lunch session.

While the CBI has sought an extension of custody of Karti Chidambaram, there is confusion over the number of days. While Bar & Bench is reporting that the apex investigation agency has demanded an extension of six days, Live Law is reporting seven days. CNN-News18, on the other hand, is stating that the CBI is seeking 9-day custody of Karti.

According to the Income Tax department, Karti Chidambaram used the money that he received as bribe from Indrani Mukherjee to buy property in the United States.

Former media executive Indrani Mukerjea has reportedly claimed that Karti Chidambaram demanded $1 million from her, and that she paid him a part of this sum, at a hotel in New Delhi last year. After Firstpost reported on this allegation on 28 February, a confessional video, accessed by Times Now, depicts Indrani making the same allegation, adding that she "doesn't care" about her credibility being questioned by Karti, or his father, former finance minister P Chidambaram, because she recorded her testimony before a magistrate under section 164 of the CrPC. Mukerjea, according to the on-camera revelation released by Times Now, also claimed that she met P Chidambaram in his North Block office.

Senior Congress leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal, who is representing Karti Chidambaram in the case, told the bench on Tuesday that Karti Chidambaram should not be arrested since there is no FIR by the Enforcement Directorate, NDTV reporrted.

CBI will file a reply seeking two weeks time to respond. Karthi has filed for bail in Patiala House Court. The plea was filed on Monday. Karti has said that he will be co-operating with the investigation agencies. On the bail application, CBI will file an application seeking 2 weeks to respond. Apart from that. CBI has moved application seeking further 9 days custody.

Tushar Mehta says, "Our investigation is not just about the 164 statements of Indrani. We have more evidence." He asks asks the judge to read a few paragraphs from the documents given earlier in a sealed envelope. "We have recorded the confrontation with Indrani as well which if the judge wants we can put it in front of you," he continues. Mehta adds that some development happened on Monday which has not been told in open court.

In the last four days, there has been substantial progress. It is based on this that CBI seeks nine days remand. CBI says that Karti is not cooperating, adds that he is playing the victim card.

According to NDTV, Karti Chidambaram is seated on the left side of the room along with the CBI officials for the hearing. His parents are present at the other side.

NDTV reports Karti Chidambaram's lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi as saying that " This is a malafide attempt to keep Karti Chidambaram in custody. Tomorrow the CBI may cite more reasons demanding extended custody,"

Key accused Indrani Mukherjea's statement is just one of the evidences, says Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

New revelations have come up in INX Media case which can't be disclosed and Karti is not cooperating, PTI quoted CBI as telling the court.

Singhvi counters CBI's claim, says on behalf of Karti, "If I am silent, that does not mean I am non-cooperative"

Speaking in the court, Karti's lawyer Abhishek Mnau Singhvi argues, "None of the conditions by CBI is such that it could not be meet without Karti in custody. It can be done by interrogating, summoning or calling him from 9 am to 6 pm. How is their investigation hampered by not having him in custody ? Singhvi continues, "Mehta is not forwarding material to the judge but is giving his personal opinion or subjective notes which is not credible or relevant . Such notes cannot be the basis to keep me in custody."

Karti can be interrogated without keeping him under custody, says Singhvi

While the Patiala House Court has reserved the order on Karti's bail application, we will come to know if he will get bail or not at 4.30 pm.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi argues, "It comes down to three factors: flight risk, direct tampering of evidence and non-cooperation. This non-cooperation is not by way of answers given but by way of not submitting before the court."

Singhvi says it comes to 3 factors of flight risk, direct tampering of evidence and non-cooperation

CBI gave no reasons but kept repeating 'we have to interrogate': Singhvi

Singhvi's last argument was Karti is not a terrorist with a bomb that he cannot be interrogated without keeping him in custody.

I-T claims that Karti spent Rs 3.3 crore on US property and bought assets with the INX bribe money. Sources say Karti will be prosecuted under black money laws, CNN-News 18 reported. CBI said original will that gave firm to Karti's minor daughter was missing.

While the Patiala House Court has reserved the order on Karti's bail application, we will come to know if he will get bail or not at 4.30 pm.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi argues, "It comes down to three factors: flight risk, direct tampering of evidence and non-cooperation. This non-cooperation is not by way of answers given but by way of not submitting before the court."

Singhvi says it comes to 3 factors of flight risk, direct tampering of evidence and non-cooperation

Argued CBI hasn't given a single ground or written a single reason in its application for further remand. #KartiChidambram only had a 25-minute long confrontation with Indrani Mukerjea &around 2 hrs long interrogation in last 5 days & there is no need of further custody:A Singhvi pic.twitter.com/38Lm70RSH1

CBI gave no reasons but kept repeating orally that we have to interrogate. Court will pronounce judgement at around 4:30 pm today: A Singhvi, #KartiChidambram 's lawyer in #INXMediaCase pic.twitter.com/nSSyrugy62

CBI gave no reasons but kept repeating 'we have to interrogate': Singhvi

Singhvi's last argument was Karti is not a terrorist with a bomb that he cannot be interrogated without keeping him in custody.

I have nothing to say. Let's wait for the Court's order: Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, counsel for CBI #INXMediaCase pic.twitter.com/IR0l0jQGE8

I-T claims that Karti spent Rs 3.3 crore on US property and bought assets with the INX bribe money. Sources say Karti will be prosecuted under black money laws, CNN-News 18 reported. CBI said original will that gave firm to Karti's minor daughter was missing.

P Chidambaram and Nalini Chidambaram outside Delhi's Patiala House Court. #KartiChidambram has been sent to 3 more days of CBI Custody by Special CBI Court in #INXMediaCase . pic.twitter.com/u7Lx18TFcD

Karti Chidambaram hearing Latest Updates: After 2 pm, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has begun his arguments in the case. Patiala House Court extended CBI custody of Karti Chidambaram by 3 days; next hearing to be held on 9 March at 2 pm.

Income Tax department has revealed that Karti used the bribe money received from Indrani Mukherjee to buy property worth over three crore rupees in the United States. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court refused to grant Karti Chidambaram interim protection from arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in alleged money laundering case related to INX Media. Karti, son of former Union minister P Chidambaram, sought quashing of the Enforcement Directorate's summons against him in the INX Media corruption case in a fresh plea. Supreme Court seeks response from ED on Karti Chidambaram's fresh plea seeking protection from arrest, lists matter for 8 March.

In his fresh writ petition, Karti Chidambaram has challenged the summons on the ground that the ED has no jurisdiction to issue such notices based on the FIR lodged by the CBI.

The plea was mentioned today by his counsel before a bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, which agreed to hear it along with related pending matters scheduled for hearing tomorrow.

The top court had on February 23 refused to stay the summons issued by the ED against Karti -- who is presently in CBI custody in the INX Media money laundering case -- after the CBI said he was "not a common criminal" and his plea for quashing the notice was "a guise for an anticipatory bail plea".

However, the top court had asked Karti to request the competent authority to postpone the ED summons seeking his appearance.

The bench had listed the matter for hearing on March 6 after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who had appeared for Karti, sought time to file a proper application to challenge the ED proceedings.

The ED had registered a case against him and others in May last year. It registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), the ED's equivalent of a police FIR, against the accused named in a CBI complaint. These included Karti Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea.

An FIR, filed on May 15 last year, had alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving Rs 305 crore in overseas funds in 2007 when P Chidambaram was Union finance minister.

The apex court was hearing pleas, including the CBI's appeal, challenging the Madras High Court order staying a lookout circular (LOC) issued against Karti Chidambaram.

The CBI had on September 1 last year said there were "good, cogent" reasons for issuing the LOC.

The Chidambarams have denied all the charges made against them.

Earlier, a single judge bench of the Madras High Court had stayed the LOC issued against Karti Chidambaram and others in the graft case.

Later, the apex court considered the CBI appeal and stayed the operation of the high court order staying the LOC.

The Supreme Court, however, has kept to itself another batch of petitions relating to registration of FIR in the corruption case.Naxals torched two buses after asking passengers to alight in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Sukma district on Monday night.

Raipur: Naxals torched two buses after asking passengers to alight in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Sukma district on Monday night, police said.

One person was reported to have been killed by Naxals at the spot, they said.

The incident took place between Peddakudthi and Penta villages under Dornapal police station limits when the two buses, were heading to Hyderabad, a senior police official told PTI.

While one bus was going to Hyderabad from Jagdalpur, another was going from Malkangiri (Odisha) to Hyderabad via Sukma, he said.

Armed ultras stopped the buses between Peddakudthi and Penta and asked the passengers to get down from the vehicles following which they set it ablaze, he said.

Besides, Naxals also reported to have torched a truck which was passing through the spot during the incident, he said.

As per eyewitnesses, ultras have also killed a person after setting vehicles on fire, but it could be officially confirmed once security forces will reach to the spot, which is around 500 km away from the state capital, the official said.

Security forces have been asked to take extra precaution while going to the place which is located on an extremely sensitive Sukma-Konta road, he said.

Naxals might have executed the incident in retaliation to the recent encounter on 2 March in Pujari Kanker area of Bijapur district wherein their 10 colleagues were gunned down by Greyhounds force of Telangana, he said.The PETA said that it would release the findings of its investigation into the recent nine Jallikattu events and submit the same in the Supreme Court.

New Delhi: The PETA on Monday said that it would release the findings of its investigation into the recent nine Jallikattu events and submit the same in the Supreme Court.

The animal rights body claimed that the findings proved there was cruelty towards bulls and disregard for human life.

"PETA India documented the cruelty  which was observed during events in four districts of the state (Tamil Nadu) between January 14 and 28, 2018, in detail in a report and in photographs and video footage," it said in a statement.

The video shows that bulls were "hit, whipped and poked" with metal and wooden sticks inside the 'vaadi vaasal', and their tails were "twisted and yanked" to force them to run towards the "menacing" crowd, PETA said.

It also shows that bulls' nose ropes were roughly yanked, causing their nostrils to bleed while they fled onto village streets, injuring spectators and even mauling them to death, the organisation claimed.

PETA said that onlookers hit and jumped onto bulls fleeing the collection yard  an illegal practice known as "parallel Jallikattu"  and the bulls suffered severe injuries and collapsed.

It also said that it plans to submit these findings in the Supreme Court in support of its ongoing case challenging the constitutional validity of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017, which permits Jallikattu in the state.

"Year after year, investigation after investigation reveals the same thing: Deliberate cruelty, injury, and deaths are inherent in Jallikattu, and no amount of regulation can change that, which is why the Supreme Court had banned it in the first place."

"India's true culture is one of kindness to cattle and respect for life  not forming a violent mob to bully terrified animals," said PETA India CEO Dr Manilal Valliyate.

PETA India said that since Tamil Nadu began allowing Jallikattu in 2017, at least 26 humans, including a police officer and a teenager, have been killed, and more than 2,500 reportedly injured.

At least 10 bulls have also died in this time, and other bull deaths likely go unreported, it claimed.

In 2014, the Supreme Court in a ruling (AWBI vs A Nagaraja and others) upheld that Jallikattu was "inherently cruel" and therefore illegal under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, thereby striking down the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act, 2009, which aimed to allow the races, the statement said.

The state's effort to overturn this ruling in its review petition was dismissed by the court on November 16, 2016, the animal body said.

In 2011, the central government banned the use of bulls in performances through a notification issued under the PCA Act, 1960, PETA India added.According to reports, the Central Bureau of Investigation had summoned ICICI bank's CEO Chanda Kochhar for questioning in the Gitanjali jewel loan case. According to sources, Kochhar is in the CBI office right now.

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According to ICICI bank sources, bank's MD and CEO Chandra Kochhar had been summoned by the SFIO, Mumbai.

According to reports, apart from Kochhar, Axis Bank's Shikha Sharma was summoned as well.

ICICI Bank, which is the lead banker to Gitanjali Group loans said, We are working capital lenders to the Gitanjali group of companies along with several other banks in the consortium."

On 27 February, when the CBI had called ICICI Bank's Executive Director NS Kannan for questioning, the bank had clarified that they "have not issued any Letter of Undertaking (LOU) nor do we have any buyers credit exposure against LOUs with respect to the Nirav Modi group of companies as well as the Gitanjali group of companies."

Chanda Kochhar-led ICICI Bank had informed that it has no exposure to Nirav Modi group of companies, but have given working capital loans along with a consortium to Gitanjali group, Moneycontrol reported. It has added that no LoUs have been issued to both the companies.

Axis bank has exposure to both Nirav modi and Gitanjali. It issued LoUs to both too.

The SFIO has been issuing summons to banks to ascertain the kind of exposure to Nirav modi and Mehul Choksi  how much assets were mortgaged against it, what can be seized and how much loans can be waived off.

According to News18, Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) has also summoned Kochhar and Shikha Sharma. More details are still awaited.

Officials of State Bank of Jaipur, KarurVysya Bank, among others are expected to be summoned by the CBI.

'SFIO had issued letters to some banks asking to explain about the working capital facility given to Gitanjali group'

The ICICI Bank, with a loan of Rs 405 crore, was a lead banker in this consortium; Axis Bank had a major exposure too.

Both, Kochhar and Sharma, top women bankers in India, have been summoned in a case of Rs 5,280 crore working capital facility given to Mehul Choksi's Gitanjali Group by a consortium of 31 banks.

Choksi was given capital facility of Rs 5,280 crore by consortium of 31 banks

Chitalia was apprehended at Mumbai airport and brought to the CBI office at the Bandra-Kurla Complex here for questioning, he said, but did not divulge any other details about Chitalia's alleged role in the PNB fraud.

The CBI, earlier, detained Vipul Chitalia, the vice president of Gitanjali Group of Companies, as a part of its probe into the PNB fraud.

India Today reports that the SFIO has also summoned PNB MD and CEO Sunil Mehta. The SFIO is a fraud investigating agency, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

The SFIO Mumbai confirmed that both Chanda Kochhar and Shikha Sharma have been summoned for giving loan facility to Gitanjali Group. "They have been summoned for giving the loan facility to Gitanjali Group. Our intention is to get the information from these two banks. We would like to question both of them."

Vipul Chitalia, vice president (banking operations) of Gitanjali Group, was detained by CBI in Mumbai in connection with the PNB fraud. The agency took him for questioning, reports PTI.

The CBI detained Vipul Chitalia, the vice president of Gitanjali Group of Companies, as a part of its probe into the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, an official said. Chitalia was apprehended at Mumbai airport and brought to the CBI office at the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai for questioning, he said, but did not divulge any other details about Chitalia's alleged role in the PNB fraud.

An LoU would be issued to one of the firms of Modi and Choksi, and after the money was credited to the applicants' account, a new LoU would be obtained to "adjust" the earlier one, the CBI lawyer said. This had been going on since 2010, the lawyer said, while seeking remand of four accused including Aniyath Shiv Raman Nair, Director of Gitanjali Group of Companies of Choksi.

The agency, which secured a 12-day remand of four accused arrested on Sunday, explained the modus operandi involved in the alleged Rs 12,636-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud before the special CBI court.

Violation of norms for issuance of Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) to benefit billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi had been going on since 2010, the CBI told a court in Mumbai on Monday.

Officials of State Bank of Jaipur, KarurVysya Bank, among others are expected to be summoned by the CBI.

Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) had issued letters to some banks asking to explain about the working capital facility given to #Gitanjali group: Sources

'SFIO had issued letters to some banks asking to explain about the working capital facility given to Gitanjali group'

The ICICI Bank, with a loan of Rs 405 crore, was a lead banker in this consortium; Axis Bank had a major exposure too.

Both, Kochhar and Sharma, top women bankers in India, have been summoned in a case of Rs 5,280 crore working capital facility given to Mehul Choksi's Gitanjali Group by a consortium of 31 banks.

Choksi was given capital facility of Rs 5,280 crore by consortium of 31 banks

Chitalia was apprehended at Mumbai airport and brought to the CBI office at the Bandra-Kurla Complex here for questioning, he said, but did not divulge any other details about Chitalia's alleged role in the PNB fraud.

The CBI, earlier, detained Vipul Chitalia, the vice president of Gitanjali Group of Companies, as a part of its probe into the PNB fraud.

India Today reports that the SFIO has also summoned PNB MD and CEO Sunil Mehta. The SFIO is a fraud investigating agency, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

The SFIO Mumbai confirmed that both Chanda Kochhar and Shikha Sharma have been summoned for giving loan facility to Gitanjali Group. "They have been summoned for giving the loan facility to Gitanjali Group. Our intention is to get the information from these two banks. We would like to question both of them."

Vipul Chitalia, vice president (banking operations) of Gitanjali Group, was detained by CBI in Mumbai in connection with the PNB fraud. The agency took him for questioning, reports PTI.

The CBI detained Vipul Chitalia, the vice president of Gitanjali Group of Companies, as a part of its probe into the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, an official said. Chitalia was apprehended at Mumbai airport and brought to the CBI office at the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai for questioning, he said, but did not divulge any other details about Chitalia's alleged role in the PNB fraud.

An LoU would be issued to one of the firms of Modi and Choksi, and after the money was credited to the applicants' account, a new LoU would be obtained to "adjust" the earlier one, the CBI lawyer said. This had been going on since 2010, the lawyer said, while seeking remand of four accused including Aniyath Shiv Raman Nair, Director of Gitanjali Group of Companies of Choksi.

The agency, which secured a 12-day remand of four accused arrested on Sunday, explained the modus operandi involved in the alleged Rs 12,636-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud before the special CBI court.

Violation of norms for issuance of Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) to benefit billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi had been going on since 2010, the CBI told a court in Mumbai on Monday.

PNB fraud latest updates: PTI report said that Vipul Chitalia, vice president (banking operations) of Gitanjali Group, was detained by CBI in Mumbai in connection with the PNB fraud. The agency took him for questioning.

Confirming several reports, SFIO Mumbai said that both Chanda Kochhar and Shikha Sharma had been summoned for granting loan facility to Gitanjali group.

According to reports, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) Mumbai has also summoned Axis Bank's Shikha Sharma for questioning as well. Reports also said that officials from 31 banks are expected to be called in for questioning.

According to reports, the Central Bureau of Investigation had summoned ICICI bank's CEO Chanda Kochhar for questioning in the Gitanjali jewel loan case. According to sources, Kochhar is in the CBI office right now. Kochhar was called in questioning on Monday and Sunday as well.

Violation of norms for issuance of Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) to benefit billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi had been going on since 2010, the CBI told a court. The agency, which secured a 12-day remand of four accused arrested on Sunday, explained the modus operandi involved in the alleged Rs 12,636-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud before the special CBI court in Mumbai.

An LoU would be issued to one of the firms of Modi and Choksi, and after the money was credited to the applicants' account, a new LoU would be obtained to "adjust" the earlier one, the CBI lawyer said.

This had been going on since 2010, the lawyer said, while seeking remand of four accused including Aniyath Shiv Raman Nair, Director of Gitanjali Group of Companies of Choksi.

Nair had signed various applications to avail the LoU facility, and he was also a director at 19 other companies of Mehul Choksi, the CBI lawyer said.

Manish K Bosamiya, then Assistant General Manager (Operation) of Firestar International Pvt Ltd (a Nirav Modi group firm), who was also produced before the CBI court, was responsible for day-to-day credit activities of the company, said the lawyer of the investigating agency.

Bosamiya was the one who was liaisoning with banks, especially PNB, for credit and disbursement, the CBI lawyer told the court.

Bosamiya used to visit the Brady House branch of PNB here, the CBI lawyer said. It is from this branch that the alleged scam started.

Documents for LoUs were submitted on the instructions of Bosamiya, as per the information given by co-accused Arjun Patil (senior executive, Firestar) to the interrogators, the CBI said.

Patil told investigators that he had prepared the documents on Bosamiya's direction, the CBI lawyer claimed.

Another accused Miten Pandya, who was finance manager at Firestar and was earlier assisting Bosamiya, had taken charge of all the activities which Bosamiya was doing earlier, the CBI said.

However, Bosamiya's lawyer told the court that he had left the company three years ago and that he was assisting the CBI in its investigation. Bosamiya had visited the CBI office for assisting the probe 8 to 10 times, the lawyer added.

Bosamiya was taken into custody around 11 am yesterday and was produced before the court around 4 pm today, after over 24 hours, he said, alleging that the CBI showed wrong time of the arrest and this was an illegal custody.

Under the law, an accused has to be produced before a court within 24 hours of the arrest.

The lawyer of Sanjay Rambhia, a partner of the firm M/s Sampat and Mehta which was auditing the company since 2001, told the court that his client had pointed out unsecured loans of Rs 5,100 and also brought them to the notice of the Income Tax department.

While sending the four accused to the CBI custody, judge S R Tamboli said there were voluminous documents which needed a probe, and with which the accused were needed to confronted.

More than Rs 6,500 crore were involved in the offence, the judge noted.

In order to find out the nexus (between firms and PNB officials), a fair chance needs to be given to the investigating officer, the judge said, sending all four to the CBI custody till March 17.

Bosamiya, Miten Anil Pandya, Sanjay Rambhia and Aniyath Shiv Raman Nair were arrested yesterday.

It is alleged that Choksi and Modi got LoUs and Foregin Letters of Credit (FLCs) of Rs 12,636 crore issued in favour of foreign branches of Indian banks based on fraudulent claims.

Earlier today, the CBI court remanded six others, arrested in the case last month, in judicial custody till March 19.

Vipul Ambani, President, Finance, the Firestar International; Kavita Mankikar, executive assistant and authorised signatory of three firms of Nirav Modi; Arjun Patil, senior executive, Firestar group, were arrested in the case related to the Modi group firms.

Kapil Khandelwal, CFO, Nakshatra group and Gitanjali group and Niten Shahi, manager, Gitanjali group, were arrested in the case related to Choksi's firms.

Rajesh Jindal was a senior PNB official.

All the six were produced before judge S R Tamboli after their CBI remand ended today.

Mankikar's lawyer said in the court that she suffered from diabetes, while Ambani's lawyer said he suffered from stomach pain and back pain. The judge, while remanding them in judicial custody, said they should be provided necessary medical help.Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the party will grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh if voted to power in 2019

New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the party will grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh if voted to power in 2019, even as the AAP too extended its support to the demand.

"We will give special category status to Andhra Pradesh. It's the first thing we will do after coming to power in 2019," he told a group of party workers who protested at Jantar Mantar demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.

"I am confident that if we stand together we will convince the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi that what is due to the people of Andhra Pradesh should be given to them," he added.

He later tweeted: "It is my belief that if the opposition stands united on this issue, we can force the BJP Govt to do justice to the people of Andhra."

Aam Aadmi Party MLA Somnath Bharti, who also joined the protest, said he had come to extend support on "behalf" of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Members from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), YSR Congress, Left parties and the Congress were present at the protest.

"I have come with the Delhi chief minister's message of support. The AAP will support the Congress wherever they raise this demand, be it inside or outside Parliament," he said.

Though the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is part of the NDA government at the Centre, its leaders are protesting against the central government for "neglecting Andhra Pradesh".

The opposition YSR Congress Party has announced that all its five MPs would resign on 6 April if the demand was not met.

The demand was raised after erstwhile Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated.

The protesters claim that the bifurcation caused a huge revenue deficit for the successor Andhra Pradesh.

The Centre announced a "special package" in 2016 for Andhra, but the TDP government claimed no funds have been released under the package.

This has turned the focus back on special category status for AP.As the Punjab National Bank scam continues to rock the Parliament, Rahul Gandhi will travel to Singapore on 8 and 9 March, while on 10 March he will visit Malaysia, according to reports.

With Opposition parties continuing to pursue the Punjab National Bank fraud case aggressively in Parliament, Congress president Rahul Gandhi will visit Singapore and Malaysia this week, media reports have said. Rahul will travel to Singapore on 8 and 9 March, and will head to Malaysia on 10 March, a report on DNA said.

Both countries have a large Indian expat community.

According to ZeeNews, Rahul is expected to address the Indian diaspora during his two-day trip to Singapore, as well as hold a closed-door meeting with Indian professionals and industrialists in the country.

In Malaysia, the Congress president will address people of Indian origin. Rahul will interact with businessmen in Malaysia as well as workers in blue-collar jobs, the DNA report added.

Reports suggest that Rahul's visit will be on the lines of the visits undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has frequently reached out to the Indian diaspora abroad.

The Congress president had travelled to the US and Bahrain last year for similar functions, where he tried to highlight the achievements of the Congress, and also reflected on the mistakes that the party would avoid making in the future.

Rahul had delivered a speech at the University of California, Berkeley on the issue of 'India at 70', where he admitted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a better communicator than he is. He also spoke on the issue of dynastic politics, a subject for which the Congress has often been targeted by Opposition parties, and said that dynasty is "present in all political parties".

Rahul also interacted with students at the Princeton University in New Jersey and spoke about the challenges faced by India. The focus of his speech was on creation of jobs. During his visit to Bahrain in 2018, Rahul addressed the Indian diaspora and said that the two threats facing India under the Modi government were inability to create jobs and the rise in the forces of hatred and division.

His comments drew a sharp reaction from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which had criticised his address an act of "immaturity".

Rahul's visit to Malaysia and Singapore will come at a time when he is already facing criticism for taking a vacation in Italy the day after Assembly election results failed to produce a victory for the party in three northeastern states: Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura.

With inputs from agenciesA status report on the Shopian firing prepared by the Jammu and Kashmir Police said the army did not cooperate with the probe against Major Aditya Kumar.

A status report prepared by the Jammu and Kashmir Police has said that the army did not cooperate with the investigation against Major Aditya Kumar, named in an FIR after the killing of three civilians in Shopian on 27 January.

Neither the army nor the public has cooperated with our investigation from the beginning. That is a fact, The Indian Express quoted Jammu and Kashmir DGP SP Vaid as saying. The report also said that the local population also did not cooperate with the police probe.

..the injured/dead bodies had been taken away by the relatives and locals, thus no medico legal formalities could be completed by the police. However, police sought medical records from hospitals where the injured/deceased were taken by the locals, The Indian Express further quoted the police report as saying.

On Monday, the Supreme Court restrained the Jammu and Kashmir Police from carrying out any investigation in pursuance to an FIR filed against Kumar.

Directing the listing of the matter for "final disposal" on 24 April, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud said: "There shall be no investigation on the basis of the FIR lodged till then."

Lieutenant-Colonel Karamveer Singh  a serving officer and father of Major Aditya Kumar  is seeking the quashing of the FIR against his son.

At the outset of the hearing, Attorney General KK Venugopal said the mere filing of the complaint against an Army personnel serving in the disturbed area was barred under Section 7 of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) without the prior sanction of the central government.

He cited top court judgements of 2006 and 2014 in support of his contention that without the Centre's sanction even a complaint against a serving army officer operating in disturbed area was prohibited under the law.

This was opposed by senior counsel Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Jammu and Kashmir, saying that the registration of FIR and even filing of chargesheet did not amount to taking cognisance of the offence and thus no prior permission of the Centre was required.

He too cited the top court judgements to back his contention.

"Is there a licence to kill under Section 4 and Section 7 of the (Armed Forces Disturbed Area) Act," Naphade said, with the Attorney General taking exception to the words "licence to kill" saying many soldiers are being killed.

As Naphade reiterated the stand of the Jammu and Kashmir government, Chief Justice Misra said: "Major Aditya Kumar is an Army officer and not an ordinary criminal."

Naphade said Major Kumar has not even been named as an accused in the FIR.

With inputs from IANSWith two more witnesses denying parts of their earlier statements recorded 13 years ago, 35 of 53 witnesses called so far have been declared hostile in the trial on the alleged fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh

With two more witnesses denying parts of their earlier statements recorded 13 years ago, 35 of 53 witnesses called so far have been declared hostile in the trial on the alleged fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, according to media reports.

On Monday, two of three panch witnesses in the 2005 case were declared hostile after they failed to identify accessories seized before them from the Sheikh's body before it was taken for autopsy, The Asian Age reported.

Sheikh was killed in an alleged fake encounter near Gandhinagar, after which his wife Kausar Bi disappeared and was believed to have been killed. Police in Gujarats Banaskantha district allegedly killed Tulsi Prajapati, Sheikh's aide and a key eyewitness to the encounter, in December 2006. Of the 38 persons named by the CBI as accused, 15, including senior IPS officers DG Vanzara, Pandian, Dinesh MN, and BJP president Amit Shah, were discharged by the CBI court in Mumbai between August 2016 and September 2017.

In February, a roadside hotel owner, failing to support the prosecution's case, was declared hostile, joining a series of other witnessed who retracted their statements. Since 29 November 2017, when the CBI examined its first witness in the case, dozens of eyewitnesses who gave statements to investigators earlier, have said they never saw Sheikh with Kausar Bi and Prajapati being abducted from a bus in November 2005.

These include Misbah Hyder, who was driving the bus on which Sheikh was allegedly travelling. Hyder had earlier claimed that an SUV had stopped the bus and the police had taken away three persons, but now denies such an incident had taken place. Another eyewitness, Amit Sharad Apte, who was also travelling on the same bus, retracted his earlier statement in which he said he saw Sheikh, his wife and Prajapati.

Protection for witnesses

On 12 February, after two more witnesses had turned hostile, the Bombay High Court sought to know from the CBI the steps it was taking to ensure that the witnesses were able to testify fearlessly. The high court posed the question to CBI after noting that several of the witnesses in the case examined by a special court had turned hostile, and maintained that the premier investigative agency cant be a silent spectator.

"Is it not the CBIs responsibility to ensure that its witnesses are protected so that they can depose against the accused fearlessly?" the court asked. "Considering that several witnesses have turned hostile before the special CBI court, are you providing any protection to them? Your responsibility does not end simply at filing the chargesheet. It is your duty to protect your witnesses," the bench said.

The observations came while the court was hearing an appeal filed by the CBI challenging the discharge of former Gujarat IPS officer NK Amin, one of the 15 accused discharged in the case by the special court. The CBI charged Amin with being a part of the conspiracy to kill Sheikh, Kausar Bi and Prajapati.

Gagged media

On 29 November, as CBI began its examination of eyewitnesses, a defence advocate moved an application seeking to ban the media from reporting the case, The Indian Express reported. The court passed an order the same day, restraining the media from reporting the case "till further orders".

However, on 24 January, the Bombay High Court quashed and set aside the trial court's order prohibiting journalists from reporting on or publishing the proceedings of the case trial. Justice Revati Mohite-Dere minced no words in holding that the special CBI court overreached its powers in issuing the order.

"The rights of the press are intrinsic with the constitutional right that guarantees freedom of expression. In reporting from an open trial, the press not only makes use of its own right, but serves the larger purpose of making such information available to the general public," she said.

Such an order could be issued only in rare cases, and for a limited period of time, the court said. Mohite-Dere said mere apprehension of sensationalism by the accused was not a sufficient ground for issuing such gag orders.

New high court bench to hear case

A week ago, a batch of petitions challenging the discharge of senior IPS officers in the fake encounter case was assigned to a new single-judge bench of the Bombay High Court, three weeks after a judge started day-to-day hearing on the matter.

A notice published on the high court website this evening said that Mohite-Dere, who was dealing with the petitions, will no longer hear criminal revision applications.

Apart from her, the assignment of cases of some other judges was also changed. Mohite-Dere will now hear matters concerning anticipatory bail applications, while Justice NW Sambre will deal with all criminal revision applications, the notice said.

During the course of the hearing, Mohite-Dere had made sharp observations about the CBI, saying the court was not getting enough help from the agency, in addition to overturning the trial court's gag order.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi raked up the faked encounter case two days later, saying it has claimed yet another judge.

The Sohrabuddin case claims yet another Judge. Justice Revati Dere, who challenged the CBI has been removed. Judge J T Utpat, asked Amit Shah to appear and was removed. Judge Loya asked tough questions. He died. #HowDidLoyaDie? https://t.co/iNFLVIEQni  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) February 27, 2018

He also referred to the issue of death of CBI judge BH Loya, who was earlier hearing the case and used the hashtag "#HowDidLoyaDie?" in his tweet.

With inputs from PTIThe Supreme Court has denied anticipatory bail to Karti Chidambaram in a money laundering case that was registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate.

The Supreme Court has denied anticipatory bail to Karti Chidambaram in a money laundering case that was registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate. According to LiveLaw, the apex court also issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate in the case and posted the matter for further hearing on 8 March.

SC issues notice in petition filed by Karti Chidambaram. Refuses to grant interim protection. Posts for hearing on Thursday. @LiveLawIndia  Namit Saxena (@namitsaxena2007) March 6, 2018

According to a News18 report, the top court refused to grant him anticipatory bail from arrest, saying that doing so would affect the trail proceedings.

In his plea, Karti had alleged that the ED was on a "fishing and roving enquiry" to malign the reputation of his father, former finance minister P Chidambaram. He had contented that the ED cannot act against him until the CBI completes its probe. "The CBI has committed contempt of Madras High Court by arresting me at the airport. The CBI hasn't even disclosed grounds of arrest," Karti had said in his plea. According to LiveLaw, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta questioned the maintainability of Karti's petition. An article on LiveLaw also mentioned that Karti had sought quashing of all criminal proceedings initiated against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the ED in connection with FIPB approval for Aircel-Maxis and INX Media in 2006 and 2007. Karti had also challenged the summons issued to him by the ED in the cases. Kapil Sibal, representing Karti, argued that the ED case is related to the same transactions for which his client is in CBI custody presently. ED cant investigate without any FIR. He requested for interim protection for Karti and said that after CBI, Karti should not be taken to ED custody.The CPM on Tuesday charged the BJP with 'unleashing a reign of terror' on Left workers in Tripura and sought the immediate intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi

New Delhi: The CPM on Tuesday charged the BJP with "unleashing a reign of terror" on Left workers in Tripura and sought the immediate intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in bringing the violence to an end before the situation "worsened".

In a memorandum to the prime minister, the party claimed the BJP had begun attacking Left supporters in the northeastern state immediately after the results of the Assembly polls were declared.

"We request your immediate intervention to stop these attacks and violence and to maintain peace and normalcy in the state" before the situation "worsened", it said in the memorandum addressed to the prime minister.

The party also gave a list of the alleged violent incidents and said 514 people were injured and 196 houses set on fire.

"After the election results were out, goons of the BJP have unleashed a reign of terror and all-round attacks on members and supporters of the CPI(M), their houses, party offices and mass organisation offices throughout the state," said the memorandum which was submitted to Modi in Parliament.

Later talking to reporters, CPM leader Mohammed Salim also accused the state Governor of "working like a Sangh Parivar supporter".

"He holds a constitutional post and is offering a stamp of approval to the unconstitutional, undemocratic, illegal vandalism. We hope the Centre would take note of this," Salim said.

Describing the post-poll situation in Tripura as "highly condemnable", CPI leader D Raja said the bulldozing of a Lenin statue and attacking Left cadres and their offices were "nothing but fascist activities of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar".

Not only the Left, but all secular and democratic parties should condemn "this absolute vandalism", he said.

Raja said the BJP leadership should take the "responsibility for the collapse of law and order and such undemocratic and unconstitutional activities of its cadres in Tripura".

The Left, which ruled Tripura for 25 years, was ousted by the BJP in state Assembly elections, the results of which were declared on Saturday.A day after a statue of Vladimir Lenin was razed in Tripura's Belonia in a case of post-poll violence, West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh condemned the incident terming it as undemocratic

Kolkata: A day after a statue of Vladimir Lenin was razed in Tripura's Belonia in a case of post-poll violence, West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh condemned the incident terming it as undemocratic.

"An ideology cannot be destroyed by breaking or demolishing something. Such incidents are not democratic," Ghosh told reporters.

Responding to the CPI-M's allegation of large scale violence and vandalism by the BJP and RSS against their partymen in Tripura, Ghosh said it is a small reaction of the locals and their party activists against the CPI-M's attack on them for the last 25 years.

"People of Tripura were silently bearing the undemocratic attitude and violence by CPI-M for the last 25 years. It was a reaction of their actions. The BJP activists are not outside the society.

"We were beaten up in Tripura for the last 25 years. Nine of our activists died before the election. Four RSS activists were kidnapped and murdered but CPI-M did not take any action. No one has forgotten that," he claimed.

"So they would also have to be at the receiving end to some extent. It is obvious that there would be some percentage of reactions against the terror they have unleashed for so long. There is nothing to be sorry about it," Ghosh added.

According to a leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), the 11.5-feet fibre statue of Lenin was brought down with a bulldozer by the BJP activists in South Tripura's district headquarters in Belonia on Monday evening.Biplab Kumar Deb is set to become next Tripura CM and Jishnu Deb Burman will be his deputy following BJP's strong showing in the recent Assembly election.

Biplab Kumar Deb is set to become the next chief minister of Tripura following the BJP's strong showing in the recent Assembly election, in which the saffron outfit toppled the Left Front's 25-year rule. Jishnu Deb Burman will become the deputy chief minister.

The announcement was made by Union minister Nitin Gadkari, who along with Jual Oram, was sent to Tripura as central observers. "Biplab Kumar Deb has been unanimously elected as the leader of Tripura BJP legislature party," Gadkari said, as per PTI.

According to a report in India Today, Deb and Burman were unanimously elected to head the government in a meeting of BJP and IPFT MLAs in Agartala on Tuesday. The BJP has 35 MLAs and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) has eight.

Congratulations to Shri @BjpBiplab on being the CM elect of Tripura. I also congratulate Shri Jishnu Deb Burman on being the deputy CM elect. I am sure under this new leadership, Tripura will scale new heights of development and progress.  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) March 6, 2018

Deb is expected to meet Tripura governor Tathagata Roy later on Tuesday to stake claim to form the government, the report said.

According to News18, the swearing-in ceremony is likely to be held on Friday at the Swami Vivekananda Maidan in Agartala. It is likely to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states.

Who is Biplab Deb?

Deb had humble beginnings. Born in a middle-class family at Rajdhar Nagar village in Gomati district on 25 November, 1971, he completed his graduation from Udaipur College in the state in 1999. His father Haradhan Deb was a local leader of the Jan Sangh.

Deb left for Delhi soon after his graduation to join the RSS. The 48-year-old leader served the right-wing organisation for around 16 years, under the guidance of Govindacharya and Krishnagopal Sharma, two prominent Sangh leaders.

In 2015, he returned to Tripura and assumed the charge of Central Jan Sampark Pramukh for the BJP.

Deb was declared the state president of the BJP on 6 January, 2016. He replaced Sudhindra Dasgupta, the longest-serving chief of the party in Tripura.

His wife Niti is an officer at State Bank of India. The couple has a son and a daughter.

On a few media reports about him being a gym instructor before taking the political plunge, Deb told PTI: "During a television interview, I said I used to visit the gym for exercise, but now I do not get any time for exercise. I am surprised how media reported that I was once a gym instructor."

Deb had on Saturday said he was ready for the top job. "I am ready to take the responsibility. I will not run away from taking any responsibility," he had told reporters in New Delhi and had added that it was up to the party leadership to take a final call.

The BJP demolished the Left citadel in Tripura on Saturday, winning a two-thirds majority with ally IPFT, and ending 25 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPM-led rule in the state.

With inputs from PTIThe Opposition continued to force adjournments of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the second day on Tuesday over the Rs 12,600 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud

New Delhi: The Opposition continued to force adjournments of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the second day on Tuesday over the Rs 12,600 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud with differences cropping up between the government and the Congress in the lower house over the rule under which the issue should be discussed as also the wording of the motion.

Outside the house, Parliamentary Affairs Minister HN Ananth Kumar accused the Congress of running away from debate on the issue as there were "skeletons in the cupboard" of the UPA regime.

A combination of reasons resulted in uproar in the Lok Sabha, which witnessed a huge din in the morning with BJP's ally Shiv Sena joining the protest near the Speaker's podium demanding classical status for Marathi. Another BJP ally TDP continued its protest over its demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh. AIADMK members were also near the podium demanding constitution of a Cauvery Management Board.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House as she was not able to proceed with the Question Hour.

When the house met at noon amidst similar scenes, Kumar said the discussion of the irregularities in banking sector had been listed in the business of the day following notice given by Congress members and the Finance Minister will reply to the debate.

"I don't understand why my friends from Congress are agitated. They wanted discussion on irregularities in banking, we are ready for that", he said.

"Why are they afraid, why are they running away. Those who have committed crime should be punished. In all these years, whatever has happened should be discussed. The crimes and irregularities committed during the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government, that should also be discussed," he said.

There was "no question" of saving anyone, the minister said.

The motion under Rule 193 read: "A discussion on alleged systemic irregularities in banking sector over the years and its impact on Indian economy."

However, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge demanded discussion under rules that entail voting.

He said the party wants discussion on financial default of crores of rupees in various nationalised banks which resulted in the loot of public money.

He said the perpetrators were "allowed to leave (India) despite complaints against them".

With order not being restored, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day.

Later, talking to reporters, Kharge said that the wording of the motion under Rule 193 was not the same as given in their notice.

He said the party would give another notice of adjournment motion.

Kharge said if the government wanted to discuss the past irregularities in banks, it should do it separately. He said the party was raising "recent occurrences of public importance" through its adjournment notice and other opposition parties were on board on the issue."

"Bring our issue in the debate," he said.

Ananth Kumar later told reporters that the Congress demand for discussion under a rule that entails voting came as an "afterthought" following the return of its President Rahul Gandhi from Italy.

"They are scared of debate. Many skeletons of banking scam will tumble out of the UPA regime. They don't want it to be discussed. They want to hide things. We want discussion, they do not want it," he said.

Referring to Congress members earlier giving notice under rule 193, which does not entail voting, he said: "What is the enlightenment you got today? Why this sudden change of heart."

He said the Congress apparently had objection to the use of "over the years" in the motion decided under Rule 193.

"Why should there be objection. Why you want to restrict the debate to one individual. Why you want to restrict the period of discussion. You can't say NPAs started in 2014, Karti Chidambaram started in 2014, PNB issue started in 2014," he said.

In the Rajya Sabha, Opposition protests continued whenever the House met and it was finally adjourned for the day in the post-lunch session after several adjournments.

Like in the Lok Sabha, TDP members voiced their demands concerning Andhra Pradesh in the Upper House also.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu first adjourned the House till 11.30 am and asked the party leaders to meet him in his chamber.

However, the meeting did not seem to be fruitful as the Opposition MPs were on their feet. Naidu expressed his displeasure at the conduct of the MPs and again adjourned the House till 2 pm.

When the House met again the scene was no different.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said the government was ready for a discussion on any issue and urged the members to return to their seats. As the din continued, the House was adjourned till 3.30 pm and later for the day.

Tuesday was the second day of the second half of the Budget session, which will conclude on 6 April.The issue of the revocation MLC Prashant Paricharak's suspension again led to an uproar in the Maharashtra Assembly on Tuesday, forcing the speaker to adjourn the House for 15 minutes.

Mumbai: The issue of the revocation MLC Prashant Paricharak's suspension again led to an uproar in the Maharashtra Assembly on Tuesday, forcing the speaker to adjourn the House for 15 minutes.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in the House that Paricharak's comments were condemnable and that action should be taken against him.

The Shiv Sena demanded Paricharak's expulsion from the state Legislative Council.

The Assembly had on Tuesday also witnessed noisy scenes over the revocation of the legislator's suspension.

The BJP-backed Independent MLC was suspended from the Legislative Council in March last year after he joked during an election campaign about the wives of soldiers.

He had later apologised for his statement.

The state government last week revoked his suspension.

As soon as the House on Tuesday assembled for the day, Speaker Haribhau Bagde called for the Question Hour.

Pratap Sarnaik (of the Shiv Sena) then raised a Point of Information saying his party's resolution seeking Paricharak's expulsion from the membership of the Council was being taken up today in the Upper House.

He sought to know the government's stand on the issue and status of the resolution.

To this, Bagde said Paricharak was not a member of the Lower House and there was no need to discuss proceedings of the Upper House in the Assembly.

Prithviraj Chavan (of the Congress) supported Sena's stand and said what Paricharak had remarked about the wives of soldiers was not on the floor of the Legislature.

"Even we are not commenting on the proceedings of the Upper House. There is severe resentment among people about what Paricharak had said. Why is the government keen to save him?" he asked.

"We want to know the government's stand on the demand to expel him from the membership of the Legislative council," Chavan said.

Jayant Patil (of the NCP) said the Assembly members felt strongly against Paricharak's remarks and they wanted to know what the government feels about it.

Sunil Prabhu (of the Shiv Sena) said his party was firm on its demand that Paricharak be expelled as the member of the Council and a case of treason be filed against him.

Paricharak has no right to stay as a member of the Legislature, he said.

"He has attempted to lower the morale of soldiers by speaking ill of their wives," Prabhu alleged.

The speaker then asked parliamentary affairs minister Girish Bapat to make a statement on the issue.

Bapat said he would do so before the day's proceedings end.

Subsequently, the members of the ruling ally Shiv Sena, and the opposition Congress and NCP came into the well shouting slogans against Paricharak and demanded action against him.

The speaker then adjourned the House for 15 minutes.

After the House reassembled, Prabhu reiterated his party's stand.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was present in the House when it reassembled, said a decision on the matter would be taken at an appropriate time.

He was of the view that action should be taken against such wrong and condemnable comments.

"The Upper House had unanimously suspended Paricharak and (later) also revoked the suspension. The issue is in the domain of the Legislative Council. The government will make a statement on the issue after the Upper House takes a decision on the resolution to expel Paricharak as its member," he said.

Prabhu then again demanded Paricharak's expulsion and in protest, he along with the other Sena members walked out of the House.

Outside the Assembly, Prabhu told reporters that Paricharak's comments were "unpardonable".

When pointed out that Sena leader Neelam Gorhe was a member of the committee that recommended the revocation of Paricharak's suspension, he said, "She did not sign the committee report which was tabled last week."The first non-Congress government in 15 years in Meghalaya is set to be sworn-in on Tuesday morning.

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"Our stand right from before the election was to have a non-Congress, non-BJP government. We now see there is a possibility to have such a government where the NPP-led coalition could have easily been formed with 32 MLAs," HSPDP president Ardent Basaiawmoit said.

The HSPDP, a constituency of the National People's Party (NPP)-led coalition that would form government in Meghalaya, said on Monday that the BJP should have been kept out of the alliance as the regional parties together had the required number.

A party meeting decided that the two MLAs of HSPDP will not take part in the swearing-in ceremony of Conrad K Sangma as chief minister on Tuesday, HSPDP president Ardent Basaiawmoit told reporters in Shillong.

The National Anthem marks the end of the swearing-in ceremony in Shillong

#WATCH Oath taking ceremony of Meghalaya CM elect Conrad Sangma and others in Shillong https://t.co/uraKkvfdhQ

I congratulate Conrad Sangma. There was a perception that only Congress party can survive in the north-east but now that BJP has gained victory here that perception will change: Union Minister Rajnath Singh in Shillong pic.twitter.com/jlecHyAquu

Meghalaya is the second state, after Manipur and Goa, where the Congress has not been able to forge a post-poll alliance to form a government despite emerging as the largest single party.

The Congress, which emerged as the single largest party with 21 seats in the elections, could not stitch a post-poll alliance with the regional parties to retain power.

Even with most seats, Congress will sit in Opposition in Meghalaya

Council of Ministers being sworn-in at oath ceremony in Meghalaya's Shillong pic.twitter.com/SUWZEQ34cZ

Council of Ministers take oath of office in Shillong

Conrad K Sangma has the support of 34 MLAs  the NPP (19 seats), the BJP (2), the UDP (6), the PDF (4), the HSPDP (2) and an Independent.

The National Anthem marks the end of the swearing-in ceremony in Shillong

Congratulations and my best wishes to Shri Conrad Sangma on being sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya. I am confident that he and his team of ministers will put the state back on a development track.

Rajnath Singh confident that Meghalaya will prioritise development with the new govt

Congratulations and my best wishes to Shri Conrad Sangma on being sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya. I am confident that he and his team of ministers will put the state back on a development track.

Rajnath Singh confident that Meghalaya will prioritise development with the new govt

Latest update: Preparations are underway for the swearing-in ceremony for the new Meghalaya government.

The first non-Congress government in 15 years in Meghalaya is set to be sworn-in on Tuesday morning.

Conrad Sangma will take charge as chief minister, following an Assembly election that threw up a fractured mandate and disagreements within the various factions of the alliance that ultimately joined hands.

The HSPDP, a constituency of the National People's Party (NPP)-led coalition that would form government in Meghalaya, said on Monday that the BJP should have been kept out of the alliance as the regional parties together had the required number.

A party meeting also decided that the two MLAs it has will not take part in the swearing-in ceremony of Conrad K Sangma as chief minister on Tuesday, HSPDP president Ardent Basaiawmoit told reporters in Shillong.

The Hills State Peoples Democratic Party (HSPDP) has won two seats in the election, but its president has lost to an independent candidate by only 76 votes.

"Our stand right from before the election was to have a non-Congress non-BJP government. We now see there is a possibility to have such a government where the NPP-led coalition could have easily been formed with 32 MLAs," Basaiawmoit said.

In the 60-member Assembly with an effective strength of 59, at least 30 seats is required to form majority.

Conrad K Sangma has the support of 34 MLAs - his own party the NPP (19 seats), the BJP (2), the UDP (6), the PDF (4), the HSPDP (2) and an Independent.

The Congress was the single largest party bagging 21 seats.

The HSPDP chief said the regional parties together had the required number to form government.

The party's two MLAs are signatories to the letter of support to the NPP-led coalition government.Despite receiving a fractured mandate, Meghalaya will see a coalition government taking oath on Tuesday under the leadership of Conrad Sangma

Meghalaya's first non-Congress government in 15 years will be sworn in on Tuesday morning, with Conrad Sangma set to take charge as chief minister, following an Assembly election that threw up a fractured mandate and disagreements within the various factions of the alliance that ultimately joined hands.

With support of 34 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly, National People's Party (NPP) chief Conrad Sangma met Governor Ganga Prasad in Shillong on Sunday to stake his claim to form the next government in the state.

"We met the governor and submitted a letter of support from 34 MLAs: Two of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 19 from the NPP, six of the United Democratic Party (UDP), four of the People's Democratic Front (PDF), two from the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP), and one Independent," Sangma said.

The regional parties  UDP, HSPDP and PDF  had extended their support to NPP on the condition that Conrad, the youngest son of former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma, would be chief minister.

"NPP has agreed to the condition set by the three regional parties and I will be the chief minister," Conrad said following the negotiations.

Conrad, who will be a non-elected member of the 60-member Assembly, will be administered oath of office and secrecy along with his Council of Ministers. He will become the state's 12th chief minister.

This will be a day after the HSPDP said the BJP should have been kept out of the alliance as the regional parties had the required number without the saffron party's support. A party meeting also decided that its two MLAs will not take part in the swearing-in ceremony, HSPDP president Ardent Basaiawmoit said.

"Our stand right from before the election was to have a non-Congress-non-BJP government. We now see there is a possibility to have such a government where the NPP-led coalition could have easily been formed with 32 MLAs," Basaiawmoit said.

The party also objected to Conrad Sangma as the next chief minister. "A pre-poll alliance was forged between the UDP and HSPDP, but they (UDP) did not consult us when they proposed the name of Conrad Sangma to be chief minister," Basaiawmoit told journalists.

The ruling Congress, which emerged as the single largest party with 21 seats in the elections, could not stitch a post-poll alliance with the regional parties to retain power. Meghalaya is the second state, after Manipur and Goa, where the Congress has not been able to forge a post-poll alliance to form a government despite emerging as the largest single party.

Outgoing chief minister Mukul Sangma, who had submitted his resignation letter to Governor Ganga Prasad, had been asked to continue in the office till the formation of new government.

With inputs from IANSFor the second time in two years, the Maharashtra Opposition parties gave notice to bring in a no-confidence motion against Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagade

Mumbai: For the second time in two years, the Maharashtra Opposition parties on Monday gave notice to bring in a no-confidence motion against Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagade, alleging "partisanism".

At least 24 members of the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party and other parties have submitted the notice, accusing the Speaker of favouring the ruling party in the House.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil claimed that Opposition members are not being allowed by the Speaker to raise issues or speak on major concerns affecting the people of the state.

"It is the job of the Speaker to allow Opposition members to speak and enable them to highlight the issues affecting the common man. The Speaker belongs to the House and not to the ruling party.

However, Bagade has flouted constitutional norms by allowing the government to avoid debates," Vikhe-Patil alleged.

Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar alleged that the government is attempting to "crush the voice of Opposition members" and democracy is being reduced to thokshahi (mobocracy).

"As elected representatives of the people, we attempt to raise issues pertaining to the state, but injustice is being meted out by the Speaker which is 'murder' of democracy," Pawar said.

Vikhe-Patil and Pawar listed issues like discussion on the Governor's speech, the problems of farmers, the recent unseasonal rains and hailstorms in the state, and other topics on which, they said, the Speaker did not permit them to speak in the House.

Pawar added that instead of allowing discussions on such crucial matters since the past one week in the ongoing Budget Session, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena combine is deliberately running away from debate by repeated adjournments of the House.

Vikhe-Patil said the BJP-Sena government has crossed all limits and instead of conducting legislature proceedings in a responsible manner, a senior leader even lunged at an opposition member in the Legislative Council.

The Opposition leaders plan to call on Governor CV Rao soon and apprise him of the issue, they said.Tripura chief minister-designate Biplab Deb has urged the people of the state to maintain peace and said anybody indulging in violence would be punished.

Two statues of Vladimir Lenin were razed within 24 hours of each other in Tripura after the BJP's historic win, causing the CPM to lash out at the saffron party and seek Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention.

A statue of Vladimir Lenin brought down at Sabroom Motor Stand in #Tripura. pic.twitter.com/JLe3tFwEJO  ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2018

The first incident occurred in Sabroom Motor Stand on Sunday where a vehicle appeared to have been rammed into the pedestal where the idol stood. The second incident occurred Monday in Belonia town in south Tripura when a statue of Lenin was bulldozed with a JBM machine allegedly by BJP workers chanting Bharat mata ki jai.

Prohibitory orders were clamped on several areas of West Tripura district including Srinagar, Lefunga, Mandai, Amtali, Radhapur, Arundhatinagar, Jirania, Mohanpur following post-poll violence, district magistrate Milind Ramteke said. Tripura chief minister-designate Biplab Deb urged the people to maintain peace and said anybody indulging in violence would be punished.

The CPM charged the BJP with "unleashing a reign of terror" on Left workers in Tripura and sought the immediate intervention of Modi in bringing the violence to an end before the situation "worsened".

In a memorandum to the prime minister, the party claimed the BJP had begun attacking Left supporters in the northeastern state immediately after the results of the Assembly polls were declared.

"We request your immediate intervention to stop these attacks and violence and to maintain peace and normalcy in the state" before the situation "worsened", the party said in the memorandum addressed to the prime minister.

The party also gave a list of the alleged violent incidents and said 514 people were injured and 196 houses set on fire. "After the election results were out, goons of the BJP have unleashed a reign of terror and all-round attacks on members and supporters of the CPM, their houses, party offices and mass organisation offices throughout the state," said the memorandum, which was submitted to Modi in Parliament.

Later talking to reporters, CPM leader Mohammed Salim also accused the Governor Tathagata Roy of "working like a Sangh Parivar supporter". "He holds a constitutional post and is offering a stamp of approval to the unconstitutional, undemocratic, illegal vandalism. We hope the Centre would take note of this," Salim said.

Describing the post-poll situation in Tripura as "highly condemnable", CPI leader D Raja said the bulldozing of a Lenin statue and attacking Left cadres and their offices were "nothing but fascist activities of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar". Not only the Left, but all secular and democratic parties should condemn "this absolute vandalism", he said. Raja said the BJP leadership should take the "responsibility for the collapse of law and order and such undemocratic and unconstitutional activities of its cadres in Tripura".

CPM state secretary Bijan Dhar claimed that 514 party activists were assaulted, 1,539 houses of the party activists were attacked and 196 houses set on fire since the announcement of results. He also claimed that 134 CPM offices were attacked and looted, 64 party offices were set on fire and at least 90 offices of different mass organisations had been occupied allegedly by BJP-IPFT supporters.

The party top brass including Yechury and Politburo members Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat and Surjya Kanta Mishra led a rally in Kolkata, which ended in front of a statue of Lenin at Dharmatalla in the heart of the city. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee too used the opportunity to target the BJP as she offered moral support to her one-time political rival CPM.

"If you feel just because you have come to power, you will demolish the statue of Marx, Lenin, Gandhiji, Netaji, Swami Vivekananda, we won't accept that. I have fought with the CPM. We also came to power after 34 years. Please remember, our slogan was we want change, not revenge," Mamata said.

"So despite the CPM carrying out so much atrocities on us, we did not pay them back in the same coin. This is not our nature. Whatever is happening there (Tripura) is not democracy," she added. Meanwhile, the BJP distanced itself from the controversy and refuted claims that the vandals were its cadres. But several ministers and senior leaders of the party were seen defending the act of vandalism as the outburst of common man's suppressed anger against the 'oppressive' Left rule.

"So many people were oppressed by the Left. Some of them must have this feeling of revenge," Union minister Giriraj Singh said. Union minister SS Ahluwalia, too, said he did not approve of violence but it occurred whenever elections were held in communist-ruled states, irrespective of the Left's victory or defeat. BJP leader Ram Madhav went a step ahead and put out a tweet which seemed to laud the act of vandalism. He later deleted it.

In a similar but related development, another BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, H Raja posted on Facebook his support for vandalising a 'terrorist's' idol. He even added that "casteist" Periyar  the iconic Dravidian leader, widely respected across Tamil Nadu  would be next.

Meanwhile, the Union home ministry dialed the governor and district magistrate and asked them to take all possible steps to maintain law and order. Home Minister Rajnath Singh also called up Roy and asked him to ensure peace and check violence till a new government is installed in the state.

Roy too faced controversy over his tweet:

What one democratically elected government can do another democratically elected government can undo. And vice versa https://t.co/Og8S1wjrJs  Tathagata Roy (@tathagata2) March 5, 2018

The Left argued that his tweet was "shameful" and that a constitutional office holder was celebrating the vandalism, but Roy said his job was to hold fort till the next government is installed. "The Left can make what it wants of my comments," Roy added.

Tripura BJP vice-president Subal Bhowmick alleged on Monday that CPM activists assaulted 49 BJP supporters, 17 of whom had to be hospitalised. The Left, which ruled Tripura for 25 years, was ousted by the BJP in state Assembly elections, the results of which were declared on Saturday. Tripura BJP president Biplab Deb will be sworn in as the chief minister on 9 March and party colleague Jishnu Kumar Debbarma will be his deputy.

With inputs from agenciesCongress leader Sonia Gandhi has invited leaders of all Opposition parties for dinner on 13 March in a fresh bid to forge a united front against the BJP

New Delhi: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has invited leaders of all Opposition parties for dinner on 13 March in a fresh bid to forge a united front against the BJP, sources in the party said.

The initiative  in the backdrop of opposition parties joining hands to attack the government in Parliament  is a step towards strengthening the opposition and laying the foundation for a united front in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, a party insider said.

Sonia Gandhi's invitation comes at a time when talk of a non-BJP, non-Congress front is doing the rounds following a proposal by TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao for a national consultation process on the matter.

Sources close to the Congress confirmed that Sonia Gandhi's dinner would signify the coming together of all Opposition parties who would take on the BJP inside and outside Parliament.

"It would not only be a dinner, but also showcase the strength of opposition parties who would like to come together to form a front against the misrule of BJP," a senior leader said.

Several leaders have confirmed their attendance, a Congress insider said, declining to go into specifics.

However, he said Sonia Gandhi is keen to have all top Opposition party leaders, including Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who is yet to confirm.

Banerjee has spoken to Rao and DMK working president MK Stalin for coordination inside and outside Parliament.

NDA ally TDP could also attend the Congress leader's dinner, said a senior opposition leader on condition of anonymity.

Though the TDP is an ally of the NDA, the southern regional party has joined hands with other opposition parties to protest in Parliament against the Centre over the issue of triple talaq. The party has also aired its differences with the government over a special package for Andhra Pradesh.

The second half of the budget session has been witnessing protests by opposition parties, which have also held demonstrations outside the House and inside.

There is "good coordination" between TRS, TDP, SP, BSP, TMC, Left, DMK and all opposition parties in Parliament on various issues, TMC leader Derek O'Brien said on Tuesday.The BSP's decision of supporting the SP in by-elections for Uttar Pradesh's Phulpur and Gorakhpur parliamentary constituencies is a win-win strategy, at least temporarily

The Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) decision to support the Samajwadi Party in by-elections for Phulpur and Gorakhpur parliamentary constituencies is a win-win strategy, at least temporarily. Regardless of who wins the by-elections, the BSP will get the SP's support to send a member to the Rajya Sabha. This bargain has come cheap for the BSP  it wasn't required to make sacrifices, as it does not field candidates in by-elections unless it rules the state.

At the same time, the BSP has also not foreclosed its future options by supporting the SP in Phulpur and Gorakhpur. This is amply evident from what BSP chief Mayawati told some zonal coordinators, who constitute the party's pivot at the grassroots, on 1 March. She said she had no plans to stitch alliances with other parties, proffering the same reason she had many times in the past: While the BSP is able to transfer its votes to other parties, their voters, presumably because of their disdain for Dalits, don't support its candidates.

Mayawati's remark should inject realism into the expectations of those who believe there is a front in the making to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "We are still far away from it. The BSP's decision to support the SP is at best a trial balloon," said an important party functionary present at the meeting. "Perhaps she will see the results of the by-elections and take a call."

Mayawati's order is treated in the BSP with the same infallibility as the commander-in-chief's in the army. Yet, the BSP's support to the SP has spawned hopes of an alliance because of the emerging political trends.

For one, the BJP's unabated rising political graph threatens the existence of both SP and BSP in Uttar Pradesh, where it has become imperative for them to survive to fight another day.

Moreover, apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity and the financial resources the BJP boasts of, it is almost a certainty that Hindutva, repackaged as the Ram Temple issue, will dominate politics in the months leading up to the 2019 elections.

This is because the three-member bench of the Supreme Court hearing the Ayodhya dispute is expected to deliver its judgement before 2 October, the day Chief Justice Dipak Misra retires. It is he who heads the three-member bench; he wouldn't have decided on hearing the case had he not been reasonably sure of handing out a judgment before his superannuation.

A judgment in favour of Hindus will have the BJP turn the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya into an elaborate show, its impact multiplied manifold through TV coverage. Hindu triumphalism will become the lightning rod for political mobilisation. A verdict favouring Muslims will prompt the BJP to ask the electorate for a mandate massive, enough for it to overturn the court's judgment through legislation.

Either way, Hindutva will be the flavour of the 2019 election campaign. SP and BSP's supporters will also be as susceptible. These two parties represent the quest of middle castes and Dalits to capture power. It will be in their interest to stall Hindu consolidation behind the BJP.

Their position will, however, become tricky if the Supreme Court's verdict is to endorse the claims of Muslims to the site where the Babri Masjid once stood. Will the SP and the BSP join the chorus against the removal of the makeshift Ram Temple in Ayodhya? The need for them to take a position on the temple will not arise in case the verdict upholds the claims of Hindus. Either way, both will need an issue to counter Hindutva's edge.

It is a political truism that Hindutva seeks to create a larger Hindu identity in the hope of diluting caste identities, which both SP and the BSP will seek to sharpen. This is their only method of survival, a fact SP leader Akhilesh Yadav realised after the drubbing his party received in the 2017 Assembly elections. For all his efforts at appropriating the development plank and adopting modernistic rhetoric, the upper castes largely did not vote for him. In their eyes, he was and will remain a Yadav, or at best, an Other Backward Class (OBC) leader.

This is precisely why Akhilesh is using the two bypolls to signal to OBC groups other than his own Yadav caste that he is willing to accommodate their interests. It is to forge a larger OBC unity for himself that he has fielded Pravin Nishad, who is the son of Sanjay Nishad, founder of the Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal or Nishad Party, on the SP ticket from Gorakhpur. Whether or not Pravin manages to win, his candidature has certainly turned the spotlight on the Nishad party, a matter of some importance to the caste.

Likewise, the SP has fielded Nagendra Patel, a Kurmi, from Phulpur. Akhilesh was reportedly willing to sponsor a candidate of the Apna Dal, a Kurmi-based party, there. His only condition was that s/he would have to fight on an SP ticket, which is said to have been the reason why a deal between the SP and the Apna Dal failed to fructify.

Akhilesh also extended the policy of accommodation to Mayawati, agreeing to support her party's candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections. It is debatable whether Dalits in Gorakhpur and Phulpur will take cue from Mayawati at this late stage to vote en bloc for the SP. Yet, Akhilesh has agreed to the bargain largely as a confidence building measure with the BSP leader.

Akhilesh faces a threat not only from Hindutva, but also from the BJP's policy to sub-categorise the OBCs for availing benefits of reservation. This process, likely to be completed in April, will divide OBCs into three categories and apportion 27 percent reservation among them. The most backward of OBCs are likely to corner maximum share, and the better-off groups, like Yadavs and Kurmis, will be assigned a slim portion. It will become a tool for dividing the OBCs, against which Akhilesh's policy of accommodation is aimed.

As such, there is a conflict of interest between landholding OBCs and Dalits, who constitute landless labour, in large swathes of rural Uttar Pradesh. This contradiction was one reason why the SP-BSP alliance, forged after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, collapsed in 1995.

But there are two reasons why Mayawati will want bygones be bygones. One, the BJP under Modi has been concertedly wooing Dalits, particularly the non-Jatav groups. An alliance with the SP will convey the perception that she can turn the corner, and therefore, diminish the possibility of desertion. Two, it will prevent the fragmentation of Muslim votes, as important for her as it is for Akhilesh.

It is easier for them to stitch an alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as there is no post of chief minister to fight over. For them, it is important to stave off the BJP before they choose to battle each other for power in the state four years later. Until then, they can claim that after failing to deliver on development, the BJP has brought back the Hindutva card to deny power to non-upper castes.

In such a scheme, the Congress does not fit. Given that its own leadership still remains largely upper caste, the Congress can't openly endorse the caste card, even thought it might seem a potent antidote to Hindutva. For instance, its alliance with the SP deprived the Congress of whatever Brahmin votes it had been getting in its decades of wilderness. Its other problem is that has no distinct support base of its own, a base it can offer to transfer to other parties in a quid pro quo.

The role best suited for the Congress therefore is that of a splittist: To take away as many upper caste votes from the BJP as possible to help the SP or BSP to win. In return for playing such a role, the SP and the BSP will field weak candidates in a handful of constituencies where it has been traditionally strong. For the Congress, like the SP and the BSP, it is vital that the BJP, particularly Modi, does not get another five-year shot at power.

Thus, the real significance of Phulpur and Gorakhpur is that it is a precursor to the caste battles of 2019. An SP-BSP alliance will turn the battle equal or else the BJP will walk all over them.Top BJP leaders, including BS Yeddyurappa and Union minister Ananth Kumar, have held a meeting with RSS leaders to chalk out the Sangh Parivar's plan for the upcoming Assembly polls in Karnataka

Bengaluru: Top BJP leaders, including BS Yeddyurappa and Union minister Ananth Kumar, have held a meeting with RSS leaders to chalk out the Sangh Parivar's plan for the upcoming Assembly polls in Karnataka. "On 3 March, the Sangh Parivar held its annual coordination meeting at our state headquarters. Core BJP leaders, including Yeddyurappa, Ananth Kumar, Sadananada Gowda and others participated and sought the Sangh's help for the state elections," a senior RSS leader told PTI.

The Sangh, however, said it would not directly involve itself in giving electoral help to BJP, but have given freedom for its swayamsevaks (volunteers) to do so, he said. "The Sangh will not directly involve in helping BJP during elections, but Swayamsevaks are free to render services to any party that seeks help and it is but quite natural that the swayamsevaks will work for BJP," he added.

Asked whether the RSS has asked BJP to break votes of OBC and Dalits who may opt for Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, he said, "We neither suggested anything like that nor has the BJP asked anything on these lines." On what sort of electoral help swayamsevaks would give to BJP, the RSS leader said they would try to inspire a large number of people to exercise their voting rights to elect the right candidates.

"If democracy has to be strengthened, a large number of people should come in the open to exercise their votes to elect right candidates. This type of campaign our swayamsevaks will carry out," he said. Apart from this, the swayamsevaks are free to assist BJP in office matters too, he said. Replying to a query, he said it was difficult to give the numbers of participating swayamsevaks, "but thousands of them will be helping BJP."

To another query, the RSS leader said the BJP workers,who also are swayamsevaks, have already started their work in this regard. In a recently-held meeting, BJP president Amit Shah had reportedly assured top RSS leaders at its headquarters in Nagpur that the party would certainly win Karnataka elections.Once known as the Lok Sabha constituency represented by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Phulpur again finds itself in the spotlight in view of Sunday's bypoll, which is expected to see a triangular contest among the BJP, Congress and the Samajwadi Party.

Phulpur: Once known as the Lok Sabha constituency represented by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Phulpur again finds itself in the spotlight in view of Sunday's bypoll, which is expected to see a triangular contest among the BJP, Congress and the Samajwadi Party.

The seat was vacated by then MP Keshav Prasad Maurya after his election to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.

While the BJP will seek to retain the seat and also increase its victory margin, rival political parties will try to wrest it from the saffron party and send a signal before the 2019 parliamentary elections.

The BJP has fielded Kaushalendra Singh Patel, while the Congress and the Samajwadi Party have given tickets to Manish Mishra and Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel, respectively.

As many as 22 candidates, including nine independents, are in the fray. Among the independents is mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed.

Atiq had been a Lok Sabha member from here in 2004, when he contested the elections on an SP ticket.

Phulpur parliamentary constituency consists of Phulpur, Phaphamau, Soraon (SC), Allahabad North, and Allahabad West assembly segments. Voting will be held on 11 March and the votes will be counted on 14 March.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP's Keshav Maurya won from Phulpur with a record margin of 3.08 lakh votes -- the first time when the 'lotus' bloomed in the constituency.

Maurya had bagged 5,03,564 votes, while his nearest rival Dharam Raj Singh Patel (Samajwadi Party) had got 1,95,256 votes.

During a recent election meeting, Maurya had urged the young voters to ensure an electoral win for BJP candidate Patel.

"The people of Phulpur had given me a victory margin which was greater than (that of) Pandit Nehru. My appeal to you is that Kaushalendra Patel's victory margin should be greater than my victory margin," Maurya said during one of his campaigns.

Seeking to galvanise party workers, Maurya said, "Sab Jaaiye Bhool, Yaad Rakhiye Sirf Kamal ka Phool (forget everything, remember only one thing that lotus has to bloom)." In the 2017 UP Assembly elections, BJP candidates registered wins in Phulpur (Praveen Patel), Phapha mau (Vikramjeet Maurya), Allahabad North (Harshvardhan Bajpai) and Allahabad West (Sidharth Nath Singh), while in Soraon (SC), it was ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) whose candidate Jamuna Prasad Saroj emerged victorious.

Stating that the electoral scenario and caste equation in Phulpur is "significantly in favour of the BJP", a senior party leader told a visiting PTI correspondent that the party has given a ticket to Kaushalendra Singh Patel, who commands at least 60 percent of the community votes.

Apart from a large section of Patels, Phulpur also has a Pasi community (scheduled castes), who have been traditional voters of the BJP, the BJP leader said.

With ex-MP Atiq Ahmed contesting as independent, Muslim votes, which the SP was eyeing, is likely to be split.

"Congress candidate Manish Mishra is only trying to encash the name of his father (KN Mishra), who had once contested the Lok Sabha elections, but lost," the BJP leader said.

The party leaders were also of the view that youths (people under 35), who constitute nearly 60 percent of the electorate, will also play a major role in the by-election.

However, Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said his party was contesting the election on the plank of development.

"The development which the constituency has witnessed in the last four years can easily be compared with the development after 60 years of independence," he said.

He said the BJP constructed a number of railway overbridges, installed solar lights, and has undertaken the widening of roads in the last four years.

"Development in Phulpur is now visible, and this has infused a sense of confidence among the people, who will definitely vote for the BJP," Shukla said.A war of words has broken out between the BJP and the Opposition over the toppling of Vladimir Lenin's statue in Tripura on Tuesday morning.

A war of words has broken out between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition over the toppling of Vladimir Lenin's statue in Tripura on Tuesday morning.

It started after the statue was toppled in the state's Belonia town, allegedly by BJP workers. The statue's vandalism was part of large-scale violence reported from Tripura, as CPM offices in different parts of the state were defaced.

But even as the CPM was decrying the violence and terming it "Communism phobia", BJP leaders waded into the debate. The party's national secretary Ram Madhav tweeted out a post saying people are taking down Lenin's statue and used the party's slogan for the Tripura elections, 'Chalo Paltai', with it. However, he later deleted it.

BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy also appeared to support the razing of Lenin's statue, even calling the Russian revolutionary a "terrorist" and a foreigner. "Lenin is a foreigner and in a way, a terrorist. There shouldn't be a statue of this sort of person in our country. They are welcome to put that statue inside the communist party headquarters and worship it if they so wish," Swamy was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI.

#Lenin to videshi hai, ek parakar se antankwadi hai, aise vyakti ka humare desh mein statue? Woh statue Communist party ke headquarters ke andar rakh sakte hain aur pooja karen :Subramanian Swamy pic.twitter.com/DUDVFApSCT  ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2018

But even while the controversy continued to rage, Tamil Nadu BJP leader H Raja stoked the fire further by saying EV Ramasamy, commonly known as 'Periyar', will meet a similar fate. Raja slammed Periyar in a post he put up on Facebook, although he subsequently deleted it.

Periyar was a 20th Century thinker, activist and politician who started the self-respect movement against Brahmin and upper caste hegemony. He is revered as a champion of the Dravidian movement in South India.

"Who is Lenin? What is his connection with India? What is the connection between Communism and India? Lenin's statue was broken down in Tripura. Today, it is Lenin's statue in Tripura. Tomorrow, it will be the caste zealot EV Ramasamy's (Periyar) statue in Tamil Nadu," he had written.

But the damage had clearly been done already. MK Stalin, working president of the DMK, which revers Periyar and owes much of its ideology to the Dravidian cause, slammed Raja, who is also the BJP national secretary.

Stalin said Raja should be arrested under the Goondas Act, The News Minute reported Stalin as saying. "No one can even dare to touch EVR's statue. H Raja's comments have incited violence. He has been repeatedly doing this. He should be arrested and Goondas Act slapped against him," Stalin was quoted as saying.

DMK spokesperson A Saravanan was also quoted in the article as saying the party will organise protests against Raja and the BJP in many parts of the state. "This is pure hate and Talibanisation of India. Such things happen only happen in Taliban. In a democracy, we don't indulge in political vandalism or threaten to do it," Saravanan said.IANS

Chinas first space station is expected to come crashing down to Earth within weeks, but scientists have not been able to predict where the 8.5-tonne module will hit, a media report said on 6 March.

The US-funded Aerospace Corporation estimates Tiangong-1 will re-enter the atmosphere during the first week of April. The European Space Agency says the module will come down between March 24 and April 19, the Guardian report said.

In 2016, China admitted that it had lost control of Tiangong-1 and would be unable to perform a controlled re-entry.

Aerospace in a statement said that there was "a chance that a small amount of debris" from the module will survive re-entry and hit the Earth.

"If this should happen, any surviving debris would fall within a region that is a few hundred kilometres in size," said Aerospace, a research organisation that advises government and private enterprise on space flight.

It warned that the space station might be carrying a highly toxic and corrosive fuel called hydrazine on board.

The statement said the module is expected to re-enter somewhere between 43 degrees north and 43 degrees south latitudes.

The chances of re-entry were slightly higher in northern China, the Middle East, central Italy, northern Spain and the northern states of the US, New Zealand, Tasmania, parts of South America and southern Africa.

However, Aerospace insisted the chance of debris hitting anyone living in these nations was tiny.

The Tiangong-1 or Heavenly Palace lab was launched in 2011 and described as a "potent political symbol" of China, reports the Guardian.

It was used for both manned and unmanned missions and visited by China's first female astronaut, Liu Yang, in 2012.

In 1991 the Soviet Union's 20-tonne Salyut 7 space station crashed to Earth while still docked to another 20-tonne spacecraft called Cosmos 1686. They broke up over Argentina, scattering debris over the town of Capitan Bermudez.

Nasa's 77-tonne Skylab space station came hurtling to Earth in an almost completely uncontrolled descent in 1979, with some large pieces landing outside Perth in Western Australia.IANS

Cyber security, Big Data analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are among the top technologies employed by healthcare and life sciences firms across the world, a report by global software major Infosys said on 5 March.

"Cyber security (77 percent), Big Data analytics (72 percent) and AI (59 percent) are the three digital technologies most utilised by healthcare firms currently," Infosys said in its report titled "Digital Outlook for Healthcare and Life Sciences Industry".

The survey had included companies from seven countries across the world, including India, however, Infosys did not name any other countries and firms that took part in it.

The motive of the study was not just to identify the technology trends in healthcare and life sciences industries, but also to understand how technology improved their operations, Infosys said in the report.

According to the healthcare companies surveyed, investing in technologies for Big Data analytics for predicting risk and onset of health problems and remote hospital-like care delivery were some of the most reported trends for the next three years, it said.

"Going forward, Big Data will transform the way he althcare industry monitors and treats patients," asserted the report.

Several healthcare firms are also investing in Electronic Health Records (EHR) if patients as paper-based medical files are becoming "obsolete", it said.

According to the report, nearly 76 percent of the life sciences firms that were surveyed considered investing in cyber security over the next three years for protecting patient data.

A total of 112 respondents from each of the healthcare and life sciences industries took part in the survey.

"Analysts predict that by 2019, $75 billion (Rs 4.88 lakh-crore) will be spent worldwide on information technology (IT) related to remote delivery of healthcare through video conferencing, mobile, e-mail etc," mentioned the report.

3D-printing (three-dimentional printing), blockchain technology and Internet of Things (IoT) were among the other technologies that could improve the healthcare industry, as assessed the report.Reuters

Frances competition authority may open investigations into Facebook and Google in the next few months after an in-depth examination concluded the pair dominate the French online advertising market.

The regulator said it was considering a full inquiry on Tuesday amid growing scrutiny from European authorities of the biggest internet companies, whose size and sway over data collection have rapidly made them advertising giants.

What is clear is the overwhelmingly dominant position of Google and Facebook, president of the French competition body, Isabelle de Silva, said. The authoritys report highlighted that the two companies acted as both publishers and technical intermediaries for advertisers, giving them a competitive advantage.

Facebook is only one option among many others for advertisers to reach audiences, Delphine Reyre, Facebooks director of policy for Europe, said in a statement. Facebook and Google, which did not immediately comment, accounted for 76 percent of internet ad spending outside China in 2016, a report by Publicis agency Zenith found.

The situation is the same in France, where the internet has become the number one vehicle for advertisers, ahead of television, with more than a third of total ad spending in 2017, up 3.4 percentage points from 2016.

Anti Competitive

Weve seen many players complain about certain behaviors, de Silva said, referring to meetings the authority had with French advertisers, service providers and publishers.

These include strategies involving bundling or tied sales, low prices, discriminatory treatment and restrictions on the possibilities of collecting and accessing certain data.

The French competition authority can impose fines of up to 10 percent of a companys total yearly revenues. Any investigation takes about two years to reach a conclusion and any sanction.

Broadcasters, traditional media, and a range of other online platforms are increasingly using data and sophisticated targeting techniques to deliver relevant ads to users, and there is no barrier preventing other new entrants doing the same, Facebooks Reyre said.Reuters

A US national security panel on Sunday ordered Qualcomm to put off its 6 March annual shareholder meeting, delaying a long-awaited showdown in the company's attempt to see off a takeover bid by Broadcom.

Separately, Broadcom said the decision was the result of secret moves made by Qualcomm on 29 January to encourage an investigation into the proposed $117 billion buyout offer.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which has the power to stop deals that could harm national security, asked Qualcomm to postpone the annual meeting and election of directors by 30 days.

"This measure will afford CFIUS the ability to investigate fully Broadcom's proposed acquisition of Qualcomm," the US Department of Treasury said in a statement.

Qualcomm, which is trying to convince shareholders it is open to the merger at the right price and terms, said last week it had no intention of delaying the annual shareholder meeting.

Broadcom, whose six nominees for Qualcomm's board are up for a vote at the meeting, said on Monday Qualcomm had not disclosed any approach to CFIUS in meetings between the two sides over the past month.

"This can only be seen as an intentional lack of disclosure  both to Broadcom and to its own stockholders," the Singapore-based chipmaker said in a statement.

Broadcom plans to complete a move of its headquarters from Singapore back to the United States by mid-May to remove a roadblock to the proposed deal, Reuters reported on Friday.

However, the pre-deal discussions by CFIUS  which are extremely rare  suggest Broadcom's plans to move its headquarters may not be enough to sidestep a national security review that could threaten the deal.

Qualcomm and Broadcom were not immediately available for comment.

Qualcomm's shares fell 4 percent in trading before the bell. Broadcom shares were untraded.Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.

Update: Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus launched at Rs 57,900 and Rs 64,900 respectively available in 64 GB and 256 GB storage variants. Sales to begin on 16 March 2018.

Samsung at an event held in Delhi is all geared up to launch the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9 Plus smartphones.

Announced at the Mobile World Congress 2018 last month, both models feature a design that is similar to the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the S8+.

Design-wise, there are some minor changes, but these are on the back of the devices. The fingerprint reader now sits lower in the center, making it easy to access as compared to the reader on the Note 8 and the S8. The camera setup is now vertically laid out on the S9+ model instead of the horizontal dual camera layout on the Note 8.

Both smartphones incorporate Samsungs dual-aperture camera that comes with flexibility of two mechanical aperture settings (f/1.5- f/2.4) to click brighter and clearer pictures depending on the lighting conditions. The camera sure is the focus here as S9 also packs in the ability to shoot super slow-motion video at 960 fps.

Pricing is going to be critical. From a recent leak, the devices are said to be priced between Rs 62,500 to Rs 79,000. But lets just wait till the launch event is done till we can confirm that figure.

Also said to make an appearance is Samsungs new DeX Pad which gives the S9 desktop computer like capabilities upon plugging the assembly to a monitor and a keyboard.tech2 News Staff

Samsung at an event held in New Delhi, launched its much-awaited Galaxy S9 smartphones. The Korean electronics giant launched two models as a continuation of the Galaxy S series of devices with a standard Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ with prices starting from Rs 57,900. Both smartphones will go on sale in India on 16 March.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ were first announced at the Mobile World Congress 2018 (MWC) which took place in Barcelona, Spain, a little over a week ago. Both smartphones have now been launched in India and they also arrive with some new storage variants, unlike the past.

The standard Samsung Galaxy S9 is priced at Rs 57,900 for the 64 GB model while the 256 GB variant is priced at Rs 65,900.

The bigger Samsung Galaxy S9+ packs in more in terms of specifications and is priced even higher at Rs 64,900 for the base 64 GB model and Rs 72,900 for the top-of-the-line 256 GB model.

While the price tags may sound a bit too high for an Android smartphone, they are still priced below Apples iPhone 8 and 8 Plus devices in the Indian market that start from Rs 67,940.

The new smartphones from Samsung are also priced a bit higher in comparison to Samsungs own Galaxy S8 launch price which was set at Rs 57,900 last year.

Pricing aside, the new Galaxy S series smartphone do pack plenty of news hardware despite the similar Galaxy S8-like design. The S9 features a 5.8-inch curved Super AMOLED display while the larger S9+ comes with a 6.2-inch curved Super AMOLED unit. Both displays pack in Quad HD+ resolution delivering a pixel-bashing 570 ppi on the smaller S9.

Inside, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ features a brand-new Exynos 9810 SoC clocked at 2.8 GHz which has been manufactured using the 10 nm process that should, in theory, deliver better battery life. Samsung has finally given its customers more reasons to go in for its Plus model this year by including 6 GB RAM instead of 4 GB RAM on the standard S9 model. Both models will be available in 64 GB and 256 GB storage models and also offer expandable storage supporting microSD card of up to 400 GB.

The camera is another area where the Galaxy S9 Plus model sees a change. The standard Galaxy S9 model gets a single 12 MP camera module with the new dual aperture feature that allows for better low light photos in low light conditions. The S9+ model gets a dual 12 MP camera setup with dual OIS with one telephoto lens and another wide angle lens.

The front-facing camera is an 8 MP f/1.7 aperture that comes with autofocus.

Connectivity options include support for gigabit speeds (definitely not in India) with LTE Cat.18, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz), Bluetooth v5.0, NFC, MST and USB Type-C port at the bottom end which is also accompanied by a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Samsungs offers a number of authentications methods like on the Note 8 but now includes a new face unlock feature that combines the standard face unlock with iris scanning, to make it more secure compared other offerings in the Android space.

While the design has remained the same, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ feature a fingerprint reader that is now closer to the centre of the back panel making it easier to access than before.

Samsung has also added a stereo speaker setup tuned by audio specialists AKG. Other notable features of the Galaxy S9 also include its ability to capture super slow motion video at 960 fps.

Both smartphones pack in Android 8.0 with the Samsung Experience UI 9.0Reuters

Volkswagens Skoda division, commissioned by the carmaker to explore an entry-level car platform with a focus on India, could start selling vehicles in the country in 2021, its chief told a German business paper.

Skoda, Volkswagens Czech arm, has been assessing whether Volkswagens MQB A0 platform could form the basis for a low-cost vehicle since talks with Tata Motors collapsed in August last year.

We could start selling cars in India based on our new platform in early 2021, Skoda Chief Executive Bernhard Maier told Handelsblatt in an interview, adding the new cars should be produced locally.

In a first step, we are planning a production of more than 300,000 cars per year, Maier said, adding Skoda would share the platform with the Volkswagen brand.

India is expected to become the worlds third-largest car market by 2020 after China and the United States, but passenger vehicle sales have slowed recently due to policy changes and a new nationwide sales tax.

Maier also said Skoda would invest 2 billion euros ($2.5 billion) in electric mobility and digitalisation over the next five years, adding the division would have 10 electrified models by 2025.

Currently, Skoda produces about 1.2 million cars a year at 15 sites, a number Maier said could rise to 2 million by the middle of next decade. He said Skoda planned to double vehicle sales in China to 600,000 by 2020.A senior conservative lawmaker on Tuesday told Germanys Social Democrats they would jeopardise a hard-fought coalition agreement if they went overboard with spending plans for Europe.

Berlin: A senior conservative lawmaker on Tuesday told Germanys Social Democrats they would jeopardise a hard-fought coalition agreement if they went overboard with spending plans for Europe.

Ralph Brinkhaus, deputy leader of the conservatives in parliament, said conservatives would insist on averting new government debt, and planned to examine any European spending plans very carefully.

Conservatives are still smarting from Chancellor Angela Merkels decision to let an SPD politician serve as finance minister, a job long held by budget hawk Wolfgang Schaeuble, who was known for his focus on budgetary discipline.

I dont see the European part of the coalition agreement as a blank cheque, Brinkaus told Die Welt newspaper. If someone starts to give away Germany, we wont support that.

Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, who is expected to become finance minister, last month said the SPD would preserve Schaeubles balanced budget policy, but Germany should not dictate economic policies to its euro zone partners.

Merkel on Monday welcomed a majority vote by SPD members to back the coalition agreement, and vowed to press on with joint efforts with France on European reforms and other issues such as trade policy.

The SPD vote result brought relief to German businesses and European capitals, which say the euro zone would benefit from Merkel being able to partner with French president Emmanuel Macron on ambitious plans to reform the single currency bloc.

Brinkhauss comments underscored tensions between the centre-left SPD and the conservative blocs, which are both under pressure to differentiate themselves more in the next grand coalition after big losses in the September national election.

While they have agreed broad policy outlines, the two blocs must still work out disputes on implementation of immigration, car missions, labour rules and welfare.

Brinkhaus acknowledged that Germany would face increased responsibility for Europe given Britains planned departure from the economic bloc and a result of increased EU security needs, but said the EU also needed to find savings in its coffers.

We want a common European defence policy. We want common protection of the external borders. None of that happens for free, he told the newspaper.

But we think its important that the European Commission uses existing funds for these missions, he said. There are still many savings to be had in the European budget.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Saudi Arabia had granted Air India [AIN.UL] permission to fly over its territory on its new routes to and from Tel Aviv.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Saudi Arabia had granted Air India permission to fly over its territory on its new routes to and from Tel Aviv.

There was no immediate confirmation from either Saudi officials or Air India. Netanyahu made the announcement during a briefing in Washington to Israeli reporters after he had met US president Donald Trump.

Saudi Arabia does not recognize Israel and lifting the 70-year-old airspace ban would reflect what appears to be thawing ties between Israel and the kingdom, both US allies with a shared concern over Iranian influence in the region.

Last month, Air India announced the planned thrice-weekly flights to Tel Aviv over Saudi soil, but the General Authority of Civil Aviation in Riyadh said at the time it had not granted such permission to the carrier.

El Al Israel Airlines, the countrys flag carrier, flies four weekly flights to Mumbai. These take seven hours as they fly south toward Ethiopia and then east to India, avoiding Saudi airspace. Israel media have said that Saudi overflight routes could reduce travel time by more than two hours.China has no desire to overturn the existing international order and its increasingly powerful military does not constitute a threat to others, the spokesman for the country's ceremonial legislature said on Sunday

Beijing: China has no desire to overturn the existing international order and its increasingly powerful military does not constitute a threat to others, the spokesman for the country's ceremonial legislature said on Sunday.

However, in a break with recent practice, Zhang Yesui refused to provide a figure for the rate of growth in the national defence budget. That move follows complaints that China isn't open enough about how it funds its military or what the goals of its massive campaign of expansion and modernisation are.

Zhang sought to strike a reassuring tone in remarks at a news conference on the eve of the opening of the National People's Congress' annual two-week session.

He said China defended and contributed to the current United Nations-centered global order, but also said some reforms were necessary.

"China's development is conducive to world peace, stability and prosperity," Zhang said, pointing especially to global economic growth, trade and poverty reduction. "As to the international order, we have no intention of overthrowing everything for starting over again," Zhang said.

Reforms should focus on "international rules that have fallen behind the times and no longer align with the shared aspirations of all nations", he said.

China's secretive military had begun to open up a crack in recent years, and the National People's Congress spokesman in recent years has made a tradition of responding to questions on the defence budget by announcing the percentage increase over the past years, at least in rough terms.

Zhang, however, did not address the question of numbers, saying instead that past increases by a "modest margin" had gone on equipment upgrades, training and improving welfare and living conditions for troops.

China's defence spending as a share of GDP and the budget also remains lower than that of other major nations, he said. "China proceeds from a defense policy that is defensive in nature. China's development will not pose a threat to other countries," Zhang said.

The finance ministry last year said the defence budget would top 1 trillion yuan ($145 billion) for the first time, after the exact figure was initially kept out of public documents released at the start of the annual legislative sessions. That marked about a 7 percent increase, continuing a trend of lowered growth amid a slowing economy, despite regional tensions over the South China Sea and other issues.

Years of double-digit percentage growth have given China the world's second-largest defence budget after the United States, which is in a class of its own with a proposed budget of $716 billion for next year.

However, China's publicly announced defence spending has never been entirely accurate, since it fails to omit a significant amount of "off book" expenditures on defence equipment projects, said Peter Jennings, executive director of the nonpartisan Australian Strategic Policy Institute think tank.

"What's alarming is not the non-reporting of largely fictitious defense spending figures so much as the Chinese leadership is shedding even the pretense of being open about its military plans," Jennings said in an email to The Associated Press.

Combined with President Xi Jinping's plans to eliminate term limits on his rule and his consolidation of control over the military, the lack of public information about defence spending and military planning pushes China "toward a more authoritarian and militarised leadership", Jennings said.

"These trends should be deeply concerning to the Asia-Pacific region and beyond," he said.Washington: Donald Trump floated a fraught trip to open the new American embassy in Jerusalem, as the US president hosted Israel's equally embattled prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday.

The two leadersboth under career-threatening legal investigationstried to cast their domestic problems aside, putting on a show of bonhomie and mutual appreciation in sunny Washington.

In the Oval Office, Netanyahu waxed lyrical, painting Trump as the heir to a pantheon of historical figures, and hailed the president's "bold" decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the disputed city of Jerusalem. Netanyahu likened the US leader to the ancient Persian king Cyrus the Great, who freed the Jews from captivity in Babylon; to Lord Balfour, who a century ago affirmed the rights of the Jewish people in Palestine; and president Harry Truman, who recognized the Jewish state. "I want to thank you for your extraordinary friendship," said the Israeli premier.

The 71-year-old president responded with some lyrical waxing of his own, saying he would consider a trip to open the controversial embassy this May, when Israel celebrates 70 years since its declaration of independence. "We're looking at coming. If I can, I will," Trump said. "I may. We will be talking about that and other things. "Israel is very special to me. Special country, special people, and I look forward to being there, and I'm very proud of that decision," he added.

The trip would be political catnip for Trump and Netanyahu, appealing to supporters who see good US-Israel ties as a strategic and even religious imperative. But, the trip would also be a major security and diplomatic challenge, one that risks further infuriating Arab allies and scuttling US claims to be an independent broker for peace.

Both Israel and the Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital. The embassy move prompted deadly protests and 128 states condemned it in a United Nations General Assembly vote in December. Only seven smaller countries aligned themselves with the United States and Israel.

Nikky Haley, the US envoy to the UN, got sustained applause at the annual conference of the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) lobby group, when she announced she would attend the inauguration. "At the UN and throughout the UN agencies, Israel does get bullied," she said, vowing to end such treatment.

The Jerusalem decision has complicated Trump's already ambitious promise to reach the "ultimate deal" between Israelis and Palestinians.

US peace proposals are said to be close to conclusion, but have suffered amid Palestinian anger and as Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and pointman for peace, lost his top-secret security clearance.J. L. BELL is a Massachusetts writer who specializes in (among other things) the start of the American Revolution in and around Boston. He is particularly interested in the experiences of children in 1765-75. He has published scholarly papers and popular articles for both children and adults. He was consultant for an episode of History Detectives, and contributed to a display at Minute Man National Historic Park.Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales has announced that his country's embassy in Israel will be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May, the media reported.

Washington: Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales has announced that his country's embassy in Israel will be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May, the media reported.

Morales made the announcement on Sunday at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's annual policy conference in Washington, reports CNN. His remarks were greeted with cheers and applause.

"As a sovereign decision, we recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," Morales said. "In May of this year, we will celebrate Israel's 70th anniversary, and under my instructions, two days after the US moves its embassy, Guatemala will return and permanently move its embassy to Jerusalem," he said. Last December, Morales had said that he planned to make the move.

He said he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and instructed his foreign ministry to "initiate the process to make it possible".

The Central American nation is the first country to announce it would move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem since US President Donald Trump, in December, recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, CNN reported.

Trump's decision upended seven decades of US foreign policy that has resisted a recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital before the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved. Morales called Trump's decision "courageous". He thanked the American President "for leading the way" and encouraging his country to make what he called the correct move.

In 1947, Guatemala was among the first countries to cast its vote for the establishment of the State of Israel and, in 1959, Guatemala was the first country to open an embassy in Jerusalem, Morales added. Guatemala moved its embassy to Tel Aviv after the UN Security Council in 1980 called on Guatemala and other countries with their embassies in Jerusalem to withdraw. The move came after the Israeli Knesset passed a law stating that Jerusalem"complete and united" is the capital of Israel.

Guatemala was one of a handful of nations to vote against a UN resolution condemning Trump's decision.Villagers in a remote Indonesian community disemboweled a critically endangered Sumatran tiger and then hung the big cat from a ceiling after it attacked a pair of locals, a conservation official said Monday.

Medan: Villagers in a remote Indonesian community disemboweled a critically endangered Sumatran tiger and then hung the big cat from a ceiling after it attacked a pair of locals, a conservation official said Monday.

Human-animal conflicts are rampant in the vast South East Asian archipelago, especially in areas where the clearing of rainforest to make way for palm oil plantations is destroying animals' habitats and bringing them into closer contact with people.

Locals from Hatupangan village in North Sumatra had initially suspected the tiger was a supernatural creature so they followed it to its jungle lair, the official said.

The tiger  which has been seen around the village since last month  attacked the curious group on Sunday, leaving two villagers seriously injured.

They later announced plans to kill the animal, despite warnings by conservation officials not to hurt the endangered cat.

"Unfortunately they would not listen. They insisted on killing the tiger," local conservation agency head Hotmauli Sianturi told AFP, adding that a conservation officer was blocked from preventing the death.

"After killing the animal, the locals hung up its body for display. It's very regrettable."

Some internal organs were missing from the tiger's body, said authorities, who are investigating the killing.

Sumatran tigers are considered critically endangered by protection group the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with 400 to 500 remaining in the wild.KP Sharma Oli held bilateral talks with his visiting Pakistani counterpart Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and both decided to revitalise the stalled SAARC process.

Kathmandu: Nepali prime minister KP Sharma Oli held bilateral talks with his visiting Pakistani counterpart Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and both the leaders decided to revitalise the stalled SAARC process.

During the meeting on Monday evening, both the leaders discussed the matters related to enhancing bilateral cooperation in the fields of investment, trade, tourism, agriculture and human resource development, said a statement issued by Nepal's foreign ministry.

Oli and Abbasi agreed to hold regular meetings of bilateral mechanisms and the talks also emphasised on the stalled South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) process. The Pakistani leader sought to host the summit of the regional grouping and asked Nepal to create a "favourable environment" for the same.

Nepal is the current chair of the regional grouping.

On matters relating to the SAARC, Oli's chief political advisor Bishnu Rimal said: "Both leaders held a common view on taking the SAARC forum ahead as it was a common platform for all member countries and still significant".

"They also emphasised on resolving any issue of difference in Saarc through dialogue and discussion," Rimal was quoted as saying by the Himalayan Times.

In the meeting, Oli responded to Abbasi's invitation to visit Pakistan by saying "he would make the visit at an opportune time". The Pakistani prime minister also congratulated his Nepali counterpart over his election as the prime minister and wished him a successful tenure.

Oli later hosted a banquet in honour of the visiting Pakistani prime minister following the bilateral meeting. Abbasi arrived in Kathmandu on Monday for a two-day official visit.

Abbasi is scheduled to meet CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" on Tuesday and then will pay a courtesy call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari. He will leave for Pakistan later in the day.

The Pakistani leader was accompanied by the secretary to the prime minister Fawad Hassan Fawad, military secretary to the prime minister Brigadier Waseem Iftikhar Cheema and other senior officials of their government.A suicide bomber on a bicycle killed three people on Monday, when he detonated his explosives on the outskirts of the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, civilian militia told AFP.

Nigeria: A suicide bomber on a bicycle killed three people on Monday, when he detonated his explosives on the outskirts of the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, civilian militia told AFP.

Eighteen people were also injured in the attack, which happened in the Muna Dalti area of the city, said Musa Ari, a civilian militia member helping with security against Boko Haram. "The bomber attacked at about 8:20 pm in the midst of a group of residents hanging out, killing three and wounding 18," he added. "There is no doubt this is the work of Boko Haram terrorists," he said.

Another militia leader, Ibrahim Liman, gave the same toll and said the bomber detonated the explosives as he passed the group.

The Muna area of Maiduguri, which is home to a vast camp for people displaced by the conflict, has been repeatedly hit by suicide attacks blamed on Boko Haram. Previous targets include the camp itself, military and civilian militia checkpoints, and a bus station. Boko Haram has increasingly used mostly female bombers against civilian "soft targets", particularly mosques, markets and other gatherings, as part of its insurgency.

On Sunday, three female suicide bombers died in a botched suicide attack in Konduga town, 38 kilometres from Maiduguri, the militia said. Liman said the bombers' veils became entangled in barbed wire security fence erected by vigilantes to fend off Boko Haram suicide attackers. "The bombers blew themselves up to avoid capture and injured one person nearby," he added.

Nigeria's military and government maintain the Islamist militants are a spent force, after a sustained counter-insurgency that began in early 2015. But, while the jihadists no longer hold the territory they once did in the northeast, there are indications they may be stronger than the authorities claim.

On 19 February, heavily armed fighters kidnapped 110 schoolgirls from the town of Dapchi, in Yobe state, while last Friday, militants attacked the town of Rann in Borno. Eight soldiers and three aid workers were killed, forcing the suspension of humanitarian operations in the remote town for a week..    ,           ,   .   .      ,     "". "     ,  ,             ,    .  ,...Netflix today has rolled out a couple of key new features including PIN protected parental control, more prominent ratings and more. The update is available on many devices and across most global markets in the coming months.

First off on the list is the new PIN protected parental control for individual movies and series. This feature will give parents more specific control over what children can watch. Netflix also says that it is offering differing perspectives on what the parents feel is appropriate to watch at different ages. While Netflix already offers PIN protection for all content at a particular maturity level, this new addition will provide parents with an additional tool to make decisions they are comfortable with.

Furthermore, Netflix will now display more prominently the maturity level rating for a series or film once a member hits play on a title. The company says that it wants to ensure that the members are fully aware of the maturity level before they begin watching. The company plans to make this information more descriptive and easier for the members to understand with just a glance.

Commenting on the new updates, Mike Hastings is a director of enhanced content at Netflix said:

One of the great benefits of internet TV is that it allows for amazing variety and provides viewers with complete control over their experience. At Netflix, we are proud to create and deliver to our members a large catalog of compelling stories crossing many genres from all over the world, while also giving them great control over how and when to enjoy them. These latest steps are part of our continuous efforts to keep members better informed, and more in control, of what they and their families choose to watch and enjoy on Netflix.

SourceUpdate: Xiaomi has started rolling out an OTA update for the phone that brings fixes to the issues along with February Android security update. It should be available for all users soon.]

Earlier: Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 5 Pro in India on 14th Feb, and released the OTA for enabling face unlock in last week of February. The device is the most value for money offering available as of now in the market but there is an issue which you should consider before buying the Redmi Note 5 Pro in Flash sales.

On visiting Mi Community this morning, we came across few posts in which users reported the Low sound output from headphones issue, on further research we observed that many users are facing this issue and are seeking a resolution from company.

Xiaomi or Mi Community Admins have not acknowledged anything officially on this issue yet, but it seems that the issue has already got Xiaomis attention and company has started working on it as some of Mi Community moderators have responded to these posts and are asking users to provide the buglog.

Redmi Note 5 Pro is definitely a bang for the buck smartphone as of now with an impressive camera performance. You can check out some camera samples here. The Redmi Note 5 Pro will go on sale in all four color variants including Lake Blue and Rose Gold along with 6GB RAM variant tomorrow at 12:00 PM on Flipkart and Mi.com.

W expect the company to acknowledge the issue and provide a fix for the issue soon. Do you own a Redmi Note 5 Pro? If yes, are you also facing the issue? Do let us know in the comments below.

SourceCNN star Jim Acosta claimed White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders snubbed him at Mondays press briefing yet again and seemingly called for courage  before she put him in his place.

Sarah, this is the third press briefing you have not taken a question from CNN, Acosta shouted toward Sanders as she left the briefing Monday. Do you expect the Justice Department to enforce all subpoenas, Sarah?

CNNs senior White House correspondent followed up with a tweet, rehashing that Mondays press briefing was the third in a row that @PressSec did not take a question from CNN. #courage.

In response, Sanders slammed the CNN White House correspondents definition of courage, claiming its not taking a question from CNN.

Courage is combat veterans Sgt. Peck and Staff Sgt. Dwyer  the two heroes at the briefing. #itsnotaboutyou, Sanders wrote.

John Peck and Liam Dwyer, both retired Marine Corps sergeants, sat near the podium in their wheelchairs Monday as Sanders touted the Trump administrations efforts to restore accountability to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Acosta later tweeted he wished Sanders had given [Peck and Dwyer] time to take our questions too. You just bailed from the briefing.

The spat is not the first time Acosta has made waves at a White House press briefing.

In December, Sanders told Acosta she wouldnt take any more questions from him after he said that just because journalists make honest mistakes it doesnt make them fake news.

And in January, Acosta was scolded by Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney following the CNN reporters question about a looming government Schumer Shutdown  which Mulvaney said Acosta knew the answer to as well as anybody.

President Trump later thanked Crazy Acosta of Fake News CNN for seemingly acknowledging the government shutdown was a win for the Trump White House.Amber Tamblyn defended herself Monday after social media users slammed her, with some labeling her anti-Semitic, for tweets she posted about Hasidic Jewish men.

Tamblyn tweeted she would not be bullied or intimidated by critics accusing her of being anti-Semitic.

Ill say this once. To anyone suggesting Im anti-Semitic for identifying a man as Hasidic who hit my daughters stroller in a crosswalk with a car then rolled his window down, wagged his finger and told me Watch where youre going: I will not be bullied or intimidated by you, Tamblyn tweeted.

The 34-year-old actress also responded to a tweet by user Benjamin OKeefe who said he also has negative experiences in that community on a daily basis.

Im so sorry to hear this, Benjamin. And I completely agree with you here and will not be silenced or bullied or intimidated by anyone who wants to twist my words into anything other than what it is, she responded.

AMBER TAMBLYN SLAMMED FOR TWEET SAYING HASIDIC MEN ATTEMPTED TO HARM HER FOLLOWING NEAR CAR CRASH

In a series of tweets on Sunday, the actress said a Hasidic man in a grey van attempted to hit her and her daughter while they were at a crosswalk in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn.

If anyone in Brooklyn near the intersection of Washington Ave and Atlantic Ave just saw a Hasidic man in a grey van try to hit a woman and her baby in a stroller as she crossed a crosswalk, honking and touching the stroller with the cars bumper, please DM me, Tamblyn tweeted Sunday. That woman was me.

Tamblyn thanked supporters for their kind words and said she was fine after the incident. She also said it wasnt the first time an incident like that occurred.

She tweeted, But this is not the first time a man from the Hasidic community in NYC has attempted to harm me or other women I know. Any woman riding a bike through South Williamsburg can attest. I hope this guy is caught.

Social media users criticized Tamblyns tweets that appeared to target members of the religious Jewish sect. Some of her followers said she was making generalizations about a large community of Orthodox Jews.

Tamblyn, a prominent advocate of the Times Up movement, did not appear to call the police following the incident, according to TMZ.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams also responded to Tamblyns tweets saying he was relieved that the actress and her daughter were OK.

Tamblyn responded, Thank you for this, Eric. As Im sure you know its a dangerous intersection that needs better monitoring, in my opinion. Not just for safety but for exact reasons like this one.

Tamblyns encounter comes a day after two children were struck and killed on a street corner in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The driver, a woman who is not a Hasidic Jew, struck a group of people with her vehicle, dragging a stroller for almost an entire block, a witness told the New York Daily News. The children's mothers, including one who is pregnant, were also injured.

Fox News' Kathleen Joyce contributed to this report.Emma Watson joked she needs a proofreader after she debuted some new ink at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party that contained a glaring grammatical error.

The Harry Potter star showed off a tattoo that read Times Up on her arm  clearly missing the apostrophe for the organization Time's Up.

Watsons tattoo was apparently a sign of support for the movement but social media users quickly pointed out the phrase was missing an apostrophe.

EMBARRASMENT AS EMMA WATSON SPORTS FEMINIST TATTOO WITH GLARING GRAMMATICAL ERROR

At first, it was not immediately clear if Watsons tattoo was real or temporary.

The Beauty and the Beast star took to Twitter Tuesday to clear up any confusion, revealing it was a temporary tattoo.



Fake tattoo proofreading position available. Experience with apostrophes a must, Watson tweeted.

Social media users replied volunteering to be Watsons proofreader. Many tweeted gifs of Watson portraying Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series eagerly raising her hand.

EMMA WATSON ASKS FANS TO HELP FIND MEANINGFUL RINGS SHE LOST IN LONDON SPA

The Brown University graduate has been an outspoken proponent of the Times Up movement, which began after bombshell exposes revealed decades of alleged sexual misconduct by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. The movement calls on people who have experienced sexual misconduct in the workplace to speak up. A number of Hollywood stars, including Watson, have voiced their support and donated to the movement.

Watson is also a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador and recently donated $1.4 million to the U.K.'s Justice and Equality Fund.Most actresses dream of living in Hollywood  not Barbara Feldon.

The star, best known by fans as Agent 99 in the hit series Get Smart, recently told Closer Weekly she left Los Angeles behind in 1977 for New York City, and she has never looked back.

THROWBACK TIME: CELEBRITY FLASHBACK PHOTOS

I just never had the acting itch, the 84-year-old told the magazine. Theres so much artistic and intellectual stimulation in New York. Every day is different.

Get Smart, the comedy show that poked fun at the coveted secret agent genre, aired from 1965 until 1970. It inspired a brief remake in 1995, followed by a 2008 film featuring Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway as Agent 99.

Feldon has stayed busy over the years pursuing acting for television, but she has never felt the urge to live in Los Angeles among Hollywoods elite.

[Living in LA] was like a 12-year interruption of my life in New York, said the Pittsburgh native, who graduated with a drama degree from the Carnegie Institute of Technology back in 1955.

Feldon officially retired from acting in 2006, but has had no problem opening up to fans about her work. Back in 2016, she told Forbes that while her character gave birth to twins, in real life she never had children of her own.

It just didnt happen, explained Feldon. Time went by and my life was just a different kind of life. I must say, though, that during the period where we were shooting and I was wearing that big pregnancy pad, I was like, Whoa, Im not quite sure this would be fun (laughs).'

"There are so many ways to be happy, and you can be happy with children. I know I would have been if I had them. But you can be happy without them, too, and I have been.

Feldon also told the business site she would tell her younger self not to take fame so seriously.

I would say to take things more lightly, see life in a bigger context than just that a total vision of success or being good enough, said Feldon at the time. There is no way to be good enough when youre that age. You want some kind of perfection, and youll never get there.

"If it were the show, my advice would be to enjoy the people on the set. Dont worry about whether youre being accepted or not, whether your TV Q [score] is high or not high. Just be more lighthearted about life in general.Meghan Markle is getting ready for her big day with some traditional pre-wedding celebrations. According to E! News, the soon-to-be royal enjoyed a bridal shower that was thrown for her over the weekend.

On Monday, a source confirmed to E! that Markle was treated to a bridal shower, which was thrown by friends at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire, England.

"Markus Anderson has helped throw the shower for Meghan and a small group of mostly her London friends," the insider told E!. "It's just a relaxing day of good food and pampering."

Friends of Markle's who reportedly attended the bridal event, which took place at the exclusive member's club, included Lindsay Jill Roth, Heather Dorak and the actress' mother, Doria Radlan.

In addition to reportedly attending her daughter's shower, Radlan is also slated to attend her daughter's Church of England baptism later this week.

The ceremony, which is scheduled to take place at the Kensington Palace chapel, will also reportedly reunite Radlan with her ex-husband, Thomas Markle. According to The Sunday Times, Markle's father is expected to fly in from Mexico for the sacred ceremony and will most likely meet Prince Harry for the first time.

The Sunday Times also reported that the baptism ceremony will be performed by Archbishop Justin Welby, who is also said to officiate the couple's wedding on May 19 at St. George's chapel.

More details about the royal wedding have been released in recent months. Kensington Palace announced Friday that Harry and Markle invited 2,640 people to stand on the ground of Windsor Castle to watch the carriage procession.

"Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle have said they want their Wedding Day to be shaped so as to allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations, too," the palace said in a statement. "This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters and values of the Bride and Groom."

About 1,200 people will be members of the general public. Harry and Markle invited 200 people to represent charities and other organizations they support.

The 2,640 people does not include those who are invited to the ceremony in the chapel.

Fox News' Katherine Lam contributed to this report.Fans of Suits will finally witness the years most talked-about wedding.

After months of anticipation, USA Network released a new trailer for their popular drama, giving viewers a sneak peek of what the show will unveil when it returns March 28.

The trailer hints how Meghan Markles character, Rachel Zane, will enjoy the adventure of a lifetime, similar to the Hollywood stars real-life journey in marrying UKs Prince Harry.

The teaser shows actor Patrick J. Adams as Mike Ross, who tells his onscreen fiancee (Markles Zane): I have wanted to marry you from the second I met you. The trailer also recaps the pair falling in love throughout seven seasons as they gear up to walk down the aisle.

An emotional Markle is spotted responding, You are my future It would be the adventure of a lifetime.

Suits was renewed by USA for an eighth season in January and announced the departures of Markle and Adam.

The dramas original cast members  Rick Hoffman, Gabriel Macht and Sarah Rafferty  signed on to the next season, Deadline reported. The network also announced Dule Hill would become a series regular in Season 8.

Season 7 will resume on March 28 and will feature a two-hour finale on April 25 that would say goodbye to Markle, 36, and Adams, 36.

Coincidentally, the wedding episode will debut a few weeks before Markles own royal wedding to Prince Harry, 33, on May 19.

Variety previously reported Adam Korsh, the series creator, thanked Adams and Markle for their work on the show and confirmed there was a Suits spinoff planned starring Gina Torres, a former series regular.

I would like to thank Patrick and Meghan for their extraordinary contributions over the last seven years, said Korsh. Not only have they been outstanding in their roles as Mike and Rachel, but they are also superb human beings who will always be beloved members of the Suits family, and we wish them well in their days to come.

Adams was among the first to react to Markles real-life engagement on Twitter.

Playing Meghans television partner for the better part of a decade uniquely qualifies me to say this: Your Royal Highness, you are a lucky man and I know your long life together will be joyful, productive and hilarious, he tweeted. Meghan, so happy for you, friend. Much love.

Kensington Palace officially announced Markles engagement to Prince Harry in November 2017. The couple first met in the summer of 2016 through mutual friends.

Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty the Queen and other close members of his family, the palace announced. Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms. Markles parents.

Markle has been starring in Suits since 2011.Liberal news organizations feasted Monday on Sam Nunberg, a clearly distressed, possibly drunk bit player from the early days of the Trump campaign, as multiple interviews went off the rails and media members took advantage of a clearly fragile man.

This is one of the reasons America hates the media, Axios Mike Allen wrote. Our entire industry lit itself on fire because a troubled Trump hanger-on made an ass of himself  live.

Nunberg, who was fired by the Trump campaign back in 2015, made numerous appearances throughout the day on both CNN and MSNBC in which he claimed he wouldnt cooperate with a subpoena sent by Robert Mueller's office. During the media blitz, Nunberg was allowed to spew distasteful and insensitive remarks about Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, accuse Trump surrogates of extramarital affairs and even refer to Trump as an idiot.

Allen called it awful scandal porn and pointed out that one of Nunbergs friends is furious because the former Trump aide was being taken advantage of by an assortment of cable news anchors.

The Society of Professional Journalists ethics chair Andrew Seaman penned a blog entry about the situation and said its complicated but it may have been best and more responsible to tape an interview with Nunberg instead of airing it on live television.

In many cases -- including this one, I think journalists can do better, he said.

Nunbergs wild day kicked off when he called into MSNBC to chat with Katy Tur, who allowed him to embarrass himself for an extended period without wrapping the phone interview. Instead, Tur allowed the combative interview to linger uncomfortably as she attempted to find a smoking gun regarding alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Media analyst and journalism ethics guru Jeffrey McCall told Fox News that Nunberg's appearances on cable news channels might have made for sensational and dramatic television, but they were not helpful in terms of providing viewers with information of substance and causes credibility problems for networks that went all-in on a questionable source.

Producers should have simply done a recorded interview with Nunberg and then taken the time to sort things out in the edit room to determine if his comments could really add anything to the story, McCall said. Instead, the producers sought the excitement of live television and this is the result.

The Daily Beast reported that several friends of Nunberg were concerned that he had been drinking prior to dialing in to MSNBC and CNN.

Nunberg went on to speak with NY1s Josh Robin, MSNBCs Ari Melber, CNNs Gloria Borger and CNNs Jake Tapper before CNNs Erin Burnett finally had a come-to-Jesus moment. On live TV, Burnett told viewers that she smelled alcohol on Nunbergs breath and that White House officials have speculated that he was drinking or on drugs during the chaotic media appearances.

"I haven't had a drink," Nunberg replied. Anti-depressants, is that OK?

While MSNBC essentially sat back and enjoyed the show, CNNs Burnett at least confronted Nunberg with the fact that he smelled like alcohol. But that didnt stop viewers from ripping Jeff Zuckers network for the irresponsible interview.

Shareblue medias Oliver Willis tweeted, This is extremely irresponsible from CNN and Burnett What news value is there now in having a drunk or drugged person on air on national TV like this? None.

Political consultant Philippe Reines said Burnett should have ended the interview and predicted that Trump and the GOP will eventually mock CNN for the stunt, They admit they put drunks on. Drunk News!

Ironically, CNNs self-appointed ombudsman to the world Brian Stelter pondered in his Reliable Sources newsletter whether or not it was ethical to put Nunberg on television.

If your source seems drunk or drugged or just plain out of his mind, what is your responsibility? he asked.

Regardless of whether Nunberg might have been under the influence, his comments didn't have to be aired live and should have been scrutinized more carefully before dissemination," McCall said. "This episode gives fuel to the narrative that some news outlets are so determined to churn the Trump-Russia story that they will put a fringe source on live television in the hopes that it somehow can be a newsy scoop.

Nobody knows how credible Nunberg really is, but this kind of news broadcasting no doubt causes credibility problems for the channels that went all-in on a questionable source, he added.

CNN and MSNBC did not respond to separate requests for comment."Bachelor" fans were left in shock Monday night  not because of who Arie Luyendyk, Jr. chose to ask to be his future wife, but because of how quickly  and cruelly  he changed his mind.

Viewers on social media, including a Minnesota congressman, joined in on the conversation about the shocking finale.

GOP Rep. Drew Christensen vowed to draw up a bill to ban Arie from visiting his state because of his treatment of finalist Becca Kufrin, a Minnesota native.

If this gets a thousand retweets Ill author a bill banning Arie from Minnesota," Rep. Christensen tweeted following the finale.

Why all the backlash?

During the finale of ABC's "The Bachelor," Arie, 36, proposed to Becca in what was supposed to be the start of their long and magical lives together, but their engagement was short-lived.

It was revealed during the "After The Final Rose" special that Arie had a change of heart and decided to break it off with Becca because there was another woman on his mind  the runner-up, Lauren Burnham, whose heart he had broken when he left her behind in Peru at the final rose ceremony.

I was in love with Lauren and its hard to separate that feeling of loss. With Becca, I feel an immense amount of guilt. Its not fair for her to be in a relationship where someone is half in. I have to follow my heart. Just thinking of the possibility of something with Lauren is making me want to risk it all, Arie said. I decided to call off the engagement and break up with Becca.

Naturally, Becca was furious over Aries decision to call it quits after making the commitment to her on national television.

Just leave. What are you still doing here? Becca asked. Just go. After Arie convinced her to talk it out, he finally left for the final time, leaving her crying on the couch.

Viewers were quick to react on social media over the surprise ending: Some were outraged at Arie for the surprising plot twist, while others were simply left speechless.

I hope Lauren said no. Arie should not get to win after that, one Twitter user wrote. Hope she is smart enough to realize that and not be second his second choice.

Fans have to wait until Tuesday night to see how the story unfolds, as Becca and Lauren join Arie and Chris Harrison, the host of "The Bachelor," for the first time since the suitor broke up with both of them.Partnering with a cosmetic giant is a major milestone for any beauty blogger, which is why LOreals decision to drop its offer to a 21-year-old acne-positive blogger due to her skin issues was all the more bitter.



On March 1, The Sun reported that U.K.-based beauty influencer Kadeeja Khan was left "humiliated" when LOreal rescinded its offer to work with her on an upcoming campaign for a new hair product.

The self-taught Afghan beauty blogger, who recently went viral for using a $9 foundation to conceal her cystic acne, was told by the makeup conglomerate that she could not be featured in the launch of their vegan hair dye because of her acne.

WOMAN ENJOYS 'NEW LIFE' AFTER LEG AMPUTATION

I'm sorry to tell you that I have a bad news for you. We can't confirm the shooting with you. LOreal can't be involved with people with skin issues (question of regulations) that's why they decided to change the line of project at the last moment, the email from an unidentified LOreal staffer reads, as obtained by The Sun.

Apparently, Khan had already agreed to travel to Paris for the launch, and told The Sun she felt really gobsmacked to hear the bad news.

My whole Instagram is about sharing unedited photos, and I am very honest about my acne. I dont know why they would get my hopes up just to let me down  they were the ones to reach out to me not the other way around, Khan said of her emeraldxbeauty Instagram page, which has a following of 140,000. "They must have known what I post about on my social media before contacting me," she also said.

'CINDERELLA WEIGHT IS A DANGEROUS VIRAL DIET GOAL, EXPERTS WARN

LOreal USA returned Fox News request for comment with the following statement:



We deeply apologize for any upset caused, and have made direct contact with the individuals involved to clarify this unfortunate misunderstanding. The photoshoot was designed to support a hair color product and feature hairdressers and lifestyle bloggers. Unfortunately, a misunderstanding resulted in the agency casting bloggers with skin concerns for this shoot," a company spokesperson confirmed via email.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

"This resulted in the wrong profile being cast, which was then poorly and insensitively communicated to the individuals concerned. We do not have regulations in place that restrict us from working with people with skin conditions. At LOreal Professionnel we work with women and men with all skin types and celebrate beauty in all its diversity.

For her part, Khan has already moved on.

"'Because you're worth it'  well, I obviously wasnt, she told Fox News, quoting the iconic catch phrase of the French beauty house.Future Thieves will play at Songbirds on March 22.

Review for Future Thieves:

Meet Nashville rockers, Future Thieves. Young musicians come to Nashville to chicken-pick and twang. They come to sing about trucks, girls, and girls in trucks. Not so with Future Thieves. They came to rock.

In that brief time, theyve stirred up plenty of attention from fans throughout Music City and the U.S. The band has grown through continuous touring that is creating a buzz from their live performances, some that include Bonnaroo and Summerfest among others. Playing live is one the essential elements to Future Thieves creative process. The band released their debut album Horizon Line (released in 2015) and then recently Live at Blue Rock that was a collection of melodic rock, high energy Americana songs from their debut album with four new tracks.

They recently they premiered the music video on Jimmy Fallons Tumblr Page for the single Sucker.

Sucker is a preview to what is in store for there new album set to be out this year.

They have been featured on Conans TeamCoco.com / Relix / Guitar World /iHeart (Elvis Duran is a fan) / Alt Press / Music Connection just to name a few.

Future Thieves are Elliot Collett (vocals/guitar), Austin McCool (guitar), Nick Goss (bassist), and Gianni Gibson (drums).





She's no Fergie.

When Walmart staffers and shoppers of Trussville, Ala. recently celebrated the ribbon cutting of their locations new pickup service, they probably didnt expect employee Sabrina Barnes to bring down the house with a powerful rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner  for a special reason.

As a 50-second clip of Barnes stunning performance has gone viral on Facebook with over 57,000 times and 650 shares, the department manager of checkouts and candy aisles revealed to the Trussville Tribune just why the song means so much to her.

WOMAN ENJOYS 'NEW LIFE' AFTER LEG AMPUTATION

My son just joined the military. He is in basic training, I actually havent had any contact with him now for about two weeks. He has a baby on the way and will not be here to see his daughter born which also is his first child, Barnes told the outlet.

"I started to cry when I sang it. The song has more meaning to me now, she further divulged to AL.com. I didn't get to see [my son] off because I had the flu. All of this happened on my birthday, so it's been an emotional time.

COUPLE TAKES WEDDING PHOTOS AT TARGET

Though Barnes told AL.com she hasnt sang since middle school, she agreed to lead the national anthem at the ribbon cutting ceremony at the request of an assistant manager who knew she had talent. For her part, Barnes feels proud that she did.

My passion came from understanding the sacrifice my son and all service men and women are making to protect our country. I never truly understood the emotional part of not knowing when you will, and for some if you will ever, see your loved one again, Barnes told the site.

I had to give my son to the U.S. government and I did it proudly because I was proud of him for standing up saying 'I want to protect my family I want to protect my country I want to become a man of service,' she added.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

As Barnes patriotic performance continues to make waves and melt hearts across the internet, the Alabama woman says shes found the confidence to give her musical chops a serious shot.

"I'd love to try out for The Voice. I was supposed to do it before, but I lost my voice! I can't wait to try again!" she told the Trussville Tribune.

Super Bowl LIII, take notice.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

The tiny Persian Gulf nation of Qatar  one of the wealthiest countries in the world on a per capita basis, thanks to enormous oil and natural gas reserves  has become one of the most harmful influences in the Middle East and a key supporter of terrorist groups.

No one expects Qatar to launch a military attack of its own on any country. Located on a peninsula jutting out of Saudi Arabia, it is slightly smaller than Connecticut and has a population of only about 2.3 million.

But Qatar is endangering Americas Arab allies and our ally Israel by bankrolling terrorists, inciting violence and hatred through its state-funded Al Jazeera TV network, and collaborating with the far more powerful and virulently anti-American Islamic Republic of Iran.

Because Qatar poses such a danger to the region, Saudi Araba and its Persian Gulf allies have blockaded the country since June. They have closed Qatars border with Saudi Arabia and prevented many planes and cargo ships from landing and docking in Qatar.

Bizarrely, the United States maintains a military base in Qatar so we can fight against Muslim extremists. But at the same time, the Qataris are providing support to Muslim extremists fighting against Americas allies in the region.

Unfortunately, the Trump administration, like the Obama administration, prefers to look the other way at Qatars dangerous behavior. This is because the U.S. Central Command operates the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The base houses some 10,000 U.S., British and other allied troops. It plays a key role in American air operations in war-torn Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

Rather than using the base as an excuse for inaction against Qatar, we should be using it to leverage changes in Qatari behavior. The Trump administration needs to make clear to Qatar that its current conduct is unacceptable and will not be tolerated by the United States.

In addition to supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar is the principal financier of Hamas, which wants to eliminate the Jewish state of Israel and replace it with an Arab state of Palestine.

President Trump previously expressed support for the Saudi position that Qatar end its support for terrorists, shut down Al Jazeera and sever ties with Iran. To protect our interests and the security of our allies, he should now threaten to move our military base if the Qataris do not do these things.

Moving our base would be costly, but we did it before when the Saudis asked us to leave. Now that were on better terms with the Saudis, they might even welcome us back. Better still, the Qataris could accede to our demands and benefit from ending their isolation and allying with those opposing terrorism and the Iranian menace.

Qatar wants to present itself as moderate and helpful to the U.S. Yet the government and individual Qataris have given financial and political support to two terrorist groups  the Muslim Brotherhood and its Palestinian offshoot, Hamas.

Qatars support for the Brotherhood stems from its need to demonstrate its commitment to Islam to avoid becoming a target of extremists, especially given its Western orientation and willingness to host the U.S. military. But in siding with the Brotherhood, Qatar is at odds with other countries  particularly Egypt  that see the group as a threat to their regimes.

In addition to supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar is the principal financier of Hamas, which wants to eliminate the Jewish state of Israel and replace it with an Arab state of Palestine. Qatar claims it only supports economic projects in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas. But even if that were true, the money Qatar funnels to Hamas frees up money that the terrorist group can use to build rockets and terrorist tunnels to threaten Israel.

Moreover, individual Qataris may be providing direct assistance to Hamas. Qatar also has served as a haven for Hamas terrorists such as Khaled Mashaal.

On top of this, Qatar has made no secret of its hostile feelings toward Israel. Its leaders have called on the world to shun Israel, condemned Israel for destroying terrorist tunnels, and accused Israel during its military operations in Gaza of war crimes.

Al Jazeera is the propaganda arm of the Qatari government and regularly broadcasts reports critical of Qatars neighbors and Israel. The TV network is also used to demonstrate Qatars loyalty to radical Islamists.

In addition, Qatar promotes terrorism through its broadcasts of sermons by the Muslim Brotherhoods Yusuf al-Qaradawi. He has a history of defending suicide bombings in Israel, condoning violence against U.S. troops and agitating against other Arab states. Al-Qaradawi was recently sentenced in absentia to life in prison in Egypt after being convicted of incitement to murder and other charges. He lives in exile in Qatar.

Al Jazeera has also targeted American Jews by sending a spy to infiltrate pro-Israel organizations to try to gather dirt on them. The goal of Al Jazeera is to present viewers with anti-Semitic propaganda falsely claiming there is evidence of an all-powerful Jewish cabal controlling U.S. policy.

Finally, at a time when the Trump administration seeks to isolate Iran, Qatar has strengthened its ties with the Islamic Republic. Qatar claims it has no choice but to deal with Iran given the blockade, but one of the main reasons the Saudis imposed the blockade was Qatars refusal to sever ties with Iran.

Irans anti-American policies, support for terrorists, fighting on behalf of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, and repeated pledges to wipe Israel off the map have not deterred Qatar from drawing closer to its dangerous neighbor.

Yet despite its strong support of Israels enemies, Qatar has mounted a charm offensive by inviting American Jewish leaders and others to the capital of Doha s and pledging counterterrorism cooperation.

The emir who rules Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, has even asked American Jewish leaders to lobby U.S. government officials on Qatars behalf. Presumably, he believes they can influence President Trump and Congress to pressure Qatars Gulf rivals to end their blockade.

But even as it woos Americans, Qatar has continued its harmful and hostile activities.

Qatar, like other Arab nations, has long enjoyed a democracy exception from American administrations  an understanding that, unlike other countries around the world, we will not pressure them to democratize  as long as we have access to their oil and they support our regional interests.

In Qatars case, we silently tolerate an autocratic ruler whose family has been in power for more than 100 years, bans organized political parties, restricts civil liberties  including freedoms of speech, press, and assembly  and permits human trafficking. Nevertheless, no U.S. administration has been sufficiently disturbed by Qatars domestic policy to exert any pressure for change.

President Trump has often said he is a skilled dealmaker and criticized agreements made by past U.S. administrations. In the case of Qatar, America is tolerating too much and paying too high a price to keep the Al Udeid Air Base in a nation that is undermining our interests and the interests of our allies. If Qatar refuses to change its behavior, we should pull our air base out of the country to send a clear message that Qatars actions are intolerable.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

A decade ago, Debbie Jenkins of Strongville, Ohio, was hanging by a hair and entering the most challenging season of her life.

The years to follow brought the flavor of heartache that can be impossible to overcome. The elementary school teacher had suffered through a painful divorce. Shed been crushed by the death of a sweet young student in her classroom and survived a fire that gutted her apartment.

Emotionally bent but not broken, Jenkins turned to inspirational and self-help books to find peace. Her reading spurred something she called her happiness project. Every day, no matter what stones life hurled at her, she wrote in a journal at least three beautiful bits of good that made her happy.

A cute cat. A delicious piece of chocolate cake. A spectacular sunset.

Jenkins, a Lutheran, credits prayers and her happiness project for her and her husbands emotional and spiritual progress since losing their babies. Without prayer, its hard to trust in tomorrow. You cant see it, but you know its working.

She discovered that even on the toughest days, there were things happening all around her that brought joy. The project was an anchor to peace during other trials to come and Jenkins was happier and more hopeful than shed been in years.

Before long, she met Jeremy, a new friend who soon became her new husband. The marriage began with the shared visualization of two future children and even more happiness than either had ever known.

Conceiving proved challenging but two years later and just days before they were scheduled to finally see a fertility specialist, Jenkins was pregnant.

A few appointments later and their dream of two children became reality with the distinct sound of two heartbeats  identical twins.

During a recent interview from her home just outside Cleveland, Debbie described the emotions of the day. Because it took so long to get pregnant, when we found out there were two we felt like we were being blessed for our patience.

Her pregnancy progressed so well that her doctors accused her of being a boring patient. One of them good-naturedly joked, Im not making any money off you!

The pages of her happiness journal practically danced with joy.

Baby A and Baby B, already named Dylan and Nash, were healthy and strong and prepping for their big debut. But on Jan. 31, a routine checkup at exactly 35 weeks raised warning flags. Within an hour of walking in, expecting another dose of happy news, the doctors expression during the ultrasound told a different story.

Just one heartbeat.

Dylan had died, probably two days earlier, and an immediate C-section was ordered to save Nash. Surgery went well, although Nashs introduction to his mother was brief as nurses needed to swiftly whisk him off to NICU.

I had time to kiss his forehead, Jenkins said. And tell him he was beautiful. That was it.

News trickled in slowly over the next 24 hours. Nash had lost both oxygen and blood when his brother passed away. His fragile digestive system wasnt working, and doctors began scanning and tracking seizures.

Hope faded fast and just four days after his arrival, Nash was gone.

As hard as it was to say goodbye to not just one, but both of them, Jenkins said, the final moments were peaceful and strangely comforting.

Jenkins, a Lutheran, credits prayers and her happiness project for her and her husbands emotional and spiritual progress since losing their babies. Without prayer, its hard to trust in tomorrow. You cant see it, but you know its working.

Despite her grief, Jenkins finds plenty of entries for her journal. Theyve been overwhelmed by the love, support, food, cards and prayers of their friends and family. And yes, there are angels on earth. They work in hospital NICUs.

When pondering the greatest lessons of the last month, Jenkins says she believes more than ever that life isnt about the inevitable trials  its how you deal with them.

Hard things happen, accidents happen, but it doesnt mean you did something wrong. Its not a punishment, and it doesnt mean God doesnt still love you and want you to be happy.

Debbie and Jeremy are anxious to try again for the children they believe theyre meant to raise. But no matter what may come, the traditions of prayer and the happiness journal will live on.

Such inspiring ideas. And, just maybe, great ideas for the rest of us, too.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

North Koreas reported new willingness to discuss giving up its nuclear weapons is a sign that the Trump administrations pressure campaign against the nation is working. But this does not mean that the U.S. should back off on sanctions.

Quite the contrary. We must continue to ratchet up pressure against the rogue regime if we want it to truly abandon its nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile programs.

The fact is that the latest round of sanctions announced two weeks ago will only incrementally add to the pressure on the Norths economy. They will not cripple it.

To really have an impact  and possibly deprive North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un of the ability to launch a horrific nuclear attack on the United States  we need to go one step further and mount a naval blockade on North Koreas ports.

This is certainly a big step and it certainly carries dangers. But the dangers of North Korea hitting an American city with an atomic or hydrogen bomb are greater.

President Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the new round of sanctions they announced recently were the heaviest ever on North Korea. But in reality, the new measures are an effort to shore up the existing sanctions, not to impose new ones.

The new U.S. sanctions apply to 27 shipping companies and 28 ships registered in North Korea, China and five other nations that are helping the North Korea evade international restrictions on fuel imports and a ban on coal exports.

The American government is blocking assets held by the sanctioned entities in the U.S. and is barring U.S. citizens from dealing with those entities. The sanctions are designed to cut off foreign cash that North Korea desperately needs

As far as North Korea itself, the Trump administration issued a global shipping advisory outlining North Koreas efforts to hide its sanctions violations by renaming its ships and using false ID numbers.

But although shipping companies from other countries were put on notice that trading with North Korea would subject them to heavy penalties, there is no reason to believe Chinese vessels and Chinese shipping companies, drawn by the prospect of profit (and perhaps secretly encouraged by China, North Koreas ally) will not quickly take their place.

As for the North Koreans, they will certainly continue carrying out the elaborate ruses they have been successfully using to violate the existing sanctions. These include falsifying the names of their vessels and disabling their automatic identification systems to hide their movements. This enables them to secretly rendezvous at sea with Chinese and other vessels and carry out prohibited ship-to-ship transfers of fuel and other goods.

This nautical game of cops and robbers could continue for months or even years, as we continuously identify and sanction more and more vessels and companies in violation of the sanctions.

Unfortunately, we no longer have the luxury of waiting for this incremental approach to bring the rogue regime to its knees. As CIA Director Mike Pompeo has testified, North Korea is only a handful of months away from being able to nuke the United States.

There is only one way to cause the already isolated regime so much additional economic pain that it will be forced to abandon its nuclear and missile ambitions.

With or without Chinas help, the U.S. and its allies must impose a blockade on North Koreas ports.

The Trump administration should announce that all vessels bound to and from the major North Korean ports of Nampo, Haeju, and Hungnam will be interdicted and boarded, and that their cargos will be inspected. Those ships found to be engaged in smuggling would be immediately impounded. Only ships with cargos not violating the sanctions  those bringing food aid, for instance  would be allowed to continue on their way.

The announcement of such a blockade would be a shot across the bow of shipping companies, Chinese and otherwise, that might otherwise be tempted to violate the existing sanctions. At the very least, it would drive those attempting to engage in ship-to-ship transfers farther offshore, making it more likely that they would be stopped, boarded and impounded.

The chief argument against such a blockade is that China would not only refuse to participate, but would actively resist any effort to clamp down in its ally in this way. Remember, despite Chinas ostensible participation in the sanctions regime, it continues to be bound to North Korea by a longstanding Mutual Security Treaty.

That is precisely why the U.S. must insist that the Chinese Navy be an integral part of a U.S.-led blockade. Beijings continued refusal would, at a minimum, make it apparent to the world that it had no intention of actually enforcing the sanctions against North Korea that it had earlier agreed to support.

In the absence of a naval blockade, Kim Jong Un will soon have an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States. When he does, he may indeed act on his threat to launch a missile across the Pacific in the general direction of, say, Hawaii.

If we thought the false alarm by Hawaiis Emergency Management Agency sent shock waves of fear across the islands, wait until there is an actual ballistic missile on that same trajectory.

At that point, having lost the initiative, we will be left with only two alternatives. Do we launch a pre-emptive strike against North Koreas nuclear and missile facilities, with all the risks that entails? Or do we accept the fact that North Korea has the capability to nuke American cities as the new status quo?

In that case, efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons will have failed. Japan, South Korea and other countries will, of necessity, develop their own nuclear deterrents. The world will become a much more dangerous place.

Better a naval blockade now, with or without Chinese support, than living under the threat of a nuclear attack by the Madman of Pyongyang.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Of all the economic policies President Trump has marked for attention this year  merit-based immigration, infrastructure and vocational training  fixing the trade deficit offers the biggest bang for the buck. Cutting the $620 billion annual trade gap in half could create 2 million jobs.

Manufacturing would benefit most, and it finances two-thirds of business research and development. Investments in intellectual property for new materials, supply chain management, artificial intelligence and the like could boost long-term economic growth by a full percentage point.

China accounts for 60 percent of the U.S. trade deficit and habitually subsidizes domestic industries, limits imports in areas of rapidly advancing technology to incubate its own competitors, and forces foreign multinationals to transfer technology as a condition for market access. It compels their compliance with the Communist Party political agenda and insidious activities monitoring its citizens.

China has targeted one U.S. industry after another  metals, solar panels, computer chips and artificial intelligence  that all have significant economic and national security consequences.

Whatever the U.S. does regarding China affects our allies, and the proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum have attracted strong rebuke and threats of retaliation on our exports from our friends. Lost in all the media coverage is the fact that the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements provide for a national security exception when the survival of critical domestic industries is threatened.

Still, rifle-shot remedies, absent a comprehensive strategy, do pose the danger of casting the Americans, not the Chinese, as malefactors in the eyes of world leaders. President Trump needs their cooperation to accomplish a radical change in commercial relations with China.

Fears of a trade war  though exaggerated  bring a new urgency to finding ways to cooperate with our allies and craft a systemic solution to the problems posed by Chinas mercantilism.

President Trump has linked an exception to the tariffs on steel and aluminum for Canada and Mexico to bringing the negotiations to modernize NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) to a quicker conclusion. However, some U.S. expectations for these talks are particularly maddening  for example, that Mexico and Canada agree to eliminate arbitration panels to resolve investor disputes.

Those provisions protect U.S. companies from arbitrary foreign government actions  such as requirements to source components locally instead of from U.S. factories, coerced technology transfers and arbitrary treatment by foreign courts  and likely reduce, not increase, the U.S. trade deficit.

Coming up with a fresh approach to China, in concert with the European Union and other allies requires a wholesale rethinking of our WTO relationship with the Middle Kingdom.

The global trade body was conceived to be a club of market economies. Its dispute settlement mechanism is designed to rein in national industrial policies that occasionally harm other members  namely, discipline the venial sins of market economy governments.

China is not a market economy. It was admitted into the WTO on the premise that greater engagement with the West would accelerate market-oriented reforms, but Beijings success at flaunting the rules has taken it in the opposite direction.

Chinas violations of WTO rules are far more sweeping than anything the dispute settlement mechanism was designed to handle. Its time to recognize that China will never be a market economy compatible with fair competition, and Western nations would do well to impose a regime that balances its trade with the West.

The Trump administration is reported to be fashioning a broad response to China. It would do well to deal with both the investment and trade holistically.

America should impose across-the-board restrictions on Chinese investments in the United States that mirror Beijings policies toward U.S. investments in China.

On trade, the United States should impose a system of licenses on imports from China and encourage its allies to do the same. Exporters would be granted transferable rights to imports equal to their sales in China.

This would balance trade with China, and a system of re-sellable licenses would let the market decide which Chinese imports are most highly valued by consumers and aid U.S. exporters. And it would obviate the need of global tariffs that swipe at U.S. trading partners as well as China.

If China wants to talk trade after that we can engage Beijing in long negotiations while its businesses acclimate to being treated as their government treats U.S. businesses.During the final months of the Clinton email investigation, FBI agent Peter Strzok was advised of an irregularity in the metadata of Hillary Clintons server that suggested a possible breach, but there was no significant follow up, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter.

Sources told Fox News that Strzok, who sent anti-Trump text messages that got him removed from the ongoing Special Counsel Robert Muellers Russia probe, was told about the metadata anomaly in 2016, but Strzok did not support a formal damage assessment.

One source said: Nothing happened.

Fox News is told the Justice Department Inspector General, Michael E. Horowitz, is aware of the allegations.

According to intelligence community directive 732, damage assessments are done in response to unauthorized disclosure or compromise of classified national intelligence.

Intelligence beyond top secret was identified on the Clinton server. As secretary of state, Clinton chose to use a private, non-secure server for government business.

The FBI had no comment to Fox News questions about Strzok, his awareness of the metadata issue, and what actions, if any, he took. There also was no comment from the Inspector Generals office.

A report from Horowitzs 14-month investigation into the DOJ and FBIs handling of the Clinton email case is expected at any time.

In December, when the texts between Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page became public, congressional sources said Strzok was part of then FBI Director James Comey's inner circle, who advised and made edits to Comey's July 2016 public statement recommending against criminal charges in the Clinton probe.

The edits addressed the likelihood the Clinton server had been compromised. In the initial May 2016 draft, two months before Clinton and more than a dozen key witnesses were interviewed, Comey said it was reasonably likely that hostile actors gained access to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's private email account. That was later changed to say the scenario was merely possible.

In his July 2016 statement, Comey said: With respect to potential computer intrusion by hostile actors, we did not find direct evidence that Secretary Clintons personal e-mail domain, in its various configurations since 2009, was successfully hacked. But, given the nature of the system and of the actors potentially involved, we assess that we would be unlikely to see such direct evidence.

Comey said hostile actors got access to private accounts of Clintons close contacts. He also said Clintons use of personal email was widely known, her email address was readily apparent and she used the account while travelling overseas where hostile nations and sophisticated hackers operate.

Given that combination of factors, we assess it is possible that hostile actors gained access to Secretary Clintons personal e-mail account, Comey said at the time.

Another key edit, which appeared to limit Clinton's legal exposure, included changing the language to describe the former Secretary of State's actions from grossly negligent to extremely careless. This is a key legal distinction because, under the federal criminal statute 18 USC 793, the legal standard is gross negligence.

110 e-mails in 52 e-mail chains have been determined by the owning agency to contain classified information at the time they were sent or received, Comey said in his July 2016 statement about the Clinton case. Eight of those chains contained information that was top secret at the time they were sent; 36 chains contained secret information at the time; and eight contained confidential information, which is the lowest level of classification.The midterm election season officially kicks off on Tuesday, when Texas voters head to the polls for the nations first primary of 2018.

With early voting already suggesting a record turnout for Democrats, and widespread speculation about what effect an endorsement by President Trump will have on Republican candidates, the Texas primaries are being looked at as both a bellwether for the rest of the nation - and a sign the red state could be turning purple more quickly than expected.

What these primaries really boil down to is one issue: Trump versus anti-Trump, Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University, told Fox News. There is relatively little talk about the issues for either party. Its a race to the margins. Democrats are all against the president, while with Republicans its about staying close to Trump, and whether that hurts or helps them.

While initially skipping some major Republican candidates in the Lone Star state, Trump went all in early last week when, in a series of tweets, supported a number of top-tier Texas Republicans.

"I want to encourage all of my many Texas friends to vote in the primary for Governor Greg Abbott, Senator Ted Cruz, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Attorney General Ken Paxton. They are helping me to Make America Great Again! Vote early or on March 6th," Trump tweeted.

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush also got Trumps endorsement, with the president saying the nephew and grandson of two former presidents backed me when it wasn't the politically correct thing to do, and I back him now.

Unlike Cruz, Abbott, Patrick and Paxton  incumbents who are expected to easily win the GOP nomination in their campaigns  Bush is facing a tough battle against his predecessor in the land office, Jerry Patterson. A recent University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll found that when voters were allowed to be undecided, Bush mustered only 36 percent of the vote in his race.

It remains to be seen whether a Trump endorsement will hurt or help Bush. But either way, it puts the politician in a strange situation as he tries to merge the backing of the anti-establishment president with that of his storied political family. The Bush dynasty was built on moderate conservative policy positions, and was strongly against Trump in the 2016 race, where George P.s father, Jeb, ran against him.

What Bush would like to do is establish an identity as someone who is new and going to shake up the status quo. This is doubly difficult when you have a famous last name, Daron Shaw, a political scientist at the University of Texas at Austin and former campaign strategist for George W. Bush, told the Houston Chronicle. Bush is attempting to reinforce the notion that he is his own man and a politician for the 2020s, not the 1980s.

A recent poll from UT Austin/Texas Tribune found 83 percent of Texas Republicans supportive of Trump.

Experts say Republicans will need a big turnout if the party hopes to counter the groundswell of interest for the Democrats.

Despite midterm elections drawing much less interest than presidential election years, by Saturday more than 885,000 people in Texas had voted early or by mail in the states most populous counties. That's a 50 percent increase from 2014, which marked the previous high of 592,000.

The early numbers also indicate that for the first time since 2008, more Texas Democrats will vote in their primary than Republicans. By Saturday, the Texas Secretary of States office noted 465,000 people voted in the Democratic Primary in the states 15 largest counties, compared to just about 420,000 Republicans.

There are a number of reasons for the uptick in Democratic voter turnout  more female candidates, the emergence of closet Democrats and a dislike of both Trump and the socially conservative Texas Republican Party  and analysts say this should worry Republicans.

This Democratic surge looks really impressive, Jillson said. Having Democratic turnout surpass Republicans is a big deal in Texas, and should have the GOP scared.

But Jillson noted the surge in Democrats voting will likely not be enough to turn the state blue as incumbent Republicans, both in national and statewide races, are unlikely to be toppled.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, for example, is likely to face Democratic challenger Beto ORourke who, despite being a fundraising powerhouse and an emerging party favorite, is not considered a true contender. A recent Texas Politics Project poll found nearly 40 percent of Texas voters have no idea who ORourke even is.

The Democratic surge will show some results, but not enough to flip the state, Jillson said. Theyre on a slow march, but unless the GOP fumbles this election really badly, Texas will not turn blue.The former Trump campaign aide who became a television spectacle Monday in a series of bizarre news interviews -- vowing to defy a grand jury subpoena and daring Special Counsel Robert Mueller to arrest me -- is now toning down his dramatic rhetoric.

"I'm going to end up cooperating with them," the aide, Sam Nunberg, told the Associated Press.

In an unusual and risky move, Nunberg hit the interview circuit Monday to lash out at the special counsel after receiving a subpoena to appear before a grand jury for the Russia investigation.

Muellers team requested records from him of conversations he had with outgoing White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, former White House strategist Steve Bannon, Trump attorney Michael Cohen, former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and adviser Roger Stone.

'LET HIM ARREST ME': TRUMP EX-CAMPAIGN AIDE NUNBERG SAYS HE WILL REFUSE MUELLER'S SUBPOENA

But a defiant Nunberg went public with his anger regarding that request, saying: Let him arrest me.

Mr. Mueller should understand I am not going in on Friday, Nunberg told the Washington Post.

During one interview on CNN, host Erin Burnett told Nunberg she smelled alcohol on his breath. Nunberg denied he had been drinking.

The political consultant has had a long and colorful history with Trump. He was one of Trumps earliest political advisers, helping him connect with conservative audiences ahead of his 2016 presidential run.

Hes long been associated with Stone, the infamous political dirty trickster who has also had a tumultuous relationship as an on-again, off-again adviser to Trump.

SAM NUNBERG: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE FORMER TRUMP AIDE

Nunberg said Monday he believes the only reason he's being asked to testify before the grand jury is to provide information that would be used against Stone, which he says he won't do.

Im not spending 80 hours going over my emails with Roger Stone and Steve Bannon and producing them, Nunberg said. Donald Trump won this election on his own. He campaigned his ass off. And there is nobody who hates him more than me.

In other interviews, Nunberg said he thought Mueller may already have incriminating evidence on Trump directly, although he would not say what that evidence might be.

"I think it would be funny if they arrested me."  Former Trump aide Sam Nunberg

"I think he may have done something during the election," Nunberg told MSNBC of the president. "But I don't know that for sure."

He later told CNN that Mueller "thinks Trump is the Manchurian candidate." A reference drawn from a Cold War novel and film, a "Manchurian candidate" is an American brainwashed or otherwise compromised to work on behalf of an adversarial government.

Shortly after Nunberg lobbed the first allegation, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders rebuffed him during her Monday press briefing.

"I definitely think he doesn't know that for sure because he's incorrect. As we've said many times before, there was no collusion with the Trump campaign," Sanders said. "He hasn't worked at the White House, so I certainly can't speak to him or the lack of knowledge that he clearly has."

During his afternoon tirades, Nunberg detailed his interview with Mueller's investigators, mocking them for asking such questions as if he had heard Russian being spoken in Trump Tower.

"I think it would be funny if they arrested me," Nunberg said on MSNBC.

He later added on CNN: "I'm not going to the grand jury. I'm not going to spend 30 hours going over my emails. I'm not doing it."

Nunberg said he'd already blown a 3 p.m. Monday deadline to turn over the requested communications. He said he'd traded numerous emails a day with Stone and Bannon, and said spending 80 hours digging through his inbox to find them all was unreasonable.

"I'm going to end up cooperating with them."  Sam Nunberg, former Trump campaign aide

Nunberg is the first witness in the ongoing federal Russia investigation to openly promise to defy a subpoena.

A source close to the Trump campaign told Fox News on Monday that Nunberg was fired twice by Trump for good reason and was known to be erratic, referring to his media appearances Monday.

Nunberg was first fired by Trump in 2014 after an unflattering piece about Trump ran in BuzzFeed as he geared up for a presidential run. Nunberg, a communications aide, helped to arrange the interview and Trump blamed him for the bad press.

Nunberg was re-hired for the campaign, but was fired again by Trump in 2015, after past racially-charged Facebook posts surfaced.

Later during the campaign, Trump sued Nunberg for $10 million, accusing him of breaching a confidentiality agreement. The lawsuit was later settled.

Nunberg was featured in the recent Michael Wolff book Fire and Fury and recently sat for a voluntary interview with Mueller.

Fox News' Catherine Herridge and The Associated Press contributed to this report.House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte and Rep. Trey Gowdy on Tuesday demanded the appointment of a special counsel to investigate conflicts of interest and decisions made and not made by current and former Justice Department officials in 2016 and 2017, noting that the public interest requires the action.

Gowdy, R-S.C., and Goodlatte, R-Va., penned a letter Tuesday to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Matters have arisenboth recently and otherwisewhich necessitate the appointment of a Special Counsel. We do not make this observation and attendant request lightly, Gowdy and Goodlatte wrote.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News, Gowdy and Goodlatte spoke about the discovery of new information as their reasoning behind calling for a second independent counsel.

What changed for me was the knowledge that there are two dozen witnesses that Michael Horowitz, the [DOJ] Inspector General, would not have access to, Gowdy said. When I counted up 24 witnesses that he would not be able to access were he to investigate it, yeah only one conclusion, thats special counsel.

That list of witnesses included former FBI director James Comey, Gowdy confirmed.

Last week, Sessions announced that Horowitz would investigate allegations of government surveillance abuse in light of memos released on Capitol Hill by the House Intelligence Committee which suggested, at least on the Republican side, that the dossier compiled by ex-U.K. intelligence officer Christopher Steele was used to obtain a FISA warrant to surveil former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

Absolutely, this whole FISA warrant was on Carter Page, Gowdy told Fox News.

Goodlatte agreed stating that the case on which the warrant was built was highly suspect.

The lawmakers wrote, There is evidence of bias, trending toward animus, among those charged with investigating serious cases.

They added, There is evidence political opposition research was used in court filings. There is evidence this political opposition research was neither vetted before it was used nor fully revealed to the relevant tribunal.

Both lawmakers said they didnt know when or if a second counsel would be appointed at all.

This fact pattern is unique and compelling and I think he really ought to consider it, Gowdy said.

Asked why a special counsel was needed, Gowdy told Fox News earlier, Congress doesnt have the tools to investigate this... We leak like the Gossip Girls.

Gowdy and Goodlatte wrote that because the decisions of both former and current Department of Justice and FBI officials are at issue, they did not believe the DOJ was capable of investigating the fact patterns in a fashion likely to garner public confidence.

Both Gowdy and Goodlatte have announced in recent months they would not seek re-election this year.

President Trump blasted Sessions' decision to use Horowitz, saying he appointed an Obama guy to investigate potentially massive FISA abuse.

Horowitz also is investigating former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, and whether he wanted to avoid taking action on new Clinton emails found on disgraced Democratic New York Rep. Anthony Weiners laptop, reports said. According to records, McCabe knew about the emails belonging to Hillary Clinton in September 2016, but did not choose to brief former FBI Director James Comey until October 26, 2016  prompting the re-opening of the Clinton email investigation just one week before the presidential election.

While we have confidence in the Inspector General for the Department of Justice, the DOJ IG does not have the authority to investigate other governmental entities or former employees of the Department, the Bureau, or other agencies, Gowdy and Goodlatte wrote. Gowdy also serves as chairman of the House Oversight Committee.

GOP LAWMAKERS RENEW CALLS FOR SECOND SPECIAL COUNSEL, SAY IT MAY BE 'UNAVOIDABLE'

They added: Some have been reluctant to call for the appointment of a Special Counsel because such an appointment should be reserved for those unusual cases where existing investigative and prosecutorial entities cannot adequately discharge those duties. We believe this is just such a case.

Goodlatte, who penned a letter to Sessions in July 2017 and September 2017 calling for the appointment of a second special counsel, received only one response from the Justice Department, suggesting that Sessions had directed senior federal prosecutors to investigate matters involving the Clinton Foundation and the sale of Uranium One  leaving the door open to consider whether the matters merit the appointment of a Special Counsel.

House Intel ranking member Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who recenlty released the Democrats' response memo, said the call for a second counsel was a way for Republicans to investigate everything but what is most important: Russias interference in our election.

House Oversight ranking member Elijah Cummings, D-Md., also called the letter an attempt by Republicans to protect Trump.

Cummings aded, The Departments Inspector General is fully capable of conducting an independent review. Here in Congress, our attention should be on investigating how Russia attacked our electoral processnot trying to protect President Trump.

Goodlatte and Gowdys letter came just days after more than a dozen other House Republicans penned a similar note, requesting the appointment of an independent counsel to investigate the same issues.

The 13 lawmakers signed onto the letter that stated: Evidence has come to light that raises serious concerns about decisions and activities by leadership at the highest levels of the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding how and why the Clinton probe ended and how and why the Trump-Russia probe began.

Fox News' Chad Pergram and Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.



Kaitlyn McAfee, a December 2017 graduate from Collegiate High, is one of the top runners-up in Tennessee for the 2018 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Ms. McAfee will receive an engraved bronze Distinguished Finalist medallion to commemorate the prestigious award.Ms. McAfee became involved in fundraising for scoliosis research after her scoliosis diagnosis in 2012. I felt ashamed and alone, she said. However, I knew I could not be the only one going through this, so I started a support group called Curve Scoliosis. She started the group in hopes of connecting others dealing with scoliosis so that they would not have to feel alone.Scoliosis can be treated, but not cured.To raise awareness and hopefully find a cure, Ms. McAfee began hosting Color the Curve, a 5k and 1-mile fun run. Over the past five-years, of hosting the annual event, the run has attracted participants from 28 states, as well as, Canada, Italy, Brazil and Mexico. One hundred percent of the proceeds raised from Color the Curve events are donated to the National Scoliosis Foundation. Ms. McAfee has spent more than 500 hours working on scoliosis research fundraising since 2012, and her efforts have raised over $65,000.Ms. McAfee is a National Scoliosis Foundation Angel Brigade member, the 2017 recipient of the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy Award for Southeast Tennessee, and the co-director of fundraising for the National Scoliosis Foundation. When she is not working on Color the Curve, she often volunteers with Special Olympics Tennessee and March of Dimes.Ms. McAfee will receive the Prudential Award at the March meeting of the Hamilton County Board of Education. She is the only recipient of a Prudential Award in Hamilton County.The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program is the largest youth recognition program in the United States based exclusively on volunteer community service.A Democratic mayors warning to illegal immigrants of an incoming ICE raid in northern California may have led to a number of illegal immigrants with violent and sex-related convictions evading capture and deportation.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf tweeted out an impending warning of the four-day raid last week, alerting targeted individuals to the imminent arrests, and infuriating Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, who say that many more could have been caught if they hadn't been warned.

The raid led to the arrest of 232 illegal immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area, 180 of which ICE said were either convicted criminals, had been issued a final order of removal and failed to depart the United States, or had been previously removed from the country and had come back illegally.

The arrests included 115 who "had prior felony convictions for serious or violent offenses, such as child sex crimes, weapons charges and assault, or had past convictions for significant or multiple misdemeanors."

But acting ICE Director Tom Homan said on "Fox & Friends" that Schaafs warning meant there are roughly 800 illegal immigrants they were unable to locate.

"What she did is no better than a gang lookout yelling 'police' when a police cruiser comes in the neighborhood, except she did it to an entire community. This is beyond the pale," he said.

"This is a whole new low, to intentionally warn criminals that law enforcement is coming," he added.

A spokesperson for ICE gave Fox News examples of some of the unsavory characters who evaded officals during the raid.

One Mexican citizen had convictions for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and a conviction for driving under the influence (DUI), and had been deported in 2003.

Another who evaded capture had a conviction for sodomizing a drugged victim in 2012, as well as a DUI from this year -- that Mexican citizen had also been previously deported in 2013.

Another illegal immigrant from Mexico, previously deported in 2014 for a conviction for armed robbery, also evaded capture.

While the individuals dodged authorities, it is also not clear if there was a definitive link between Schaafs statement and their disappearance.

An official briefed on the plans at the Department of Homeland Security told The New York Times that ICE agents typically find only about 30 percent of their targets during a sweep, meaning that many of the 800 who evaded capture may not have been caught either way.

Schaaf came under intense national pressure, including from the White House, for her actions. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the DOJ was conducting a review. But Schaaf stood by what she did.

"I did what I believe was right for my community as well as to protect public safety," Schaaf said Friday, according to NBC Bay Area. "People should be able to live without fear or panic and know their rights and responsibilities as well as their recourses."

Among those caught in the raid were immigrants with a lengthy list of convictions, including aggravated assault, murder, hit-run, lewd acts with a minor, burglary, cruelty toward a child, indecent exposure, domestic violence, drug trafficking, battery, sex offenses and false imprisonment.

In a press release, ICE pointed to the case of Armando Nunez-Salgado, a Mexican gang member who had been deported four times and had convictions including assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, hit-and-run causing injury and evasion of a police officer.

Another deportee was a Mexican gang member with convictions for, among other things, possession of a dangerous weapon, spousal abuse, burglary and battery on a police officer.

In that statement, ICE also said that recent so-called "sanctuary city" legislation has hurt the agencys ability to enforce immigration laws.

Recent legislation has negatively impacted ICE operations in California by nearly eliminating all cooperation and communication with our law enforcement partners in the state by prohibiting local law enforcement from contracting with the federal government to house detainees, the statement said.

Ultimately, efforts by local politicians have shielded removable criminal aliens from immigration enforcement and created another magnet for more illegal immigration, all at the expense of the safety and security of the very people it purports to protect, it said.A federal agency informed the White House on Tuesday that it has determined top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway violated the Hatch Act on two separate occasions while discussing last years contentious Alabama Senate race on television.

The Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency, released a report Tuesday that faults Conway for public comments made during two television appearances, including on Fox News Fox & Friends.

While the Hatch Act allows federal employees to express their views about candidates and political issues as private citizens, it restricts employees from using their official government positions for partisan political purposes, including by trying to influence partisan elections, the report says.

ETHICS CASE OPENED ON CONWAY'S COMMENTS ABOUT ALABAMA SENATE RACE

But the White House on Tuesday insisted Conway did nothing wrong.

Kellyanne Conway did not advocate for or against the election of any particular candidate, deputy White House press secretary Hogan Gidley said. She simply expressed the presidents obvious position that he have people in the House and Senate who support his agenda. In fact, Kellyannes statements actually show her intention and desire to comply with the Hatch Act  as she twice declined to respond to the hosts specific invitation to encourage Alabamans to vote for the Republican.

Walter Shaub, the former director of the Office of Government Ethics, filed an ethics complaint with the OSC in November accusing Conway of violating the Hatch Act when she spoke about Democratic candidate Doug Jones, who was running against Republican Roy Moore. The law bars most government employees from using their positions to engage in partisan politics.

HATCH ACT EXPLAINED: WHAT IS FEDERAL LAW?

Appearing on Fox News on Nov. 20, Conway touted President Trumps tax plan before taking aim at Jones.

Doug Jones in Alabama, folks, dont be fooled, Conway said at the time. Hell be a vote against tax cuts. Hes weak on crime, weak on borders. Hes strong on raising your taxes. Hes terrible for property owners. And Doug Jones is a doctrinaire liberal which is why hes not saying anything and the media are trying to boost him.

Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade asked Conway, So vote Roy Moore?

Conway replied, Im telling you that we want the votes in the Senate to get this tax bill through.

The report also faults Conway for a Dec. 6 appearance on CNNs New Day, when also she discussed the race.

The Office of Special Counsel said it submitted the report to President Trump so he could take appropriate disciplinary action.

The agency says Conway did not respond to requests from the Office of Special Counsel to respond to the allegations.

Ms. Conways statements during the Fox & Friends and New Day interviews impermissibly mixed official government business with political views about candidates in the Alabama special election for U.S. Senate, the report states.

During former President Obamas administration, two Cabinet officials -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro -- were found by the Office of Special Counsel to have violated the Hatch Act.

Neither Castro nor Sebelius were punished.

Fox News Jon Decker, John Roberts, Joseph Weber and Barnini Chakraborty contributed to this report.Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser to President Trump who pleaded guilty late last year to lying to the FBI, is selling his Virginia home in order to pay his mounting legal bills, according to a report Tuesday.

Family members of the retired three-star Army general told ABC News he put his home in the Old Town neighborhood of Alexandria  just outside Washington, D.C.  on the market in December with an asking price of $895,000.

MICHAEL FLYNN CHARGED IN RUSSIA INVESTIGATION: WHAT TO KNOW

The 13-year-old, three-bedroom townhome is worth $841,508, according to RE/MAX, and was purchased three years ago for $774,000.

Any money made from the sale of the home will go toward Flynns legal fees, his youngest brother, Joe Flynn, told ABC News.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat it, this has been a trying experience, Joe Flynn said of his brother Michael's situation. "It has been a crucible and it's not over."

Joe Flynn said family members have coordinated a legal defense fund for the former Trump administration official to collect donations from supporters.

Michael Flynn resigned from his role in the White House on Feb. 1, 2017 after working as Trumps national security adviser for less than a month, and pleaded guilty on Dec. 1 to making false statements to the FBI.

MICHAEL FLYNN PLEADS GUILTY TO FALSE-STATEMENTS CHARGE IN RUSSIA PROBE

His resignation came amid revelations he misled administration officials about his communications with Sergey Kislyak, Russias ambassador to the U.S.

Flynns guilty plea was part of a deal that involves his full cooperation with investigators in Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian meddling during the 2016 election and the Trump campaigns involvement.

A source close to Flynn said financial and emotional pressure helped lead to the decision to plead guilty, rather than endure a drawn-out court battle.

Fox News Judson Berger and Kaitlyn Schallhorn contributed to this report.She lost her job as mayor of Nashville, had her rising reputation damaged by a messy two-year affair with her bodyguard and pleaded guilty to theft. But at least Megan Barry has a really good mug shot.

The telegenic former chief executive of country musics hometown was booked Tuesday before she pleaded guilty to misappropriating more than $10,000 in city funds to carry on her scandalous affair with Robert Forrest, who supervised the mayors security detail. Barry, 54, announced her resignation soon after.

"While my time as your mayor concludes today, my unwavering love and sincere affection for this wonderful city and its great people shall never come to an end," an emotional Barry said as she resigned.

She concluded: God bless this wonderful city. I love you Nashville.

Earlier Tuesday, Barry agreed to reimburse the city $11,000 in restitution, and serve three years of probation after pleading guilty to criminal theft.

"Thank you judge," she said after entering the plea in a Nashville courtroom. "I appreciate you."

In an unusual move, District Attorney Glenn Funk handled the case personally, the Tennessean reported. He said that had this case gone to trial, witnesses are available who would testify that in March 2016 and January 2018 Megan Barry caused over $10G but less than $60G in Metro Nashville city funds to be expended unlawfully on Mr. Robert Forrest.

Barry was seen a rising star among Democrats until her admission of the affair with Forrest derailed her first term in office. She became mayor in September 2015.

In a separate court proceeding Tuesday, Forrest also pleaded guilty to criminal theft in connection with the affair.

He agreed to pay $45,000 restitution to the city, the Tennessean reported. He was also ordered to served three years probation.

NUDE PHOTOS FOUND ON PHONE OF NASHVILLE MAYOR'S EX-LOVER, INVESTIGATORS SAY

Barry's departure elevated Vice Mayor David Briley to the job and he was sworn in on Tuesday. Briley, a Democrat like his predecessor, promised transparency and said he would work to earn back the public's trust.

Barry admitted to the affair Jan. 31. At the time she vowed to remain in office.

I know that God will forgive me but Nashville doesnt have to, she said then.

With her resignation on Tuesday, Barry is the first mayor in Nashville to leave office before the end of their term in nearly a century.

The revelation of the affair led to an internal investigation, which found probable cause that a nude photo and partially nude photo of a woman found on Forrest's work cellphone were taken while he was working and the two were engaging in their relationship while he was on duty.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation did not identify the woman in the photos and Barry has said that if the photos are of her, they were taken without her knowledge or permission.

Metro Nashville Police records show Forrest's overtime more than doubled in the budget year after Barry was elected in September 2015. Barry said the affair began in spring 2016, an affidavit said.

Barry has not said when the affair ended, only that it's over. Her husband, a college professor, has tweeted in support of her since the scandal broke.

Forrest, who had spent more than 31 years with Metro Nashville Police and supervised the mayor's security detail over three administrations, has retired. His wife is divorcing him.

LAW FIRM SELECTED TO INVESTIGATE NASHVILLE MAYOR'S USE OF PUBLIC MONEY DURING AFFAIR

A special committee of Nashville city council members was also probing Barry and Forrest's travel and overtime expenses.

In addition, a group of local activists has filed an ethics complaint against Barry. They claim that her relationship with Forrest compromised her in making decisions related to law enforcement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.It was a Friday night and it was pouring rain in Dallas. The Texas Theater, most known for being the place where police captured Lee Harvey Oswald more than 50 years ago, is now a hipster hangout. The place was packed, not for an indie film or local band, but a politician you've probably never heard of  Beto O'Rourke, the congressman from El Paso and a fourth-generation Texan.

The Democrat is hoping to unseat someone you definitely know: the senator and former presidential candidate Ted Cruz. While no political watchers expect an upset in November, the enthusiasm generated in this race and others in Texas may be a harbinger of the election atmosphere this fall.

First, the money. Although Cruz has raised more money overall, O'Rourke has beaten Cruz, handily, in the last two reporting periods. In the first part of 2018, O'Rourke rose $2.8 million to Cruz's $800,000.

And, as O'Rourke likes to point out, his campaign doesn't accept political action committee money.

Cruz is quick to offer an explanation.

"Youre right," Cruz told Fox News outside an event in El Paso. "My opponent has raised a lot of money. And it doesn't hurt that (New York Sen.) Chuck Schumer brought his liberal buddies with him and they would love to see the state of Texas have an anti-gun, pro-amnesty, liberal Democrat represent them."

Money is one thing. Turnout is another. At least when it comes to early voting in this Texas primary, Democratic turnout has doubled over the last midterm primary.

Still, political watchers are not expecting a huge shakeup. After all, Texas is solidly red.

"Maybe a couple seats in the U.S. House will go from Republican to Democrat," said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University. He said most of the impacts would be on state legislative races.

Still, Jillson cautioned Republican incumbents like Cruz should not to get complacent.

"I think incumbents always ought to run nervous, particularly in the age of Trump," he said.

What this Democratic enthusiasm means for states outside of Texas remains to be seen.

As for O'Rourke, he's crisscrossing the state, determined to visit every county in Texas (there are 254). O'Rourke said one county he visited hadn't seen a Senate candidate from either party, since fLyndon B. Johnson. He said he's felt welcome, from Democrats and Republicans alike.

"There's just something really amazing going on in Texas right now, " O'Rourke told Fox News during his stop in Dallas. "I just feel very lucky that I'm a part of it."President Donald Trump on Tuesday asserted that he likes and wants conflict among his aides in the White House, as he pushed back against reports of a dysfunctional West Wing.

Its tough, Trump said about working in the White House, during a joint news conference Tuesday afternoon with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven.

The president said: "I like having two people with different points of view. And I certainly have that. And then I make a decision. But I like watching it. I like seeing it. And I think its the best way to go.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump suggested in a tweet that he would still like to see some staffing changes.

The new Fake News narrative is that there is CHAOS in the White House," Trump tweeted. "Wrong! People will always come & go, and I want strong dialogue before making a final decision. I still have some people that I want to change (always seeking perfection). There is no Chaos, only great energy!

During Tuesday's news conference, Trump was asked whether he was referring in his tweet to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whom he has recently criticized. But the president declined to discuss their relationship.

I dont really want to talk about that, Trump said.

Sessions is back in the presidents political crosshairs after announcing that the Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz would investigate potential Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act abuses in the wake of the release of two House Intelligence Committee memos.

Trump, who has previously blasted Sessions for recusing himself from the investigation into Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign associates in the 2016 presidential election, slammed Sessions last week for appointing an Obama guy to lead the investigation into potential massive surveillance abuses.

Overall, the president said, the White House has tremendous energy. It has tremendous spirit. It is a great place to be working. Many, many people want every single job.

Trump said there will be people that change, but they all want to be in the White House.

Believe me, everybody wants to work in the White House, Trump continued. They want a piece of the Oval Office, they want a piece of the West Wing.

The Trump administration has had plenty of staff turnover in its first 14 months. Most recently, White House Communications Director Hope Hicks announced her resignation last week.

Hicks stepped into that role after Anthony Scaramucci was forced from the post after just 10 days over the summer.

FORMER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS, FROM COMEY TO MCCABE

Also last month, a senior communications official, Josh Raffel, who worked closely with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, left the administration.

Earlier in February, Rob Porter left his post as White House staff secretary amid revelations of past domestic abuse allegations leveled by two ex-spouses. And White House speechwriter David Sorensen also resigned amid domestic abuse allegations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Under pressure at home and abroad over his announcement of sanctions on imported aluminum and steel, President Trump indicated Tuesday there may be flexibility about how they are applied to some countries - if they play ball in return.

Trump has come under fire from international allies and lawmakers at home for the tariffs, which he said would be 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. Canada, U.K. and the European Union have all spoken out against the tariffs -- with the European Commission threatening countermeasures should Trump's tariffs go ahead.

On Tuesday, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said at a press conference at the White House alongside President Trump that Sweden opposed the tariffs, but added he understands Trumps desire to look after his country.

At that conference, Trump stood by a threat he made Saturday, promising a car tax if the E.U. increased tariffs in response.

If they do that then we put a big tax of 25 percent on their cars and believe me they wont be doing it for very long, he warned, pointing to an "unfair" trade setup between the E.U. and the U.S.

At the same time, he said he wants to implement them in a "loving, loving way" and also opened the door for a like-for-like reduction of tariffs with the E.U.

Unless they can do something for us, as an example if the E.U. takes off some of the horrible barriers that make it impossible for our product to go into there, then we can start talking, otherwise well leave it the way it is, he said.

Trump also offered some possible flexibility for Canada and Mexico if they deal on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Were working on NAFTA, if were able to make a deal with Canada and Mexico on NAFTA, there will be no reason to do tariffs with Canada and Mexico, he said.

This came after a tweet Monday in which he had echoed a similar sentiment.

Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum will only come off if new & fair NAFTA agreement is signed, Trump tweeted.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin reflected that rhetoric in a House hearing Tuesday.

To the extent that were successful in renegotiating NAFTA, those tariffs wont apply to Mexico and Canada, he told lawmakers.

He also cooled down some of the rhetoric coming from Trump about a potential trade war.

We are not looking to get into trade wars, he said. We are looking to make sure that U.S. companies can compete fairly around the world.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that, in a call to British Prime Minister Theresa May, Trump disagreed with Mays assessment that the tariffs would be dangerous but concluded by telling her he had not made a final decision on what to do.

But in his remarks Tuesday, Trump also didnt back down from some of his more aggressive rhetoric on trade wars.

When were behind on every single country, trade wars arent so bad, he said.A plan to name a highway in Utah after President Donald Trump for his controversial decision to shrink two national monuments got a green-light from a panel of state lawmakers on Monday.

The initiative was proposed by Republican state Rep. Mike Noel, who said the idea sparked hundreds of emails to lawmakers.

"President Trump cares about the public lands. President Trump's family cares about the public lands and he cares about Utah and what we're thinking," he said.

TRUMP SHRINKS UTAH MONUMENTS CREATED BY OBAMA, CLINTON

Under the plan, National Parks Highway that overlaps multiple roads connecting well-known parks would be renamed after Trump. The initiative was cleared by a legislative committee in a 9-2 vote and now heads to the House floor.

The Sierra Club, an environmentalist group in Utah, opposes the move, saying the president does not deserve the honor for reducing the size of national monuments. "I don't think people are going to be willing to drive on a road with his name on it," said Wendy Garvin, with the Utah Progressive Caucus.

The proposal comes after Trump announced in December that two national monuments in Utah  the Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument  will be significantly downsized.

"No one values the splendor of Utah more than you do," Trump told the crowd during the announcement last year. And no one knows better how to use it."

The president said the sprawling national monuments were a massive federal land grab by the government under Democratic presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Both monuments were protected under the Antiquities Act.

These abuses of the Antiquities Act give enormous power to faraway bureaucrats at the expense of the people who actually live here, work here and make this place their home," Trump added.

Native American tribes and environmentalists condemned Trumps decision, claiming the monuments protected rich natural and archaeological resources.

Republicans in the state, meanwhile, welcomed the move to shrink the monuments because it limited what can be done with the millions of acres they encompass.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.The Trump administration announced last year its plan to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA)  which provides a level of amnesty to certain undocumented immigrants, many of whom came to the U.S. as children  with a six-month delay for recipients. But a federal appeals court ruled against the proposal in early November, declaring the government couldn't immediately end the program.

The Executive wields awesome power in the enforcement of our nations immigration laws, the ruling said. Our decision today does not curb that power, but rather enables its exercise in a manner that is free from legal misconceptions and is democratically accountable to the public.

Trump had initially set a March 5 deadline for the program and called on Congress to pass legislation pertaining to the young immigrants. But the deadline came and went, with no congressional action but several lawsuits challenging the administration's decision to end the program.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ON DACA

Federal judges in New York and Washington also have ruled against President Trump on DACA.

President Trump has repeatedly blamed Democrats for inaction.

Heres a look at the DACA program and why the Trump administration wants to dismantle it.

What is the DACA program?

The DACA program was formed through executive action by former President Barack Obama in 2012 and allowed certain people who came to the U.S. illegally as minors to be protected from immediate deportation. Recipients, called Dreamers, were able to request consideration of deferred action for a period of two years, which was subject to renewal.

Deferred action is a use of prosecutorial discretion to defer removal action against an individual for a certain period of time, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services stated. Deferred action does not provide lawful status.

Individuals were able to request DACA status if they were under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012, came to the U.S. before turning 16 and continuously lived in the country since June 15, 2007.

Individuals also had to have a high school diploma, GED certification, been honorably discharged from the military or still be in school. Recipients could not have a criminal record.

It did not provide legal status.

How many people are affected by DACA?

Nearly 800,000 youth, called Dreamers, are under the program's umbrella.

Daniel Garza, president of the conservative immigration nonprofit Libre Initiative, told Fox News that DACA offers a reprieve from a life of uncertainty for innocent kids who didnt break the law.

Its rather disappointing to think they could return to a state of anxiety and fear, he said.

What did the Trump administration do?

The Trump administration announced in September 2017 that it planned to phase out DACA for current recipients, and no new requests would be granted. But a lower court order required the administration to continue accepting renewal applications for those under the DACA program, and the Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's request to intervene.

Since the announcement, Trump had offered to work with lawmakers on a solution for the hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. who fell under DACAs umbrella of protections. But at the same time, he has repeatedly blamed Democrats on social media for lack of a solution.

Earlier this year, Trump released his four pillars of immigration reform, which included a provision for legal status for DACA recipients and others who would be eligible for DACA status. The White House estimated that total to be 1.8 million people. The Senate rejected the plan.

Republicans  and some Democrats  opposed Obamas directive establishing DACA from the start as a perceived overreach of executive power.

Obama spoke out on social media after the Trump administration announced a plan to dismantle the program, stating that it's "self-defeating ... and it is cruel" to end DACA and questioned the motive behind the decision.

Do any DACA recipients serve in the military?

Despite some rumors circulating online to the contrary, Dreamers were eligible to serve in the U.S. military since 2014 when the Pentagon adopted a policy to allow a certain amount of illegal immigrants to join.

In fiscal year 2016, 359 DACA recipients had enlisted in the Army  which is the only branch to accept immigrants of this category.

Fox News' John Roberts and The Associated Press contributed to this report.Billionaire Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder and Seattle Seahawks owner, has made another huge nautical find: the USS Lexington, which was lost at the Battle of Coral Sea 76 years ago.

The fleet aircraft carrier, the first to be sunk by opposing carrier aircraft in World War II, was found near Australia below Coral Sea in a remarkably well-preserved condition, news.com.au reported.

The expedition crew of Allens personal research ship R/V Petrel found the missing Lexington two miles below and about 500 miles off the eastern coast of Australia, according to USNI News.

To pay tribute to the USS Lexington and the brave men that served on her is an honor, Paul Allen said on his website. As Americans, all of us owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who served and who continue to serve our country for their courage, persistence and sacrifice.

As the Lexington was struck by multiple Japanese torpedoes and bombs on May 8, 1942, more than 200 Lexington sailors were killed in the fight, and nearby U.S. ships rescued 2,770 of the carriers remaining sailors, according to the Navy Times.

Once evacuated, the ship, affectionately known as Lady Lex, was torpedoed by the USS Phelps to prevent her capture, according to the Navy Times.

Commander of U.S. Pacific Command Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr. told Fox News about his gratitude of the find: We honor the valor and sacrifice of the Lady Lexs sailors  all, all those Americans who fought in World War II  by continuing to secure the freedoms they won for all of us.

Harris father was one of the sailors evacuated.

Our Navys strength comes from those who have gone before. This is our heritage. Our Navys strength comes from those who serve now. This is who we are. No one should doubt that todays warriors are ready to fight tonight and win, he told Fox News Monday.

Harris, who oversees 375,000 military personnel and is responsible for threats to the U.S. across 100 million square miles  half of the earths surface  is currently in Australia to meet with my counterparts and reinforce our amazing alliance.

He added: Alongside our allies, friends and partners, bound together by shared values, the United States is committed to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific, which has brought security and economic prosperity to all who live in this critical region.

Fox News Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.Chattanooga Police Chief of Police David Roddy and representatives from MobilePD will a nnounce the launch and demonstrate how to use the new free Chattanooga PD Mobile App on Friday.

The app is NOT a replacement for calling 9-1-1. Features include neighborhood crime tracking, real-time emergency notifications, and access to CPD's social media feeds. Users can also send tips to CPD with the option to remain anonymous.The app is NOT a replacement for calling 9-1-1.





Officials said, "The Chattanooga Mobile Police Department app is part of the multi-year technology upgrades and advancements at the CPD. The free app is another way for the department to increase accessibility, transparency, and communication with members of the community."

When British photographer Lara Maiklem heard tens of thousands of sea creatures washed up on a beach near her hometown of Kent, England, over the weekend, she had to see the scene for herself.

So she woke up her 5-year-old twins in time to catch the low tide.

Maiklem described the scene as "shocking" and "sad," but at the same time, she admitted it was an "incredible" sight. In fact, it was "almost biblical in scale," she said.

"There were thousands upon thousands of starfish, with crabs, sea urchins, fish and sea anenomies mixed in with them," Maiklem told Fox News. "Someone even found a lobster."

It was "almost biblical in scale."  Lara Maiklem

The creatures covered the sandy beach like a thick blanket. Maiklem and her two kids tried to rescue as many fish as they could, tossing them one by one back into the sea.

The animals were the victims of a cold spell  what Maiklem called a "beast from the east"  that hit the U.K. last week. Similar scenes were reported down the coast, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, a wildlife conservation charity, said in a news release on Wednesday.

There was a three-degree drop in sea temperature last week, which will have caused animals to hunker down and reduce their activity levels," Bex Lynam, North Sea marine advocacy officer for Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said in a statement provided to Fox News. "This makes them vulnerable to rough seas  they became dislodged by large waves and washed ashore when the rough weather kicked in."

Crabs, starfish and mussels were "ankle-deep" in some places, though at least two lucky marine species seemed to survive the freeze: lobsters and crabs.

Lobsters and crabs can survive out of water, unlike the majority of the other creatures washed up," Lynam told Fox News. "Also they have a hard exoskeleton, which offers them a certain level of protection when being thrown around by the sea.

Maiklem said she also found several dead sea birds washed up along the same stretch.

"I understand it is a natural phenomenon," Maiklem said. "I'm pleased I went to see it, but I wouldn't like to see it again."

Wildlife officials also hope they won't see a repeat of the disaster.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is working with local fisherman to clear the beach and rescue any remaining species that are still alive.

"This area is very important for shellfish and we work alongside fishermen to promote sustainable fisheries and protect reproductive stocks," Lynam said. "Its worth saving them so that they can be put back into the sea and continue to breed."

Dr. Lissa Batey, senior living seas officer with The Wildlife Trusts, an organization made up of 47 local wildlife trusts in the U.K., said the government can help the creatures by designating more marine conservation zones.

We cant prevent natural disasters like this  but we can mitigate against declining marine life and the problems that humans cause by creating enough protected areas at sea and by ensuring that these sites are large enough and close enough to offer fish, crustaceans, dolphins and other marine life the protection they require to withstand natural events such as this," Batey said in a statement.A farmer in Queensland, Australia discovered an "eggcellent" gift when he opened an egg three times the normal size, only to find another fully developed egg inside of it.

Scott Stockman, of Stockman's Eggs, said that he had never seen anything like this before in his life. I have never seen such a large egg, he told news.com.au in an interview.

According to the company's Facebook page, the average egg weighs approximately 58 grams, but this self-described "whopper" weighed in at 176 grams.

LION WITH LUSCIOUS HEAD OF HAIR BECOMES VIRAL SENSATION

In an interview with Australia's ABC, Charles Sturt University assistant professor Raf Freire could not explain why the egg-within-an-egg happened.

The number of eggs a hen lays per year varies by region, but poultry hens can lay anywhere from 4 to 5 eggs per week on average, or approximately 200 eggs per year, according to data provided by Farm Style.

The "eggciting" discovery has led to an "eggplosion" in social media traffic for Stockman's Eggs. The company said more than 70,000 people had visited its Facebook page on Tuesday. The company has just over 1,000 people who like the page by comparison.

The egg came from a free-range chicken that runs around the farm, but Stockman said he did not have the urge to whip up the giant-sized yolk, despite assurances from Freire it would be safe to eat.

"We get about 50,000 eggs a day so we didn't bother eating it," he told Australia's ABC.Think that Googles search algorithms are good at reading your mind? Thats nothing compared to a new artificial intelligence research project coming out of Japan, which can analyze a persons brain scans and provide a written description of what they have been looking at.

To generate its captions, the artificial intelligence is given an fMRI brain scan image, taken while a person is looking at a picture. It then generates a written description of what they think the person was viewing. An illustration of the level of complexity it can offer is: A dog is sitting on the floor in front of an open door or a group of people standing on the beach. Both of those turn out to be absolutely accurate.

We aim to understand how the brain represents information about the real world, Ichiro Kobayashi, one of the researchers from Japans Ochanomizu University, told Digital Trends. Toward such a goal, we demonstrated that our algorithm can model and read out perceptual contents in the form of sentences from human brain activity. To do this, we modified an existing network model that could generate sentences from images using a deep neural network, a model of visual system, followed by an RNN (recurrent neural network), a model that can generate sentences. Specifically, using our dataset of movies and movie-evoked brain activity, we trained a new model that could infer activation patterns of DNN from brain activity.

Before you get worried about some dystopian future in which this technology is used as a supercharged lie detector, though, Kobayashi points out that it still a long way away from real-world deployment. So far, there are not any real-world applications for this, Kobayashi continued. However, in the future, this technology might be a quantitative basis of a brain-machine interface.

As a next step, Shinji Nishimoto, another researcher on the project, told Digital Trends that the team wants to use it to better understand how the brain processes information.

We would like to understand how the brain works under naturalistic conditions, Nishimoto said. Toward such a goal, we are planning to investigate how various forms of information  vision, semantics, languages, impressions, etcetera  are encoded in the brain by modeling the relationship between our experiences and brain activity. We also aim to investigate how multimodal information is related to achieve semantic activities in the brain. In particular, we will work on generating descriptions about what a person thinks.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.

Evelyn Circeo was traveling home to Boston from Orlando International Airport on Friday, News 6 reported. Shortly before boarding, Circeo said her baby was spitting up on her in the restroom, prompting her to request an aisle seat from the attendant.

WOMAN CLAIMS SHE WAS KICKED OFF FLIGHT FOR MENSTRUAL CRAMPS

"I asked one of the flight attendants, if possible, if I could have an aisle seat because he had spit up," she said. "Its just more convenient to be on the outside with a baby."

Circeo said another flight attendant told her she needed to exit the aircraft because her baby was too sick to fly.

"I said, 'What are you talking about?'" Circeo said. "Somebody said that 'your baby is too sick to fly?' I said, 'What is wrong with my baby? Nothing's wrong with my baby. He spit up. Hes a baby being a baby.'"

Other passengers tried to intervene, urging the flight attendant to let the mom and her baby remain on board, News 6 reported.

Once Circeo deplaned she said she went to the ticket counter and discovered her luggage was still on its way to Boston.

"I let them know I only had two bottles on me and three diapers, which I needed for the duration of the flight. I wasnt planning for anything more," she said, noting her bag was packed with all her son's items.

Spirit offered to place her on the next flight, but Circeo refused the flight and ended up not returning home until early Monday morning.

Spirit Airlines said the decision to remove Circeo from the flight was based on the safety of other passengers.

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"(The flight crew) made the tough decision to remove the guest and her baby for the health and safety of all on board," spokesman Derek Dombrowski said to News 6. "We are sorry for the inconvenience this caused. We are working directly with the guest to resolve any concerns."

The airline refunded Circeos flight and requested receipts for her incidentals while she was stranded in Orlando. Spirit also offered her two roundtrip plane tickets for her troubles, but airline officials said they were unsure if she was going to accept them.If youve ever dreamt of living on a private island full-time, then Virgins new job opening might be for you.

Richard Bransons company is hiring an assistant to live and work on the CEOs Necker Island in the Caribbean. The person who lands this entry level role will serve as both personal assistant to the islands general manager, as well as administrative assistant for Bransons office, all while residing on the 74-acre property north of Virgin Gorda.

AMERICA'S SMALLEST TOWN HAS 1 RESIDENT

According to the job listing posted on LinkedIn, this opportunity isnt for everyone, despite the sunshine, as it will require a lot of work. Responsibilities will include diary and email management, general correspondence, filing and archiving, booking travel and providing cover for Richards PA when they're on holiday, amongst a whole host of other admin-related tasks, the description reads.

Virgin isnt just interested in your professional skills, but they will be hiring based on personality, as well. The company is looking for someone who is self-motivated, outgoing and enthusiastic who can balance this with the essential need for discretion and confidentiality.

Its no surprise confidentiality is key, as Branson is known to regularly host high-profile and celebrity guests, like the Obamas, Kate Winslet, Mariah Carey and Harry Styles.

While Necker Island sustained significant damage from Hurricane Irma, Branson has been working to get it and the rest of the British Virgin Islands back to normal.

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If this sounds like the job for you, youve got until March 10 to submit a video under two minutes explaining why you want the job, an interesting fact about you, and why your skills and experience make you perfect for the role.A former police officer had her tiny gun necklace confiscated at airport security because it was too dangerous and passengers might think it was real.

Claire Sharp, who used to work for special branch, had the piece of jewellery taken off her as she was travelling to Perugia in Italy from London Stansted Airport on Friday.

The charm had sentimental value as it was a present from her husband Nigel Greenwood, who died suddenly in 2001, aged just 32 from a heart attack, because of their shared love of shooting and membership of a gundog club.

RICHARD BRANSON IS HIRING SOMEONE TO LIVE ON HIS PRIVATE ISLAND IN THE CARIBBEAN

It is around an inch long and Sharp wears it everyday in memory of her late husband who she described at the time as her "best friend."

Sharp was travelling with her current husband, Lee, who is also a sergeant in the Met Police, and their 12-year-old daughter, Faye, when airport security staff told her she would not be able to take the necklace on the plane.

The 46-year-old was then told it could either be posted to her at her expense or kept by security until she returned three days later.

When she returned Sharp discovered she would be charged 8 (about $11) for lost property services despite being told it would be free.

The mom-of-three, who is now a company director for her own dog food company, says she has travelled through other airports in the U.K., abroad and even Stansted in the past, and not had the gold pendant removed.

She said: "I was being searched by a female security officer and she saw my necklace and said 'this might be a problem'.

"She then called over a male officer who asked me to take it off so he could look at it.

"I explained it was just a charm, that it had been bought for me by my late husband and that it had been through airport security on loads of occasions - including Stansted - without issue.

AMERICA'S SMALLEST TOWN HAS 1 RESIDENT

"He then took it off to ask his supervisor and came back saying it would need to be confiscated as it was an imitation firearm.

"He said it could either be posted to me at a charge or kept at the airport until I returned to the U.K. I opted for the latter. However, when we returned, I was charged 8 to get it back.

"As an aside from flying, Ive worn that necklace having gone through security at Westminster Abbey to go to the Metropolitan Police Christmas carol service and have been there alongside dignitaries, high ranking police officers and the Home Secretary... with no problem whatsoever.

"The lack of common sense displayed at Stansted was astounding. To be charged 8 for the privilege of their idiocy just added insult to injury. My fingers underneath my jumper pointed at someone looks more like a real gun than my necklace.

"I told the security officer that the necklace had huge sentimental value and why but they didnt care.

"We were travelling with our 12-year-old daughter who was distressed because I was crying. It was an awful start to what was supposed to be a nice weekend away visiting friends."

Sharp says the incident was even more traumatic because of the emotional attachment to the necklace.

She added: "I was widowed in 2001, I woke up and found my 32-year-old husband dead in bed next to me. Which was traumatic. So jewellery I have from him is particularly important to me. Im angry now but in the airport, it made me cry to have it confiscated.

"I was in special branch for seven years so Im fully aware of how airport security works. My police sergeant husband just couldnt believe what was happening.

"Last week I flew from Gatwick to Iceland wearing it, with no issue. Id been to Moscow in November where theyre mad on security and they had no issue with my necklace."

Stansted apologized but said anything that could be mistaken for a weapon could not be taken on a plane.

A spokesman said: "Apologies for the inconvenience caused. However, under CAA regulations any novelty items, replicas and imitation firearms capable of being mistaken for real weapons will be deemed unsuitable for carriage and reasonably would be confiscated at our security.

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"We understand that security is not one of the most pleasant parts of your journey, however for the safety of everyone, this is our top priority and all regulations must to be adhered to."

The CAA rules state "any item that resembles a firearm in any way, whether capable of firing a projectile or not, is prohibited" and cannot even be taken in cabin luggage.

A spokesman for the CAA confirmed it was up to the individual security officers' to decide whether to confiscate an object they deemed potentially dangerous.See ya later, alligator!

When this reptile decided to do a little window shopping outside the consignment antique shop Junque in the Trunk, in Flagler Beach, Florida, Denise Nichols-Gearhardt pulled out her phone to record the visitor.

I called the non-emergency number for Flagler Beach, simply because we have other business in the mall, and I was worried someone would step outside and startle him, Nichols-Gearhardt told FOX 35. The alligator, seeing the reflection in the door of Americas Donuts, tapped his nose against the door. ... We joked that he was trying to get a donut!

Nichols-Gearhardt explained that there are retention ponds on either side of the building, and she believed the alligator was going from one to the other.

They have used the parking lot before. About a year ago, one crossed through the lot, but this guy wanted to use the sidewalk, she added. I am a native Floridian, and am not spooked by them, but I do know not to startle them and to get out of their way!

Click for more from Fox 35.A Florida man whos been accused of fatally shooting his pregnant wife before taking photos of her dead body was arrested Monday in her murder, as his wife remains missing almost three months after her disappearance.

Vincent Terry, 47, told the Marion County Sheriffs Office on Jan. 8 that his wife, 41-year-old Chrystal Terry, had been missing since Dec. 21, the sheriffs department wrote on Facebook.

He told authorities that his wife, who was 20 weeks pregnant, had fled their Summerfield home around 9:30 p.m. and left her cell phone, purse, medication and other personal belongings behind, WKMG-TV reported, citing an arrest record.

Less than two hours earlier, Chrystal reportedly texted her friend: Will u plz come pick me up. 911. Another text read: Ill do anything. I need u plz.

TEXAS MAN KILLED AFTER 'DEVICE' EXPLODES ON FRONT PORCH OF AUSTIN HOME

A search of the Terrys cell phones by the county's Major Crimes Unit found that those urgent text messages from Chrystal were deleted, according to WKMG.

During their search, deputies said they discovered gruesome photos on Vincents phone in which his wife appeared to be deceased. Chrystal was apparently naked, bloodied and appeared to have severe facial trauma. She also reportedly had a gunshot wound to her abdomen in her husbands photos, the Ocala Star-Banner reported.

Vincent allegedly admitted "getting into it" with this wife, and argued that he took the photos to show Chrystal how she looked after taking some pills. He reportedly insisted that she left their home after the pictures were taken.

Cadaver dogs who searched the couples property didnt find Chrystals body, however, police did find the houses floors had been recently cleaned and detected blood splattered on a living room wall, WKMG reported.

VICTIM'S LIMBS WERE BURNED ON BBQ PIT, WITNESSES TELL JURY

The sheriffs office also recovered a .22 caliber rifle and 53 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition  neither of which Vincent can possess as hes a convicted felon, the department said.

Vincent, the Star-Banner reported, had been previously arrested in Colorado on suspicion of attempting to kill his wife, but charges were dropped after Chrystal declined to cooperate.

Based on what authorities found on his phone, forensic evidence and his past history, the Marion County Sheriffs Office arrested Vincent on second-degree murder charges, in addition to previous charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and 53 counts of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, for which he was already in custody.

Hes being held without bond at the county jail.An illegal immigrant living in Kansas was deported Friday after his ex-girlfriend reported him to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), local media reported.

Mexican national Serafin Alegria-Zamora, 37, endured a final act of terror when his ex-girlfriend reported him to immigration authorities, his attorney, Rekha Sharma-Crawford said, according to The Kansas City Star.

ARMY VETERAN FACING DEPORTATION DENIED PARDON BY ILLINOIS GOVERNOR

Alegria-Zamoras application for a U visa  a nonimmigrant visa designated for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse  reportedly was pending for four months when he was deported.

He applied for the visa after being allegedly stalked by his disgruntled ex-girlfriend who had a dark obsession with Alegria-Zamora after he began seeing a new woman with whom he started a family.

In U.S. District Court in Kansas on Friday, Sharma-Crawford filed an emergency complaint stating her client should be granted the U visa, because Alegria-Zamora was being terrorized by his ex.

The ex, according to The Kansas City Star, sent Alegria-Zamora a photo of his new partner with a bullseye in the middle of her forehead, in addition to pictures of dead children.

NJ TRANSIT SUSPENDS CONDUCTOR WHO ALLEGEDLY WARNED PASSENGERS ICE AGENTS WERE 'LOOKING FOR ILLEGALS'

Alegria-Zamora and the new woman reportedly received a doll drenched in red paint with a note that said, back off bitch, Serafin is mine, from the ex, the newspaper reported, citing the complaint.

But despite the emergency filing, Alegria-Zamora was ultimately deported. He was reportedly convicted of illegal re-entry into the U.S. and misuse of a social security number in Wichita.

His 5-month-old son and common-law wife will remain in the U.S.Lawyers across the state of Utah on Monday all received one very Not Safe For Work image in their email inboxes: a photo of a topless woman.

The photo was sent in an email advertising the upcoming Utah State Bars annual spring convention in St. George, Fox 13 reported. The Bar confirmed to the station that it did, indeed, send the email out, and also apologized on Twitter.

We are horrified, John Baldwin, executive director of the Bar, told Fox 13 in an email. We are investigating to discover how this occurred. Our goal is to find out what happened and insure it never happens again.

Communications director Matt Page told The Salt Lake Tribune that the email was created in-house, and said he himself made the image advertising the spring event  which didnt include a picture of a topless woman.

Twitter was abuzz with news of the email throughout the afternoon, with one user warning Utah lawyers: "DO NOT OPEN THE LATEST STATE BAR EMAIL AT WORK! VERY NSFW AND I CANT STOP LAUGHING."

Another lawyer joked that he wants $100 deducted from his next Bar dues "to compensate for my loss of innocence."Crabtree Farms is offering an afternoon on the basics of using an Instant Pot on Saturday, March 10 , from 3-4:30 p.m.

Amanda Nelson-Varnell, of Dish TPass Catering Company, will be host the of this class.

An Instant Pot is an electric, programmable, and highly versatile kitchen device that does the work of seven kitchen gadgets. It can be used as a slow cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker, a yogurt maker, and steamer.

These safe, energy efficient devices can slow cook a recipe when there is a busy day ahead or prepare a roast in about 40 minutes for a fast meal. The Instant Pot is safer than most traditional kitchen appliances because of its self-regulation. Its removable stainless steel interior, which can be placed in the dishwasher or quickly hand washed, makes it easy to clean.

I am excited to take an Instant Pot class because of the huge number of possibilities and wide range of ways that the Instant Pot can be used. Plus, I am also looking forward to getting over my fear of using an Instant Pot, said Avery Patten of Crabtree Farms.

This class is $35 for Crabtree Farms members and $40 for non-members. Together with Ms. Nelson-Varnell, participants will explore four different ways to use an Instant Pot sampling as they go along. Officials said, "By the end of the class, everyone will leave with satisfied bellies, recipes to take home, and many questions answered."Members at a Texas church got blessed with joyful generosity from their pastor during Sundays service, but now its their turn to be a blessing.

Pastor Paul Mussachio gifted attendees at Preston Meadow Lutheran Church in Plano with envelopes holding various amounts of money totaling $125,000.

Best surprise ever! one member tweeted. I cant wait to figure out how to spend it to bless others. What a great lesson on giving for my kids.

The move shocked a lot of members.

What? How much? Bibs Toney, who was there Sunday, told Fox 4. Thats a lot of money!

Each person or family opened an envelope that had a blank check totaling either $250, $500, or $1,000 with a simple request: cash it before Easter Sunday, and instead of giving it back to the church, look for ways to pay it forward, especially for those in need.

The instructions are pretty simple, Mussachio told the congregation. Whatever the greatest need is in your life right now, whatever God is placing on your heart, give to that.

They also received a pamphlet about the giving project.

We are blessed to be a blessing, so look for those around you who are in need of this kind of blessing right now, the instructions on a pamphlet read. People near or far to you, strangers, organizations close to your heart or our church.

The message included the Bible verse, Luke 6:38: Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.

Mussachio said generosity is one of the main values at their church.

Generosity, we believe, isnt how much you have or how much you give, but it is who you are toward other people in life, and we wanted to live that out in a big way, the pastor said in a video online.

The large sum of money handed out to congregants was donated by a few members after a similar, successful experiment with fourth-graders in their church were given much smaller amounts.

ATHEIST GROUP WANTS BIBLE VERSE MURAL SCRUBBED FROM OHIO CITY HALL

Now, the generous acts are playing out, and the churchs website has a landing page for anyone who wants to share their story of giving or receiving the money.More than a week after Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan delivered a blistering speech in Chicago in which he said powerful Jews are my enemy and white folks are going down, calls are growing louder for Democratic leaders and Womens March founders with ties to denounce him or step down.

Among those in the line of fire are several members of Congress and Womens March co-chairwoman Tamika Mallory, who attended the Nation of Islams national convention late last month, There, Farrakhan delivered the controversial address and Mallory, who has expressed admiration for him in the past, posted Instagram photos from the Chicago event.

Heres the problem: Farrakhan does have an audience and still has widespread popularity among his devoted followers, Jonathan Greenblatt, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League, wrote in a blog published on Thursday. Because of Farrakhans reach and influence and his broad name recognition and something like celebrity status, some public officials, politicians and hip-hop entertainers are still willing to meet with him, still willing to have their pictures taken with him.

"They seemingly have a blind spot when it comes to his anti-Semitism, he added.

President Obama was recently criticized when a photograph of him with Farrakhan, taken before his 2008 election, surfaced. The photographer said he buried the picture on orders from tthe Congressional Black Caucus, which believed it would hurt Obama's election chances.

Seven members of the Congressional Black Caucus have had ties with Farrakhan, according to The Daily Caller, which said it had reviewed videos and witness accounts to create the tally.

California Reps. Maxine Waters and Barbara Lee, Illinois Rep. Danny Davis, Indiana Rep. Andre Carson, Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, New York Rep. Gregory Meeks and Texas Rep. Al Green have all attended meetings with Farrakhan while in Congress, according to photos, videos and witness accounts of the meetings reviewed by the news outlet.

The report prompted the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) to call on all seven House Democrats to resign.

In an effort to defuse the outrage, Mallory defended herself on social media as being against all types of bigotry.

This is a thread. It seems I am not being clear, she tweeted. I am and always have been against all forms of racism. I am committed to ending anti-black racism, antisemitism, homophobia & transphobia. This is why I helped create an intersectional movement to bring groups together.

But Mallory continues to face criticism from conservatives and liberals alike, some of whom are calling out her and members of the Congressional Black Caucus who have participated in functions featuring Farrakhan over the years.

Farrakhan has long expressed controversial views about Jews and whites, and has spoken of black separatism. In an interview featured on the Final Call website, which is run by the Nation of Islam, Farrakhan said, "This is the time in history for the separation of black people in America, indigenous people, from the whites of that nation."



Rep. Keith Ellison, deputy director of the Democratic National Committee, has said that at one time he saw the Nation of Islam as an organization that did positive things, like promote African-American self-sufficiency, personal responsibility and community economic development. Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat, has said he had erroneously dismissed concerns that Farrakhan was anti-Semitic, and said he never shared the "hateful views of Jews, gays or any other group.

Ellison recently came under fire after The Wall Street Journal reported he had attended a 2013 meeting with Muslim leaders where Farrakhan was present. Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, said he did not know who would be at the meeting, and said his decision to attend was not an endorsement of the political views of other attendees.

On Tuesday, Ellison spokesman Karthik Ganapathy told Fox News that the lawmaker "has repeatedly disavowed anti-Semitism and bigotry, since his first campaign for Congress in 2006.

Rep. Danny Davis, a Democrat from Illinois, said in an interview with The Daily Caller on Sunday that Farrakhan is an outstanding human being, and that he sees the minister on a regular basis.

Davis office later released a statement denouncing anti-Semitism as being antithetical to everything I believe and everything that I work for on a daily basis.

Apart from Ellison, others either have said they do not share Farrakhans anti-Semitic views but have stopped short of denouncing the Nation of Islam leader. Some have remained silent altogether.

In a statement to Fox News, the ADL said, "We are deeply disappointed with Congressman Davis statements about Farrakhan, an avowed anti-Semite who leads a group that traffics in hate not just towards Jews but also the LGBTQ community.

It is unfortunate that the congressman apparently cant muster up the courage to denounce Farrakhans blatant anti-Semitism and instead chose to praise him instead. Hate should not be difficult to denounce. Once again were calling on the congressman to denounce anti-Semitism and all forms of hate.

Calls and emails to the Nation of Islam, the Congressional Black Caucus and Mallory received no response.An F-35B Lighting IIwhich has been called a beastly airplanelanded Sunday on an amphibious assault ship at an undisclosed location in the Pacific, an event the Navy touted as a new era of up-gunned air-sea capability, Stars and Stripes reported.

The F-35B was assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit based in Okinawa, Japan, and will provide support to Navy-Marine Corps expeditionary operations and help strengthen alliances in the region, the Navy Times reported citing a press release.

It is unclear how many F-35s were deployed and it comes amid continued tension in the area. The North Korean nuclear situation remains unstable and China continues work to extend into the South China Sea.

Pairing F-35B Lightning IIs with the Wasp represents one of the most significant leaps in war-fighting capability for the Navy-Marine Corps team in our lifetime, Rear Adm. Brad Cooper, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 7, said in a statement.

The Wasp is on a routine patrol in the Indo-Pacific where it will be joined by two destroyers to assist on operations and training, the paper reported.

The aircraft can conduct strikes inland, support Marines ashore and provide air defense for the Expeditionary Strike Group.

The F-35 lightning II is the world's first fifth-generation fighter jet. It has extraordinary stealth capabilities that will allow the aircraft to fly deep into enemy airspace without detection. The F-35s harness a massive Pratt and Whitney engine to deliver astonishing fighter speeds of approximately 1,200 mph.

One test pilot said it is a beastly airplane.

The F-35 has had its share of setbacks, but the AP once described its maneuvers: The stealth jet has a maneuverability so catlike it can turn corners so sharp that it seems to carve squares in the sky.Three employees of a day care facility in suburban Chicago were arrested Friday after they gave children gummy bears laced with sleep aid melatonin without parental consent, according to police.

The Des Plaines Police Department said Monday that officers were called to Kiddie Junction after management learned a teacher was giving children the gummies. A further investigation revealed that two other teachers were also involved.

Three workers  25-year-old Ashley Helfenbein of Chicago, 19-year-old Jessica Heyse of Des Plaines and 32-year-old Kristen Lauletta of Niles  now face charges of endangering the life or health of a child and battery. They are all due in court April 4.

Police said the children were given the melatonin "in an effort to calm them down before nap time," and that parents hadn't given permission for their children to receive the melatonin.

You cant distribute that without the parents being told, Des Plaines police Cmdr. Christopher Mierzwa told the Chicago Tribune. (The teachers) didnt know if the child was allergic to melatonin.

UNLICENSED DAY CARE WORKER REPORTEDLY TELLS COPS SHE WOULD 'RATHER BE DEPORTED THAN GO TO JAIL' AFTER ALLEGEDLY BREAKING CHILD'S LEGS

Police told FOX 32 Chicago they have footage showing the teachers giving the melatonin gummy bears on two occasions, and one of the teachers may have been doing this since November 2016.

Authorities contacted parents who had children at the facility, and said that no children were sickened.

"When the detective called me he didn't specify what classroom it happened and he called me and said I'm detective so and so with the Des Plaines Police Department and Im here at the Kiddie Junction and my heart dropped," parent Edi Kulasic told FOX 32.

NANNY HAD 'EYES OF THE DEVIL' AFTER SLAUGHTERING TWO CHILDREN, WITNESS SAYS

Des Plaines Police said the management of the facility is cooperating in the investigation.

Kathy Wiley, whose grandson Mason goes to the day care, told FOX 32 he still has faith in the teachers at the facility.

"I feel terrible for the owners and the management and this is just some poor choices that these girls made," she told FOX 32.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A man charged with killing an Indian national and wounding another in a shooting last year at a suburban Kansas City bar pleaded guilty Tuesday to premeditated first-degree murder.

Witnesses said Adam Purinton, who is white, yelled "get out of my country" before shooting Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani, both 32, at Austin's Bar and Grill in Olathe, Kansas. Kuchibhotla died in the shooting on Feb. 22, 2017, while Madasani was injured. Another man, Ian Grillot, was wounded when he tried to intervene.

The shooting raised fears of more attacks on immigrants following President Donald Trump's election. Officials in India also expressed concern about their citizens' safety in the United States, where many work in technology and other industries. Kuchibhotla and Madasani came to the U.S. to study and worked as engineers at GPS-maker Garmin.

Purinton, 52, of Olathe, Kansas, had pleaded not guilty in November to first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. He still faces federal hate crime charges in the case. Federal prosecutors have not determined whether they will seek the death penalty.

Purinton will be sentenced on May 4.

Kuchibhotla's widow, who was not present at the hearing, issued a statement.

"This guilty plea today will not bring back my (husband), but it will send a strong message that hate is never acceptable," Sunayana Dumala said in the statement. "We must understand and love one another."

Kuchibhotla and Madasani had stopped at the neighborhood bar for a drink. According to previously filed court documents, Purinton was asked to leave when he made derogatory comments and returned a short time later with a gun and shot Kuchibhotla and Madasani.

An affidavit released last year said Madasani told detectives that the gunman asked if their "status was legal" before he opened fire.

After the shooting, Purinton drove 70 miles (110 kilometers) east to Clinton, Missouri, and stopped at a restaurant, where he allegedly confessed to the killings to a bartender, who called police.

Purinton, a Navy veteran, was a regular customer at Austin's. Neighbors in the Olathe cul-de-sac where he lived told The Associated Press after the shooting that Purinton became "a drunken mess" following his father's death about two years before the shooting and had physically and mentally deteriorated.The Latest on hearing for man charged with killing Indian man in Kansas bar (all times local):

1:55 p.m.

A man charged with killing an Indian national and wounding another in a shooting last year at a suburban Kansas City bar has pleaded guilty to premeditated first-degree murder.

Adam Purinton also pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of attempted premeditated murder.

Witnesses said Purinton, who is white, yelled "get out of my country" before shooting Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani at Austin's Bar and Grill in Olathe, Kansas.

Kuchibhotla died in the shooting on Feb. 22, 2017. Madasani was injured. Another man, Ian Grillot, was wounded when he tried to intervene.

The shooting raised fears of more attacks on immigrants following President Donald Trump's election. Officials in India also expressed concern about their citizens' safety in the United States, where many work in technology and other industries.

Kuchibhotla and Madasani worked as engineers at GPS-maker Garmin.

Purinton will be sentenced on May 4. He still faces federal hate crime charges.

___

8:30 a.m.

A man charged with killing an Indian tech worker and wounding two other people in what federal prosecutors have dubbed a hate crime is due in a suburban Kansas City court for a plea hearing.

Fifty-two-year-old Adam Purinton, of Olathe, Kansas, faces first-degree murder and other charges in the February 2017 shooting at Austin's Bar and Grill in Olathe. Witnesses said Purinton, who is white, yelled racial slurs before he fatally shot Srinivas Kuchibhotla and wounded Alok Madasani. A third man, Ian Grillot, was wounded when he tried to intervene.

Kuchibhotla and Madasani were engineers at GPS-maker Garmin.

After the shooting, Purinton drove to a restaurant in Clinton, Missouri, where a bartender called police after Purinton allegedly told him about the shooting.

Purinton also faces federal hate crime charges.A man who said he was on a "jihad" to avenge U.S. policy in the Middle East made a surprise guilty plea Tuesday to killing a college student in New Jersey and confessed to killing three other people in Washington state in a crime binge that took investigators weeks to connect.

Ali Muhammad Brown, a 34-year-old former Seattle resident, admitted shooting 19-year-old Brendan Tevlin in late June 2014 as Tevlin sat at a traffic light in West Orange, a few miles from Newark.

He also took responsibility for fatally shooting Dwone Anderson-Young, 23, and Ahmed Said, 27, earlier that month in Seattle after they left a gay nightclub, and for the deadly shooting of Leroy Henderson, 30, in the Seattle suburb of Skyway in April the same year. Brown said he killed the two in Seattle because he believed they were gay.

Brown pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including murder, robbery and terrorism. He was the first person charged with terrorism connected to a homicide under a New Jersey law. He has yet to make a plea in the Washington cases.

In his statement to the court, Brown expressed remorse, telling the judge, "The mistake that I made is I thought I was fighting jihad," according to NJ.com .

The plea came as jury selection was underway for his trial. No deal was offered to Brown, who is expected to be sentenced in May to life without parole, Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Jamel Semper said.

"It appeared he wanted to make himself something of a martyr," Semper said. "He is not. He is just an invented killer who destroyed lives and hurt families.

"He was clearly radicalized online and took up arms against the country  his own country that gave him constitutional protections and allowed him to appear in court and throw himself at the mercy of the court."

The killings "were part of an overarching plan to kill Americans" in retaliation for what Brown contended were "millions of lives" the U.S. had taken in the Middle East, Semper said.

In court papers filed in Seattle in 2014, authorities said Brown described himself to detectives after his New Jersey arrest as a strict Muslim who had become angry with the U.S. government's role in Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. He claimed the government's actions led to the deaths of innocent civilians and children.

In a subsequent recorded interview in New Jersey, Washington authorities wrote, Brown described his idea of a "just kill," in which the target was men unaccompanied by women, children or elderly people.

According to prosecutors, Tevlin, a sophomore at Virginia's University of Richmond, was driving through West Orange on his way to his family's home in nearby Livingston when Brown and two other men, following him in another car, jumped out and surrounded him.

Brown shot Tevlin through the passenger-side window, hitting him 10 times, prosecutors said at the time of Brown's arrest. Tevlin's car was then driven to an apartment complex in West Orange with Tevlin inside, and some of his belongings were stolen.

Brown was found hiding in the woods in West Orange a few weeks after the shooting. After his arrest, prosecutors in New Jersey said results of ballistics tests from the Tevlin shooting were put into a national database and matched with the gun used in the Seattle killings.

Brown is serving a 35-year sentence for an armed robbery committed before the Tevlin murder.Just days after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which killed 17 people, students-turned-activists echoed the words never again and not one more, pushing lawmakers for increased gun control and better school safety.

Many of the Parkland students, who have primarily taken to social media to champion these issues, have met with President Trump and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., among others to demand action.

One shooting survivor Cameron Kasky, a junior at the high school, wrote an op-ed about his experience, demanding Congress to take action.

Other Parkland shooting survivors have organized events.

In addition to the 17-minute National School Walkout on March 14, which honored those killed in the massacre and protested gun violence, student activists planned a march in Washington, D.C. called a March for Our Lives.

Ahead of the event, heres what you need to know.

When is March for Our Lives?

The march is slated to take place on Saturday, March 24, around 12 p.m., organizers said.

Where is it?

The primary march will take place in Washington, D.C. on Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd and 12th street NW, according to the March for Our Lives website.

Initially, organizers wanted to hold the event on the National Mall, but were forced to choose another location because their request conflicted with a film crews permit, the Washington Post reported.

Many other cities -- such as Portland, Oregon; Boise, Idaho; Philadelphia, New York City, San Francisco, Dallas and Chicago, among hundreds of other places -- are holding sister marches. Overall, there are more than 800 sibling marches across the country, organizers said.

To see if your city is holding a march, you can check here.

Why are the marches being organized?

An opportunity for unity

This is such a unifying experience, its truly nonpartisan said Ellie Boan, 19, a freshman at the University of South Carolina. She plans to attend a sister march in Columbia on March 24.

Not everyone necessarily agrees how [gun reform] should happen. But different viewpoints are coming together and all agree that no American child should feel unsafe in school, she said.

For Boan, who has been working with local high schools and student organizations on her campus to help organize the event, the shooting itself doesnt get anymore close to home.

Boan is originally from Parkland, Fla. While she didnt attend Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, her older brother did. On top of that, her parents home is just five minutes away from the school where the Valentine's Day mass shooting unfolded.

I was on the phone with my mom during the shooting, she said, adding that helicopters heading toward the high school could be heard in the call's background.

[Parkland] was the last place in America I ever expected for this to happen, she said. Once known for its picturesque golf courses and safety, Boan added, the city will now be remembered as the site of one of the biggest mass shootings in U.S. history.

Shortly after the suspected shooter, Nikolas Cruz, was identified, Boan had a chilling realization: She knew him, albeit not well.

His name sounded familiar, even though I didnt want it to," she said.

At that moment, Boan realized that she and he had attended the same middle school.

He even had a presence back then, she said.

Coming to that realization was the most difficult thing to deal with," Boan said. "I knew someone who was capable to inflict that kind of damage."

But Boan has since channeled her emotions -- which have ranged from sadness to fear to anger -- into activism.

I wanted to do something even though I couldnt be there [Parkland], she said.

Participating in the march later this month is the most effective way to process what I was going through, she added. Students are directly telling legislators what they want to be done. I hope that continues.

Adults are listening

Perry Bradley, founder and executive director of Building Better Communities, a community outreach organization in South Carolina, is helping organize the sister march in Columbia that will end on the steps of the citys statehouse.

Students, local lawmakers and state representatives are slated to speak at the event.

Parkland opened our eyes, Bradley told Fox News. Adults are embracing what kids have to say [about gun reform].

A bipartisan cause

I think that we have finally reached a breaking point in America, 21-year-old Antwon Stephens, who plans to participate in a sister march in Atlanta, told Fox News. Both sides are tired of the answer being nothing.

Stephens, who said he comes from a family who firmly believes in the Second Amendment, echoed Boan -- he also thinks the March for Our Lives movement presents an opportunity for unity, adding that both sides of the political aisle should work in a non-partisan way to understand why things like this keep happening.

I think it is going to take a whole lot of elbow grease to keep this movement going strong, he said. But this movement is most powerful because its led by students.

For family and the future

I was numb. I was in shock for three days after I heard about the shooting, said Jennia Taylor, a senior at Spelman College who also plans to attend a sister march in Atlanta.

Hailing from Parkland, Florida, the shooting greatly impacted Taylor not only because it occured in her hometown, but also because the 21-year-old is a 2014 graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, she told Fox News.

[Stoneman Douglas] is a big family; it was like hearing that someone invaded your home, Taylor said, who added that she first found out about the massacre through her familys group chat.

I lived there in high school, she said. I saw my teachers and coaches more than I saw my parents.

The day of the shooting, hearing about students and faculty who had been injured or killed affected Taylor the most, she said. It was also unnerving, she added, because Taylors younger cousin is a freshman at the school.

She was also worried for her former classmates as well, as many of them have younger siblings or family members who are current students at the high school, she said.

We all kind of know each other, she said. Its so intertwined, its kind of crazy.

Taylors heart sank when she heard that Aaron Feis, a beloved football coach at Stoneman Douglas, had been shot and killed shielding students from a rain of bullets.

Taylors two brothers, also graduates of Stoneman Douglas, played football at the school and her family was well acquainted with Feis. As a result, the loss hit her hard.

Its really hard for my family knowing him, and knowing his family, she said.

As for her participation in the March for Our Lives, Taylor said shes excited to see people from all walks of life who have been affected by gun violence come together and march for a purpose, she said. [Theyre] putting opinions aside to make sure we have a safe community and safe society.

Im going to grow up and have kids. I dont want to fear that every time they leave theyre going to get shot, she said. After it happened in my hometown, I realized that its time to take action.

How many people are slated to attend?

The National Park Service told the Washington Post that at least 500,000 people are expected to attend the march in D.C. alone.

How is the event funded -- and whos supporting it?

The event, which is being organized and led by Stoneman Douglas students and shooting survivors Emma Gonzalez, Cameron Kasky, among others, is mainly funded through donations.

Kasky created a GoFundMe page to help pay for the event, raising more than $3.3 million in a month.

"Half of the funds raised on this GoFundMe will go toward the March For Our Lives Action Fund," Kasky explained on the fundraising page. "The other half of the funding raised on this GoFundMe will provide relief and financial support to the victims and families of the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School via the Broward Education Foundation."

Celebrities such as George and Amal Clooney and Oprah have donated $500,000 to the event, as have Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, Deadline reported.

Jack Dorsey, the co-founder and CEO of Twitter, announced on March 9 that he also donated $500,000 to March for Our Lives.

"I'm so inspired by all the conversations the Stoneman Douglas students are leading!" he tweeted.

Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for stronger gun control, and Giffords, an anti-gun violence group that was started by former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, among other national organizations, are also working with march organizers -- either through donations or planning and logistics.

Students are making history and demanding that our elected officials protect them. Everytown is proud to help them make their voices heard on March 24, and we look forward to more Americans following their lead to forge meaningful change to our countrys gun laws, John Feinblatt, the president of Everytown, said in a statement after the organization announced its $2.5 million grant to support sister marches around the country.

The ride-hailing company Lyft also announced that it will offer free rides to Stoneman Douglas students participating in the march.

Additionally, many celebrities are supporting the event by performing at the march in D.C. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Platt, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato, among others, are slated to perform at the rally.



Is it political?

The event is not a political one, organizers claim.

School safety is not a political issue, a mission statement on the organizations website reads. There cannot be two sides to doing everything in our power to ensure the lives and futures of children who are at risk of dying when they should be learning, playing, and growing.

While the activists support the right of law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms, as set forth in the United States Constitution, they also have a list of demands, urging members of Congress to pass laws to end the sale of high-capacity magazines, improve background checks and more safety measures.An out-of-control driver killed two children and injured their mothers Monday while they were crossing the street at a busy Brooklyn intersection.

The New York Post reported that the scene was chaotic. The mother of the 1-year-old worked frantically to revive her son after the stroller was dragged about 100 feet. A 4-year-old child was fatally struck and her pregnant mother suffered serious injuries.

The mom was sitting there next to him screaming, Andrew Macaluso, a fourth-year medical student, told The Post while describing Lauren Lew, the mother of the 1-year-old. She was just kind of, Oh, God, this cant be happening. Tell me this isnt happening. Whats going on?  Macaluso said of Lew.

I said, Are you the mom, and she said, Yeah.  The child had blood on his face. She wipes off his face and gives him air while Im giving him chest compressions.

A female driver in a white 2012 Volvo rammed into them in a crosswalk at around 12:40 p.m., the New York Post reported.

The kids were run straight over, and the driver tried to get away and hit a car, a witness who declined to give his name told the paper. I dont even want to think about this.  Just to know those kids were ran down like a dog.

The paper quoted law enforcement sources as saying the driver struck up to six cars after mowing down the young family. The sedan then came to a rest on the side of the street  with a crushed stroller under its back wheels.

The driver, a 44-year-old woman, was taken into custody, police said. It doesnt look like anything deliberate at this point, but we have to figure it out, NYPD Chief Spokesman Stephen P. Davis told The New York Times. It is terrible.

The driver claimed she had a medical impairment, the paper reported.

James Long, a Fire Department spokesman, told The New York Times both children were declared dead at the scene.

She hit the mother, she hit the little girl and she took the carriage  the baby that was in the carriage, Jessica Sierra, 43, told The Times.

Sierra said she tried to help the girl with a sweat suit from her pack.

There was blood everywhere, Sierra said. And I felt like she was cold, so I covered her with it. She looked lifeless.The mother of a child killed in a horrifying car crash in New York City on Monday is a Tony Award-winning actress.

Ruthie Ann Miles, 34, who won a Tony Award in 2015 for The King and I, was walking with her daughter, Abigail Blumenstein, 4, and her friend, Lauren Lew, who was pushing a stroller carrying her 1-year-old child, when an out-of-control driver struck them in a Brooklyn crosswalk, the New York Post reported.

Miles daughter was killed and the Tony Award-winning actress sustained head injuries. Witnesses told the New York Post that Miles was bleeding from her head and authorities had to cut her coat off.

MOM FRANTICALLY TRIED TO REVIVE BABY KILLED IN DEADLY BROOKLYN CRASH

Abigail Blumenstein was discovered flat on her back, and when the ambulance came, they were giving CPR, June Clark-Smith, a bystander, told the New York Post. Clark-Smith said she ran over to Miles who was trying to get up advising her to stay down.

She was taken to New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital where she is said to be in critical but stable condition.

Lews 1-year-old was killed after the stroller was dragged about 100 feet by the vehicle. She worked frantically to revive her son.

The mom was sitting there next to him screaming, Andrew Macaluso, a fourth-year medical student, told The Post. She was just kind of, Oh, God, this cant be happening. Tell me this isnt happening. Whats going on?

NEW YORK CITY FIREFIGHTERS CRUSHED BY FLAMING DEBRIS IN DRAMATIC VIDEO

The driver, Dorothy Bruns, 44, was taken into police custody. She told authorities she swerved after trying to dodge another car. She said she was unaware of striking anyone when she woke up behind the wheel. Sources told the New York Post that Bruns was let go from police custody.

Miles is said to be at least seven months pregnant, the Daily News reported. Besides her role as Lady Thiang in The King and I, Miles also starred in Chess and Sunday in the Park with George. She also has a stint in FXs The Americans, where she plays a South Korean immigrant.

A number of Broadway stars sent their condolences to Miles after hearing the news.

Broadway legend Kristin Chenoweth tweeted: "Ruthie Ann Miles sending love to you and your family there are no words. Except you are loved.

Six time Tony Award-winning actress Audra McDonald tweeted: This is heart shattering. Please help if you can and if you can't please send love and hope and prayers their way. Ruthie, I am sending you all the love and light in my heart today sweet lady. Ruthie Ann Miles Fund.

The star linked to a GoFundMe account asking for contributions to help Miles and her family. As of Tuesday morning, more than $25,000 has been raised. A GoFundMe has also been established for Lew's family. As of Tuesday morning, the fund had more than $24,000 in donations.

Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda tweeted: Heartsick for Ruthie and her family.The Scenic City Womens Network Marketplace Luncheon will be Thursday, March 22, at the Mountain City Club. Networking will be from 11:30 a.m.noon. Luncheon and program will be from noon1 p.m.

The featured speaker is Kay Horner, executive director of Awakening America Alliance and The Helper Connection.

Ms. Horner has served in a variety of ministry roles including executive director of New Hope Pregnancy Care Center, associate and interim pastor of Peerless Road Church, administrator for Voice of Salvation Ministries, and Christian Education Minister providing insight segments for the World Impact national television program. She was blessed to serve as ministry projects coordinator for the Center for Spiritual Renewal, the spearhead organization for the 2006 Azusa Street Centennial.

Currently, she is serving as executive director for the Awakening America Alliance and a newly established initiative, The Helper Connection. Her book, entitled The Christmas Dance, was released by Broadstreet Publishing in 2015, and she is a contributing author in Praying with Jesus and Cry Out to the Lord, also published by Broadstreet. She has had articles published in SpiritLed Woman, Charisma News Daily, Prayer Connect Magazine, White Wing Messenger, and several national ministry blogs.

With engagement in the National Day of Prayer, Cry Out America and other national prayer movements, Ms. Horner has been chosen as a member of the National Prayer Committee and Mission America Coalition/U.S. Lausanne Committee. She completed her BS degree in Christian Ministries/Bible at Lee University and enjoys ministering in ecumenical leadership summits and regional ladies conferences both nationally and internationally.

Ms. Horner is married to Perry Horner, a retired graphic designer, who now serves with a local funeral home and provides home repairs and practical assistance to retired ministers and widows. Their daughter Emily, her husband Kirk, and their granddaughter Lillian reside in Cleveland. Their son Ben lives in Chattanooga, where he is a graphic designer and Christian counselor.

Reservation deadline is Tuesday, March 20, at noon. To make reservations online, go to www.scwn.org or call 423 698-6262. Cost for the luncheon is $20.Several MS-13 gang members who believed a Virginia man was allied with a rival gang are now facing life sentences after being convicted of restraining and stabbing him more than 50 times in a shocking murder.

Carlos Otero-Henriquez of Leesburg, 18, was lured into a vehicle with the MS-13 members in May 2016 under the premise of heading to a party, but was instead taken to a rock quarry near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, where he was severely beaten and killed in the attack, officials told Fox 5 DC.

Otero-Henriquezs body was then dumped into a ditch and the MS-13 members drove to a house in Leesburg where a female associate helped them burn their clothes and dispose evidence of the murder, the officials added.

The hallmark of MS-13 is extreme violence, Tracy Doherty-McCormick, acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said following the convictions of six members on Monday. This brutal kidnapping and murder is a tragic reminder of the impact MS-13 has on communities here in Northern Virginia.

Four of the six that were found guilty by a federal court jury in Alexandria on Monday are facing mandatory life sentences, while one faces a potential life sentence and a sixth faces up to 25 years, according to the Associated Press.

Four others who were charged in the killing already pleaded guilty and were hit with sentences ranging from 15 years to life. The ages of the defendants ranged from 20 to 36 years old.

The names of those found guilty were Juan Carlos Guadron-Rodriguez, Dublas Aristides Lazo, Andres Alexander Velasquez-Guevara, Shannon Marie Sanchez, Miguel Zelaya-Gomez, Wilmar Javier Viera-Gonzalez and Manuel Antonio Centeno, all of Leesburg, and Lelis Ezequiel Tremino-Tobar, Carlos Jose Benitez Pereira and Daniel Oswaldo Flores-Maravilla, all of Alexandria.

Prosecutors also said three of the members also were involved in an extortion scheme and were busted with the help of local police and the FBI.The Manhattan nanny accused of brutally murdering two children under her care had the "eyes of the devil" after the murders, a witness testified Monday.

An NYPD Emergency Services Unit testified that one of the children was partially decapitated and the other has a similar injury straight down to the spine, according to The New York Post.

No one denies that Yoselyn Ortega used kitchen knives to butcher 2-year-old Leo Krim and his 6-year-old sister Lucia, who went by Lulu, on Oct. 25, 2012. But the testimony is crucial to resolving the central question of the trial: whether Ortega was too mentally ill to be held responsible for the crimes -- a high bar to clear in New York state.

When Marina Krim arrived home to find her bloodied children stacked in a bathtub, she began howling, "Theyre dead! Theyre dead," the building superintendent testified Monday.

'IT'S LIKE A HORROR MOVIE,' MARINA KRIM TESTIFIES

The super, Michael Minihan, immediately ran upstairs to the unit and blocked Ortega's escape, he told jurors.

I didnt freak out, Minihan testified, according to The New York Post. Youve got to understand, I opened the door and I see somebody staring with the eyes of the devil holding a rag to her face. Her eyes were bugging. Shes staring right at me.

He also said he told an arriving officer that whatever is in there is evil.

First responders testified Monday that the episode had taken an emotional toll.

"Whatever is in there is evil."  Building super Michael Minihan

After discovering the bodies, I called my four daughters and told them that their daddy loved them, paramedic Kevin Orr testified.

He called it probably the most horrendous scene in my 27 years of saving lives.

As Krim left the courtroom after testifying Friday, visibly exhausted and palpably angry, she turned to Ortega and screamed: "You're evil! You're evil! And you like this, you like this, you're getting pleasure."

Krim told the panel she and Ortega, hired part-time as an extra pair of hands for the well-to-do stay-at-home-mom, had worked out their schedule for Oct. 25, 2012.

When Ortega didn't bring Lulu to a dance studio as scheduled, Krim hustled home, she testified.

Prosecutors say Ortega waited until Krim found the children dead in the bathroom before plunging a knife into her own neck. She survived. Lulu suffered more than 30 wounds; Leo, five.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Authorities say a Florida restaurant manager has been arrested after pointing two guns at a man in apparent road rage incident.

WJXT-TV cites a St. Johns County Sheriff's Office arrest report saying 56-year-old Britt Meyer got into an argument Friday afternoon in the restaurant's parking lot. Katelin Daugherty says Meyer pointed a pistol and an AR-15 at her husband, Jamie, after she and her family pulled into the lot to make a U-turn. Daugherty says their children were in the car.

Deputies say they found the loaded rifle inside the restaurant with 30 rounds in the magazine.

Meyer was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. He was released from jail after posting $5,000 bond. It is unclear if he has a lawyer.

___

Information from: WJXT-TV, http://www.news4jax.com/index.htmlAuthorities say a New Jersey man whose home has been without power since last week's nor'easter threatened to kidnap a utility company employee and blow up a substation.

Vernon police said 63-year-old Robert Winter was charged with making terroristic threats.

Authorities say Winter called Jersey Central Power & Light on Monday and quickly became agitated while speaking with a utility staffer. They say he threatened to kidnap an employee and then indicated that he knew how to make bombs and would blow up a substation so no one could have power.

A JCP&L security investigator soon contacted police and provided them with a recorded copy of the phone call.

Winter was arrested a short time later at his home. It wasn't known Tuesday if he's retained an attorney.A Tennessee woman alleged in a lawsuit that a state highway patrol officer in August searched her without cause, groped her and waited three hours near her home to stop her again, KnoxNews.com reported.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol issued a statement that supports the trooper, but a state prosecutor criticized Trooper Isaiah Lloyd and said his actions were inconsistent with his training.

Jared Effler, the eighth judicial district attorney, told the paper on Thursday that he will likely be unable to charge Lloyd with a crime, but he said he was going to drop a seatbelt ticket issued to Patricia Aileen Wilson.

Our review of this matter has been forwarded to Commissioner of Safety and Homeland Security David Purkey, along with a request that the findings of our review be reviewed with Trooper Lloyd to prevent similar incidents in the future, Effler wrote.

Col. Tracy Trott of the Tennessee Highway Patrol issued a statement that said Lloyd conducted this traffic stop in a professional manner in an effort to protect the motoring public. The Knox News reported that there was no mention of the second stop in the statement.

During the first stop, Lloyd asked Wilson twice if she had taken any prescription drugs, the report said.

Wilson said she takes a sleeping aid, the report said. Lloyd asked if it was Ambien. She said that was the one, but said she only takes it every other night.

I dont take any narcotics, she reportedly said. Lloyd responded, It is a narcotic.

The paper pointed out that Ambien is not considered a narcotic under U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration guidelines.

The video shows Lloydwho was hired by the department in 2015 and served with the 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq-- ordering Wilson out of the truck, the report said. Wilson alleges that Lloyd put his hands inside her waistband and touched her buttocks and genital area.

Lloyd stopped Wilson a second time near her home over the tint on her truck windows, the lawsuit alleges, according to the paper. The lawsuit alleges that he told her, We have to stop meeting like this. Although the first interactions audio was recorded, Lloyd claimed the battery on his microphone died for the second, Efflers review said.

James A. H. Bell, who represented Lloyd during the departments review, said Lloyd searched her because she had taken an Ambien, the report said. The paper pointed out that the video does not show Ambien being discussed until the actual search.

The suit seeks $100,000 in damages.

Click for more from KnoxNews.comAuthorities in Texas identified the man who was killed after a "device" exploded on the front porch of his Austin home last week, as they continue to investigate where it came from.

The Austin Police Department said in a news release Anthony Stephan House, 39, was critically injured in the explosion shortly before 7 a.m. in the city's northeast Harris Ridge neighborhood before he was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead an hour later.

House's death was initially called a homicide, but police on Monday said it now is considered a suspicious death because they haven't ruled out the possibility that the victim may have constructed and accidentally detonated the device himself.

When we arrived, we saw that there had been an explosion of some type," Assistant Chief Joseph Chacon with the Austin Police Department said at a news conference. "What we have determined in the following days is that this appeared to be a package."

Austin police said 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, Chacon said.

TEXAS MAN KILLED AFTER 'DEVICE' EXPLODES ON FRONT PORCH OF AUSTIN HOME

Police said based on evidence gathered so far, they believe the blast was "an isolated incident and that there is no continuing threat to the community."

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.

Police are asking anyone with information about the device or possible motive to contact them.

The blast on Sunday has left residents on the street concerned about packages left on their property. Chacon tried to reassure people on Monday, saying that if "your gut is telling you something is wrong" to contact authorities, but they do not believe someone is going around leaving packages that could possibly explode.

Monica Sledge told FOX 7 she was playing with her 2-year-old when she heard a loud noise that sounded like more than a blown transformer.

It was just a really loud, deep boom and it shook the windows and I just kind of freaked out, picked up my son and went the opposite direction, Sledge said.A Virginia father posted a Facebook video that he says shows his 10-year-old son running to school in the rain as a form of punishment for bullying in school and being banned from the school bus.

Bryan Thornhill said his technique is working. He said his son was out of his mind last week and -- since the punnishment -- has not gotten into trouble.

This right here is called parenting, he said, according to a Daily Mail report.

Thornhill said it is important for kids to be held accountable for their actions. He said his son ran a mile to school for one week and joked that he kept a pretty good pace, running six-minute miles.

The Epoch Times reported that the video was posted on March 1 and has since been viewed over 1.6 million times.

Teach your kids, Thornhill, who filmed the runs from inside his truck, said. Dont be a friend, be a parent. Thats what children need these days.

The vast majority of comments from viewers have been positive.

One post claimed to be from an educator who worked in schools for a decade. She said she wished there were more parents like Thornhill. Another wrote, My hats off to you, Brother!! Good parenting!

Some commenters were critical of the technique, especially over the fact the boy was running in the rain.

So bully your kid to teach him not to bully lol, one post read. Have you ever looked the kid in the face and had a long conversation with him about why he is acting the way he is acting. Find out where he learned to be a bully to begin with.With unanimous votes, West Virginia legislators raised teacher pay by 5 percent to end the nine-day walkout.

Gov. Jim Justice and West Virginia's Republican leaders had tentatively agreed Tuesday to end the strike and bring 277,000 students back to school and 35,000 employees back to work.

Lawmakers will seek to cut state spending by $20 million, taking funds from general services and Medicaid, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Craig Blair said.

We have reached a deal, Justice tweeted. I stood rock solid on the 5% Teacher pay raise and delivered. Not only this, but my staff and I made additional cuts which will give all State employees 5% as well. All the focus should have always been on fairness and getting the kids back in school.

The governor, union leaders and the House of Delegates had agreed last week to the 5 percent pay raise for teachers, who are among the lowest paid in the nation and haven't had a salary increase in four years. But the Senate refused to go along, approving a 4 percent increase.

However, even with the new tentative deal, it must be approved by lawmakers before the walkout can official end.

We've been down this road before, West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee said. The winners in this are the students of West Virginia and the educators across West Virginia who finally see a true investment in education.

The union's spokeswoman, Kym Randolph, said that if lawmakers quickly pass the legislation as they said Tuesday they intend to, teachers could be back at work Wednesday. "We just need to see it in writing," she said.

Senate leaders said they're on board this time. Senate Majority Leader Ryan Ferns, R-Ohio, said talks with the governor's office lasted into early Tuesday identifying cuts everyone could agree to.

Justice said additional budget cuts by his staff will fund the raises. Blair said that if the governor's estimates of increased revenue estimates from Justice come to fruition, supplemental appropriations could take place.

"This is very positive," Tina Workman, a second-grade teacher from Midland Trail Elementary in Kanawha County who has been at the Capitol each day with other striking teachers, told the Associated Press. "We are surprised, but we aren't putting all of our eggs from the chickens in one basket. We want it signed, sealed and delivered. Because seven days ago we were told the same thing, and we're still here."

"Teachers are the backbone of the education system and deserve the resources needed to inspire the next generation. A top-tier education, in West Virginia and across America, requires top-tier talentand that requires an investment in our teachers," said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka in a statement to Fox News.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, praised the efforts of everyone in a statement released to Fox News.

This is great news for West Virginia students, educators and all state employees. I applaud the Governor, and Democratic and Republican legislators for coming to this solution," Manchin said. "This is a solid investment in West Virginias education system and all of the services our state employees provide which includes our law enforcement officers.

A show of support by thousands of teachers and supporters on Monday didn't sway lawmakers in time to avoid a ninth day of cancelled classes for the school system's 277,000 students and 35,000 employees.

Ferns said late Monday after a House-Senate conference committee worked for a compromise that Senate Republicans were concerned more about how the raise is paid for than the exact amount.

About 5,000 people entered the building on Monday, posing security concerns and forcing the Capitol to briefly close. It was reopened an hour later, and teachers vented their frustration over the lack of progress. Their strike, in one of the poorest states in the country, has disrupted lives across the state, forcing working parents to scramble for child care and putting children who rely on meals at school at risk of going hungry.

With 17.9 percent of West Virginians living below official poverty levels, teachers, bus drivers and other volunteers are collecting food for students who rely on free breakfasts and lunches. Teachers also are sharing stories of donating their time, money or food. At least two GoFundMe pages have been launched in support of the walkout.

"It does make you feel good because we are helping them," said Ann Osburn, a special education teacher at Buckhannon Academy. "I think we're reaching as many as we can."

"We feel like we're under attack constantly," Cody Thompson, a social studies and civics teacher at Elkins High School, said. "Eventually, whenever you're pushed into a corner, you've got to push back.

The teacher walkout over pay and benefits began on Feb. 22 after the governor signed a 2 percent pay raise for next year. He reconsidered after an initial round of protests, and the House of Delegates later approved a 5 percent increase. The Senate's insistence on a 4 percent raise Saturday prompted the union to extend the strike.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A large storm system that's brought a wintry mix across the Midwest is set to slam the Northeast on Wednesday as some people still remain without power from last week's storm.

The National Weather Service said the storm is going to transition into a nor'easter as it moves off the East Coast, bringing between 6 to 12 inches of snow across much of the region. Winter Storm Warnings have been posted stretching from Philadelphia to the Boston-area, with areas north and west of the Interstate 95 corridor expected to see the greatest amount of snow.

"Areas south and east of the big cities will see less snow and more of a mixing which will cut back on snow totals," Fox News Senior Meteorologist Janice Dean said Tuesday "The heaviest snow will start late-morning through the afternoon Wednesday and into the dinnertime hour."

The nor'easter will also bring winds gusting between 40 and 50 mph, bringing the threat of power outages to an area still cleaning up from the powerful storm last week.

"Not good news for folks who are still without power from this past weekends storm," Dean said.

WEDNESDAY'S NOR'EASTER: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

That storm knocked out power to more than 2 million homes and businesses, flooded coastal towns and forced a number of school districts to cancel classes. It was blamed for nine deaths from Virginia to Massachusetts.

"We are into a very busy pattern conducive to coastal storms for the next week."  Fox News Senior Meteorologist Janice Dean

More than 90,000 utility customers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are still without power, according to FOX 29.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for the Garden State effective 8 p.m. Tuesday ahead of the storm.

"It's expected to hit us tonight through tomorrow, bringing wet, heavy snow," he said during a news conference.

The governor told people not to "panic," but said they should use "extreme caution" if traveling on state roads.

The storm system moving across the Midwest snarled traffic and closed schools on Monday as it brought freezing rain, heavy snow and strong winds to the region.

WINTER DRIVING TIPS AND PRECAUTIONS

State transportation officials advised against travel in parts of the upper Midwest, and a 211-mile stretch of Interstate 90 in southeastern South Dakota was shut down. The Highway Patrol in Minnesota also reported dozens of crashes, several with injuries.

WHAT IS A 'BOMB CYCLONE'?

There were 120 flight cancellations and more than 300 delays at the Minneapolis airport as of late afternoon Monday, according to Metropolitan Airports Commission spokesman Patrick Hogan.

Closures affected mostly elementary and secondary schools, though several colleges and universities also shut down their campuses for the day. Among them were the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University, affecting more than 26,000 students. Those large schools don't often shut down due to weather.

"Safety is always the key factor," UND spokesman Peter Johnson told the Associated Press.

The nor'easter on Wednesday may not be the last blast of winter for the region, according to Dean. Another coastal storm may impact the Northeast by Monday.

"We are into a very busy pattern conducive to coastal storms for the next week," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A woman was arrested Monday after a stabbing on a Greyhound bus in California left five injured, police said.

Teresa Ann Andrade Madrigal, 48, was arrested and charged with five counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one count of false imprisonment and another count of child endangerment, the Tulare County Sheriffs Office said in a statement.

Officials said Madrigal was aboard the bus heading from Las Vegas to Oakland when she began to act erratically. The sheriffs office said the bus driver stopped the bus and asked the woman to get off so he could talk to her. After speaking with Madrigal, the bus driver determined she was calm enough to drive, according to Fox 26 Fresno.

Police said as the bus was driving through Tulare, Madrigal walked toward the back of the bus, grabbed a 3-year-old girl and held her at knifepoint. The girls mother immediately began fighting with Madrigal and was stabbed in the abdomen, police said.

"I woke up to screaming: 'Im gonna kill this baby!' She had the baby in her hand and was hitting the baby, hitting the baby. Mother started screaming, pulled baby away from her, then screams, 'Shes got a knife! Shes got a knife!'" Tanya Wright, a bus passenger, told Fox 26 Fresno.

Spencer Williams, another passenger, told the station that he thought it was a joke at first until he saw the suspect holding the knife to the babys throat.

#BusStabbing Passenger Spencer Williams of Fresno stopped the attacker, grabbed her knife. @KMPHFOX26 pic.twitter.com/z8DsAflSJf  Liz Gonzalez (@LizKMPH) March 6, 2018

Two other men and the bus driver fought with Madrigal until they were able to wrestle the child away from her, police said. The suspect stabbed herself in the neck and chest, according to Fox 26 Fresno.

Police said two adults, including the girls mother, were transported to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Two other adults who were injured were treated at the scene. The 3-year-old girl only sustained a minor injury, police said.

Madrigal was receiving treatment for her injuries before being booked into an adult pre-trial facility, police said.The next time youre in the Whitfield County Courthouse, take a look at how neat and clean the building is.

If youre lucky, you might run into one of the people responsible for that tidiness: Anna Meadors, who has just been named the countys Employee of the Month for January.

Every morning when I come into the courthouse, Anna is always working hard and is always in a pleasant, welcoming mood to each person that walks in the door, said Karen Weeks, who nominated Ms. Meadors for the monthly honor. I feel that she truly takes pride in her work, and it shows.

Ms. Weeks says having the responsibility of keeping one of the busiest floors of the courthouse clean is quite a task, and Anna does an excellent job.

Michelle Garrison also nominated Ms. Meadors as Employee of the Month, noting that this lady goes above and beyond to keep the courthouse (main floor) clean every single day and with a smile on her face the entire time.

She greets me every morning with a smile, Ms. Garrison says, while she is mopping the floors, which always smell great because of her. She takes pride in her work.

To help local residents learn more about her personality and her family background, Ms. Meadors filled out the following fun questionnaire:

Name: Anna Meadors

Job title: Custodian

Time with the county: 14 months

Where I went to high school: Weld Central High School, Keenesburg, Co.

My role as a county employee: To keep our courthouse clean and beautiful! Run mail.

What keeps my job interesting: Something different every day and my great co-workers!

What gives me a sense of accomplishment on the job: When people compliment how clean our courthouse is.

The most important thing Ive done on the job: Keep my sense of humor.

Where I grew up: Hudson, Colo.

Family: Husband Charles, daughter Christa and son-in-law Cody, son Charles, mother Christa N., and sister Andrea.

After work, I enjoy: Putting my feet up and watching TV with my hubby.

Community activities: Relay for Life

Favorite TV show: Blue Bloods

Favorite sports team: Denver Broncos

Favorite meal: My husbands chicken

Favorite song: Runaway by Del Shannon

Favorite Whitfield County restaurant: Spiced Apple

Favorite Whitfield County event: Strut Your Mutt

You can pick four people to have dinner with (anyone from any time in history)  who are your four people and why? My dad  because I love him and miss him. My mom  because she is awesome! Mamaw  because I miss her smile. Jesus  because I have lots of questions.

Im most proud of: My children, Christa and Charlie.

Cats or dogs? Dogs

Cake or pie? Cake

Favorite vehicle? 2008 GMC Sierra

Host or be hosted? Host

Early riser or sleep-in? Early riser, only because I have to

Favorite vacation ever: Florida, with my parents and kids

Best teacher you ever had: Mr. Simmons, band director

Pet peeve: Selfish people

If Ive learned one thing in life, its: You cant control other people.

Who has had the most impact on my life: My mom and dad

Whats left on my bucket list: To shoot a Barrett 50 cal, a Tommy Gun, and a Gatling gun

If I could have been in any profession of my choosing, I would have been a: writer.

If I could have two wishes, they would be: To win the lottery and that someone would invent a silent vacuum cleaner!

Youd be surprised to learn that I: was born in Hackensack, N.J.

The best advice I ever got: Its not rocket science.

Anything else youd like to say: Thank you for making Whitfield County a great place to work!A senior Cuban official is condemning Washington's decision to make the withdrawal of 60 percent of the U.S. Embassy staff permanent in response to mysterious ailments affecting American diplomats.

Carlos Fernandez de Cossio says the decision is motivated by politics and has nothing to do with the safety of diplomats.

The new director of U.S. issues at the ministry told reporters Monday that the cuts will hurt consular services and make travel more difficult for ordinary citizens. He says it may also erode long-standing cooperation on migration.

The State Department made the cuts permanent last week. It initially scaled back staff in October in response to hearing loss and other ailments affecting at least 24 U.S. citizens. U.S. investigators have not determined a cause and Cuba denies any wrongdoing.Greece's defense minister says he has complained to the European Union and NATO following the arrest of two Greek soldiers in Turkey after they strayed across the border during a patrol last week.

Panos Kammenos said the two men, a lieutenant and a sergeant, were arrested a "few meters" inside Turkish territory while on a patrol against migrant smuggling. He made the remarks in Brussels on Tuesday while attending a meeting of EU defense ministers.

A Turkish court in the border city of Edirne rejected a request for their provisional release.

The incident has further strained relations between the two NATO allies who have longstanding disputes over maritime boundaries and commercial rights.Greek authorities say anti-terrorism police have cracked down on an allegedly violent neo-Nazi group, arresting five people allegedly linked to a string of arson attacks on far-left and migrant-related targets.

A police statement said eight houses have been searched in the greater Athens area and two provincial towns.

The statement says officers confiscated Molotov cocktails, 50 kilograms of explosives, shotguns, knives, cudgels, drugs and far-right banners and paraphernalia.

The five Greeks arrested on Tuesday are accused of belonging to a criminal organization, carrying out bombings and arson attacks, breaches of weapons laws and explosives possession.

The suspects are thought to be members of the Greek branch of the neo-Nazi Combat 18 group. Police say more residential searches are underway.The Danish inventor accused of murdering journalist Kim Wall during a trip on his private submarine in August goes on trial Thursday in a gruesome case that's attracted global attention.

Peter Madsen, 47, has denied killing 30-year-old Wall on board the vessel, instead claiming she died accidentally on the UC3 Nautilus before he cut her up and "buried her at sea."

In January, prosecutors said in an indictment that Madsen planned the murder by bringing a saw, screwdrivers, strips and pipes, which were used to hit, cut and stab Wall while she was still alive. Her cause of death has not yet officially been determined, but prosecutors said she died by either strangulation or the cutting of her throat.

There are expected to be 37 witnesses during the trial, which is expected to run until April 25, according to The Local newspaper. Madsen's lawyer, Betina Hald Engmark, has not yet disclosed what he intends to say at his trial.

Those who knew Madsen have said in recent interviews the inventor had frequently spoken about dark fantasies.

"He had two sides: He could be a well-spoken and charismatic person who could speak for hours about his submarine. And then ... a much darker side," retired adult movie actress Dorthe Damsgaard, who met him several times, told the Associated Press.

Damsgaard, 48, told the AP she had declined invitations to join Madsen in his submarine because she has claustrophobia.

"He made it no secret to me about having sexual fantasies," Damsgaard said, describing him as "funny, manipulative, serious and scary."

WHO IS PETER MADSEN, THE DANISH INVENTOR CHARGED WITH MURDERING KIM WALL?

An unidentified woman who claims to be Madsen's former sexual partner told WIRED last month details of text messages the two shared that were "still bothering her."

In one exchange in the days before Wall stepped onto Madsen's submarine, the woman asked the inventor to "motivate her with a threat" to help her finish a project she was working on.

He says he has a murder plan ready in the submarine, and I tell him 'I am not afraid, you have to be more threatening.' He talks about the tools he wants to use, and I say, Oh its not threatening, the woman told WIRED.

The conversation soon "darkened," and Madsen discussed inviting someone to his homemade submarine, "where they would suddenly change the mood and begin cutting her up," according to the WIRED report.

The woman told the magazine she didn't give the text exchange much thought at the time, but has since turned the texts over to police.

KIM WALL MURDER SUSPECT ALLEGEDLY TEXTED 'MURDER PLAN' ON SUBMARINE TO EX-LOVER

Madsen's wife, who reportedly has sought a divorce, has told investigators that he openly spoke about attending fetish parties without her.

In an interview with Danish weekly Soendagsavisen in 2014, Madsen said he one day "hoped to have a criminal career," adding he didn't want to rob a bank because "no one must be hurt."

Wall grew up in southern Sweden and studied at Paris' Sorbonne University and the London School of Economics before graduating from Columbia University in New York with a master's degree in journalism in 2013. She was last seen alive on Aug. 10, 2017, when she stepped on Madsen's submarine trip in Copenhagen.

After she left to meet Madsen, her boyfriend received several text messages from her. He eventually alerted authorities after the messages stopped coming, who launched a search for the submarine, which didn't have a satellite tracking system.

Authorities believe Madsen sunk his 33-ton submarine on purpose in Kge Bay off Copenhagen, and eventually found Wall's body parts in plastic bags that were weighed down by metal pieces. Investigators have also found videos of women being tortured and killed on his personal computer, though have said that Madsen did not make the video's himself.

Wall's family has declined to comment "for the time being" before the trial, but have raised money since September for the "Kim Wall Memorial Fund Grant" as part of an online crowdfunding campaign from donors around the world. The fund will award a female reporter a $5,000 grant on March 23, which would have been Walls 31st birthday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.next Image 1 of 2

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The Kremlin said Tuesday that Russia has not been approached by British authorities to help in an investigation over how and why a former Russian spy was found critically ill in a shopping mall in a town in southern England.

British media have identified him as Sergei Skripal, 66, who was convicted in Russia on charges of spying for Britain and sentenced in 2006 to 13 years in prison. Skripal, who is said to have suffered exposure to an "unknown substance" was freed in 2010 as part of a U.S.-Russian spy swap.

A woman was also found unconscious Sunday afternoon in Salisbury, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) west of London.

Dimitry Peskov, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, said Tuesday at a daily conference call with media in Russia there has been no request for help but that "Moscow is always ready to cooperate."

Wiltshire Police, which is responsible for the Salisbury area, said the man and woman appeared to know one another and had no visible injuries.

"They are currently being treated for suspected exposure to an unknown substance. Both are currently in a critical condition in intensive care," the police department said in a statement.

The discovery led to a dramatic decontamination effort. Crews in billowing yellow moon suits worked into the night spraying down the street, and the Salisbury hospital's emergency room was closed.

Public Health England said it had only limited information about the patients, but there "doesn't appear to be any further immediate risk to public health."

"PHE understands that those exposed to the substances have been decontaminated," the health agency said in a statement.

Public records list Skripal as having an address in Salisbury.

Skripal served with Russia's 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.

After his 2004 arrest in Moscow, he confessed to having been recruited by British intelligence in 1995 and said he provided information about GRU agents in Europe, receiving over $100,000 in return.

At the time of Skripal's 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.

Skripal 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 United States.

The circumstances surrounding Sunday's incident were still murky and police urged the public not to speculate. But few could avoid invoking the name of Alexander Litvinenko  the former Russian agent who died after drinking polonium-210-laced tea in a swanky London hotel in 2006.

His illness was initially treated as unexplained; evidence eventually emerged indicating he had been deliberately poisoned with the radioactive material.

A British judge wrote in a 2016 report that Litvinenko's death was an assassination carried out by Russia's security services  with the likely approval of Putin. The Russian government has denied any responsibility.President Trump said on Tuesday said "the world is watching" North Korea after the regime promised not to use nuclear or conventional weapons against Seoul and expressed a willingness to hold talks with the United States on denuclearization.

President Trump tweeted hours after South Koreas presidential national security director, Chung Eui-yong, released a statement detailing his rare two-day visit to North Korea. He praised the "possible progress" but remained cautious.

Possible progress being made in talks with North Korea. For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned. The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction! Trump tweeted.

The Hermit Kingdom added that its willing to give up its nuclear weapons if military threats against North Korea subsides, Chung said hours after leaving Pyongyang.

"The North side clearly affirmed its commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and said it would have no reason to possess nuclear weapons should the safety of its regime be guaranteed and military threats against North Korea removed," Chung said in a statement, according to Yonhap News Agency.

WHAT KIM JONG UNS SISTER REALLY MEANS WHEN CALLING FOR NORTH AND SOUTH UNIFICATION

Chung, who led a 10-member South Korean delegation to Pyongyang for the two-day visit, said the North is ready to have heart-to-heart talks with the U.S. about the regimes potential denuclearization and normalization between the countries.

"[North Korea] made it clear that while dialogue is continuing, it will not attempt any strategic provocations, such as nuclear and ballistic missile tests."  Chung Eui-yong, national security director of South Korea

It made it clear that while dialogue is continuing, it will not attempt any strategic provocations, such as nuclear and ballistic missile tests, the statement continued.

North and South Korea agreed to hold summit talks in April at the border. The leaders will establish a hotline communication channel to lower military tensions, Chung added.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday called for countries to further isolate North Korea despite the Hermit Kingdom's offer to discuss denuclearization.

North Korea threatens the entire global community through its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs and proliferation activities, including its arms exports to Africa. It doesnt just involve our allies in Europe or Asia. It doesnt just include countries with longstanding ties to [North Korea] like China and Russia. This is and must be a global effort," Tillerson said in a speech at George Mason University.

The comments mark a major change in tone after months of bombastic threats by the rogue regime to keep developing its nuclear and missile program.

Chung-in Moon, the foreign policy adviser to Moon, told Fox News: I think Kim Jong Uns proposal is real and authentic. It is now up to President Trump as to how he responds. The devil is in the details.

Last months Pyeongchang Olympics sparked the first talks between the two Koreas that followed a flurry of cooperative steps taken to ease tensions during the Winter Games.

North Korea sent a delegation of athletes, cheerleaders, art troupe members and officials to Pyeongchang for the Olympics. Kims sister, Kim Yo Jong attended the opening ceremony and met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in over a three-day visit. At one point, she even wrote of her wishes for closer ties in a guest book at South Koreas presidential office.

"I expect Pyongyang and Seoul to get closer in the hearts of our [Korean] people and the future of unification and prosperity will be advanced," Kim wrote in Korean in the guest book, according to Yonhap News Agency.

KIM JONG UN'S HARD CURRENCY EXPECTED TO RUN DRY BY OCTOBER, SOUTH KOREAN LAWMAKER SAYS

But the future of unification phrase means something far more sinister for the Kim family and his regime. North Korea has touted unification as a final victory to the Korean War that ended in an armistice in 1953. In Pyongyangs view, "unification" means Kims brutal dictatorship would overcome the Souths government.

There have been two summits, one in 2000 and another in 2007, held between Kim's late father, Kim Jong Il, and two liberal South Korean presidents. They resulted in a series of cooperative projects between the Koreas that were scuttled during subsequent conservative administrations in South Korea.

Kims apparent olive branch to South Korea and the U.S. comes after months of mounting sanctions against the volatile regime. Kang Seok-ho, of the Liberty Korea Party, previously said the despot is scrambling to keep his regime afloat because the international sanctions was crippling its economy.

"I received an analysis that, if international sanctions against the North continue like this, all of North Korea's foreign currency earnings and overseas assets will be frozen, and its dollar [reserves] will dry up around October," Kang said.

Tillerson also said in mid-January there was a lot of evidence that these sanctions are starting to hurt North Korea.

Fox News' Greg Palkot and The Associated Press contributed to this report.A Russian colonel turned British double agent found poisoned on a U.K. park bench Sunday is likely the latest victim in a long line of Kremlin-ordered hits against spies and dissidents, carried out with poison-tipped umbrellas, isotope-laced tea and bullets to the back of the head.

Sergei Skripal, a 66-year-old former Russian military intelligence officer, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, are both in critical condition at a Salisbury-area hospital, as British police work to determine what unknown substance poisoned the pair. Posion has been a frequent weapon of death used by Russian intelligence agents, stretching back some 40 years.

British police in hazardous-materials suits have erected a tent over the bench where the two were found, and cordoned off a nearby Italian restaurant and pub as officers from numerous law enforcement agencies comb the area for evidence and review nearby surveillance cameras.

" ... this does certainly bear all the hallmarks of what the Russians call wet work, or an assassination attempt.  Mark Galeotti, Centre for European Security at the Institute of International Relations

As they typically have in the past, the Russians are claiming they know nothing about what happened to Skripal and his daughter. Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, insisted Moscow has no information about this tragic situation, and has offered to cooperate with the investigation.

But to many experts, the suspected poisoning bears all the classic signs of a Kremlin-backed hit.

We have to have the caution that this could be just a particularly bad form of food poisoning, Mark Galeotti, head of the Centre for European Security at the Institute of International Relations in Prague, told Fox News. But this does certainly bear all the hallmarks of what the Russians call wet work, or an assassination attempt.

Russias shadowy spy agencies have over the decades found creative ways of offing their enemies, including the now-infamous 1978 poisoned-umbrella stabbing in London of dissident Bulgarian writer Georgi Markov.

Despite never being able to definitively pin the rubouts of Slavic spies and defectors on Putin and his predecessors and cronies, numerous former Russian secret agents have ended up dead under mysterious circumstances since Putin came to power in 1999.

The most infamous recent assassination was that of Alexander Litvinenko, a former intelligence officer who defected to London in 2000, after publicly accusing his superiors of hatching and assassination plot against a Russian oligarch. While in London, Litvinenko worked as a consultant for British intelligence, and wrote two books that were harshly critical of Putin.

Litvinenko fell ill in November 2006, and died soon thereafter. His death was attributed to drinking tea poisoned with radionuclide polonium-210, after the British Health Protection Agency found significant amounts of the rare and highly toxic substance in his body. A judicial inquest ruled in 2016 that there was a strong probability Litvinenkos death was a Russian intelligence operation that was probably approved by Putin himself.

I think we have to remember that Russian exiles arent immortal, Mark Rowley, assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service and Britains chief counterterrorism officer, told BBC radio. They do all die, and there can be a tendency for some conspiracy theories. But likewise, we have to be alive to the fact of state threats, as illustrated by the Litvinenko case.

Its not just defectors from Russias espionage services who have been apparently marked for death by Putin. In the last four years alone, dozens of high-profile Russians  including journalists, anti-corruption experts and politicians  have all died under suspicious circumstances.

In 2015, the former media director of Russia energy company Gazprom and founder of the RT television network, Mikhail Lesin, was discovered dead by a blow to the head inside a Washington, D.C., hotel room. In July 2016, Belarusian-born Russian journalist and Putin critic Pavel Sheremet was killed in a car bombing in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.

Russian intelligence agencies going back to the 19th century have always been more willing than their western counterparts to carry out assassinations abroad, Galeotti said. This culture, along with the geopolitical pressure on Russia and the increasing role the FSB has taken in operations abroad, all play a role in the Kremlin increasingly using assassination as a play in its toolbox.

Along with attacks abroad, scores of Putin critics also have been silenced by shootings, beatings, poisonings and other means in Russia. In one of the more horrifying episodes, Boris Nemtsov  physicist and liberal politician  was gunned down just feet from the Kremlin in 2015, only hours after calling for a march against Russias war in the Ukraine.

In Skripals case, the former Russian military intelligence officer was granted asylum in Britain after spending four years in a Moscow jail on treason charges. He was one of four men exchanged in a 2010 high-profile spy swap that sent 10 Russian sleeper agents held in the U.S. back home.

Until 1999, Skripal worked for GRU - Russian military intelligence - before being transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While he retired in 2003 to go into private business, he was arrested and jailed in 2006 after admitting to selling the names, addresses and code-names of dozens of Russian spies to MI6 in exchange for large sums of cash.A significant number of civilians in Syria were killed by Russian and U.S.-led coalition air strikes last year, according to a new report from United Nations war crimes investigators.

Their latest report, which covers the six months that ended Jan. 15, states that victims of the Syrian conflict have suffered greatly as violence countrywide re-escalated to new heights.

The U.N. investigators called on Russia and the U.S. to probe their actions, which they claim violated international law.

According to the report, an air strike by a Russian fixed-wing aircraft last November hit a market and killed at least 84 people just west of Aleppo in a so-called de-escalation zone that was declared by Russia, Iran and Turkey.

Although the U.N. body found no evidence that the Russian strike had intentionally targeted the market, it said this attack may amount to the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in death and injury to civilians, which is the first time the U.N. has explicitly implicated Moscow in potential war crimes.

The report found that U.S.-led coalition strikes on a school near Raqqa in March 2017 killed 150 residents, or about five times the toll announced by the Pentagon, which claimed that dozens of militants and not civilians had been killed.

RUSSIAN CARGO PLANE CRASHES IN SYRIA, KILLING 39

No ISIS members were in the school nor using the school as a base, the report states, refuting U.S.-led coalition claims at that time.

The Commission therefore concludes that the international coalition should have known the nature of the target and failed to take all feasible precautions to avoid or minimize incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects, in violation of international humanitarian law, the U.N. report states.

The report, based on 500 confidential interviews with victims and witnesses abroad or in Syria via social media, calls on all sides in the war-torn country to allow access to areas that are under siege and to all detainees.

Any peace deal must include justice, the report says.

Vital civilian infrastructure has been decimated by repeated attacks on medical facilities, schools and markets. Humanitarian aid has been instrumentalized as a weapon of war with siege warfare and denial of life-giving assistance used to compel civilian communities and parties to the conflict alike to surrender or starve, it said.Saudi Arabia's crown prince has wound up his three-day visit to Egypt with a visit to Al-Azhar, the world's foremost seat of learning for Sunni Muslims.

Accompanied by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was given a tour of the mosque at the heart of old Cairo to see the outcome of three years of restoration work financed by a Saudi grant.

The mosque, built in the 10th century, is now part of a sprawling university teaching Islam as well as secular subjects.

The prince has been given a warm welcome in Egypt, whose government views Saudi aid and investment as key to reviving of the country's battered economy.

He leaves for London on Tuesday and later travels to Washington.next Image 1 of 2

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Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent who came to Britain in a spy swap in 2010, lies in critical condition in hospital after being exposed to an unknown substance. His daughter is also critically ill after the incident in Salisbury, southern England.

Police say they are still investigating whether a crime has been committed.

But Skripal is not the first opponent of the Kremlin to be struck down in Britain in mysterious circumstances.

___

BORIS BEREZOVSKY

A Russian oligarch who moved to Britain in the early 2000s and became a strident critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Berezovsky was found dead on a bathroom floor at his home in southern England in March 2013, with a scarf around his neck.

After an inquest, coroner Peter Bedford said it was impossible to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt whether Berzovsky was killed or committed suicide.

___

ALEXANDER PEREPILICHNY

A Russian businessman who was a key witness against Russian officials accused of stealing $230 million from a London hedge fund, Perepilichny collapsed and died while jogging near his rented home south of London in November 2012.

Two autopsies failed to determine a cause of death and no known toxin was found, but colleagues believe he may have been poisoned with a hard-to-detect plant.

A coroner's inquest to determine the cause of death is ongoing.

___

ALEXANDER LITVINENKO

A former KGB agent who had defected to Britain and become a vocal Kremlin critic, Litvinenko died in November 2006, three weeks after drinking tea laced with the radioactive isotope polonium-210 at a London hotel.

On his deathbed, he accused Putin of ordering his killing. The case chilled U.K.-Russian relations for years.

British police charged two Russian men, Alexander Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, with killing Litvinenko, but Moscow refused to extradite them. A public inquiry concluded in 2016 that Litvinenko had been killed by Russia's security service, likely on Putin's orders. The Russian government has denied any responsibility.

___

GEORGI MARKOV

A Bulgarian dissident working for the BBC, Markov died in September 1978, four days after he was jabbed in the thigh with a poison-tipped umbrella while waiting for a bus on London's Waterloo Bridge. The umbrella tip contained a tiny pellet of ricin, a toxin derived from caster beans that is lethal in tiny doses.

KGB agents and senior members of Bulgaria's secret police were suspected of being involved in the killing, but Markov's killers have never been brought to justice.The Chattanooga Mocs are in fourth-place after 36 holes Monday at the UNF Collegiate. The Mocs turned in rounds of 292 and 295 for a 587 total.Cristina Perez dotted her card with six birdies leading the way in the morning round with a 2-under 70. Maddy McDanel shot 73 with Megan Woods and Holly Morgan completing the counters with 74 and 75, respectively.Woods was the star of the afternoon 18. She also shot 2-under 70 with Morgan following with 73. Perez, McDanel and Monica San Juan turned in a trio of 76s.Woods is tied for ninth at level-par 144.Thats two better than Perez in 16th with 146. Morgan is another two back at 148, tied for 23rd, while McDanel gives the squad four in the top 25 as her 149 is tied for 25th.Old Dominion is the leader at 571. Western Kentucky and Murray State are tied for second, one clear of the Mocs at 586. Jiwon Jeon of Daytona State is the individual leader at 9 under.LINEUPT9) Megan Woods: 74-70=144 (E)T16) Cristina Perez: 70-76=146 (+2)T23) Holly Morgan: 75-73=148 (+4)T25) Maddy McDanel: 73-76=149 (+5)T38) Monica San Juan: 76-76=152 (+8)U.N. war crimes investigators said Tuesday that a Russian plane was apparently behind an airstrike in November in Syria's Idlib province that killed 84 people at a marketplace, an attack which could amount to a war crime.

The findings, reported by the U.N.'s Commission of Inquiry on Syria, were the first time the group has pinned responsibility for civilian deaths in Syria directly on Russia.

According to the report, "all available information" indicates that a Russian plane carried out the Nov. 13 airstrike that hit a market, surrounding houses and a police station run by Western-backed Syrian rebels in the town of Atarib, in northern Idlib.

At least 84 people were killed and about another 150 were wounded in the attack.

The commission, which was created 6  years ago to document alleged human rights violations by any side in Syria's war, says the plane that carried out the airstrike took off from an air base in Syria run by Russian forces, the Hemeimeem air base.

Russia is a main backer of President Bashar Assad's forces and has helped turn the tide of war in his favor with a campaign of air strikes.

However, the Russian military strongly denies accusations of killing civilians and insists its forces in Syria have only launched strikes on militant targets, after verifying their location through different intelligence assets, and have never hit areas populated by civilians.

Tuesday's report, prepared under a current mandate from the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council, lays out the investigators' findings during a six-month probe conducted between July 8 and Jan. 15.

"All information available indicates that a Russian fixed-wing aircraft that took off from Hemeimeem airbase conducted the strikes," the report said. "Early warning observers monitored the take-off of a fixed-wing aircraft, whose pilots communicated in Russian, from Hemeimeem airbase at 1:37 p.m. and tracked the aircraft going south and then to the northeast all the way to Atarib where it arrived at 2:07 p.m."

"No Syrian aircraft were observed in the area in the two hours preceding the airstrikes," it added.

The report said the attack on the densely populated area, involving unguided weapons, "may account to a war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in death and injury to civilians."

The three-member commission, chaired by Brazilian lawyer Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, has also criticized actions by the U.S.-led coalition in Syria, notably saying it failed to take proper precautions in avoiding civilian deaths in al-Mansoura last March that killed at least 150 displaced people.

Advocacy groups, including Human Rights Watch, have previously linked Russia to war crimes and human rights violations in Syria, such as bombing civilians in rebel-held eastern Aleppo in 2016.

The investigators also provided details of the ongoing Syrian government offensive on the region of eastern Ghouta, just outside the capital of Damascus, which began on Feb. 18.

In an annex to the report, they said the siege of eastern Ghouta has been marked by "pervasive war crimes, including the use of prohibited weapons, attacks against civilian and protected objects, starvation as a method of warfare leading to severe acute malnutrition, and the routine denial of medical evacuations."

The U.N. human rights office and other monitors estimate that hundreds of people have been killed during the assault on eastern Ghouta, where Syrian government officials say they are making advances against rebel forces.

___

Issa reported from Beirut.Former City Council member Yusuf Hakeem is officially launching his campaign for Tennessee State House District 28 this weekend with a launch rally on Saturday.

The kickoff event is scheduled to start at aa a.m. at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center-Atrium, 200 E. MLK Blvd.

Education and workforce development are also among the topics of his focus this campaign.



If elected, I will fight to ensure the residents of District 28 have opportunities for job training and affordable housing, he stated. Communities that are lacking in these areas are struggling to survive.



Mr. Hakeem said he hopes to garner the support of a diverse audience and engage voters utilizing fresh new ideas. Now is the time to include everyone and leave no one behind because working together works and the citizens of District 28 are ready for their lives to change for the better , he said.



Those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP on Facebook @HakeemForHouse28 or email contact@yusufhakeem.com for more information.As the cold weather slowly fades and warmer temperatures become more and more common, many home owners thoughts in Chattanooga and the surrounding area turn to a traditional activity this time of year: spring cleaning.

But whether you enjoy getting your house in order or would rather tackle only the bare minimum of necessary chores, its important to work safely  especially if that work involves dragging out a ladder.



March is Ladder Safety Month. The Ladder Safety Institute has some helpful tips for home owners that are worth reading before climbing that first rung.



Choose the right ladder. Ladders are designed to hold a specific amount of weight, or duty rating  not just for the person climbing it but for the paint cans or toolboxes he or she may be carrying. Stepladders are not designed to be leaned against a wall. And extension ladders need to be able to be extended far enough to safety reach rooftops or peaked ceilings.



Dont overreach. American Ladder Institute treasurer Dave Plotner has seen this too many times: You are standing on a ladder painting, your ladder is up against a wall, and you lean over to try to paint just a little bit further away instead of getting down and moving the ladder over to get closer. The ladder tips over, you cant help but fall, and that, right there, is the No. 1 cause of accidents.



Dont climb too high. The top rungs add stability: Ladders arent meant to be climbed all the way up. You arent supposed to stand on the very top or the next step down, but most people climb above the highest standing level, Plotner said. Buy a longer ladder  or hire a professional.



Many accidents happen when people climb the ladder carrying equipment or tools in both hands, Plotner said. Swing a rope up around the top of the ladder and pull the tools up after you.



In these muddy spring days, people doing outside work on a ladder may think that first placing a piece of plywood or other substrate on the ground and setting the ladder atop it will keep them safer because the ladders feet are less likely to sink into the ground. Not a good idea at all, Plotner says, unless the ladder is anchored to the substrate. An extension ladder with a leveling system is a much safer alternative. Or, he suggests, wait till the conditions improve.



Another thought: Contact the Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga at www.hbagc.net or 423-624-9992 to get advice and recommendations on professionals who can help you with these spring cleaning chores  so you can keep your feet on the ground.

Laurice Tatum, president and chief executive officer of First National Community Bank, announced Tuesday that long-time mortgage lender Starla Trainor, who left the Chattanooga market for a short time, has returned and joined First National Community Banks Loan Production Office, 6031 Shallowford Road, Suite 107, in Chattanooga.



Ms. Trainor, who earned her associates degree in business from Southern New Hampshire University, has been a mortgage loan mainstay in Chattanooga, having worked in the market since 2012. Most recently, she was affiliated with Northpoint Mortgage but has also served as a mortgage originator in Chattanooga and in Florida.



Among the mortgage loan options First National Community Bank offers are:

 Conventional Long-Term Mortgages

 Adjustable Rate Mortgages

 Interest-Only Mortgages

 First Time Homebuyers Program

 100% Financing Programs

 FHA, VA, Bridge Loans and loan pre-qualification



Ralph Smith, Chattanooga Market president, was quick to welcome Ms. Trainor to the banks LPO. For many years, First National Community Bank has offered mortgage loans through our Dalton, Georgia office, he said. Now, we have an experienced and known lender here in Chattanooga, and a full array of loan options for our customers. I am confident that Starla will continue to welcome customers old and new for their mortgage loan needs, and that her responsiveness, experience and service will be exceptional.The Atlantic, Wired, and Science News have also covered the influenza work on which she has collaborated as a graduate student in the Bloom Lab.

Xue graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University with a bachelors degree in chemical and physical biology. While at Harvard she also served as associate editor of Harvard Magazine, its alumni publication.

This work has helped me reflect upon my roles and responsibilities as a scientist, communicator, and citizen, she wrote in a summary of her research.

Award honors legacy of leader in molecular biology

Named for the Hutchs Dr. Harold Weintraub, the award honors his scientific leadership in the field of molecular biology and his legacy as an extraordinary mentor, colleague, collaborator, and friend. Weintraub helped found the Basic Sciences Division at Fred Hutch and died of brain cancer in 1995 at age 49. Since the award began in 2000, there have been a total of 264 recipients, including this years honorees.

Hal was one of the most outstanding scientists of his generation, as well as one of the most unpretentious, said Dr. Mark Groudine, molecular biologist and special adviser to the Directors Office at Fred Hutch who was instrumental in establishing the award. Hal had the knack of identifying the important questions in biology and designing experimental approaches that were creative, simple, and elegant. The Weintraub Award not only honors Hals scientific leadership but also his passion for supporting scientists at the very beginning of their careers.

The awards will be presented May 4 at a scientific symposium at the Hutch. At that time, awardees will present findings from their respective research projects. The award recipients will receive a certificate, travel expenses, and an honorarium from the Weintraub and Groudine Fund, established to foster intellectual exchange through the promotion of programs for graduate students, fellows, and visiting scholars.Free Freightnet Membership

List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours.There will be a free STEM Banquet Tuesday, March 27 from 6-8 p.m. in the Colleges Pope Student Center for high school juniors and seniors interested in STEM fields. It is sponsored by Engineered Floors and Shaw Industries.



We want to raise awareness of what is available here, said Dr. Randall Griffus, dean of the School of STM. Area high school students dont have to go far to have an enriching college experience. Were one of the most affordable colleges in the nation, and we offer more opportunities for our students than many other schools.



Representatives from chemistry, physics and engineering, environmental biology, pre-medical biology, mathematics and information technology will be on hand to answer questions. Representatives from admissions and the dual enrollment program will also be available to speak to perspective students.



"Many students earn their four-year degrees from Dalton State while others transfer to a school that offers bachelors degrees in engineering or physics. Dalton States School of Science, Technology, and Mathematics provides students opportunities not common for those working on a bachelors degree, including the chance to conduct undergraduate research, the chance to work with endangered turtles, and the chance to dissect a cadaver," officials said.



Dalton States pre-engineering program is a good option for students seeking small classes, close interaction with professors, and a more affordable price tag for their first two years, Dr. Griffus said. The Regents Engineering Pathway Program allows those students to transfer seamlessly into upper level engineering programs throughout the University System and elsewhere.



Representatives from Kennesaw State University and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will also be at the event to discuss their engineering programs.



"The event will include a tour of Peeples Hall, Dalton States science building with state-of-the-art instruments and equipment identical to that used by scientists in industrial labs. A telescope will also be available weather-permitting for those interested in astronomy," officials said.



For more information or to register visit, https://www.daltonstate.edu/admissions/stem-banquet.cms.Steps To Doing Business In Dubai







Step #1: Type of Business

The first step to starting a business in Dubai is knowing which industry or market youll be working in. For most commercial entities, the type of business determines what type of procedures you need to follow. However, for certain types of business activities, like veterinary services, jewelry trading, and food/ beverage establishments, there are additional approvals that you will need from government agencies.



For reference, visit The first step to starting a business in Dubai is knowing which industry or market youll be working in. For most commercial entities, the type of business determines what type of procedures you need to follow. However, for certain types of business activities, like veterinary services, jewelry trading, and food/ beverage establishments, there are additional approvals that you will need from government agencies.For reference, visit Dubais Department of Economic Development (DED) webpage, which has a list of 2,100+ business activities that you can participate in. If your type of business isnt listed or you need further elaboration, contact the DED directly. Each free zone comes with its own specific regulations and formalities to approve your business before you begin.





Step #2: Ownership

Once youve determined if your business is viable in Dubai, its time to secure Once youve determined if your business is viable in Dubai, its time to secure ownership of your company via licensing. Unless youre an Emirati, you need to obtain a license and location in the free zones of the United Arab Emirates to have 100% ownership of your company. Dubai is no exception. To operate locally, youll need a local license from the DED. DED licenses come with certain restrictions on ownership for foreign nationals.



Step #3: Legal Forms

Depending on your location and type of business, foreign business entities must follow the rules in regards to the make-up of your organization. As an example, if you plan to establish a legal consulting business, you cannot be sole properties; only businesses that establish a branch of a company or as a stand-alone company are allowed in Dubai. An overview of applicable structures can be found Depending on your location and type of business, foreign business entities must follow the rules in regards to the make-up of your organization. As an example, if you plan to establish a legal consulting business, you cannot be sole properties; only businesses that establish a branch of a company or as a stand-alone company are allowed in Dubai. An overview of applicable structures can be found here , or visit the DEDs comprehensive webpage on structures for a detailed guide.



Step #4: Establishing Your Trade Name

As with any business, your organizations trade name is an important step of the legal procedure in Dubai. Ideally, your organizations trade name should indicate the nature of your business and indicate the nature of the business, For a guide on the rules on the topic of trade names, refer to As with any business, your organizations trade name is an important step of the legal procedure in Dubai. Ideally, your organizations trade name should indicate the nature of your business and indicate the nature of the business, For a guide on the rules on the topic of trade names, refer to DEDs guide on starting a business.



Step #5: Minimum Share Capital In most cases, you do not need to pay minimum capital when setting up your organization in Dubai. However, it should be set up in the Memorandum of Association of your proposed company.



Step #6: Premises

Once youve handled the paperwork and processed the legal procedures, you will need to establish a physical presence in the company. It helps to anticipate this by doing the research beforehand or while youre completing the aforementioned steps. This clears a path to establishing where your business will be located and how it will operate in the near-future.



Step #7: Staff & Employees

Depending on your type of business and how you plan to run it in Dubai, you may be required to hire a manager to oversee your Dubai-based operations before your registration is fully processed. There are additional hang-ups, which may bar certain entities from directly hiring staff, forcing them to rely on contractors. More details on the specific hiring procedures can be found in the DED guide.



Step #8: Establishing Local Support

To obtain a DED license(s) in the UAE, it is mostly a mandatory requirement to have a local agent, business partner or local sponsor to do business in the UAE. However, this requirement is not necessary for free zones like Dubai. However, it can be a great benefit to establish an in with locals to streamline your



An Alternative Approach: Virtual Phone Numbers

If youve made it this far in the guide, you are probably doubting your ability to make such a leap or deal with bureaucratic red tape. An alternative approach for startups and businesses that want to bootstrap their international business without the overheads and headaches is



Virtual phone numbers are simple. By subscribing to a virtual phone number provided, you can establish a business presence by using a number thats unique to that country. Those who call your Dubai-based number have their call routed to whatever phone numbers you already have to process callers, enabling an instant presence in Dubai, without the legal wrangling and complicated startup process.



Dubai is a booming economy, offering a wide array of opportunities in business. For many industries, it makes perfect sense to open a business there, as the prospects are incredible. However, for those aiming to keep costs down, and especially if your business operates with a solid remote structure, expanding into Dubai and opening a branch of your business there virtually can be the smartest way to start. To obtain a DED license(s) in the UAE, it is mostly a mandatory requirement to have a local agent, business partner or local sponsor to do business in the UAE. However, this requirement is not necessary for free zones like Dubai. However, it can be a great benefit to establish an in with locals to streamline your business and facilitate your companys growth.If youve made it this far in the guide, you are probably doubting your ability to make such a leap or deal with bureaucratic red tape. An alternative approach for startups and businesses that want to bootstrap their international business without the overheads and headaches is Dubai virtual phone numbers Virtual phone numbers are simple. By subscribing to a virtual phone number provided, you can establish a business presence by using a number thats unique to that country. Those who call your Dubai-based number have their call routed to whatever phone numbers you already have to process callers, enabling an instant presence in Dubai, without the legal wrangling and complicated startup process.Dubai is a booming economy, offering a wide array of opportunities in business. For many industries, it makes perfect sense to open a business there, as the prospects are incredible. However, for those aiming to keep costs down, and especially if your business operates with a solid remote structure, expanding into Dubai and opening a branch of your business there virtually can be the smartest way to start.

Dubai itself has been one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, as well, with high economic stability due to the countrys diversification from oil into more stable industries, like aerospace, tourism, and finance.All in all, starting a business in Dubai shouldnt require more than a week of effort once you have sorted out all of the necessary legal procedures. Be sure to read each step carefully and consider how your business idea will fit in the Dubai economy.The CHANEYspeaks Caregiving Advocacy Corporation is co-sponsoring the Brain Health & Healthy Aging Community Forum on Saturday, March 24, from 10 a.m.1 p.m. at Real Life Christian Ministries, Inc. at 6018 John Douglass Drive, Chattanooga. The free community forum, presented by the Balm in Gilead Organization, is for anyone 50 and older; and for those who love and care about them.

This forum will provide important information and tools for the development and maintenance of optimal mental, social and physical well-being and function in older adults. The event aims to ensure that these individuals have access to information about important vaccinations, such as the pneumococcal vaccine, which protects against pneumococcal disease. Less than half of African Americans ages 65 and older are not vaccinated against this potentially life-threatening disease.



The Balm In Gilead is excited to bring this very important initiative to Chattanooga, said Pernessa Seele, CEO and founder of the Balm In Gilead. It is so critical that we educate our community about healthy aging, getting vaccinated and living healthier lives.



CHANEYspeaks is proud to partner with the Balm In Gilead on this initiative, said Christopher-Charles Chaney, CEO of CHANEYspeaks. It is so important for our aging population is informed about the availability of resources to help them live a healthier lifestyle.



For more information about Chattanoogas Brain Health & Healthy Aging Community Forum, contact CHANEYspeaks at 615 579-3039 or visit www.CHANEYspeaks.com.

Hundreds of livestock are feared dead as the effect of Storm Emma on farms starts to become clear in north-west England.

Defra is facing calls from industry leaders and local representatives to release emergency funding to subsidise the cost of fallen stock disposal in Cumbria.

But the department told the NFU no government money is available to support collection costs.

MP Rory Stewart, who represents the Penrith and The Border constituency, described conditions as some the worst in living memory and said the case for Defra support was clear.

See also: Farmers battle elements as snow takes its toll

Urgent request

Mr Stewart, who visited farms and rural residents on Monday (5 March), said he had been in touch with Defra minister George Eustice to request the urgent release of Defra funding.

The government last relaxed the rules on stock disposal due to extreme weather in 2013.

Mr Stewart said he had also secured a dedicated caseworker from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to help people and businesses in affected communities.

This was either in terms of loss of stock or income, of damage to infrastructure, or other claims with which they may require assistance in brokering insurance payouts.

Mr Stewart said: Conditions in parts of Penrith and The Border are, quite simply, some of the worst in living memory. Farmers are suffering a great deal.

Critical time

Not only have they lost stock in-lamb  the most critical time for most farmers  but on top of that they are dealing with the costs of disposal, sometimes of hundreds of dead animals.

The financial and emotional impact of this is unimaginable  they have all my sympathies.

The NFU said it was continuing to press for further support to aid those farms affected.

A mechanism is in place for the National Fallen Stock Company (NFSco) to credit the farmers account when the exact numbers collected are known.

The NFU said this was a simple and accurate way of ensuring that any support went to those livestock producers who had lost animals.

Evidence

The union said it was gathering evidence from across the country about losses and would again be asking Defra to support those farmers hit the hardest with collection costs.

Disposal costs for a sheep carcass over 12 months will range from 15 to 20  so a farmer who had lost 80 ewes could have a disposal bill of more than 1,600.

When this was compounded by the loss of the lamb sales and breeding value of the ewe, the snow would have had a serious effect on many businesses.

Defra said it was sympathetic to farmers who had lost stock and were having problems in complying with normal fallen stock disposal rules as a result of the weather.

Biosecurity

The department agreed collection of dead stock could be delayed without contravening what are known as animal by-product (ABP) regulations.

This was because cold temperatures meant carcasses would remain fresh for longer  although farmers must still ensure they maintained good on-site biosecurity practices.

Where possible  and safe to do so  fallen stock should be collected and stored so as to prevent access by other livestock or pests, such as rodents or birds, said Defra.

National Fallen Stock Company collectors were ready to support farmers with fallen stock collection and disposal, added the department.

There is currently no government funding available to support collection costs, said Defra. We will continue to monitor the ongoing situation.St. Louis-based developer CRG Tuesday announced a partnership with Resolute Forest Products for the design and construction of a distribution center on the site of Resolutes tissue facility in Calhoun, Tn.

CRG is proud to partner with Resolute and to support the expansion of its Tennessee tissue operation," said CRG Eastern Region Vice President Scott Caplan. "We worked closely with them to carefully understand their needs in order to design and build a structure that will provide efficient storage and distribution of their products."

"The recently constructed tissue machine and converting operation in Calhoun has positioned Resolute as one of the fastest growing providers of quality tissue products in North America, said Patrice Minguez, president of Resolutes Tissue Group. The addition of the onsite distribution center will support our continued growth in the tissue market.

Construction is slated for completion by August. Clayco will serve as the design-builder on the project, with subsidiary Forum Studio providing architecture services. This is Claycos latest project in the region.



CHI Memorial Rees Skillern Cancer Institutes has a support group meeting for women diagnosed with stage III or IV breast or gynecological cancer.

This group will meet the first and third Thursdays of each month from 12:30-2 p.m., with the first meeting being held on March 15.

The meetings will take place in the Center for Cancer Support, Memorial Plaza Building, 605 Glenwood Drive, Suite 307 in Chattanooga.

Debrah Hagen, clinical oncology social worker, will facilitate the support group meetings.

For more information, call 423-495-3142.







Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.The man, reportedly a university student, was asked to put his clothes back on, which he did - but then on his way to the bathroom he attempted to hug a flight attendant.

After she rebuffed his approaches he became aggressive and attacked her. Photos show cabin crew then tying his hands behind his back with a piece of material for the rest of the flight.

Malaysian website Star Online also reports he urinated on his seat.

In a statement released on Sunday the airline says crew followed "standard operating procedure" to restrain the man.

"The disruptive passenger was accompanied by Dhaka security team upon arrival and he has been put to jail by authorities in Dhaka due to this offence.

"The airline will continue to stay vigilant to ensure passengers travel soundly."

Newshub.Bethel A.M.E. Church, 2000 Walker Ave. in Chattanooga announces the Ruth S. Cargle Booster Club Day will be held on Sunday, March 18 at 5 p.m.



Special guest will be Bethel's Amazing Kids and the Vision Mime Ministry.felicilin at 6-03-2018 12:52 PM (3 years ago) (f)

A compliant officer with First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Olusegun Adesomoju, Monday told a Federal High Court in Lagos how several Abia government funds were paid into the account of Slok Nigeria Limited owned by former governor Orji Uzor Kalu.

A compliant officer with First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Olusegun Adesomoju, Monday told a Federal High Court in Lagos how several Abia government funds were paid into the account of Slok Nigeria Limited owned by former governor Orji Uzor Kalu. Kalu, his company, Slok Nigeria Limited, and his Director of Finance and Accounts, Udeh Jones Udeogu, are being tried before Justice Mohammed Idris led-court, on charges bordering on N2.9 billion fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

They were accused of conspiring to siphon N2.9bn from the account of the Abia State Government.

They all pleaded not guilty.

Yesterday, Adesomoju, who was led-in-evidence by the prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), narrated to court how several millions were paid thorough bank drafts into Sloks Nigeria Limiteds account domiciled in Apapa branch of First Inland Bank, between 2001 to 2005.

The witness said between August 16 till December 6, a total sum of N110 million which was paid in tranches of N20 million, N13 million, N17 million, and N40 million.

He also narrated before the court how the some of N200 million, N550 million, N157 million, and N134 million, which were paid in tranches between 2002 to 2005, into the account of Slok Nigeria limited, through bank drafts.

The EFCC had accused Slok Nigeria Limited of conniving with one Emeka Abone, said to be at large, to help Kalu retain the allegedly stolen funds in its accounts, when Slok Nigeria Limited knew or at least suspected the said Orji Uzor Kalu to have engaged in a criminal conduct.

The second defendant, Udeogu, was accused of helping Kalu to pay part of the allegedly stolen funds into the account of Slok Nigeria Limited with the defunct FinBank Plc.

The offence is said to be contrary to Section 427 of the Criminal Code Cap 77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990. Kalu, his company, Slok Nigeria Limited, and his Director of Finance and Accounts, Udeh Jones Udeogu, are being tried before Justice Mohammed Idris led-court, on charges bordering on N2.9 billion fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).They were accused of conspiring to siphon N2.9bn from the account of the Abia State Government.They all pleaded not guilty.Yesterday, Adesomoju, who was led-in-evidence by the prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), narrated to court how several millions were paid thorough bank drafts into Sloks Nigeria Limiteds account domiciled in Apapa branch of First Inland Bank, between 2001 to 2005.The witness said between August 16 till December 6, a total sum of N110 million which was paid in tranches of N20 million, N13 million, N17 million, and N40 million.He also narrated before the court how the some of N200 million, N550 million, N157 million, and N134 million, which were paid in tranches between 2002 to 2005, into the account of Slok Nigeria limited, through bank drafts.The EFCC had accused Slok Nigeria Limited of conniving with one Emeka Abone, said to be at large, to help Kalu retain the allegedly stolen funds in its accounts, when Slok Nigeria LimitedThe second defendant, Udeogu, was accused of helping Kalu to pay part of the allegedly stolen funds into the account of Slok Nigeria Limited with the defunct FinBank Plc.The offence is said to be contrary to Section 427 of the Criminal Code Cap 77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990.

Post Reply Posted: at 6-03-2018 12:52 PM (3 years ago) | Herofelicilin at 6-03-2018 02:45 PM (3 years ago) (f)

Deaconess Angelina Oyakhilome is the mother of one of Nigeria's most famous pastors, Chris Oyahkilome and she has just added another year.

Deaconess Angelina Oyakhilome is the mother of one of Nigeria's most famous pastors, Chris Oyahkilome and she has just added another year. A huge birthday party was thrown for her in Benin City, Edo State where excited church members trooped out to celebrate with her.

Colourful fireworks went up in the sky and excited members danced for joy at the venue of the event last night.









A post shared by LOVEWORLDINNOVATIONS INNOVILLE (@official_innoville) on Mar 5, 2018 at 3:07pm PST A huge birthday party was thrown for her in Benin City, Edo State where excited church members trooped out to celebrate with her.Colourful fireworks went up in the sky and excited members danced for joy at the venue of the event last night.

Post Reply Posted: at 6-03-2018 02:45 PM (3 years ago) | Herofelicilin at 6-03-2018 03:34 PM (3 years ago) (f)

An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigation into the alleged diversion funds from the Lagos State Government Number Plate Production Authority (LSGNPPA), has fingered Folarin Coker, the director general of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), and his wife Aisha Rimi, TheCable reports.

An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigation into the alleged diversion funds from the Lagos State Government Number Plate Production Authority (LSGNPPA), has fingered Folarin Coker, the director general of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), and his wife Aisha Rimi, TheCable reports. According to the EFCC, the diversion occurred when Coker was the DG of LSGNPPA. Following an ex parte application by the anti graft body, Justice Mohammed Idris of the federal high court in Lagos froze LSGNPPAs accounts, including 32 bank accounts of companies allegedly used to divert the funds.

One of the companies whose account was frozen is a law firm, Rimi and Partners, where Cokers wife is said to be the sole proprietor.

According to TheCable, EFCC investigator Olamide Sadiq, said there were heavy inflows in excess of N3 billion from LSGNPPA into Rimi and Partners account.

Other companies whose accounts were frozen include Ekosina Investment Ltd, where Aisha Rimi is said to be a signatory, SW Properties Ltd, Imira Trade and Global Services Ltd, Lofty Investment Nigeria Ltd, Pure Technical Services Ltd and Cablepoint Ltd.

Sadiq added:

Folorunsho Coker was as at that time the managing director of the 1st respondent  LSGNPPA.

He was also the husband of Aisha Rimi, one of the signatories to the accounts of the 2nd and 3rd respondents  Rimi and Partners and Ekosina Investment Ltd respectively.

Further to the depositions contained in the paragraph above, I know as a fact derived during my investigations, that the said Mr. Folorunsho Coker was also a signatory to the Bank account of the 1st respondent.

Investigations revealed that Aisha Rimi is the major partner in Rimi and Partners and she is also in control of Ekosina Investment Ltd, a company seen to have received huge transfers from the LSGNPPA.

From preliminary investigations by the commission, the 2nd and 3rd respondents were used to divert funds from the LSGNPPA with the influence of Folorunsho Coker, who was the Managing Director of the Lagos State Agency.

According to the EFCC, the diversion occurred when Coker was the DG of LSGNPPA. Following an ex parte application by the anti graft body, Justice Mohammed Idris of the federal high court in Lagos froze LSGNPPAs accounts, including 32 bank accounts of companies allegedly used to divert the funds.One of the companies whose account was frozen is a law firm, Rimi and Partners, where Cokers wife is said to be the sole proprietor.According to TheCable, EFCC investigator Olamide Sadiq, said there werein excess of N3 billion from LSGNPPA into Rimi and Partners account.Other companies whose accounts were frozen include Ekosina Investment Ltd, where Aisha Rimi is said to be a signatory, SW Properties Ltd, Imira Trade and Global Services Ltd, Lofty Investment Nigeria Ltd, Pure Technical Services Ltd and Cablepoint Ltd.Sadiq added:Folorunsho Coker was as at that time the managing director of the 1st respondent  LSGNPPA.He was also the husband of Aisha Rimi, one of the signatories to the accounts of the 2nd and 3rd respondents  Rimi and Partners and Ekosina Investment Ltd respectively.Further to the depositions contained in the paragraph above, I know as a fact derived during my investigations, that the said Mr. Folorunsho Coker was also a signatory to the Bank account of the 1st respondent.Investigations revealed that Aisha Rimi is the major partner in Rimi and Partners and she is also in control of Ekosina Investment Ltd, a company seen to have received huge transfers from the LSGNPPA.From preliminary investigations by the commission, the 2nd and 3rd respondents were used to divert funds from the LSGNPPA with the influence of Folorunsho Coker, who was the Managing Director of the Lagos State Agency.

Post Reply Posted: at 6-03-2018 03:34 PM (3 years ago) | HeroEnglish Spanish

SANTIAGO, Chile, March 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Franklin Templeton Investments today announced the opening of a new office in Santiago, Chile, to support the sales and client service needs in the country. The firm has also appointed Gonzalo Ramirez Correa as vice president, Sales. Based in the firms new Santiago office, he will work to develop tailored solutions for clients in Chile, leveraging the capabilities of Franklin Templetons various investment groups. He will report to Sergio Guerrien, director and country manager for South America ex-Brazil, who will oversee the Chile operation.

We are very delighted that Gonzalo has joined our team in this period of growth in the Chilean market, said Guerrien. With the opening of this new office in Santiago, we are committed to strengthening our capabilities in the South American region as our clients look to us to solve their needs for specific investment outcomes while leveraging the comprehensive resources and broad expertise of Franklin Templeton.

Ramirez Correa brings with him over 10 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton, he was director of business development for Legg Mason Global Asset Management, focused on sales and based in Santiago. Before joining Legg Mason in 2015, he was an account manager and investment sales specialist for Latin America for Thomson Reuters. Earlier in his career, Ramirez Correa was with HMC Capital in institutional sales, where he was responsible for business relationships.

Franklin Templeton has been serving a wide array of local institutional investors, pension funds, private banks, retail distributors, mutual funds, insurance companies and family offices in Chile since 1995 and is among the top mutual fund providers to the Chilean pension system.

Franklin Templeton has been present in Latin America for over 20 years. The company opened its first office in the region in 1995, and today has a presence in Santiago, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo and Mexico City.

About Franklin Templeton Investments

Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) is a global investment management organization operating as Franklin Templeton Investments. Franklin Templeton Investments provides global and domestic investment management to retail, institutional and sovereign wealth clients in over 170 countries. Through specialized teams, the company has expertise across all asset classes  including equity, fixed income, alternative and custom solutions. The companys more than 650 investment professionals are supported by its integrated, worldwide team of risk management professionals and global trading desk network. With offices in over 30 countries, the California-based company has 70 years of investment experience and over $770 billion in assets under management as of January 31, 2018. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com.

Copyright  2018. Franklin Templeton Investments. All rights reserved.

From: Franklin Templeton Investments

Corporate Communications:

Pholida Barclay, (212) 632-3204, pholida.barclay@franklintempleton.com

Marketing: Guillermina Diez Pena, +541143130848, guillermina.diezpena@franklintempleton.comAmsterdam, the Netherlands - 6 March 2018 - Intertrust N.V. ("Intertrust" or "Company") [Euronext: INTER], a leading global provider of high-value trust, corporate and fund services, today announces that it has repurchased 101,700 ordinary Intertrust shares at an average price of EUR 17.4009 per share in the period from 26 February 2018 up to and including 2 March 2018.

The aggregate consideration for this repurchase was EUR 1.77 million. This repurchase was made as part of the Company's share repurchase programme, which was announced on 13 November 2017.

The total number of shares repurchased under this programme up to and including 2 March 2018 is 1,851,598 shares for a total aggregate consideration of EUR 28.46 million.

Approximately 850,000 shares will be used for employee stock ownership and incentive plans vesting in 2018 and 2019, with the remainder of the repurchased shares to be cancelled (after approval by the general meeting of shareholders). Further details on the share repurchase transactions can be found on the Company's website.

This press release contains information which is to be made publicly available under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No 596/2014.

For further information

Intertrust N.V. marieke.palstra@intertrustgroup.com

Marieke Palstra Tel: +31 20 577 1157

Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

About Intertrust

Intertrust is a leading global provider of high-value trust, corporate and fund services, with more than 2,500 employees located throughout a network of 39 offices in 28 jurisdictions across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle-East. The Company delivers high-quality, tailored services to its clients with a view to building long-term relationships. Intertrust's business services offering is comprised of corporate services, fund services, capital market services, and private wealth services. Intertrust has leading market positions in selected key geographic markets of its industry, including the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Jersey, and the Cayman Islands. Intertrust works with global law firms and accountancy firms, multi-national corporations, financial institutions, fund managers, high net worth individuals and family offices.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Focus Ventures Ltd. (TSXV:FCV) (the Company) announces that in order to reflect the Companys ongoing activities of advancing and marketing its Bayovar 12 phosphate property, management proposes to change the Companys name to CROPS Inc. (Certified Reactive Organic Phosphate Supply).



The Company is developing its Bayovar 12 phosphate property located in the Sechura District of northern Peru with the long-term goal of supplying both plant nutrient and phosphorus based chemical derivatives. Phosphate rock is used to obtain phosphorus for use in agricultural fertilizers (90%) and industry (10%), and phosphate rock from the Sechura region of Peru is one of the most reactive rocks in the world.

The Company has recently entered into a Research and New Product Development programme with Verdesian Life Sciences, a leader in Nutrient Use Efficiency solutions specialized in bringing to the agricultural market technologies which greatly enhance nutrient availability, as well as plant uptake and utilization, enabling a sustainable future for farmers. The programme entails creating soil profiles and conducting crop trials combining AVAIL Phosphorus Fertilizer Enhancer with highly reactive phosphate rock from the Companys Bayovar 12 project. AVAIL is a registered trademark of Verdesian Life Sciences.

As well, the Company has signed MOUs with established international fertilizer trading companies, Keytrade A.G. and Indagro S.A. for the off-take of phosphate rock from planned production at Bayovar 12. Securing these MOUs demonstrates that there is demand for Bayovar 12 rock phosphate product, and begins the process for the Company to develop an off-shore marketing strategy.

Revised Financing / Share Consolidation

The Company also announces that it will not be proceeding with its proposed private placement on the terms previously announced on February 1, 2018. It is now the intention of management to consolidate the issued common shares of the Company on the basis of one new share for every four existing shares and thereafter conduct a convertible debenture private placement with the objective of raising gross proceeds of $5.0 million.

The pricing for the debenture financing will be determined following the share consolidation. The intended use of proceeds from the debenture financing include repaying a portion of the Companys outstanding long-term loan owing to Sprott Resource Lending Partnership, and for continued testwork to develop exceptional phosphate products with Life Science companies and universities.

Due to British Columbia corporate law restrictions on company names, the Company proposes to continue its jurisdiction from British Columbia to the Yukon in order to complete the name change. The continuance to the Yukon, the name change and the share consolidation are subject to shareholder and stock exchange approvals. Shareholder approval will be requested at the Companys annual and special shareholder meeting to be held on April 4, 2018.

About Focus

Focus is developing the Bayovar 12 phosphate deposit located 40 km from the coast in the Sechura District of northern Peru. Bayovar 12 hosts a large resource of highly-reactive sedimentary phosphate rock - a key raw material input for phosphate fertilizers and vital to world food production. Reactive phosphate rock from Sechura is a natural, slow-release source of phosphorus that can be applied directly to crops. One of Focuss objectives is to supply direct application phosphate rock to the agricultural regions of Central and South America and Southeast Asia.

For further information, please visit our web site www.focusventuresltd.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Simon Ridgway, Chief Executive Officer

Symbol: TSXV:FCV

Shares Issued: 234.8-million

For further information, contact:

Gordon Tainton, President

Tel: 604-248-8380; Fax: 604-682-1514

Email: info@focusventuresltd.com

Website: www.focusventuresltd.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements



Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and include, without limitation, statements about the Companys plans to complete the name change, share consolidation and debenture private placement, and how the financing proceeds will be allocated. Often, but not always, these forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as estimate, estimates, estimated, potential, open, future, assumed, projected, used, detailed, has been, gain, upgraded, offset, limited, contained, reflecting, containing, remaining, to be, periodically, or statements that events, could or should occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations.

Forward-looking Statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Such uncertainties and factors relate to, among other things, information regarding completing the name change, share consolidation, and debenture private placement as intended; the expenditure of the financing proceeds as planned; changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; the Company or any joint venture partner not having the financial ability to meet its exploration and development goals; risks associated with the results of exploration and development activities, estimation of mineral resources and the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; unanticipated costs and expenses; and such other risks detailed from time to time in the Companys quarterly and annual filings with securities regulators and available under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward-looking statements contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management, including but not limited to: that the Company will obtain all necessary approvals to, and will, complete the name change, share consolidation, and debenture private placement as planned; that the Company will spend the financing proceeds as anticipated; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; and such other assumptions as set out herein. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.After decades of lackluster investment, misinvestment and disinvestment, how does America reinvigorate its infrastructure spending to get the most impact from every dollar? The Trump administration's own infrastructure plan might hold a key. As the White House put it in a fact sheet previewing the proposal, the administration wants to "encourage the development of new, transformative infrastructure projects."Key words: "new," "transformative."The president's plan has come in for plenty of criticism, particularly from those looking for Washington to lead the way on spending. And certainly there is a need for more investment in our roads, bridges and other vital public works. But the White House proposal captures an important point: America's infrastructure is primed for disruption. Technology and innovation have revolutionized every corner of our economy, including transit and mobility. And now is the time to capitalize on that innovation and build a national infrastructure plan that looks toward the infrastructure we need over the next 50 years.There are already examples of transformative infrastructure projects under development. And they are thrilling. For instance, if the Elon Musk-inspired Hyperloop becomes reality, it could move passengers in capsules riding on air in underground tubes at hundreds of miles per hour.But an infrastructure program needn't be as ambitious as the Hyperloop to be genuinely transformative. There are smaller steps that are available to us right now -- innovations that harvest the benefits of emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles and machine learning and use them in novel ways that improve our quality of life while stimulating economic growth.We had the opportunity to develop one such solution last year, when we entered a crowdsourced competition organized by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers called the Infrastructure Vision 2050 Challenge . AEM's call to ideators: design and pitch your plan for a transportation system that would move people more safely and efficiently than today's existing network.The submissions were judged by a diverse panel consisting of representatives from a variety of industries and concluded at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017, the world's largest construction-industry trade show. It was, in essence, a chance for the grassroots community to share their best ideas for transformative projects to those eventually responsible forour infrastructure of the future. Our winning submission , called Hyperlane, would designate a lane of existing roadways for autonomous vehicles while utilizing dynamically priced tolls to keep traffic flowing. Hyperlane traffic could move at more than 100 mph. This approach could increase traffic capacity by 400 percent over traditional interstate-type highways by leveraging the efficiencies of new sensors and self-driving technology. Moreover, it is a scalable solution that could be incorporated easily into existing infrastructure.Back when we designed Hyperlane, our motivation was simple: Could we remove the pain that comes from stifling traffic congestion in a way that was inexpensive? At the time, we were graduate students in computer engineering and business who had recently traveled to several countries where we marveled at their superior and more efficient infrastructure. Our experience inspired us to question what would work and operate successfully here in the United States. As entrepreneurial thinkers (or at least we hope so) we saw a pain point that was ready for disruption.Our passion for the Hyperlane concept and our win at the Infrastructure Vision 2050 Challenge finale earned us a prize. But more importantly, it opened new relationships and inspired us to try to bring this idea to life. An investment in U.S. infrastructure from Washington would further open opportunities for forward-looking solutions like Hyperlane to press forward and challenge the status quo. The innovations are ready and waiting for the green light.So, a year after our first winning pitch, here's our next pitch to President Trump and Congress:There are already fresh and game-changing ideas out there for modernizing American infrastructure. We competed against dozens of formidable proposals from smart and passionate people across the world -- and that was just a small subset of what is out there. This moment in time feels special, and America stands at the forefront of this unique era of innovation - with an investment from Washington, the U.S. can harness those transformative ideas and use them to shape new infrastructure and create an energized 21st century era of growth.When Chicago City Councilman James Cappleman took office in 2011, his staff almost immediately ran into a problem: constituent communication.It wasn't an issue of inexperience. Tressa Feher, Capplemans chief of staff, had years of experience connecting politicians with their constituents, both in Washington, D.C., and at the Illinois state Capitol in Springfield.The problem was volume.About 53,000 people live in Ward 46 on the north side of Chicago, just north of Wrigley Field. Each day, Capplemans office received 50 or more phone calls, along with dozens of emails, texts and messages on social media. Feher and her staff were able to manage the responses, but each activity -- combing through Facebook, monitoring Twitter, listening to voicemails, checking text messages and reading emails -- was a separate task.After four years, Cappleman's office teamed up with a tech company called Seneca Systems to try out a new product they were developing for the public sector. Known as Romulus, it's a dashboard designed to track, compile and sort all communications coming in and going out to the public. Chicago was among the first cities to test it.The ways the constituents get in touch with government has exploded, says Seneca marketing director Maggie Henry.Instead of all those communications being scattered across internet and phone systems, its collected in a single place. Cappleman and his staff can respond within the dashboard, and the response will show up in whatever format the resident originally used to connect with the office.Its been helpful to not only track whats coming in but our response time, says Feher.She says the dashboard has saved her team 20 hours a week of administrative work and also sped up their response times. That's partially because the system can be set to automatically handle certain types of requests in certain ways.For instance, if a resident notifies the office about a pothole -- whether by phone, text or tweet -- the request can automatically be routed to the city Transportation Department, even before Cappleman's staff has had a chance to respond.Dashboard systems like Romulus are common in the business world. Media companies use Chartbeat to track web traffic in real time; Salesforce is common among sales organizations and Tableau is a dashboard often used by businesses to create interactives and graphics.But municipalities have been slow to adopt dashboard systems because they didn't align with the needs of government. Because of the unique requirements and mission of government, Seneca set out to create a dashboard designed for the public sector.We really felt that government needed its own category, says Seneca founder and CEO Nick DeMonner. Government is not designed to be a sales organization. Its designed to be a service organization.In addition to Ward 46, Seneca has conducted beta tests with city offices in San Rafael, Calif., and with the office of Houston City Councilmember Karla Cisneros. Text messages weren't included in the original version of the dashboard, but after Seneca saw how many constituents were texting their concerns, they added the feature into the next iteration of Romulus.Seneca Systems moved from testing Romulus to selling the service last year. Cities pay $80 a month per user for the dashboard.Depending on the laws of a given jurisdiction, constituent contacts within Romulus may be considered open records subject to Freedom of Information Act requests. The encrypted system secures those communications in an effort to keep critical data from being stolen -- but allows users to export the data to meet public records requests, according to Seneca Systems.Ultimately, DeMonner says that because the communications data is public, different cities could use a dashboard like Romulus to share ideas and best practices.We want cities to go into Romulus and see how other cities are doing" on everything from handling constituent requests to setting up farmers markets, he says. "We really see the platform as a collaborative space for cities across the country."Uncertain Payoff

Rural Communities Hold Out Hope

LIMON, Colo.  This tiny truck-stop town, 90 miles southeast of Denver and home to fewer than 2,000 people, is flanked on all sides by endless, undulating hills. Limons busiest areas are its two interstate exits, where truckers and road-trippers pull over to grab gas or fast food.Theres no major airport here, nor are there big companies that depend on international trade. Yet civil leaders believe they can boost the local economy by thinking big: Limon recently set up its own foreign trade zone, or FTZ, a designation that can help domestic and foreign-owned companies lower their customs duties and fees.Hundreds of cities and counties have created foreign trade zones since the 1930s in a bid to attract and retain employers. As President Donald Trump announces new tariffs and threatens to scrap longtime free trade agreements, the zone program may attract more interest from companies and communities.In a world where trade barriers increase, foreign trade zones become more valuable, said Matt Gold, a former U.S. trade negotiator and adjunct professor of international trade law at Fordham University School of Law in New York City.But for many communities that have set up a zone recently, the designation has not amounted to much.About half the 80 zones created in the past two decades didnt have a single company using them in 2016, according to a Stateline analysis of federal data. Nationwide, 195 zones are currently active, about two-thirds of the total zones created since the program began.Although hundreds of thousands of people work in these zones, the programs impact on the economy isnt clear. While supporters say the zones help U.S.-based companies compete with international rivals, critics say the zones hurt domestic suppliers by making it easier for companies to source components from overseas.The lack of evidence didnt stop Limon. We see this FTZ project as not only beneficial but a practical necessity, Mayor Julie Coonts wrote in support of Limons zone application to the federal Foreign-Trade Zones Board, which was approved in 2015. Without a zone, she wrote, Limon would be at a disadvantage compared to communities that already have one.There are no real costs to having the designation, aside from the money spent on the staff time required to pull together and submit an application.In tiny Limon, civic leaders are watching the headlines. No companies have officially joined the foreign trade zone so far. Hopefully, the zone will attract warehouses to the trucking corridor, said Troy McCue, executive director for the Lincoln County Economic Development Corporation.You have to buy into the long-term vision that it might be eight, 10 years before we see something, but well see it, he said.The foreign trade zone program was created during the Great Depression to help companies compete with overseas rivals in an era of high tariffs. Trade barriers are much lower today, but the zones can still be cost savers for some companies  particularly automotive manufacturers, electronics manufacturers and oil refiners. And they might become more attractive if Trumps tariffs spark a trade war.Foreign trade zones work by being a type of customs limbo: Foreign and domestic companies that import goods into a zone can delay paying duties until the goods leave the zone. Manufacturers that operate in a zone choose whether to pay duties on their imported components or on their final product, and dont have to pay duties on imported goods that are later re-exported.Companies that rely on imports can realize big savings from the program. And companies that handle frequent, high-value shipments can also benefit, as zone users can streamline their paperwork and reduce customs fees.Unlike free trade zones overseas, which usually have a geographic boundary near a port or city, U.S. foreign trade zones and subzones can be anywhere, and the geography doesnt have to be contiguous. A company that has foreign trade subzone status through Denvers zone, for example, has a facility in Pueblo, more than 100 miles away.Supporters say that having a trade zone can help a community land a major employer, though it can take a while. Ive seen time and time again where six, nine years down the road a huge manufacturer comes in and changes the lives of the whole community, said Craig Pool, co-founder of the Foreign-Trade Zone Corporation, a company based in Mobile, Alabama, that administers foreign trade zones and offers consulting services.Having a foreign trade zone helped Chattanooga, Tennessee, land a Volkswagen plant in the 2008, for instance. Volkswagen only considered sites within foreign trade zones, said Steve Hiatt, director of business development for the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce.When it applied to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board for permission to manufacture in the Chattanooga zone, Volkswagen said being there would cost $300,000 a year in inventory management and fees but would save $1.9 million a year in reduced paperwork and customs charges.The United Auto Workers union opposed the zone application and argued that zone authority would hurt American car companies and domestic suppliers, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.Today over 2,000 people make cars and sport utility vehicles at Chattanoogas Volkswagen plant. The utilization of the Foreign Trade Zone helps increase our products competitiveness in the U.S. and abroad, said Keith King, a spokesman at Volkswagen Chattanooga, in a statement.Theres little research on whether foreign trade zones help or hurt the economy, or encourage companies to employ more workers than they otherwise would. Academic papers on the subject tend to present theoretical arguments about the zones rather than hard evidence, according to a 2017 Government Accountability Office review of the research.The success of foreign trade zones may depend on community attributes beyond the mere existence of a zone, some zone managers say. Colorado relies less on exports than many other states. The cities of Denver, Colorado Springs and Limon all have zones, but only Denvers is active.About six companies are approved to use Denvers zone, but fewer may be actively using it, said Abdul Sesay, the international business development representative for the citys Office of Economic Development.Most companies that have joined the zone are not new to Denver or came to the area for another reason, he said, such as the qualities of the area workforce or its location. Zones are common enough  and easy enough to establish  that their presence doesnt drive corporate decisions, he said.Colorado Springs experience shows that foreign trade zones dont insulate users from broader economic trends. Apple made computers in the Colorado Springs zone in the 1990s before shifting production overseas. Quantum Corporation made data storage products there in the 2000s before it outsourced.Pool said some companies insist on setting up a facility in a foreign trade zone but then never apply to use the zone designation. From an economic development perspective, he said, a new company benefits the community even if it doesnt officially use the zone.Kicking back in one of Limons fast-food restaurants on a recent day, McCue outlined the economic challenges faced by the rural community.Limon cant be the next Parker, McCue said, naming a booming Denver suburb. We cant do that because we dont have the water. Its so dry out on Colorados eastern plains that Lincoln County likely cant support more than double, maybe triple, the 5,000-odd people who live in the county now, he said.Towns in the area have always been small, and theyre shrinking as farming jobs vanish. Their size puts limits on their growth: Limon doesnt have sufficient electricity, water or wastewater infrastructure to recruit many companies, McCue said.Limon isnt the only rural community or small town to seek a foreign trade zone designation. In recent years counties have established zones in upstate New York, Mississippi and Vermont, as have economic development organizations in northwest Iowa and coastal Maine. Some of those zones are active, some are not.No businesses have joined the zone that Brunswick, Maine, created in 2012, for instance. There are some international manufacturers in the college town, but they may be too small to take advantage of the zones, said Jeff Jordan, deputy director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority. If its a real small operation, its probably not worth it.Joe Kiely, Limons foreign trade zone director, has received the application for the zones first company. Its a manufacturer he declined to name that supplies parts to Vestas, a Danish wind turbine maker with four facilities in Denvers foreign trade zone. Unfortunately for Lincoln County, the supplier is based near Denver on the far western side of the five-county zone.Kiely purposely drew the boundaries of Limons zone to brush up against the Denver metropolitan area, reasoning that it made more sense to touch the states largest city and coax users eastward than to plop a zone in the middle of Lincoln County, McCue said. Some county commissioners have mixed feelings about the strategy, which likely will mean many zone users are far away, he said.Kiely said it cost about $35,000 in public funds for Limon to get the foreign trade zone designation. There was little opposition: While several members of Congress, local economic development groups and businesses lent letters of support to Limons foreign trade zone application, no organizations filed comments against the proposal, according to the International Trade Administration, which oversees the Foreign-Trade Zones Board.The long-term plan for Limons zone is to attract warehousing and distribution companies to the county, with its cheap real estate and traffic-free highways, McCue said. He has spoken with a wind turbine company thats interested in using a foreign trade zone to store some equipment, for instance.While there arent any wind turbine makers in Lincoln County, there are wind farms all over the place. Truckers that stop in Limon can see rows of turbines lazily turning on the horizon.The mixed record of Colorados foreign trade zones hasnt stopped more communities in the state from trying to get in on the action. The city of Grand Junction and its surrounding counties in Western Colorado are so committed to the foreign trade zone idea that theyre paying $1 million to establish a customs office at the small regional airport  a prerequisite for setting up a zone.Weve watched the rest of the state boom, and were still struggling, Robin Brown, executive director of the Grand Junction Economic Partnership, recently explained to Colorado Public Radio. Creating a foreign trade zone will make the region more attractive to manufacturers, she said.State Rep. Isela Blanc was arrested Monday during a protest for undocumented immigrants on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.Blanc, D-Tempe, was in the capital along with so-called "dreamers" to demand Congress pass comprehensive immigration reform. Monday was supposed to be the day that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program expired, but the U.S. Supreme Court delayed its ending.A video of the incident postedby the immigrant-advocacy group Living United for Change in Arizona on Facebook shows Blanc and other demonstrators being arrested after they staged a sit-in, blocking a street on the mall.Blanc, who was formerly undocumented, traveled to D.C. along with three dreamers and members of the group to demand immigrant youths be spared from deportation.Ive been undocumented, I know the fear and anxiety the dreamers feel," Blanc said in a statement before the protest. "Im also an elected official, so I know what it means to reach the American Dream, which is all they want. I have a moral obligation to fight for them."Description

GIS  06 March 2018: The first Auto-Motorcycle Driving School to be operated by Advance Institute of Monitoring Ltd, a first in its kind in Mauritius, was officially launched yesterday in Rose Hill. The project is in line with the Road Safety Campaign which kicked off last month and aims at providing motorcyclists with an in-depth and appropriate training course which is henceforth a prerequisite to obtain a motorcycle license.

The driving school was launched in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Energy and Public Utilities, Mr Ivan Leslie Collendavelloo; the Minister of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport, Mr Nandcoomar Bodha; and the Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Local Government and Outer Islands, Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo and other personalities.

In his address, Deputy Prime Minister Collendavelloo condemned the alarming number of accidents involving motorcyclists on our roads. He lauded the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Land Transport as well as the various stakeholders for coming forth with the Auto-Motorcycle Driving School project which according to him, will bring a change in the driving mindset and instill discipline in motorcyclists. Appropriate training will help decrease the number of road crashes and accidents caused by motorcyclists due to poor driving behaviour, he added .

Minister Bodha highlighted the various road infrastructures projects in the pipeline and expressed satisfaction that the Auto-Motorcycle Driving School is now a reality. He announced that ten such driving schools will be operational throughout the island to provide driving course to motorcyclists. In this context, 21 trainers and 14 examiners have been trained for the project.

He added that 210 000 motorcyclists possess licenses while 140 000 are riding motorcycles with learner permits. Mr Bodha underlined that it will be compulsory for persons with learner permits to undertake the training course so as to comply with the new set of regulations defined before applying for a motorcycle license.

For her part, Vice-Prime Minister Jeewa-Daureeawoo dwelt on the importance of imparting the appropriate riding skills and training to motorcyclists and commended the initiative to help prevent road accidents adding that in 2017, 158 cases of road accidents involved motorcycles with an average of 61 casualties per year.Every 10 years, following the decennial census, states redraw district boundaries to ensure that Congress and state legislatures represent the electorate. This process is prone to political gamesmanship as elected officials draw district lines in ways that protect incumbents or make their party more competitive without consideration of the impact it has on voters. The worst offenses have been found in states where a single party controls the state legislature and can unilaterally push through a partisan map. While states have proposed various independent commissions to lessen partisan fights over the design of these maps, the best solution might be to simply take humans out of the loop, and put an algorithm in charge.There are relatively few requirements on how states draw district boundaries. At the federal level , the U.S. Constitution requires that districts contain equal populations, and the Voting Rights Act prohibits states from drawing lines that deny minorities the right to elect representatives of their choice. This latter requirement is designed to combat cracking  splitting minority voters into small pieces across multiple districts so they have little chance to impact an election  and packing  putting as many minority voters as possible into particular districts so that they have less impact elsewhere. Many states have additional regulations, such as requiring districts to be contiguous, follow existing political boundaries, be reasonably compact and preserve communities of interest (i.e., people with shared social, cultural or economic interests). A few states have also tried to minimize political interference by having the state legislature turn over redistricting authority to an independent commission.While courts have ruled congressional maps unconstitutional when they have found evidence of racial gerrymandering , they have been less likely to act in purely partisan cases. Given this leeway, multiple states have reshaped districts to achieve party control. For example, in Wisconsin , Democrats won the popular vote in 2012, but only 39 percent of the seats in the state Legislature. And in North Carolina , Republicans won 53 percent of the popular vote in 2016, but 77 percent of the states congressional seats.It is likely that the Supreme Court will address this issue again soon. Earlier this year, a federal court ordered North Carolina lawmakers to redraw the states congressional map, ruling that the one proposed by the Republican-controlled Legislature was unconstitutional because it appeared to be designed to significantly hurt the viability of Democratic candidates (the Supreme Court later blocked this order ). Similar cases over partisan gerrymandering are pending in Wisconsin and Maryland.Data-driven analysis can better quantify gerrymandering . While there is no standard metric for measuring gerrymandering, many mathematicians are exploring possible solutions . For example, one technique involves computationally creating more than a billion randomly generated maps and then comparing any proposed map to this database to determine if it is an outlier in terms of partisan impact. Statisticians have served as expert witnesses in many of the cases over partisan gerrymandering, and their analysis can allow states to assess the effectiveness of different policies to address the problem, such as showing that states with independent commissions produce less partisan maps.States could also try to simply eliminate human bias by using algorithms to design their maps. Algorithms can be designed to optimize features desirable for voting districts, such as compactness, and minimize undesirable characteristics, such as splitting neighborhoods. The idea is not new  it was proposed in the 1960s  but although states have flirted with the possibility , they have never fully embraced the idea. On the contrary, states are more likely to use digital redistricting tools to design highly partisan maps. The problem, of course, was not the algorithms, but those put in charge of using them. This is a lesson states should learn from today.Given the current level of gerrymandering, it is time to re-evaluate how to engineer a fairer process for redistricting. It should be clear that humans are often the weakest link, and so states should explore reforms that automate the redistricting process using consistent metrics and open source algorithms. Doing so will create a more accountable process that is less likely to be subverted by partisan interests and more likely to restore voter confidence.(TNS) - Community Medical Center Long Beach, Calif., will close within four months after a report revealed the facility sits on an active earthquake fault, hospital officials said Monday.Officials said in November the hospital would not meet state seismic regulations that will become effective next June because of the fault zone under the 94-year-old structure.Running the hospital has since become increasingly difficult because staff members have started leaving, officials say.On Monday, officials from MemorialCare, which runs the hospital, submitted a 120-day lease termination notice with the city of Long Beach, which owns the land and the facility."This is a difficult announcement," hospital Chief Executive John Bishop said in a statement. "We did not take this decision lightly, and we are committed to doing everything we can to ease the transition for affected employees, physicians and our patients."Hospital spokeswoman Richelle Steele said the lease ends July 3, but the hospital could close earlier if it loses more resources. Hospital staff numbers have dropped from around 370 before last year's announcement to 284, she said.Steele said that roughly 80 staff members will move to other parts of the MemorialCare system, which also operates Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach.City officials said they were talking to other hospital operators to try to keep the facility open. They said they were also looking into state legislation that could delay the implementation of the new seismic guidelines to give the hospital more time to comply."Community Hospital is a critical asset to our community," Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement. "While we are disappointed to hear the news of Memorial giving formal notice, the city's efforts to find solutions and opportunities will continue."The Newport-Inglewood/Rose Canyon fault system runs through the northeast corner of the hospital at 1720 Termino Ave., according to a map of the California Geological Survey published in 2010.The fault stretches from Beverly Hills to downtown San Diego, and last had a major rupture in 1933, when a magnitude 6.4 earthquake killed more than 100 people.Bishop said hospital administrators looked into keeping the hospital open, but learned it would require demolishing large portions and leave only 20 patient beds, down from the current 158.When they assessed the area's healthcare needs, they found that the hospital handles only 10% of the Long Beach region's emergency room visits. They also found that the seven nearby hospitals typically have only half of their beds filled; on an average day, there are 800 beds available."We recognize the needs of the Long Beach Fire Department to manage emergency health services and are committed to continue working hand-in-hand with the Fire Department to alleviate the impact on emergency departments as Long Beach Medical Center, St. Mary Medical Center and College Medical Center continue expanding their emergency services," Bishop said.Community Medical Center Long Beach opened in 1924 after a campaign to raise $369,000 to build a facility on the city's east side, according to the hospital's website. But the hospital has fallen on hard times in recent years.In 2000, its then-owner, Catholic Healthcare West, shut it down because of multimillion-dollar losses. A group of volunteers raised funds to reopen it a year later as a smaller hospital owned by the city. MemorialCare health system took control in 2011.soumya.karlamangla@latimes.comTwitter: @skarlamangla2018 the Los Angeles TimesVisit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.(TNS) - A bomb threat called in Monday at Northside High School was one of two threats this week targeting schools in Onslow County. On Wednesday, an anonymous text was received that indicated a possible threat to Brewster Middle School aboard Camp Lejeune.On Feb. 16, just two days after 17 people were killed in a school shooting in Florida, Swansboro area schools were placed on lockdown after a threat placed on social media.In each case, the threats were not found to be credible and nothing suspicious was found in the school buildings.Northside High Principal Maria Johnson is thankful the threats have been false ones but said as school officials they have to be ready to respond any time a threat is received. In this weeks incident, it was a phone call received and at that moment they had no way of knowing whether that bomb threat was real or not.We always act as if it is credible because student safety is our first and foremost job, Johnson said.Johnson said it is written into a principals job description that they are to provide a safe and orderly learning environment.That means training and practicing what steps staff and students take in potential threat situations or other emergencies.Whatever the threat is, we have protocols, steps to follow, things that we are trained to do depending on that threat, Johnson said.Johnson said they dont want to divulge publicly details of those protocols but depending on the situation, schools may respond in different ways, from shelter-in-place, lockdown or evacuation.After this weeks bomb threat, Northside students were evacuated from the building and waited outside for about 30 minutes until law enforcement gave them the all clear that the building was safe to enter.Johnson said such events definitely cause a disruption in the school day but the teachers and staff work hard to maintain the status quo and keep students on track when they return to the classroom.If were upset, theyre going to be upset. They are going to feed off what the adults in the building are doing so we try to continue with what is normal, she said.There are measurable costs of such threats, such as hours lost in the school day or the time law enforcement spends investigating a false threat.But there are other psychological ones that they cant necessarily measure.Johnson said students have followed the news of the school shooting in Florida, during which the suspect pulled a fire alarm to cause panic, and it has had an impact. She saw it during the first fire drill they had following the shooting.I think their sensitivity is heightened certainly because of everything that happened, Johnson said. You know, we had a fire drill the other week and a student was asking how do we know it is a real fire drill? Should we go outside or stay inside?Johnson said it is a valid question and one they have kept in mind as they look at the best ways to prepare for threats and emergencies and protect students.Onslow County Schools Director of Community Affairs Brent Anderson said they have to work closely with students so that concerns about such incidents hinder their response to practices and drills designed to protect them.That is the kind of costs that are hard to measure because there are situations now where students are anxious about what they see on the news. Weve got to be careful that it does not impede what we need to do in practice to make sure we provide for the safety of the students, Anderson said. Weve got to work with the students to make sure they understand the importance of it.Northside High School junior Lindsay Plummer said the bomb threat this week at the high school isnt the first time shes had to evacuate school for one. She recalls one in middle school as well.It really worries you because you dont know what is going on, she said. It interrupts your school day and it doesnt have to happen.Jonathan Thompson doesnt think such threats should be made but he sees them as something that happens in todays society.It is the kind of thing we have to deal with, Thompson said.Jacksonville family counselor John A Shalhoub says a schools primary duty and the teachers who instruct children is to teach. Shalhoub feels schools should make sure the kids understand threats exist.A teachers job is to teach but they should also understand the signals," he said.Shalhoub says both parents and teachers have a role educating children on the signs of danger much like a child first learns the safe way in which to cross a street at a controlled intersection.We teach our children to cross the street when the light turns red. Its the same for school threats. Anxiety and fear is going to be there but once our children understand the signs of danger, they become more understanding, Shalhoub said.Shalhoub said this teaching should be part of everyday life.Its the new normal. Its part of learning, its part of life, Shalhoub said.Throughout his career as a Navy Chaplain, ordained Orthodox Priest, author and public school counselor, Shalhoub has served as a disciplinarian counselor. While at White Oak High School in that capacity a student wrote a note to him threatening to harm the school.I brought him in to my office and asked him what he was doing writing this note. We handled that situation immediately and disciplined him. Now, schools take threats seriously, Shalhoub saidThreats to schools, real or imagined, are taken serious by law enforcement officials.Jacksonville Police Department Capt. Ashley Weaver says when a threat is made towards a school, officers must quickly assess the nature of the threat.We have to consider the type of building, number of rooms, size of the property when conducting a thorough search of a building. This might include requesting resources from other agencies such as the NC SBI or Camp Lejeune and the time for them to respond to the location, Weaver said in a written response to The Daily News.The threats also mean that fewer officers are available for the rest of the area, Onslow County Sheriffs Office Col. Donnie Worrell. Since Feb. 16, OCSO has responded to two threats involving six schools: The four Swansboro schools, Sandridge Elementary in Hubert and Hunters Creek Middle School in Jacksonville.When we had the lockdowns in Swansboro a couple weeks ago, we probably sent an additional six to eight officers over there, Worrell said. "We pulled personnel from patrol, the office and some extra detectives to trace the origin of the call. But many of them were out there on the perimeter for two to three hours just waiting for the all clear. Its a lot of waiting around.And whether the threat is actual and diffused quickly and without injury or if its deemed a hoax and the scene is given an all clear, theres work remaining for investigators before they can close the case.Weaver says reports must be written by every officer responding to the scene that include all interviews conducted by the officer plus any statements made by witnesses and all evidenced gathered during their time on the scene. Detectives must produce written reports which are sent to supervisors for review. Final drafts are then sent to records division staff.Weaver states that this manpower and effort requires the valuable time of officers, supervisors and staff.Behind each threat is a person or a group people responsible for the threat. If suspects are identified and subsequently arrested, the time and effort placed on investigators increases. On Feb. 26, a Jacksonville High School was charged with calling in a bomb threat to Northside High School. Jacksonville Police arrested James Tyler Chandler with phoning in a false report of mass violence on school property.The time, cost and effort associated with an arrest in a bomb threat investigation can be extensive depending upon the case. In many cases, the time and effort of other agencies, such as the Onslow County District Attorneys Office is involved, Weaver said.Threats can also create a ripple effect across the community as parents learn about the threat, according to Lt. Col. Eric W. Young, security company commander and Provost Marshal Headquarters and Support Battalion MCIEAST-MCB Camp Lejeune/MCAS New River.The ripple effect can create a spider web of rumors that is compounded by an internet-connected generation. Compounding situations like these can be extremely taxing on a resource-constrained criminal investigation capability to chase down all the witnesses in an attempt to get to the source," Young said.Young understands the concern of parents drawn into these situations but says they can quickly inundate the system.As parents hear about the potential threat and take action, phone lines into 911 can quickly be overwhelmed resulting in a delayed response to lesser priority calls, Young said.Johnson and Anderson said that they are continually working at the school and district level to improve and tweak protocols and plans for responding to threats that arise.Johnson said they do a de-briefing after every drill or response to threats or emergencies and the recent school threats just reinforce the need to always be prepared.When things like this happen, it forces you to look at what all your processes are to make sure you are tweaking them every time, whether something happens here or elsewhere, she said.2018 The Daily News (Jacksonville, N.C.)Visit The Daily News (Jacksonville, N.C.) at www.jdnews.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Pennsylvania is seeking up to $13.5 million in damages from Uber after the ride-sharing platform suffered a data breach of driver and passenger data and did not disclose the information for over a year.In late November, Uber Technologies Inc. admitted that 57 million driver and passenger accounts worldwide had been hacked. The company kept it secret after paying a $100,000 ransom.Instead of notifying impacted consumers of the breach within a reasonable amount of time, Uber hid the incident for over a year  and actually paid the hackers to delete the data and stay quiet, Pa. Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement. Thats just outrageous corporate misconduct, and Im suing to hold them accountable and recover for Pennsylvanians.The breach impacted at least 13,500 Pennsylvania drivers who had their names and drivers license numbers stolen. The data, which did not included credit card or social security data information, could have been used to steal someones identity.The lawsuit, filed in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas , claims Uber violated the Pennsylvania Breach of Personal Information Notification Act, which requires notice to anyone impacted by a data breach within a reasonable time frame. Washington state and Chicago have also sued Uber.In a statement, an Uber spokesman said the company was surprised Monday morning to be named in the complaint, but was cooperating with state investigations.While we make no excuses for the previous failure to disclose the data breach, Ubers new leadership has taken a series of steps to be accountable and respond responsibly, the spokesman said. We investigated the incident, disclosed the circumstances to state and federal regulators, and reached out to state Attorneys General.2018 Philly.comVisit Philly.com at www.philly.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.(TNS)  A Kansas agency sent the health-related information and Social Security numbers of about 11,000 people to its business partners when it shouldnt have, the agency disclosed Thursday.The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services said an employee sent an unauthorized e-mail with the information that the agency became aware of on Feb. 23.The agency said contracts and agreements prevent the personal information from being further disseminated and that KDADS has no evidence that the information has been misused or disclosed publicly.The information included names, addresses, dates of birth, gender, and information about participation in in-home services and Medicaid identification numbers, in addition to Social Security numbers.KDADS e-mailed all of the individuals on the recipient list, advised them of the situation and asked them to delete or destroy the e-mail and its attachment in their inbox, all folders where it may have been save, their trash folders and from any other electronic system such as cloud-based storage, said agency spokeswoman Angela de Rocha. In addition they were asked to shred any printed copies, she said.Consumers whose information was passed along will receive a letter explaining the situation, KDADS said.De Rocha said KDADS has reported the incident to federal regulators.KDADS apologizes sincerely to the consumers affected for any distress or inconvenience this may cause. KDADS is undertaking an immediate review of policies and procedures relevant to preventing a similar situation from occurring, the agency said in a statement.Wages

Experience of government workers

Work culture

(TNS)  LIMA, Ohio  As someone who has made the switch from a plant manager to a department head, Allen County Jobs & Family Services Director Joe Patton said the private and public sectors arent as different as people think.Both sectors require experienced workers able to do the job. Both need employees who consider the goals of the larger organization when making decisions on its behalf. But he did admit at least one difference  public employees tend to be a little more, well, public. Case in point: the list of governmental salaries printed in this newspaper.But where does the reality of the situation lie? Are there differences for employees between the public and private sectors? If these differences exist, how significant are they?From wages to work culture, The Lima News takes a closer look in its 25th year of reviewing government salaries.In the private sector, salaries stretch from the lowest of the lows to the highest of the highs. Executives, attorneys, business owners and surgeons  those with highly specialized skills  might scoff at the comparatively low wages of public administrators, but an individual who hasnt seen a raise for years will see the somewhat standard three-percent annual cost of living adjustment and the public sectors retirement benefits as a blessing compared to what they might bring home every week.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 34.3 percent of workers in Lima earned less than $25,000 in 2015. Of the 498 workers on Limas payroll in 2017, only 18.3% fell under that category and even then, none of Limas employees that earned less than $25,000 worked a full year as determined by their hourly wage.On the other end, the highest paid Lima employee is Mayor David Berger (Deputy Fire Chief Ed Hower retired this past year, and his payroll includes back pay), who has an hourly wage  if his salary is divided into 52 40-hour work weeks  of $65.09. The top 75th percentiles of chief executive officers in Lima, according to May 2016 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, earn $82.94 per hour. Other private careers that exceed that pay scale are sales managers, industrial production managers, doctors and some pharmacists.Its a matter of perspective, and if one conclusion can be drawn from the numbers, government salaries tend to reside in the middle of the market. They generally dont go too high or too low, but for employees filling those positions, they get steady work, good benefits and a steady retirement.That being said, employees of smaller municipalities tend to have smaller annual salaries, and their payrolls may not always reflect these general trends.Youre not going to get rich in government, but youre going to be able to feed your family, Lima Director of Human Resources Vincent Ozier said.According to Ozier, the citys hiring process may include more steps than a similar private position, but hes looking to answer the same question a private human resources manager might be asking  can a hiree do the job?To get a public job, City of Lima employees must first apply to an open position then take a skills test before making it onto an eligibility list. Ozier and other department heads then try to match personality and skills to the needs of the position. A road crew in the utilities department might be trying to find a maintenance worker that can add concrete expertise to a group strong in other areas. Or as Patton explained, a team might need a more detail-oriented thinker to balance out a team of excitable communicators.If someone has private experience, its not a detriment, Ozier said. It might be a positive, depending on the position.Clayton Bacon, who served as Allen County Engineer in the 1980s and now runs a private engineering office, said he uses the same skills at both kinds of jobs.In the workload and how you deal with people, theyre very similar, Bacon said. If youre good at one, youre going to be good at the other.Bacon said both public and private engineering positions need employees that can communicate well and can do the work. The only difference is who needs that work. While head of the countys engineers office, he had to answer to the commissioners. Today, he answers to his clients.Somebody always has a boss, former Bluffton Police Chief Rick Skilliter said. Skilliter resigned in 2016 and ended up at Perry ProTech before deciding to take a position with a nonprofit, the Partnership for Violence Free Families, where he interacts with many of the same people he knew while leading the Bluffton Police Department.Learning the nuances of that hierarchy  its important to survival, obviously. Theres a parallel there, Skilliter said.Many job tasks, such as managing budgets and human resources, dont differ between the private and public sectors, Skilliter said. Even individuals with very specialized governmental jobs, such as police officers, have skill sets that can make the jump.Ive certainly found the training, the experience, you get as a police officer can be applied to the private sector every day, Skilliter said.If there is a difference between the two sectors, Ozier said, its how decisions are made. In the private sector, the bottom-line influences every action, but in the public sector, the bottom-line is put on the back burner in favor of other variables  charters, regulations and the public good  which slows down the pace of business.People like to criticize government, Well, it doesnt move at the speed of business. Its not supposed to. Its not designed that way, Ozier said. If government worked at the speed of business, youd have social unrest.Good government is supposed to minimize extreme actions in order that fewer people get hurt by changes. It keeps things on an even keel, he said.That doesnt exactly mean that private organizations are free from red tape, Patton said.I dont see (the difference) as bad as people think, Patton said. There are corporations that when you have to do a job posting, they have just as much red tape.Both sectors have their roadblocks, but a good worker knows how to get around them and get things done, he said.Industrial Millwright Services Co-Owner Lisa Greear had spent 12 years working for an architects office years and an additional 13 years as a Putnam County grants coordinator before returning to the private sector beside her husband, Duane Greear.Greear said government work attracted her because of its steady enjoyable work that provided good benefits. But her work with Industrial Millwright Services gives her more freedom due to her position as the boss.I enjoy what Im doing today, she said. Its very satisfying. We started a business working out of a pole barn. Now we have a facility in the industrial park with 17 employees.For those who have made jumps to and from the public sector, the two may seem more like two sides of a coin than completely different entities. Each have their strengths and weaknesses, but for their employees, both can be just as satisfying as the other.Each company has its own flavor, Patton said.Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday the focus of high-quality economic development should be placed on transforming and upgrading industries.

Chinese President Xi Jinping joins a panel discussion with Inner Mongolian deputies to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, March 5, 2018. [Photo: Xinhua]

Efforts should be made to strengthen and improve the real economy, Xi said as he joined a panel discussion with the deputies from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at the first session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's national legislature.

Chinese economy has transitioned from a phase of rapid growth to a stage of high-quality development, said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, warning that old ways of thinking might lead China almost nowhere and miss precious opportunities.

Chinese President Xi Jinping joins a panel discussion with Inner Mongolian deputies to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, March 5, 2018. [Photo: Xinhua]

Local governments should build on their strengths and tap their potential to develop more emerging, high-end, high-value-added and capital-and-technology-intensive industries, putting in place a multi-dimension and multi-pillar modern industrial mix, Xi pointed out.

The Inner Mongolia autonomous region should well develop the modern energy sector by following the latest global industrial trends. The energy sector's industrial chain should be extended and utilization rate improved, according to Xi.

Chinese President Xi Jinping joins a panel discussion with Inner Mongolian deputies to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, March 5, 2018. [Photo: Xinhua]

He also called on the region to develop modern equipment manufacturing, modern services and other emerging sectors like new material, biomedicine, electronics and information, energy conservation, and environmental protection to lend fresh growth momentum.

The region should enhance infrastructure development and make full use of its geographical position for better resource allocation and production layout, Xi said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping joins a panel discussion with Inner Mongolian deputies to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, March 5, 2018. [Photo: Xinhua]

Debt risks should be closely watched and effectively prevented, Xi added.

Xi called for more efforts on environmental protection. The management of mountain, water, forest, land, and lake should be planned as a whole. Important projects should be pushed forward elaborately, including the northwest-north-northeast China networks of shelterbelts.

The region should try its best to strike a balance between grass and livestock, strengthen desertification prevention and wetland conservation as well as controlling water, air, and soil pollution.

Xi called for more intensive and precise efforts to help villages with a large number of impoverished residents shake off poverty.

Efforts should focus on issues like industrial development, employment, infrastructure, public services, and healthcare. The medical security system should be improved to address poverty caused by illness, he said.

The president said the poverty alleviation fight should be complemented with China's rural vitalization strategy to improve living conditions of farmers and herdsmen.

Meng He, Inner Mongolian deputy to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), is interviewed in Beijing, on March 5, 2018. [Photo: China Plus]

Xi said actions should be taken against corruption and undesirable practices in poverty relief work, while demanding strict punishment for embezzlement of poverty relief funds, and elimination of practices like formalities for formalities' sake, bureaucratism, and falsification.



Xi also called for fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation and promoting ethnic solidarity.

Efforts should be made to encourage all ethnic groups to watch out for and help each other and raise awareness of ethnic unity, so that all ethnic groups could be together "like seeds of a pomegranate," he said.

Meng Xiandong, Inner Mongolian deputy to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), is interviewed in Beijing, on March 5, 2018. [Photo: China Plus]

Core socialist values should set the tone of the common spiritual home of all ethnic groups, Xi said, adding that they should be nurtured among the people, particularly children and even in kindergartens.

He encouraged creativity in forms and means of promoting the core socialist values and learning from traditional culture of ethnic minorities.

The country should work to build a secure and stable northern border, he said.

Feng Yuzhen, Inner Mongolian deputy to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), is interviewed in Beijing, on March 5, 2018. [Photo: China Plus]



China hopes that other countries will do more good for Africa's development and treat China-Africa cooperation in a fair and objective manner, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang speaks during a regular news briefing in Beijing on Tuesday, March 6, 2018. [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn]

Geng Shuang was responding to U.S. accusation that low interest loans from China and other countries have driven some sub-Saharan African countries deeper into debt.

"Such remarks are totally out of line with the truth," Geng told a routine press briefing.

"The debt of some African countries is the result of long-term accumulation instead of a recent appearance. China is not the main creditor of African countries," he said.

In the initial stage of industrialization, any country needs financing support. It is hard for Africa to realize industrialization and modernization without financial guarantees, the spokesperson said.

Geng said China's financing support to Africa is mainly in infrastructure and production areas. "Chinese companies have built a lot of highways, railways, ports, airports and communication facilities, greatly improving Africa's economic development environment and helping Africa attract foreign investment."

The Chinese government has also encouraged and supported its companies to increase direct investment in Africa and explore new cooperative modes of investment such as public-private partnership (PPP), he said.

"I emphasize that the Chinese side attaches great importance to the sustainability of Africa's debt," Geng said.

He said China insists that large-scale infrastructure and industrial development in Africa go hand in hand, and that attention be paid to both the economic and social benefits of projects and increasing African countries' ability for independent and sustainable development.

"We have done our best to avoid increasing Africa's debt burden," he said, adding China is ready to work together with the international community to support Africa in its pursuit of peace, stability and development.



In a paper published in the Journal of Cleaner Production , Associate Professor Lotfi Belkhir and Ahmed Elmeligi, a recent grad, assessed the global carbon footprint of the overall ICT industry, including the contribution from the main consumer devices, the data centers and communication networks, and compared it with total worldwide GHGE.

Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) from the Information and Communication Industry (ICT) could grow from roughly 11.6% in 2007 to exceed 14% of the 2016-level worldwide GHGE by 2040, accounting for more than half of the current relative contribution of the whole transportation sector, according to a new study from McMaster University in Canada.



ICT footprint as a percentage of total footprint projected through 2040 using both an exponential and linear fits. Belkhir and Elmeligi (2018) Click to enlarge.

The scope of the study was limited to:

Computing devices: desktops, notebooks, LCD displays, CRT displays, smartphones and tablets.

Data centers: servers, communication, storage, cooling and power.

Communications networks: CPAE (customer premises access equipment), office networks, telecom operator, cooling and power.

All other ICT equipment was out of scope, including TVs, set-top boxes, and printers.

The analysis included both the production and the operational energy of ICT devices, as well as the operational energy for the supporting ICT infrastructure.

As one of the findings, the study highlights the contribution of smart phones and shows that by 2020, the footprint of smart phones alone would surpass the individual contribution of desktops, laptops and displays.

For every text message, for every phone call, every video you upload or download, theres a data center making this happen. Telecommunications networks and data centers consume a lot of energy to serve you and most data centers continue to be powered by electricity generated by fossil fuels. Its the energy consumption we dont see. Lotfi Belkhir

Among all the devices, trends suggest that by 2020, the most damaging devices to the environment will be smartphones. While smartphones consume little energy to operate, 85% of their emissions impact comes from production.

A smartphones chip and motherboard require the most amount of energy to produce as they are made up of precious metals that are mined at a high cost. Smartphones also have a short life which drives further production of new models and an extraordinary amount of waste.

The big surprise however in our findings is the disproportionate impact of smart phones by 2020, and its vertiginous growth from 4% in 2010 to 11% in 2020 in relative terms. In absolute terms, the GHGE emissions of smart phones grew from about 17 Mt-CO 2 -e in 2010 to 125 Mt-CO 2 -e in 2020, representing a 730% increase in the span of 10 years. This impact is clearly driven by the fact that the production energy makes up 85-95% of its lifecycle annual foot- print, driven by the short average useful life of smart phones of 2 years, which is driven by the telecom membership business model. Clearly this business model, while highly profitable to the smart phone manufacturers and the telecom industry, is unsustainable and quite detrimental to the global efforts in GHGE reductions. Furthermore, the contribution of the ICT infrastructure makes up the lion share of the overall industry impact, growing from 61% in 2010 to 79% in 2020. Most of that relative growth comes from the data center industry, which as we move increasingly into a digital age, has become the backbone of both the Internet as well as the telecom industry, and grew its contribution to the overall footprint from 33% in 2010 to 45% in 2020. In absolute terms, it shows an almost 3-fold increase from 159 to 495 Mt-CO 2 -eq in the 10-year span. Most concerning however is the continued growth of the ICT sector relative to all the other sectors and relative to the total worldwide footprint beyond 2020. Based on our regression fit, the exponential growth has a midpoint of 7.3% annual growth which, if unchecked through 2040, will bring ICT total footprint to amount to about 14% of the total global footprint. Belkhir and Elmeligi (2018)

The authors made policy recommendations based on the findings, and specified the top priority as tackling the CO 2 footprint of data centers and communications networks.

Next, we address the largest single contributor to GHGE by 2020 among the ICT devices, which is expected to be smartphones. While for the carbon footprint of ICT, infrastructure is primarily driven by its operating electricity consumption, the smart phones footprint on the other hand is primarily driven by its production energy and its short use life of 2 years. The production energy includes both the material extraction from the mining activities as well as the energy consumed during its manufacturing. Mitigating actions that could significantly reduce this inordinate carbon footprint should include at the very least (i) the switching to renewable energy for the manufacturing process, and even more importantly extending the use life of smart phones to 4 or more years. Belkhir and Elmeligi (2018)

ResourcesThe Brazilian mining company CBMM , which supplies approximately 80% of the worlds industrialized niobium products, is providing funding for a researcher at Saarland University for three years through the project Niobium in Steel. The aim of the research work is not only to achieve a more detailed understanding of the mechanisms within steel, but also to improve control of the steel production process itself.

Although Niobium (Nb) is used in comparatively small amounts in steel production, it plays an important role in high-strength, low alloy steels, as well as in applications in tools steels, wear and abrasion resistant steels, stainless steels and others.

Niobium accounts for only about one in every 10,000 atoms in steel. Its therefore all the more surprising to see what a major effect these small concentrations have. The presence of niobium makes the steel toughermeaning that it becomes more stretchable without losing its strength. Niobium also prevents steel from becoming brittle and breaking like porcelain at sub-zero temperatures. Professor Frank Mucklich, Department of Functional Materials at Saarland University

This is particularly relevant in the case of oil and gas pipelines that have to operate at arctic temperatures. In the automotive industry, niobium acts as an alloying element in the steel used to make car body parts, so that the vehicle is able to absorb enough energy on impact to protect the passenger cabin in the event of a crash.

Mucklichs research team specializes in performing spatial analyses of the internal structures of materials at different dimensional scales and has developed a number of three-dimensional methods for use in this field. Over the last few years, the researchers have been able to fine tune their techniques to produce a suite of closely aligned methods for the structural analysis of materials.

Using their 3D analytical techniques, the researchers in Saarbrucken are now in a position to map quantitatively the internal structure of steel and to identify the mechanisms that control specific required material properties.

We want to understand the internal structure of steel as precisely as possible and we want to know the role the niobium atoms play in the steels microstructure and how this changes over the course of the steel production process. Only then will we be in a position to design the internal structure of the steel for a particular technical application and the desired properties. We would then know, for example, how to use niobium in the most effective way to produce superior material properties and how we can reduce other costly alloying elements or expensive process steps by targeted employing of niobium. Frank Mucklich

Professor Mucklich presented these precision 3D analytical techniques to a group of niobium researchers from around the world, who were invited last year to a workshop that was held on the Saarbrucken campus.The supercar will be available for track use only and delivered to an exclusive band of customers within two years.

Techrules, a China-based automotive R&D company ( earlier post ) is unveiling the final production design of its Ren RS series-hybrid supercar at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. The single-seat race carequipped with Techrules Turbine-Recharging Electric Vehicle (TREV) systemis a lightweight, high-performance track variant of the Techrules Ren supercar that was first previewed at last years Geneva show.

The modular chassis design permits a variety of powertrain configurations to provide the range and performance capabilities required by the customer. The flagship versionwith a high-power 28.4 kWh Lithium-Ion Polymer battery and with two motors at the front and four at the reardelivers maximum power of 960kW (1,287 hp / 1,305 PS) with a range of 1,170 km (727 miles) from 80 liters of diesel fuel (NEDC). The most powerful Ren RS will accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 3 seconds, onto a top speed of 330 km/h (205 mph).





TREV technology. The Turbine-Recharging Electric Vehicle (TREV) series hybrid powertrain technology combines experience with aerospace and electric vehicle technologies with several proprietary technical innovations.

Techrules first presented its TREV technology at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show in its GT96 and AT96 concept cars. The range extender system uses a turbine to drive a generator which charges the battery pack. This in turn, provides electricity to drive the traction motors. Unlike many previously developed turbine powertrain systems, there is no direct electrical feed from the generator to the electric motors in normal operation. Only when the battery is depleted can the turbine be used to propel the car.

Air drawn into the micro turbine is passed through a heat exchanger where heat from the exhaust air is transferred to the cold intake air, and compressed before it is ignited. Ignition of the compressed and heated fuel-air mixture generates energy which is channelled at very high speeds to turn the turbine vanes. As this hot exhaust gas is expelled, it passes through the heat exchanger to ensure the heat energy is recuperated and transferred to cold intake air.

Modular drivetrain for multiple power outputs. The drivetrain can be configured with four or six axial flux, liquid-cooled electric motors manufactured by YASA in the UK. The four-motor set-up will drive all four wheels while the highest-power six-motor configuration has two motors for each rear wheel, and one for each front wheel.

Customers can choose from either one centrally-mounted high efficiency 30 kW turbine configuration, or a high-power density two-80 kW turbine set-up, with the turbines positioned either side to the rear of the cockpit.

The 28.4 kWh battery packs installed in the two lateral pods are designed and manufactured specifically for the Ren RS and incorporate battery management technologies that enable superior charging efficiency and power balancing between battery cells.

The battery management system (BMS) is integrated and designed to optimize the performance and life of the battery while ensuring absolute safety. There are three water cooling circuits for the motors, battery and inverter. A heat exchanger (radiator) pack is attached to the front aluminium chassis plate and the cooling circuits are supplied by six electric pumps also mounted on the front plate.

The resulting outputs from the various configurations available are:

Four motors = 640 kW / 858 hp (870 PS) 1,560 Nm / 1,150 lb-ft

Six motors = 960 kW / 1,287 hp (1,305 PS) 2,340 Nm / 1,725 lb-ft

Techrules is investing to grow its own research and development capabilities. Electric vehicle expert Prof Dr. Ching Chuen Chan is leading a newly established Techrules R&D center in Beijing. This facility is developing and testing core components for different types of turbines, as well as complete turbines for powertrains of commercial and passenger vehicles.

Professor Chan is the founder of the Electric Vehicle Association, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in the UK and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Techrules is also developing partnerships with several major China-based global corporations with interest in the micro-turbine recharging technology. Its weight-saving and range-extending capabilities making it interesting for a variety of automotive and non-automotive applications, including various industrial appliances in markets around the world.

Techrules has entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with CRRC, the worlds largest supplier of rail transit equipment. The agreement, officially signed at a ceremony during the Geneva Motor Show, will see the two companies jointly develop the TREV technology further, for use in CRRCs environmentally-friendly Autonomous rail Rapid Transit (ART) transportation system.

In addition to the agreement with CRRC to develop the TREV technology for its Autonomous rail Rapid Transit (ART) equipment, other strategic partnerships are also in the works, the company said. These will enable Techrules to develop its TREV powertrain for use in a variety of mobility solutions, including low-emission and fuel efficient public transport and light commercial vehicles.

A partnership with new-energy bus manufacturer Wuzhoulong Motors will see buses powered by the TREV system, fueled by natural gas.

A partnership is also being finalized with Shenzhen BAK Technology Co. Ltd, a global leader in battery research and development with five percent of the global lithium battery market. The companies will jointly develop logistics vehicles powered by the TREV system, to provide a capable and cost-effective light commercial vehicle.

Design and aerodynamics. The aerospace-inspired design of the preceding 2017 Ren supercar was developed by Fabrizio and Giorgetto Giugiaro, with a unique three-seat Le Mans-style configuration. The new Ren RS has been developed further by L.M. Gianetti to create the more driver-focused single cockpit layout beneath the distinctive fighter jet-style canopy, which rises from the center of the car to allow driver access.

The depth of the front fenders above the wheels is as small as possible to reduce the frontal area, with vertical side panels and a squared-off rear minimizing drag. The side of the car is smooth and simple, and in combination with the overall aerodynamic design elements, produces a pure, flowing profile, which is punctuated only by the turbine air intakes and the turbine exhaust vent.

At the rear, the large, configurable single-foil rear wing augments the already-excellent aerodynamic function, delivering a blend of stability and variable downforce to provide optimal high-speed aero-balance during braking and cornering. The wing has been designed by L.M. Gianetti to greatly improve downforcethe aerodynamic efficiency of the Ren RS is 3.36. The other enhancements contribute to a drag coefficient of just 0.43, despite the huge downforce generated.

Engineering enhancements to boost performance. L.M. Gianetti also developed the lightweight carbon-fibre monocoque chassis to meet the demands of high-speed track racing. The overall torsional stiffness of the chassis has been increased to deliver a superior ride, superior handling and better response to driver input.

The chassis comprises a full carbon-fibre tub, similar to that used in the top echelons of motorsport, and high-strength aluminium alloy and steel components. The cockpit is topped by a protective steel motorsport-specification roll cage, chosen instead of an enclosed carbon monocoque to allow the upper structure to be specified for different race series if required.

The suspension, designed specifically for the car and manufactured by L.M. Gianetti, comprises a classic unequal length wishbone design at the front and rear. It is constructed of high strength tubular steel and Tig (tungsten inert gas) welded. The wishbones are designed to withstand the level of forces that would be experienced by GT3 racing cars.

Bespoke in-board, horizontally-mounted KW three-way adjustable coilover shock units are installed at the front and rear, and are connected to the wishbones by pushrods, similar to the configuration of a typical open-wheeled racing car.

Lightweight 380 mm carbon ceramic discs are fitted in conjunction with six piston calipers by AP Racing. The carbon ceramic discs save 30kg in total compared to equivalent cast iron units and are more durable in the intensive conditions of competitive racing.

Anti-roll bars are used front and rear and are mounted on the end plates. The front anti-roll bar system comprises an innovative geared system allowing it to be packaged into a small space.

Machined aluminium alloy side plates provide the housing for the motor reduction gearing and pickup points for the suspension. All-aluminium fittings are machined from billet 7075 grade T6 Aluminium alloy, which offers a lightweight solution and optimized resistance to corrosion.

The specially-developed traction control and torque vectoring systems enhance driving dynamics further through two performance modes: Race for full power output, or Standard for increased fuel efficiency. The ECU uses 30 sensors to ensure optimum power and torque is split between each wheelrelative to road surface conditions, driver skill and performance required.

This dedicated ECU assesses a variety of safety-related dataincluding speed, acceleration, steering angle and braking forceto determine what assistance is required to optimise the cars performance.

Safety enhancements to meet FIA motorsport standards. An 80-liter FIA-certified safety fuel bladder is housed beneath the floor to store the fuel that powers the recharging turbine, positioned centrally to create a perfect weight balance. The rupture-resistant tank is foam filled and designed to prevent significant fire even when damaged.

The aluminium end plates on the front and rear of the tub incorporate mounting points for the Air Jack system, with two jacks at the front and two at the rear, to lift the car quickly and safely for pit stops or routine maintenance.

Inside, the driver sits in a protective carbon fibre race seat, manufactured by OMP to FIA-approved standards. To comply with FIA regulations, a fire extinguisher and six-point harness are also included.

To enhance driver safety further, the Ren RS is fitted with an innovative Safety Canopy Ejection system inspired by aerospace engineering. Six actuators are mounted under the cockpit bubble and controlled by the ECU through accelerometers, to automatically open the roof in case of impact or unusual yaw or pitch rate, operating at temperatures from -65 to 70.

The actuators are electric, rather than pyrotechnic, and therefore reusable 50 times. The bubble can also be ejected manually, using safety buttons located inside the monocoque for the driver, and on the exterior for race marshals to use in an emergency.Outside Tiger Brands Germiston plant. Photo: Foto24/Getty Images

Health authorities have linked a South African food companys bologna to a world-historically bad listeria outbreak thats devastated the region and killed hundreds. The company, Tiger Brands, is the continents largest packaged-foods manufacturer, and its products run the gamut from oatmeal and energy drinks to canned tuna fish and Tinkies. But a batch of contaminated meat has now bred panic (not only in South Africa, but also in Namibia, Mozambique, Malawi, Botswana, and Zambia), sending supermarkets into a shelf-clearing frenzy. It is, in short, one of the deadliest foodborne-illness outbreaks ever. Heres what you need to know:

 The outbreak has reportedly killed 180 people in the last year, and sickened nearly 1,000. The U.N. calls it the largest listeria outbreak ever recorded.

 Obvious enormity notwithstanding, it took South Africa until Sunday to figure out the cause. Officials blame this delay on the meat-processing industry: It is not that we are incompetent, or that we have inadequate resources, one official tells Reuters; its that the industry was not cooperating for months and did not bring the samples as requested.

 According to the government, the cause is a contaminated bologna-ish food product called polony. Authorities traced the tainted items to two manufacturing facilities run by Tigers processed-meat arm, Enterprise Food. (Enterprises motto: Dont compromise!)

 Many supermarkets made a point to remove more than just Enterprises polony: Bacon, sausage, and other processed meats are reportedly MIA now as well. Stores have been inundated with angry customers demanding refunds, and advocates for the homeless are asking people to have products incinerated, so no one can pick a package out of the trash.

 People are ticked, but have kept their humor about it. The hashtag #AddPolonyToARapLine was trending yesterday.

#AddPolonyToARapLine



"Every since you ate Polony yooooou! Started having a stiff neck and a sore throat. Confusion and a flue we've never seen before...." pic.twitter.com/dJEMepkN7F  General Bootleg Cele (@MinBhekiCele) March 5, 2018

#AddPolonyToARapLine



His palms are sweaty, knees week arms are heavy, those are symptoms mans ate that polony... pic.twitter.com/YDDK0RZeqd   (@NiggaStillHere) March 5, 2018

 Polony is also obviously popular in school lunches, and children  especially those with weakened immune systems  are at a higher risk of getting listeriosis. Parents tell media that their trust in Enterprise is now lost, adding that their kids should expect PB&J lunches for the time being.

 Tiger Brands initially responded by saying that theres no link between its products and that particular strain of listeria, but yesterday it issued a blanket recall anyway of every chilled processed meat Enterprise makes. In a statement, the company says its extremely concerned and want to find the source or sources of Listeriosis, together with government.NYS Child Victims Act is Flawed

Contact: Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, 212-371-3191, pr@catholicleague.org

NEW YORK, Mar. 5, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue (photo) explains the flaws in the Child Victims Act, a measure included in this year's budget by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. It is being widely distributed to lawmakers, bishops, and the media:

Under current New York State law, victims of child sexual abuse must press charges against the institution where the offense took place by age 21; they have until 23 to file charges against the attacker. The Child Victims Act would allow victims to sue until they turn 50, and would allow criminal charges to be filed until they turn 28. This is a positive step that most applaud.

However, the provision in the Child Victims Act that allows a one-year window to bring suit--for offenses extending back decades--is simply wrongheaded. It not only would make it extremely difficult to render a just decision, it would place in jeopardy the rights of the accused. To be sure, everyone wants justice for victims, but it can never come at the expense of justice for the accused. Here are two recent cases that were investigated in New York that make this point.

Just before Christmas, KIPP Academy, a prominent charter school network, detailed accusations of sexual misconduct made by two students against two New York City teachers. The accusations extended back more than a decade. KIPP did the right thing by hiring a distinguished law firm, Debevoise & Plimpton, to probe these cases and offer a conclusion.

Both of the women accusers refused to cooperate with the lawyers. Moreover, the investigation found that no adult at KIPP knew anything about the allegations when the abuse took place. But they did find some students who claimed to have known about the abuse. Those accounts, however, were riddled with inconsistencies.

To continue click here.Remaining 381 Child Soldiers To Be Released This Month

Processes to release the remaining 389 child soldiers from armed groups in Gbudue State are underway, the National Disarmament and Demobilization Commission (NDDRC) said.

Courtesy|VOA

By Ojwe Lumara



JUBA, 06 March 2018 [Gurtong]- The 389 child soldiers were part of the registered total of 700 out of which 311 were released by the DDR in collaboration with UNICEF and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) last month.



In a press conference on Monday, officials of the DDRC said the remaining children will be released in phases later this month.



Now we are working in assessing the other 389 to make 700. The 389 will be released in phases, Oluku Andrew, National Coordinator Child DDR said. As I speak, our staffs in the State for greater Western Equatoria are carrying out reassessment and from now the remaining children who have been verified will be registered.



So far the assessment is going on, the month is going very first, for sure some will be released this month, Oluku added.



He said they will also asses cases in Tombura, Ezo, Maridi as well as Upper Nile and Bahr-el-Ghazal regions.



The issue of children is very important and we address it as emergencies, whenever it is reported to us, the DDR Commission will rush and carry out verifications, Oluku said. Whoever we found below the age of 18, and associated with armed groups must be registered.



William Deng Deng, Chairperson of DDRC said the release is not related to the disarmament of some of the civilians by the army. He said the army has been directed to disarm civilians in some parts of the country where there were civil unrests.



The 311 children who were released in February are currently receiving psychosocial support in two centers- Child Trauma Counseling (CTC) where the girls are and another centre for vocational training in Yambio.



He said enrolment for some who want to start formal education is ongoing while others who do not want formal school will be trained on business skills and vocational skills.



Since the war of liberation between South Sudan and the Sudan started, thousands of child soldiers have been released. According to DDRC, 18,000 child soldiers were released between 2001 and 2004; 10,000 released between 2005 and 2011, and 4,000 released between 2011 and 2018.









Emergency Call Centre In Juba Resumes Service

The South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) today officially relaunched the Emergency Call Centre in Bulluk, Juba.

Relaunch the Emergency Call Centre in Bulluk, Juba [Gurtong photo|Charles Kay]

By Charles Kay



JUBA, 06 March 2018 [Gurtong]-The Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Micheal ChiangJiek Geay Mut, Inspector General of Police Gen. Majak Akec Malok, H.E Ambassador of Japan Mr. Seiji Okada and UNDP Country Director Dr. Kamil Kamaluddeen oversaw the ceremony, which included the handover of 100 first aid kits and 50 base station radios to support the successful operations of the Emergency Call Centre.



Inspector General of Police Malok appreciated the continuous support from the government of Japan in various sectors and outlined the background and implementation of the project.



The Emergency Call Centre was started in Juba in July 2014 as a pilot. The team has now been trained through the specialized Joint Integrated Police training supported by SSNPS, UNPOL and UNDP, and emergency response trainings provided by UNDP, and have recommenced response to calls from throughout Juba for emergency assistance, he said.



The Ambassador of Japan, Seiji Okada emphasized the necessity of capacity building for the Emergency Call Centre personnel and announced a further assistance of US$0.8 million for the security sector.



UNDP Country Director Dr. Kamil Kamaluddeen commended the joint efforts of SSNPS and the mobile providers in this private-public partnership.



This is a crucial mechanism to increase public access to the police, as the 777-toll free hotline provides 24-hour police response. This project, including the training, will increase SSNPS ability to respond to emergencies swiftly, professionally and effectively, Dr. Kamaluddeen said.

Minister of Interior Lt. Gen. Micheal ChiangJiek Geay Mut thanked the government of Japan, UNDP, GIZ, UNPOL and all mobile operators for their support to the Emergency Call Centre in Juba.



This equipment will enable the Emergency Call Centre to respond to emergency situations professionally.



He urged Emergency Call Centre in-charge to ensure the effective deployment of trained police to Emergency Call Centre duties in the various divisions of Juba.



The UNDP Access to Justice and Rule of Law project aims to enhance access to justice to the citizens of South Sudan, with special focus on women; reduce case backlog and prolonged and arbitrary detention at the state level; ascertain customary law; and strengthen the capacity of the Police Service, Prison Service, Ministry of Justice, and the Judiciary.





Minister and Police Commissioner Summoned In Wau

Wau State lawmakers last Friday summoned the Minister of Local Government, Law Enforcement and Parliamentary Affairs and the State Police Commissioner over the rising insecurity within Wau town.

By James Deng Dimo



WAU, 06 March 2018 [Gurtong] - Arkangelo Anyar Anyar, the State Minister of Local Government, Law Enforcement and Parliamentary Affairs plus State Commissioner for police Major General Chol Thuc appeared before parliament to answer the rising insecurity that started last month with the report of the killing of 5 people including a national security officer.



Speaking to Gurtong, Wau State Legislative Assembly Chairperson for Information Committee, Hon. Agiu Athuai Agiu said the summons of the two officials will be followed by the State Director for the National Security and the town Mayor if no clear answers are geiven by the Minister and the Police Commissioner.



There was the shooting of 2nd Lt. of National Security, Hai Bafara last month and also the killing of one person in Eastern Bank which is known as Bhar-shirki. The other one took place outside of Wau and it is in the area of Wau State, Agiu stated.



Agiu said the town however is experiencing relative calm.



The invitations are alluring, complimentary and full of promise. A website says, "Geeks were once ridiculed and reviled" but then "geeks became the people to know. In fact, they started being considered cool." For many teens today 'cool' is a craving.

The Internet provides a cool world. The Geeks are like the new astronauts. They have a world without parents and they friend only those they choose or thosewho trap them.

The Geek can find a forum or a chat room or a great variety of creative and appealing activities. In some cases the Geek becomes a statistic and finds it difficult to live without their internet fix.

The phrase Internet addiction has become a new medical term that dates back to the late 1990's. The pioneering studies came from Dr Kimberly Young.In 1998 she published 'Caught in the Net'.

A professor at St. Bonaventure University, Dr Young founded the first inpatient clinic for Internet addiction. She also assisted The Centre for Internet Addiction to set up an informative website netaddiction.com They listed Internet Gaming Disorder, Internet Gambling, Internet Infidelity, Sexting and Porn as key topics of concern.

"Excessive internet use, sexualisation of children, cyber bullying and aggression are all risks associated with media usage by children and adolescents." This quote published by The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, March 2012.( Article: 'Mental Health of Children impacted by Internet, Media and Technology)

Ticking Bomb

Of course the internet is a powerful and productive tool for studies, research and even relaxation. Not all internet use comes under the addiction label.But the 'internet addictive' condition may produce observable symptoms. Mood swings, withdrawal and dependence are among the tell-tale signs.

Two years ago a Sun Herald report found children as young as eight were being hooked on computer games and the Internet. (Elissa Doherty, Herald Sun, Feb 19, 2014) In that article teens were reportedly spending up to 15 hours a day on specific games.

"We are sitting on a ticking time bomb  a very large portion of the children and teenagers that I see in clinic has an addiction or overuse problem to some extent." The Sun Herald quoted Dr Tam, co-founder of the Network for Internet Investigation and Research, Australia.

Tam warned of serious cases where young people were playing all night and not sleeping and even dropping out of school.

A 2015 documentary 'Web Junkie' stunned U.S. viewers. The camera followed several teenage Internet addicts as they are sent to a rehabilitation camp in the south of Beijing, China. The teenagers were drugged or tricked by their parents and transferred to the boot-camp. The common theme from the programme was the addicts commitment to escapism.'Web Junkie was made in China, where producers say over 400 rehabilitation camps function.

Loneliness

Another report from China, produced with cooperative participants, found addicts had conduct and concentration problems. The addicts escaped into their internet world and they achieved a sense of self-satisfaction and even approval. They also had a high degree of loneliness and depression compared to non-addict groups.

A stunning South Korean case reports on the death of a 3 months old baby girl. The police enquiry found the parents were spending 12 hours a day in an Internet cafe raising their Internet daughter. Their baby died of malnutrition, neglects at home. This is Internet addiction in the extreme and it is frightening. It reveals just how far this addiction can go.

'Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey?" the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Rome. (Romans 6:16) Internet addiction is a form of entrapment or becoming enslaved. It may warrant a loving intervention, to bring freedom.

Do you know someone who absorbed by the internet? Is there a situation where the Internet is used as a child-minding service?

Is there someone close to you displaying restlessness, mood swings, sleeplessness or irritability? Is it you? Every symptom mentioned is shown as a possible outcome from Internet overdose. Not so strangely, the Proverbs (Bible) are no stranger to 'awareness'.

The Network for Internet Investigation and Research Australia (NIIRA) lists therapists who specialise in Internet Overuse Problems. Visit niira.org.au or talk to your doctor, but please talk to someone.

Ron Ross is a Middle East consultant for United Christian Broadcasters (Vision FM). Previously he was radio news editor for Bridges for Peace in Jerusalem, Israel.

His career started at WINTV (Email: ronandyvonne@mac.com)

Ron Ross previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/ron-ross.htmlIf Jesus were to ask you today, Who do you say I am?, what would your answer be?

Who do you say I am? The most important question in which our answer is so crucial. Our response determines what our relationship to God is like, how we live our life here and where we will go when we die.

In my church Bible study, we have begun to study the Gospel according to John. The first chapter speaks of Jesus deity and power. John describes Jesus as the Word, the true light and the life.

John says that Jesus is God incarnate. Therefore, the disciples walked with God himself and spoke with God himself. The disciples touched God, breathed in the same air as God, and saw the smile and frown of God.

Who the world says Jesus is

Jesus is God but the world doesnt know it. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him (John chapter 14, verse 17).

Many religious people have thoughts on Jesus and some even claim to worship Him. A Hindu prays to a Jesus statue that sits on his shelf. His Jesus statue is just one of the many gods he has ornaments of and prays to. A Buddhist might honour Jesus as a great moral teacher and even try to follow some of his teachings, such as, Love your neighbour as yourself.

A Muslim also puts Jesus high up on a pedestal. Yet Jesus, sitting close to Mohammad, is only a great prophet. A historian likes to investigate the period in which Jesus lived and is curious about the fact so many of his followers died for Jesus.

An atheist believes Jesus existed but may see Him as a threat to their way of life. No matter their background, all these people believe they have got it right. They therefore dont take time to ponder the question, Who do you say I am?.

The Bible is clear about such people; they have rejected God. Yet there is hope for unbelievers, the very same hope that we received when we, believers, turned to God. Let us not forget that we once did not know Jesus.

Who believers say Jesus is

As believers, we are all on a journey of discovery as we get to know Jesus more. Jesus is our friend who we meet with daily so we can ask questions of his character, morals and beliefs. Jesus is our King who directs us to understanding Himself.

Jesus is the second person of the trinity through whom we we are given access to God. Jesus came to show us who God is and what God is like. Believers of Jesus say, Jesus is God.

Therefore, as believers, lets proclaim our friend, King and Saviour to the world so everyone else can answer the question, Who do you say I am? in the way that we do.

Answering the question

C.S. Lewis wrote, You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool; you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God.

When Jesus returns in all His glory, He will not appear as a moral teacher, minor prophet or little statue. He will appear as a mighty warrior and king. Therefore, those on earth who refuse to tackle and wrestle with the question, Who do you say I am?, will suffer the eternal punishment and wrath of God.

Therefore, I encourage you, if you havent spent time formulating a considered and backed up response to the most important question in the universe, I suggest you do so now.

Look at Peters response to the question as follows:

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is?

They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I am?

Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

(Matthew chapter 16, verse 13 to 16)

Renee Jenner resides in Sydney, Australia and is currently in her third year of studying Social Work. She is the first born of home-base missionary parents whose ministry has made a huge impression on her heart. She always writes from the soul to the soul, desiring to encourage readers to enjoy God, relax in His goodness and spread His love to the utmost parts of the earth. She loves a good cuppa with a deep, thoughtful conversation. You can find her other writings at renee.jenner.wordpress.comThe information came from the Interfax news agency, who quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov saying the US was aiming to create chaos in Russian Federation, adding that sanctions from the USA were aimed at destabilizing the country, the report said.

Ryabkov also claimed that USA sanctions imposed on Russian Federation were created to destabilize the country and impact the election.

Ryabkov didn't provide any evidence to back up these claims, according to CNBC.

Sergei Lavrov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Russian Federation briefs the media at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, February 28, 2018.

In February, the head of Russia's Security Council, Nikolay Patrushev, said Moscow is anticipating hacking attempts in Russia's election, and is preparing for "political, economic and informational operations" in the run up to the vote.

President Vladimir Putin attends an election rally in Moscow on March 3.

The US intelligence community has unanimously said the Kremlin meddled in the 2016 presidential election.

Ties between Russian Federation and the United States were severely strained since 2014, when Moscow seized Crimea and stoked a separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, and irritants have been piling up ever since. However, some - including the European Union - have cast doubts about the democratic process behind Russia's elections.Americas Goals State Report Card

From Americas Goals, March, 2018

Welcome to the Americas Goals State Report Card. Americas Goals for 2030 is an ambitious, measurable vision for a brighter future.

Using a set of specific Indicators, the Report Card ranks every state on progress toward America's Goals.

The right sidebar displays each state's ranking. Navigate the left sidebar to select Overall, Goal and Target rankings. Click on a state to see Indicator rankings and values, or download the data and background information for a deeper look.

Every state can achieve America's Goals by 2030. With this Report Card, we can work together so more will.

AMERICA'S GOALS FOR 2030

HAWAII

OVERALL: RANK 14

8-9/50 -- Good Jobs

1/50 -- Affordable Quality Healthcare

43/50 -- Investing in Children

29/50 -- Empowering People over Special Interests

28/50 -- Equal Opportunity for All

37/50 -- Sustainable Infrastructure, Resilience, and Innovation

12/50 -- Clean Air, Water, and Energy

Breakdown of Hawaii Education Scores

RANK VALUE 32/50 4-year graduation rate 82.70% 43/50 Grade 4 reading proficiency 29.10% 30/50 Grade 4 math proficiency 38.30% 46/50 Grade 8 reading proficiency 25.70% 34/50 Grade 8 math proficiency 30% 47-48/50 ACT reading benchmark 33% 41-43/50 ACT math benchmark 29%

LINK >>> View Details of all Hawaii Goals, Targets, & IndicatorsThink Tech Hawaii: OHA Audit The View From the Otherside (Talk Story)

Join John Waihee and Kamanaopono Crabbe, Ka Pouhana - CEO of OHA, as they discuss the Audit on OHA, The Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Response: Sam King II and Keli'i Akina: OHA Audit Works for Betterment of Hawaiian People

* * * * *

Crabbe: Who is the Auditor to Judge ME?

by Andrew Walden

What does Office of Hawaiian Affairs CEO Kamanaopono Crabbe REALLY think about the recent audit of his department?

After speaking with Crabbe February 6, 2018, the Auditor reports :

OHA offered its written response to the draft report on February 7, 2018, which is included as Attachment 1. OHA appears to generally agree with our findings and recommendations. OHA represents that it has already taken steps that address some of the findings.

Generally Agree? Thats not what Crabbe said in a February 26, 2018 video interview with former Governor John Waihee III.

Crabbes long-winded comments can be simply translated: Who is the State Auditor to Judge ME?

Here is a transcript, beginning from the 7:30 mark. Waihee and Crabbe finally get to the point at the end, highlighted in yellow .

* * * * *

Waihee: Who authorized that audit?

Crabbe: Its authorized by the Statethe State legislature.

Waihee: Is this a regular thing, that every four years.

Crabbe: Every four years. And so in the past for a number of years OHA has complied. And I think part of that is, again, trying to clarify OHAs distinction as a Hawaii public State trust versus a State agency.

Waihee: Having spent a little bit of my life at the creation of OHA,

Crabbe: Thats correct. You were there at the beginning.

Waihee: I find this discussion somewhat tilted in the sense that OHA was always looked upon at least in its origin as a Hawaiian agency. Really as the fourth branch of government.

Crabbe: Of government. Thats correct.

Waihee: As opposed to being an agency under the Governor.

Crabbe: Correct.

Waihee: Under the governor and the Executive Branch. Have you been able to maintain that kind of separation?

Crabbe: As the fourth branch of government, distinct and separate from underneath the executive branch, which is the Governor. As the Office of Hawaiian Affairs through the State Constitution, Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 10, we have what you call semi-autonomies powers. And its really up to the Board of the organization to assert those powers.

Waihee: This is set out for you in the law, correct?

Crabbe: The Constitution. That is correct.

Waihee: I also want to be really clear that the fact that you may be like a fourth branch or not in the executive branchthat you still have a fiduciary duty to Native Hawaiians. I mean your mission in a sense gets even more important.

Crabbe: Thats outlined or mandated in Chapter 10. So we must comply as much as possible. In out mission it clearly state that the assets, the resources, the funding goes not only to improve the conditions for native Hawaiians but really to perpetuate, protect native Hawaiian rights, to preserve, to continue native Hawaiian culture and history for native Hawaiian people. We have an enormous mandate because, being the fourth branch of government, were kind of like a micro-government for Hawaiians.

Waihee: Right.

Crabbe:  in terms of economic health, education, culture.

Waihee: At least youre gonna be the advocate for Hawaiians in the executive branch and in the legislative branch

Crabbe: Thats true.

Waihee: thats part of your mission. Let me ask you a question. Was this audit on only funds that were from the General Fund that the Legislature gave you or did they look at your operations? What was it on? Whats the connection between the legislature and this audit?

Crabbe: Right. To provide some context, a majority of OHAs funding comes from the native Hawaiian Trust and thats a separate funding that the OHA over the years through settlements with the State we have our own funds. So we have spending policies that draw down from that fund in addition to annual payment from the State of $15.1 (million).

Waihee: So then the existing funds that you have are not part of  you dont go through the legislature for that, to ask them for anything.

Crabbe: Thats correct. We dont.

Waihee: And then the legislature, in addition, gives you $15.1 (million). Now that $15.1, so people understand, $15.1 million, is a substitute for what the Constitution mandateswhich is 20% of all ceded land revenues.

Crabbe: That is correct.

Waihee: Now my understanding is that $15.1 (million)would be like a third of what 20% of ceded land revenues are.

Crabbe: Right. Based on the research we did with the financial review in 2012 and 2016, based on that analysis we would agree and concur that $15.1 (million) does not measure up to the 20% of the public trust land revenue.

Waihee: As a delegate to the 1978 Constitutional Convention, someone who was dealing with the issue of ceded land revenues and native Hawaiians and everything, it was at least the constitutional delegates position and intention that those ceded lands revenuesthat 20% revenue was separated from the General Fund.

Crabbe: That is correct.

Waihee: If you ask people who were there and I guess even today the intention was that these were funds that actually belonged to native Hawaiians.

Crabbe: Right, Right.

Waihee: So this is something that you supposed to be processing .

Crabbe: Right. And I think it should be stated that it is a result of the Admission Act, the State Constitution, it is the States obligation, through the public lands trust, to use a certain amount of funds, specifically to help improve the conditions for native Hawaiians.

Waihee: And I think for people out there, they should know that when we talk about ceded lands and the ceded lands monies and trust, were talking about lands that actually belonged to the native Hawaiian Government.

Crabbe: That was illegally overthrown.

Waihee: That was illegally overthrown. Right and so when the United States returned these lands back to the people of Hawaii, or the government of Hawaii at that time, territorial government, there was a mandate that the fact that these lands originated as native lands that the mandate would be a recognition that by saying at least one of the five purposes would be for the betterment of native Hawaiians.

Crabbe: Its proportion too. That 20% figure was over time and so I would agree that theres a legal basis, a historical basis for .

Waihee: well theres also a moral basis

Crabbe: ..and a moral basis.

Waihee: for this to happen. Were going to take a small break. And when we come back I want to discuss with or talk to you about what the audit ostensibly found. And how we are dealing with it..

(Break 15:00 to 16:15)

Waihee: OK so theres been a recent audit. Tell us what did the audit cover. I mean what does it tell you.

Crabbe: The current audit spans specific years, 2013 to about 2017, 16. About three or four years.

Waihee: And what did they look at? The entire organization? All the funds? Or 

Crabbe: They looked at three areas. One was fiscal reserve spending.

Waihee: We ought to say something. So one was fiscal reserve spending. When you say reserve spending you are dealing with the funds that you have set aside for investments and for future corpus.

Crabbe: Right. That is a distinction. So the fiscal reserve funds really come out of the native Hawaiian trust fund. So that is not money that is taxpayer money or General Fund money.

Waihee: This is not money that you have invested and earned income off of as well as moneys that were due you because of state wrongs.

Crabbe: Right. That is correct. As a result of past settlements over past years, from the 90s to the 2000s, that understanding is that the proper use of the land trust would have to go to native Hawaiians. And Office of Hawaiian Affairs, established through the Constitutional Convention of 1978, is that receptacle.

Waihee: So these are funds that you are totally responsible for.

Crabbe: We are totally responsible.

Waihee: These reserve funds is one category. What are the other categories?

Crabbe: The other ones are CEO sponsorships--again those come out of our own funds, again nothing having to do with general Funds or taxpayer funds--and then Trustee funds.

Waihee: So thats the third one, the Trustee funds.

Crabbe: That is correct.

Waihee: These are funds that the Trustees have discretion over.

Crabbe: That is correct.

Waihee: What did the audit ostensibly find and tell me what is your response to it?

Crabbe: There are a number of findings, the one was very clear is that there should be greater clarification and improvement of our policies. Sometimes they thought it was too broad for interpretation. And so we would have to improve on our policies.

Waihee: Thats your policy on how to use the reserve funds, Trustee funds and discretionary funds.

Crabbe: The reserve funds, Trustee funds and discretionary funds.

Waihee: None of these funds come from the State.

Crabbe: Right. Yes.

Waihee: I guess you would be happyand anybody would be happy to see if somebodys got a better mousetrap. I dont think thats the issue.

Crabbe: And I think we have always been transparent about complying  being transparent and accountable. When you look at our total budget, we do receive General Funds. And the General Funds really are for some of our programs like the native Hawaiian legal corporation. So we match funds with the State and OHAs money.

Waihee: So let me make this real clear so the people out there can understand this. What happens is that the General Funds that comes ina lot of it anywaythat is appropriated by the legislaturethis is not part of the $15.1 (million).

Crabbe: Right. That is not.

Waihee: The $15.1 (million) is the fake 20%.

Crabbe: That is correct.

Waihee: Right. And so these funds are set aside mainly for other programs that you match.

Crabbe: That is correct. That is correct.

Waihee: So none of that was part of discussion

Crabbe: None of that was part of the discussion. We felt that was very important to clarify. For example, we also use funds for a fund to help out homelessness for native Hawaiian communities. So we provide a statewide grant that specifically goes to helping aid for homeless, prevent people from goingfrom moving into homelessness. And again, we match our funds with the state funds from the General Fund.

Waihee: the recommendations that have to do with procedure and stuff  but it seemed like the auditor was starting to judge content.

Crabbe: Yes.

Waihee: Am I correct on that?

Crabbe: We would concur. There was a subjective perception that they felt maybe was put out in the audit that was sensationalized or overly embellished.

Waihee: Lets get some numbers. My understanding is that well first of all my understanding of how anytime that reserve funds are used, my understanding is that it takes an extraordinary vote of the Trustees to do thatthis is not a simple majority policy.

Crabbe: No not at all. So any funding or request for funding through the fiscal reserve goes through a vetting process by our staff in accounting and sometimes they come from different programs and lines of business throughout the organization. We go through a vetting process. We put it in an action item. And it has to go to the RM Committee for one vote and then to the full board so all the Trustees are involved.

Waihee: Theyre all involved. But normally it takes an appropriation it takes out of nine trustees you need five votes. For this you need six. You need a greater majority.

Crabbe: That is correct.

Waihee: And you really cant remove these funds without the participation of the Trustees.

Crabbe: You cannot. You cannot. Any approval, it must be of a majority of six votes of the Board to approve.

Waihee: Alright. So now the audit seems to have talked about $14 million dollars.

Crabbe: $14 million.

Waihee: Out of all the millions and all the funds that you are responsible for. The focus of this sensational audit was $14 million.

Crabbe: $14 million.

Waihee: Now, my understanding that out of that $14 million almost $10 million of it went to State agencies.

Crabbe: Went to State agencies. For example, we have a historical agreement between the office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Department of Hawaiian Homelands. So we provide an annual allotment of $3 million per year to help with their debt consolidation loans which allows it to provide infrastructure, project planning so they could put homes on the land for native Hawaiian beneficiaries 50% or greater.

Waihee: So this is like they give you $15 million, you give them $10 million back. And thats what this (audit) is talking about. So to the extent that anybody got money that shouldnt have gotten money, it was the State.

Crabbe: It was the State. And it all went to benefit native Hawaiians.

Waihee: Alright. And then there was about another $4 million left. But I understand that at least most of it$13-plus millionwas actually the result of Trustee action.

Crabbe: That is correct. That is correct. We funded about 22 initiatives, Department of Hawaiian Homelands is one, the Lunalilo Trust for elderly care for native Hawaiian kupuna is another. It went to fund charter schools, native Hawaiian charter schools.

Waihee: So did any of that money go to somebodys favorite contractorget a non-bid contract?

Crabbe: No. Not at all. These are purely. Some of them we fund annually like Hawaiian Homelands, charter schools. Others were based on need, based on the demand to either help organizations sustain their operations or looking at how they provide services to the native Hawaiian community.

Waihee: So. OK this is a very important point all the money that was the subject of this so-called audit went to native Hawaiian beneficiaries.

Crabbe: That is correct.

Waihee: So nobody did something.

Crabbe: No one got a favoritism for a particular contract. Al of it went back to reinvest in our people, build greater capacity in our communities.

Waihee: And the judgment as to who should get the money was done by yourself and the Trustees.

Crabbe: Yes.

Waihee: Who actually are entrusted with the requirement.

Crabbe: With that responsibility, yes.

Waihee: So what maybe happening herethis is what struck mewhat is actually my motivation for having this discussion today is  What makes the legislative Auditor  a non-elected, non Native Hawaiian expert--judgment better than your judgment?

Crabbe: Trustees

Waihee: Or the Trustees judgment?

Crabbe: (Nods in agreement.) And I think to even put it into further context, 6% which is the General Funds, approximate is about $3 to $4 million. Its only 6% of our total budget. The remaining 94% is all from the native Hawaiian trust fund.

Waihee: One of the reasons why we have the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is that the regular civil servant types werent doing a good job to start with.

Crabbe: Right

Waihee: Now. There has been people saying  one of the items real quick  was the idea that maybe you didnt listen to your staff. Now I know when I was Governor, if I listen to my staff all the time they wouldnt need me as Governor.

Crabbe: Right

Waihee: So is it unusual for the CEO to say, No. I think in this case the beneficiary may be right and you guys may be just a bunch of auditors.

Crabbe: Youre correct. We go through a vetting process. We have a delegation of authority. Delegation of authority from the Board to me and even from me down to directors, managers and so forth.

Waihee: But youre still the responsible person.

Crabbe: The buck stops here. Im the one fully responsible for all of the .An Hawaiian Attorney Looks at the OHA Audit

VIDEO: Hawaii Together With Keli'i Akina

(Discussion of Waihee-Crabbe interview begins at 15:30 mark)

Feb 25, 2018: Samuel Wilder King: OHA audit compels voters to oust CEO, trustees

Working Toward the Betterment of the Hawaiian People.

Sam King II is the great-grandson of a Hawaii governor and grandson of one of the most renowned Hawaii judges. Inheriting the name Sam King comes with its duties which include working toward the betterment of the Hawaiian people.Forty-six per cent of the poll respondents stated that they welcome close military co-operation with the West. Over a quarter (28%) of respondents contrastively said they oppose close military co-operation and another quarter (26%) that they have no opinion on the issue.

Almost a half of Finns approve of close defence co-operation with Nato and the United States, finds an opinion poll commissioned by Iltalehti and Uusi Suomi.

The poll was conducted between 14 and 26 February by Tietoykkonen.

The respondents were asked to answer the question: Finland is engaged in deepening military co-operation with the West, namely Nato and the United States, to create a joint military deterrence against a possible threat from Russia. Do you think this is the right policy direction?

The question sums up the prevalent defence policy of Finland. The Finnish Parliament voted last spring in favour of adopting an approach to defence and security policy that places an emphasis on deterrence.

Uusi Suomi draws particular attention to one curious aspect of the results: the distribution of responses from those who identified themselves as supporters of the Social Democratic Party. Over a half (52%) of supporters of the opposition party indicated that they support close military co-operation with Nato and the United States.

The notion of deepening defence co-operation was welcomed especially by supporters of the National Coalition but rejected by those of the Left Alliance.

The poll also found that fewer than one-fifth (17%) of the public are in favour of Finland joining Nato. Support for the membership is five percentage points lower when compared to the results of a survey conducted last autumn by the Advisory Board for Defence Information (ABDI).

Another noteworthy aspect of the results is that opposition to the membership has waned, while the share of those who are uncertain of their position on the issue has grown to 28 per cent.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Vesa Moilanen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi SuomiThe objective of the enquiry, she says, is to examine the current unemployment security system and identify possible development needs by the end of October.

Pirkko Mattila (BR), the Minister of Social Affairs and Health, reveals that she has launched an enquiry into the possibility of extending earnings-related unemployment security to all unemployed people in Finland.

The question of should all unemployed be entitled to earnings-related unemployment security has arisen occasionally in discussions and studies. Now is a good time to look into the matter, Mattila says in a press release from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

A similar proposal was made last month by Sampo Terho, the chairperson of the Blue Reform. The proposal, however, was shot down immediately by trade unions and trade union confederations.

Kyosti Suokas, a deputy chairperson of the Finnish Construction Trade Union, interpreted the proposal as an attempt to abolish the current system of unemployment funds, which are run by trade unions, and transfer unemployment insurance to the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela).

The proposal, he said, would also make non-members of unemployment funds entitled to earnings-related unemployment benefits while increasing the costs of neither employers nor wage earners.

Terho will receive support for his proposal from those with the most right-wing views, who have always wanted to shut down the earnings-related unemployment security system and consequently undermine the position of trade unions, he wrote in his blog on 26 February.

Mattila, on the other hand, views that the proposal warrants some consideration in light of the looming reform of the social security system.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) urged the country to re-examine the scope of the earnings-related unemployment security system and harmonise the unemployment benefits of working-age people its latest economic survey of Finland.

Mattila views that extending earnings-related unemployment benefits to all unemployed who satisfy the criteria concerning previous employment would be a step in this direction. The unemployed in Finland are currently entitled to either the basic allowance, labour market subsidy or earnings-related unemployment benefits.

I believe it is important that our system does not divide the unemployed into two camps, says Mattila.

She also calls for a discussion on how basic social security could be developed in an inclusive, humane and sustainable direction, in way that the support is determined based on the needs and life situation of people, rather than the minutiae of the support system.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Martti Kainulainen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi SuomiMyanmar is continuing its "ethnic cleansing" of the Rohingya with a "campaign of terror and forced starvation" in Rakhine state, a United Nations human rights envoy said today, six months after a military crackdown sparked a mass exodus of the Muslim minority.

"The ethnic cleansing of Rohingya from Myanmar continues", Andrew Gilmour, the U.N.'s assistant secretary-general for human rights, said in a written statement Tuesday, basing his conclusion from Rohingyas who had recently arrived in overcrowded refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh. Rohingya witnesses and human rights activists have accused the armed forces of committing murder, rape and arson.

Myanmar's military claims its crackdown on Rohingya villages is aimed at eradicating "terrorists", who allegedly attacked border police posts in August 2017.

Gilmour spoke to refugees who told of abductions by security forces and at least one apparent death of a Rohingya man in custody.

"It appears that widespread and systematic violence against the Rohingya persists", Gilmour added in a statement.

The UN envoy's assessment of a continued "campaign of terror and forced starvation" comes six months after a military crackdown caused a mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims.

His statement also said it was "inconceivable" that any Rohingya would be able to return to Myanmar in the near future, despite Myanmar's pledges to start taking back some refugees.

They cover specific human rights concerns for Rohingya in both Myanmar and Bangladesh, beginning with atrocities committed in the context of the crackdown, moving onto protection concerns for refugees in Bangladesh and ongoing rights violations in Myanmar, and finally addressing potential future violations in the context of repatriation and medium- and long-term residency in Bangladesh.

"We don't drive out the refugees", he said.

Some 700,000 people have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh since August.

Residents of what is called "no-man's land", as it sits outside Myanmar's border fence but on its side of a creek that separates the two countries, say Myanmar officials have warned them on loudspeakers that their presence on the border line is illegal. Open information helps with informed decisions.

"According to procedure security forces have to clear the area for security reasons", he said.

Almost 700,000 Rohingyas have fled into Bangladesh since last August to escape a brutal crackdown by Myanmar security forces.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 28)  The Department of Budget and Management on Wednesday gave the good news: government spending was up in 2017.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said spending in December 2017 amounted to P330.2 billion, which is 17 percent higher year-on-year.

For the full year 2017, spending stood at P2.824 trillion, or an 11 percent increase from 2016.

Pointing out the high underspending of 13.3 percent and 12.8 percent in 2014 and 2015 respectively, Diokno said the quick fund disbursement cut underspending to 2 percent in 2017. The high underspending years were under the Aquino administration.

Higher spending means agencies are able to use their funds faster, which then leads to more economic activity and productivity.

Diokno said the rise in spending is "impressive" given circumstances in 2016.

"Why (is this) impressive? Let me remind you that 2016 was an election year. And usually an election year, there's heavy spending by the adminsitration and it (also) was the final year of an outgoing administration. Usually those characteristics would mean that spending would be quite high," Diokno said in a media briefing.

He attributed this to disbursements in line with the Duterte administration's "Build, Build, Build" infrastructure program. He added the subsidies to government corporations, which primarily used them for housing and irrigation projects, as well as the National Health Insurance Program also contributed to the rise in government spending.

Infrastructure projects covered by disbursements last year include bridge replacements in Luzon, Central Visayas, and Mindanao and flood control and dike rehabilitation projects in Pampanga, Pangsinan, Nueva Ecija, and Metro Manila.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 6)  The government agency that is tasked to protect indigenous peoples has called out a TV network for its misleading use of the cultural term "Bagani" for its show.

The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) said ABS-CBN's newest fantaserye "Bagani" is without historical and cultural significance.

"The Bagani is real, not a fictional and not even a mythological group of warriors which the ABS-CBN TV series would like to portray," the NCIP said in a statement on Monday.

It added, "The TV fantasy show distorts, misleads, and confuses rather than educates the Filipino TV viewers on the indigenous concept."

Headwriter of ABS-CBN Star Creatives Mark Angos earlier called the show a "fantasy universe inspired by Philippine mythology."

NCIP said the term "Bagani" refers to the peace-keeping force of the Manobo Indigenous Cultural Communities / Indigenous Peoples in Mindanao. It added the Bagani defends and protects lives, properties, and territory.

"It is a sensitive position and class not lightly ascribed to just any person and never to those outside the ICCs/IPs," NCIP said.

The NCIP, which is under the Office of the President, is the primary government agency that formulates and implements policies and programs for the protection of the rights of IPs.

It called on the TV network to correct the confusion its show has created.

"We call on ABS-CBN to IMMEDIATELY RECTIFY the injustice committed in using the word 'Bagani' and to prevent misleading or confusing the general public by giving false information about the concept," it said.

A Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner also said the use of the description of "Bagani" as "a bayani with magical powers" will have a negative impact on young students.

"I cannot tolerate the public showing of the said teleserye as long as ABS-CBN would not revise the format and concept in order to render 'Bagani' to become as educational, historically-accurate, and culturally-correct as it can be," Commissioner Ronald Adamat said in a letter addressed to to ABS-CBN President Carlo Katigbak.

Prior to this, several netizens called out the casting choices for the show. The show stars Filipino-American actress Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil.

Actess Chai Fonacier criticized the use of fair-skinned actors and covering them in bronzer make-up to give the illusion of brown skin.

"Don't brown face to serve majority of a population that are naturally brown skinned," she said in a tweet on February 10.

I am personally offended by brown facing. While talk of "bankable" is understandable, we're no longer in the 90s. The message of self love cannot and should not be limited to people within the industry. There are girls and boys out there who do not appreciate themselves...

 Chai Fonacier (@rrrabidcat) February 22, 2018

The backlash prompted Soberano to say her father is a pure Filipino and she was raised by Two Filipinos. She added her love for sinigang is proof that she is "as pinoy as pinoy can get." The tweet was deleted after it caused more reactions.

ABS-CBN clarifies

ABS-CBN, in a statement issued on Monday, said the the fantasy-teleserye does not purport itself to be a historical account of Philippine history or culture.

"The program has always maintained that it has created an alternative fictional universe with elements of Filipino mythology and folklore," it said.

It added the show's production team did an "intensive research" to find a distinctly Filipino term that will embody a person who fights for the common good.

The TV network said the show hopes to spread values, morals, and ethics inherent in a "Bagani" a Filipino warrior, protector, and hero.

"With all due respect, the use of 'Bagani' is not in any way intended to malign or to disrespect beliefs of the Indigenous Peoples' communities," it said.

Despite the several criticisms against the show, it premiered on Monday.Manila (CNN Philippines Life)  After coming from the encampment in Camp Crame during the 1986 People Power Revolution, Abraham Sakili looked into the mirror and did an initial sketch.

So, this is me, he says, pointing to his self-portrait  a man, with an intricately designed headscarf wrapped across his forehead, who looks into a crowd of activists, some of them carrying a banner that faintly shows the word Moro and people.

A Muslim born in Sulu and an artist whose major contribution in design is the University of the Philippines Sablay, Sakili quickly asks me, Is my self-portrait Muslim art? To which I reply, Of course.

He says Muslim art is not as straightforward as one might think. While its true that his self-portrait is considered Muslim art, he says it certainly is not Islamic art.

The difference between Muslim art and Islamic art

Sakili, a professor of art and humanities at the UP College of Arts and Letters, emphasises that the distinction between Muslim art and Islamic art should be made.

National Artist Carlos Botong Francisco, for instance, has done works that portray Muslim culture, such as his painting Muslim Betrothal, which depicts a Muslim wedding. It is Muslim art, but much like Sakilis self-portrait, it shouldnt be considered as Islamic art because it doesnt express tawhid or the Islamic idea of worship to one God.

The ways in which artists can express tawhid are explained in Sakilis book, Space and Identity: Expressions in Culture, Arts, and Society of the Muslims in the Philippines, which was published in 2003. And in November 2017, the book was translated to Filipino by the UP Asian Center and the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino. The book also examines different Islamic art forms, along with other Muslim ways of looking at things that people of other lifestyles and religious groups may not be familiar with.

Understanding Islam, he says, is a prerequisite to understanding either Muslim art or Islamic art. Besides tawhid, the Islamic idea of haram (elements that are prohibited in Muslim spaces, such as pigs, liquor, pornographic materials, gambling dens, and market stalls, among many others) is also immediately introduced in the book.

Space and Identity: Expressions in Culture, Arts, and Society of the Muslims in the Philippines was published in 2003. In November 2017, the book was translated to Filipino by the UP Asian Center and the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino. Photo by JL JAVIER

I imagine my audience are the non-Muslim readers, then they would find this idea foreign to them, he says. But to the Muslim, haram is innate and the Muslims automatically understand what haram is.

With various prohibitions on what Islamic art should be, this then seems to pose a limitation to the Muslim artist. He explains that the practice of haram is not an issue of restraint, as haram is a strong measure of defining the Muslim identity.

To the Muslim, Muslim identity is clearly defined by this ruling of what is haram and what is not haram. So to be a Muslim, is to really, absolutely, observe what are haram by Shariah and Islamic rules.

Sakili contends that if the intention of the artist is just pure expression then that art is not haram, but if the intention is to portray an idol or make a representation of God, then it must not be considered Islamic art.

Sakili also says that the the highest kind of Islamic art is calligraphy, particularly, Islamic or Arabic calligraphy because it automatically or immediately represents oneness of God. In fact, he says, there are still Muslim art writers who still consider calligraphy as the only form of Islamic art, and those who would go as far as shunning painting as an art form.

[Others disregard painting] because it is an attempt to imitate or to duplicate God's capacity to create. [They say] only God can create [and] humans should not exert efforts or should not attempt to do the act of creation, he explains.

The styles and techniques of Islamic art

As mentioned, expressing the Islamic idea of tawhid is the absolute indicator of Islamic art. Sakili says that artists who want to succeed in doing so must follow certain styles and techniques.

He shares that the expression of the art should be generally abstract  no reference to humans or animals, human or animal representations, and human expressions. Another technique is to denaturalize the medium.

For example, [if an artist uses] wood or marble, [the artist should] introduce an intricate design over the surface, he explains. The idea is to arrest the attention of the looker away from the materiality, and in order to contemplate the higher force, the divine.

He also says that the artist can use infinite patterning to denaturalize the surface. Infinite patterning  would remind the viewer of the attribute of God as transcendent, having no beginning, no ending, all-present, all-powerful, omniscient, omnipotent in life, he says.

After coming from the encampment in Camp Crame during the 1986 People Power Revolution, Abraham Sakili did a self-portrait on canvas. This piece he says shouldn't be considered Islamic art, as it was only an expression of his experience of EDSA revolution, and not an intention to portray an idol or to make a representation of God. Photo by PORTIA LADRIDO

When asked whether a Christian or Buddhist artist can just employ these techniques to have their works regarded as Islamic art, he says that they can. He further explains that inversely, even if the artist is Muslim but does not express tawhid, then at most, one can say that his work is a Muslim art done by a Muslim artist, but never Islamic art.

Despite these rules, Sakili says that there are still artists who would consider their art as Islamic art but actually dont qualify the standards set by the proponents and scholars of Islamic art. Muslim theologians are always on the watch to shun away those elements that would endanger the integrity of so-called Islamic expression, he says.

The different Islamic arts and so-called crafts

It could look as though Islamic art could not be at its most diverse since it follows similar and specific rules of style and expression. But Sakili says that Muslims, like any other culture or religion, have different ways of practicing religion, noting that Islam was also introduced in the Philippines by various entities  from missionaries to traders  and so, it has become natural for Muslims to also have several forms of practice.

One of the characteristics [or] features of Islam is its preference for or tolerance of diversity, he says. In fact, this is among the commandments of God in one of the chapters of Q'uran.

This diversity is also seen in the numerous Muslim groups in the country. In the book, Sakili introduces their histories to clearly present the differences and similarities in the way they lead their lives, as well as the way they express art.

There are 13 muslim groups in the Philippines so each group excels in different art forms, he shares. For example, the Maranao are accordingly excellent in the use of okkil or okir, this curvy linear motif. The people of Sulu, on the other hand, are experts in weaponry, like the kalis.

You have to really strengthen  your personality or your internal identity and at the same time, you must be able to open yourself to ideas coming from the outside.  Abraham Sakili

The book also includes an analysis of the textiles and weaving processes of Muslims from Basilan. Sakili says that textiles, particularly the malong, may be the most recognized within the collective consciousness of Philippine society. But Sakili criticizes how textile weaving, for instance, has been considered craft and not art.

I don't agree with the use of the word craft; this seems to be a means of belittling the status of this art of the indigenous people in general or of the Muslim artists in particular, he says.

He explains that labeling Muslim artists work as craft may be due to factors such as cultural conditioning or cultural leveling, where an idea is constructed by what language dominates mass culture.

This makes language not really a neutral thing, but sometimes a means of empowering or a means of foregrounding a preferred cultural group or subject, he says. This of course has been unjust to those who may not have access to the channel or to the means of disseminating information.

Muslim identity and dialogue

The marginalization of Muslims in the Philippines and the notion that the Muslim identity is mostly isolated from what constitutes the Filipino identity, with the Philippines having a predominantly Catholic population, may be why Muslim or Islamic art is largely misunderstood.

Sakili says that while Muslim identity is a crucial element of Islamic art, Muslim identity should not be chauvinistic enough that the artist is not able to understand or reach out to other forms of art that do not represent Islam. You have to really strengthen  your personality or your internal identity and at the same time, you must be able to open yourself to ideas coming from the outside, he says.

The ways in which artists can express tawhid (the Islamic idea of worship to one God) are explained in Sakilis book, along with other Muslim ways of looking at things that people of other lifestyles and religious groups may not be familiar with. Photo by JL JAVIER

He says that artists, no matter the religion, should foster openness  openness to different cultures, traditions, beliefs, and ways of living. The best thinkers of both worlds  [in] Islam and [in] Christianity  there were no problems among their greatest thinkers. They were actually friends, he explains. They were actually sharing ideas, and then dialoguing, and then engaging in some kind of debate.

Much like the thinkers and social scientists of the past, Sakili says Filipinos should not be afraid to constantly engage in a healthy, perennial dialogue. He says, Such dialogue is the one that creates and produces the dynamism to let things forward.

***

Space and Identity: Expressions in Culture, Arts, and Society of the Muslims in the Philippines is available at the UP Asian Center. For more information, visit their website.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 6)  China and the Philippines are far from reaching a deal on joint exploration in the disputed South China Sea, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Tuesday.

"We declared a moratorium on all exploration activities. Talks are ongoing, but we're very far away from arriving at an agreement," Roque told CNN Philippines' The Source.

He revealed that Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi expressed support for the lifting of the moratorium in a Cabinet meeting on Monday. But China had rejected any such move.

"I had lunch with the Chinese ambassador and [he said], 'We hope the Philippines will not do that because right now the status quo is serving us very well. We want bilateral talks ahead of unilateral action on the part of the Philippines,'" said Roque. "So I don't know where we are."

Malacanang on Friday announced a possible deal on joint exploration with the East Asian giant in two areas in the South China Sea under Service Contracts (SC) 57 and 72.

SC 57 covers undisputed waters in offshore Northwest Palawan. SC 72 covers the Reed Bank located within the country's exclusive economic zone, but also claimed by China.

Related: PH eyeing 'joint exploration' in 2 S. China Sea areas  Palace

Roque said part of the reason for the delay in talks between the two countries was that China was not accustomed to "dealing with constitutional requirements... that they retain minority stay."

"On the part of the Chinese, there's also political noise because they also believe portions of where they're exploring belongs to them despite the arbitral decision," he explained.

China refuses to recognize a 2016 international arbitral ruling recognizing the Philippines' rights over contested areas in the South China Sea.

The talks were also slowed by "political noise" in the Philippines that questioning joint exploration.

In an interview with The Source in late February, Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said the move was unconstitutional unless China acknowledged the Philippines' sovereign rights in the Reed Bank.

Carpio added it would be "absurd if we tie up with a country that's claiming the same area."

"Then you have this problem: they'll demand that we recognize they own it [and vice versa]," he explained.

Related: SC Justice counters Duterte: Militarization in South China Sea for PH, not U.S.

The idea was also hit by maritime expert Jay Batongbacal, saying that joint activity with China's state-owned oil company opens the possibility of making it a "co-owner" of Philippine waters.

However, Malacanang insisted that the set-up was not co-ownership.

Related: Malacanang: No co-ownership in PH-China joint exploration of South China Sea

Roque insisted that the arbitral ruling would always stand, despite China's refusal to recognize it.

"Kahit anong gawin nila [No matter what they do]... they cannot erase the fact that there is now a declaration saying there is no basis for the nine-dash line," he explained.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 6)  The Supreme Court on Tuesday required Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to respond to the Solicitor General's petition seeking her ouster.

"The court without giving due course to the petition, required the respondent to submit her comment on the petition for quo warranto within a period of 10 days from the receipt of notice," SC Spokesperson Theodore Te said in a press briefing.

Only Associate Justice Marvic Leonen dissented, Te said. "In his opinion the petition should be dismissed outright."

Sereno's camp reiterated the Chief Justice can only be removed from office through impeachment under the Constitution.

"The petition should have been dismissed outright and should not be allowed to circumvent the constitutional mandate that a sitting Chief Justice can only be removed by impeachment," Josa Deinla, one her Sereno's spokespersons, said in a statement.

The high court has yet to disclose how many justices were present during Tuesday's en banc session.

The justices discussed the petition for quo warranto filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida on Monday.

A quo warranto is a legal proceeding where an individual's right to hold office is challenged.

Calida wants the high court to void Sereno's appointment, saying the Chief Justice has been "unlawfully holding" her post since she failed to submit her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) for 10 years before she applied for the post in 2012.

READ: SolGen: Chief Justice Sereno 'unlawfully holding position' SolGen: Chief Justice Sereno 'unlawfully holding position'

The SC dismissed on Tuesday a similar petition filed by lawyer Oliver Lozano "for failing to provide substantial allegations to justify a course of action."

READ: Lawyer to SC: Nullify Sereno appointment to preserve judicial integrity

House Majority Leader Rudy Farinas on Tuesday said it is best for the House of Representatives to wait for the SC ruling on the quo warranto petition before the plenary votes on Sereno's impeachment complaint.

The House Committee on Justice is expected to vote Thursday if there is probable cause to impeach Sereno. After which, the panel will send a committee report to the plenary.

Farinas believes the earliest the plenary could vote is by May. A vote of at least one-third of the members of the House of Representatives, or 98 out of the 292 incumbent congressmen, may then start an impeachment trial at the Senate.

Reacting to Calida's quo warranto petition, senators, including Senate President Koko Pimentel on Monday said impeachment is the only way to oust the Chief Justice.

Speaking to CNN Philippines, Integrated Bar of the Philippines National President Abdiel Fajardo, meanwhile said while Sereno's failure to file SALNs may be a basis for the impeachment against her to proceed, the IBP has taken the position that the quo warranto petition should not have been given due course.

He said the review of a Chief Justice's "integrity" does not fall within the powers of the Supreme Court.

"The lawyers can invoke lack of jurisdiction because the Supreme Court en banc has no power to remove a sitting Chief Justice or an associate justice because the question of integrity is a political question," he said.

He said while the matter of Sereno's SALN is a "serious issue" she must eventually face, the proper mode to review whether or not it is an impeachable offense would be at the impeachment court.

Fajardo added if the Chief Justice gives up, there may be a suspicion about judicial independence.

"She might be currently the symbol of judicial independence and if she gives up, there might be some suspicions that the judiciary would not be as independent without her in the Supreme Court as chief," he said

In the impeachment case, Sereno is accused of violating the Constitution, corruption, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes - grounds for officials to be impeached under the Constitution. She repeatedly denied the allegations and asked for the complaint to be junked.

CNN Philippines' Eimor Santos, Anjo Alimario, and Joyce Ilas contributed to this report.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 6)  The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is validating reports that 23 armed groups in the country are now consolidating their forces under one name, "ISIS Philippines."

ISIS Philippines is among the groups recently declared terrorists by the US State Department.

READ: U.S. gov't adds Maute group, ISIS-PH to list of foreign terrorists

Security analyst Rommel Banlaoi identified the 23 groups as follows:

1. Ansar Dawlah Fi Filibbin (ADFF)

2. Rajah Solaiman Islamic Movement (RSIM)

3. Al Warakarul Islamiyah Battalion

4. Jama'at Ansar Khilafa

5. Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF)

6. Ansharul Khilafa Philippines Battalion

7. Bangsamoro Justice Movement

8. Khilafa Islamiya Mindanao (KIM)

9. Abu Sayyaf Group (Hapilon faction)

10. Syuful Khilafa Fi Luzon

11. Jama'atul Tawheed Wal Jihad (IS Lanao in Butig)

12. Ma'rakah Al-Ansar Battalion

13. Dawla Islamiyyah Cotabato

14. Dawlat Al Islamiya Waliyatul Masrik

15. Ansar Al-Shariah Battalion

16. Jamaah Al-Tawhid wal Jihad Philippines

17. Jundul-Tawhid Battalion (ASG Sulu)

18. Abu Dujanah Battalion

19. Abu Khubayn Battalion

20. Jundallah Battalion

21. Abu Sadr Battalion

22. Jamaah Al Muhajirin Wal Anshor (Philipina)

23. Islamic State of Marawi

Banlaoi said most of these groups are based in Mindanao.

"We are trying to confirm the veracity of that information. Yesterday, informal reports came in regarding the matter and I referred it to our intelligence community and operations and people on the ground. We are trying to confirm that," said military spokesman BGen. Bienvenido Datuin in an ambush interview.

But the military admitted that after the Marawi Seige ended in October 2017, remnants of the ISIS-inspired Maute Group are now trying to recover by recruiting, reorganizing and retraining to rebuild their losses during the five-month-war.

"We are not discounting the possibility that they plan another attack. That's what we are trying to preempt," said Datuin.

Metro Manila, a target

Two alleged high-profile ISIS-affiliated personalities were arrested in Metro Manila in a month, Tunisian Fehmi Lassoued and Maute Group Sub-leader Nasser Lomondot.

RELATED: PNP, AFP arrest suspected foreign terrorist in Manila

RELATED: Suspected Maute sub-leader arrested in Tondo - NCRPO chief

With their arrest, authorities are not discounting the possibility that terror groups are planning an attack in Metro Manila.

In fact, in a leaked confidential memorandum from the Philippine National Police in Region 10, Manila is among the six areas that are allegedly targets of 'ISIS bombers'.

"Their targets are the populated areas, malls, and plazas. Cities mentioned are Zamboanga, Davao, Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, CDO, and cities of Northern and Southern Luzon," the document stated citing a text message received by the regional intelligence office.

The PNP confirmed the authenticity of the document but it's content is still subject for validation.

"The document is authentic. It really came from R2 of PRO 10, yung intelligence. However, the contents of that document requesting for validation is yet to be validated," said Philippine National Police (PNP) Spokesman CSupt. John Bulalacao in a phone interview.

Bulalacao said PNP Region 10 has already launched an investigation saying that whoever leaked the document will be met with administrative cases.

Bulalacao advised the public to refrain from circulating or sharing the documents in social media so avoid public panic.

Post-Marawi analysis

Jasminder Singh of Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Nanyang Technological University in Singapore said millions of dollars looted in Marawi City are "being used for recruitment."

Singh added that ISIS-inspired groups are already planning their next move, with new cells emerging in other parts of Mindanao like Jolo, Cotabato, and Basilan.

Singh and Banlaoi also noted that some leaders of ISIS-inspired groups are still alive:

1. Abu Dar - the alleged leader of ISIS in Southeast Asia replacing Isnilon Hapilon.

2. Amin Baco - the Malaysian who worked with the Abu Sayyaf Group and notorious terrorists like Zulkifli Bin Hir alias Marwan.

3. Abu Turaifie - leader of a break-away group of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

4. Mauwiyah - a Singaporean-Indian who is known to be one of the longest staying foreign terrorists in Mindanao.

"The remaining jihadists of ISIS Philippines are still propagating the ideology of ISIS and they are taking advantage of the existing grievances of people in Mindanao," said Banlaoi.

The alleged new Emir of ISIS in the Philippines and Southeast Asia Abu Dar is said to be staying in Pagayawan town in Lanao Del Sur.

Assemblyman Zia Alonto Adiong, the spokesman of the provincial government of Lanao Del Sur said the presence of remnants of terror groups in the province threatens the efforts to stabilize the peace and order situation and rehabilitation efforts for Marawi City.

With this, they are continuously working with the security sector to flush-out terror groups in their area.

"The idea really is one: identify areas where these terrorist organizations are possibly hiding; number two is to remove possible mass base support; and number three is to entice all mayors, LGUs in the province to work closely with our security sector," Adiong said in a video statement.

The military, however, assured that they are on top of the situation as they monitor the movements of these groups.

Authorities also ask for the public's vigilance to quell threats posed by terror groups in the Philippines.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 7)  President Rodrigo Duterte said the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is looking into his controversial war on drugs, has no power over him.

"You cannot acquire jurisdiction over me, not in a million years," he said in a Tuesday speech in Malacanang. "Kaya hindi ko sinasagot [That's why I don't answer them]."

The President's statement came after the ICC announced on Feb. 8 that it will begin a preliminary examination to determine if an investigation is needed.

Read: Int'l Criminal Court to begin preliminary examination on PH killings

The preliminary examination is not an investigation, the ICC said, but a process to see if there is basis to proceed with an investigation.

The President's statement is also a complete turnaround from Feb. 10, when he said he welcomed the ICC probe and that he would speak to an ICC representative one-on-one.

Read: Duterte welcomes ICC probe: If you find me guilty, so be it

"Find me guilty, of course, you can do that," he said. "I do not want imprisonment. I said, 'I beg of you to find a country where they execute.'"

However, Duterte threatened to withdraw from the ICC due to the body's alleged lack of fairness.

"Karaming massacre diyan ngayon. In all parts of Asia... ako pa 'yung gusto ninyong tirahin [There are so many massacres now in all parts of Asia and you want to target me]," he said. "You better clear that up because I will withdraw from the ICC."

The Philippines is a state party to the ICC, the "court of last resort," which complements national courts.

It handles what it defines as "the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole," including crimes against humanity, but it can only investigate if the Philippines does not or "is unwilling or unable" to probe the crimes.

The Duterte administration has been subject to international scrutiny over the supposed high death toll in its brutal war on drugs.

While government data show that those killed in such operations have reached only 4,000, rights group claim the number has gone as high as 13,000.

The ICC is looking into the drug war after Jude Sabio filed a communication in April 2017.

Read: Lawyer asks international court to look into 'mass murder' in PH

Sabio is the lawyer of self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato, who said he killed people in Davao City upon the orders of then-Mayor Duterte.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, two of Duterte's fiercest critics, likewise filed a supplemental complaint against Duterte at the ICC in June 2017.

Read: Trillanes, Alejano urge international court to look into Duterte's drug warMetro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 6)  Five people died after a bunkhouse of a construction firm collapsed in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City early Tuesday morning.

The casualties were confirmed by the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO). Meanwhile, four people were seriously injured, seven had slight injuries, while 44 others had minor bruises and scratches.

The victims were rushed to the Cebu City Medical Center for treatment.

The CDRRMO identified the fatalities as:

Iveen Villarin - 23 years old

Francisco Diapera - 45 years old

Carlos Caliwa - 60 years old

Crisenciano Silomen - 57 years old

Jason Bacalso - 22 years old

About 154 people were sleeping inside the steel bunkhouse of Abraham Lee Construction on Archbishop Avenue when it collapsed, according to CDRRMO Council Chief Nagiel Banacia.

"Sabi ng mga kapitbahay dito, it's almost two years na, ito ang central temporary facility ng construction firm that is constructing five high-rise buildings in Cebu City," Banacia told CNN Philippines.

[Translation: Neighbors say it's been two years since the place has been a temporary facility of the construction firm, which is building five high-rise buildings in Cebu City.]

Banacia added the Department of Labor and Employment regional office, and the Office of the Building Official, are looking into Abraham Lee Construction's liability in the incident.

The company's project engineer Butch Abaya said the bunker house could accommodate up to 200 workers, and they wondered why it had collapsed with only about a hundred workers occupying it.

He said they are also investigating cause of the incident.

Abaya added the company will shoulder the expenses of all the victims and the affected workers.

He added Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena promised to help the victims of the collapse.

Abraham Lee Construction released a statement Tuesday evening saying they were very saddened by the unfortunate incident and are prioritizing attending to those injured.

"We have provided assistance to their families and the other workers not hurt; as well as special care and arrangements for the fatalities and their families," the statement said.

They added they were taking full responsibility for the incident, and are calling for a review of their safety policy and practices.

The story was updated to include the names of the fatalities and the statement of Abraham Lee Construction.

This is a developing story. Please refresh the page for updates.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 6)  The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on Tuesday downgraded the status of the Mayon Volcano from alert level 4 to 3.

It said there is a decreased tendency toward a hazardous eruption and thus, there is no imminent threat.

The PHIVOLCS lowered the alert level because there was a general decline in the volcano's unrest in the past week.

Although the alert level has been downgraded, the PHIVOLCS said it does not mean the unrest has stopped. Mayon Volcano can be expected to continue generating volcanic earthquakes and steam-driven explosions.

It said entry to the six-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ) and the extended seven-kilometer is still prohibited.

The Mayon Volcano in Albay had a steam-driven ash eruption on January 13, which prompted the immediate evacuation of residents within the PDZ. Alert level 4 was raised on January 22.

President Rodrigo Duterte on January 29 handed over P20 million in initial funding to Albay Governor Al Francis Bichara to help the evacuees.(CNN)  Police in southwest England say two people are in critical condition and are being treated "for suspected exposure to an unknown substance."

One of the victims is a former Russian spy, the UK's national broadcaster said.

The BBC is naming the man, who is in his 60s, as former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, who was granted refuge in the UK following a "spy swap" between the U.S. and Russia in 2010.

At a press conference Monday evening, Wiltshire police said the two people  a man in his 60s and a woman in her 30s  had been found unconscious on a bench at a shopping center in Salisbury. The pair were known to one another.

Neither of the individuals involved has been named by the UK Home Office, Wiltshire Police or Salisbury Hospital.

Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden said that police are retaining an open mind on what caused the injuries and are working with partners to prioritize the couple's diagnosis.

Holden said that the incident is not being treated as a terrorism incident and urged people not to speculate.

He said that police do not believe that there is any risk to the wider public, emphasizing that police will "continue to retain an open mind and will continue to review this position."

Developing story... more to come.

This story was first published on cnn.com, "Man who may be former Russian spy is exposed to substance, critically hurt."Washington (CNN)  Wreckage from the USS Lexington  a U.S. aircraft carrier sunk by the Japanese during World War II  has been discovered 500 miles off the Australian coast by a team of explorers led by billionaire Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder announced on Monday.

One of the first U.S. aircraft carriers ever built, the vessel dubbed "Lady Lex" was located at the bottom of the Coral Sea  nearly two miles below the surface  by the expedition crew of Research Vessel Petrel on Sunday, Allen said.

The Lexington was lost in May 1942 along with 216 of its crew and 35 aircraft during what is considered the first carrier battle in history  the Battle of the Coral Sea.

"To pay tribute to the USS Lexington and the brave men that served on her is an honor," Allen said in a statement. "As Americans, all of us owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who served and who continue to serve our country for their courage, persistence and sacrifice."

Along with the USS Yorktown, the Lexington and its fleet faced off against three Japanese aircraft carriers and is credited with helping to stop Japan's advances on New Guinea and Australia.

The battle occurred just one month before the U.S. Navy "surprised Japanese forces at the Battle of Midway and turned the tide of the war in the Pacific for good," according to Allen.

"The Battle of the Coral Sea was notable not only for stopping a Japanese advance but because it was the first naval engagement in history where opposing ships never came within sight of each other," read the statement from Allen.

U.S. ships were able to rescue more than 2,000 sailors before the Lexington ultimately sank from the damage sustained from a bombardment of Japanese torpedoes.

"As the son of a survivor of the USS Lexington, I offer my congratulations to Paul Allen and the expedition crew of Research Vessel (R/V) Petrel for locating the "Lady Lex," sunk nearly 76 years ago at the Battle of Coral Sea," Navy Adm. Harry B. Harris of U.S. Pacific Command said Monday in a statement.

"We honor the valor and sacrifice of the 'Lady Lex's' sailors  all those Americans who fought in World War II  by continuing to secure the freedoms they won for all of us," he said.

CNN's Barbara Starr contributed reporting.(CNN)  North Korea is willing to talk to the United States about giving up its nuclear weapons, South Korea said Tuesday, in a remarkable development that followed unprecedented meetings in Pyongyang.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has also agreed to refrain from conducting nuclear and missile tests while engaging in dialogue with South Korea, Seoul's national security chief Chung Eui-yong said after returning from talks with Kim.

Chung said Pyongyang expressed willingness to talk to the United States "in an open-ended dialogue to discuss the issue of denuclearization and to normalize relations with North Korea."

North Korea clarified that it had no reason to retain nuclear weapons if "the military threat to North Korea is resolved" and the country's security can be guaranteed, Chung said.

It's a startling statement from a nation that only months ago declared it could wipe the United States off the face of the Earth and comes just hours after the five top South Korean government officials spoke with the young North Korean leader.

Monday's meeting is believed to be the first time Kim has ever talked face-to-face with any officials from Seoul since taking power in 2011.

Key developments:

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim will meet for a summit at the demilitarized zone that divides the two Koreas in April, Chung said

The two sides will open a hotline so the leaders could communicate directly with each other, according to Chung.

U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in on the developments on Twitter, saying "the world is watching and waiting!"

The Trump administration has often said it's willing to negotiate with North Korea if it puts denuclearization on the table.

"The fixed policy of the United States of America is that we are going to continue with all options on the table to bring intensifying economic and diplomatic pressure to bear until North Korea, once and for all, completely and verifiably abandons its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program," U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said last month after visiting South Korea.

Chung will head to the United States later this week to brief his American counterparts on his meeting in Pyongyang, a spokesman for Moon's office said.

A win for Moon

The announcement represents a significant diplomatic accomplishment for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who used the Winter Olympic Games to engineer a thaw in relations with the North that had previously seemed a distant prospect following a string of North Korean weapons tests and rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim.

Moon, who was elected last year after his conservative predecessor was ousted in a corruption scandal, has been proponent of dialogue and engagement with North Korea since his days as a presidential aide to the former President Roh Moo-hyun.

He's since had difficult job of playing interlocutor between a North Korean regime that last year appeared determined to advance its nuclear weapons program and an administration in Washington that believes Pyongyang's development of a long-range ballistic missile potentially capable of hitting the U.S. homeland with a nuclear warhead constitutes an unacceptable risk.

But the detente brought about by the Olympic diplomacy offered Moon an opportunity to dispatch Chung and four other top government officials, including South Korean spy chief Suh Hoon, to Pyongyang Monday, where they met with Kim and some of his top aides, including his sister, Kim Yo Jong.

Suh's inclusion in the South Korean delegation kicked off speculation that the two sides were planning another summit, as he was a key figure who helped organize the first two inter-Korean summits in the 2000s.

The April summit will take place at Panmunjom Peace House on the South Korean side of the demilitarized zone that divides the two countries, according to Chung.

The last inter-Korean summit was in 2007, when South Korean President Roh met Kim's father, late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

'Something to work with'

Though surprising, the statements from North Korea aren't a complete u-turn.

Pyongyang has long maintained its development of nuclear weapons is a response to what it calls the U.S. "hostile policy" toward the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as the country is officially known.

"To some extent, this is a reiteration of something the North Koreans have said, that Kim Jong Un has said. But context and timing matters, and this opens up the opportunity for more diplomacy," said John Delury, a professor at Yonsei University's Graduate School of International Relations in Seoul.

A top North Korean diplomat at the United Nations said in October his country would not put nuclear weapons on the negotiating table "unless the hostile policy and the nuclear threat of the US is thoroughly eradicated."

Duyeon Kim, a senior research fellow at the Korean Peninsula Future Forum in Seoul, told CNN it was now up to negotiators to seize on the opportunity presented by the summit and potential talks with the U.S.

"Pyongyang's intention to denuclearize and refrain from testing during talks simply reiterates its longstanding position in principle, (they) are conditional statements and dubious, but saying them publicly nevertheless give Washington and Seoul something to work with. That's where good negotiations come in," she said in an email.

The U.S. and South Korea had postponed joint military exercises, which Pyongyang views as hostile, during the Winter Olympics but the drills had been expected to resume after the Paralympics end later this month. It's not clear whether Tuesday's developments will alter that.

During his Tuesday meeting, Kim told the South Korean delegation he "understands" Seoul's position on the drills.

"Our stance on the joint military drills is that it is hard to postpone the exercises again or suspend them and there is no justification for doing so. But Kim said that he understands the South's stance," an official in President Moon's administration said.

This story was first published on cnn.com, "North Korea willing to talk to US about giving up nuclear weapons, Seoul says."



1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

18. Gain control of all student newspapers.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand.

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems.

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike.Standing outside the court in Port Vila after their sentencing in August 2017. (File photo)Videos

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.Now lets compare that to Trump



Grabs women by the pussy - On tape

Kisses women before getting consent - On tape

Take the guns first then go to court - On Tape

Lied about the size of his EC victory - On tape

Said he wouldnt have time to play golf if elected - On Tape

Refused to release tax returns - On record

Refuses to enforce sanctions on Russia that Congress approved - On record



I could go on and on but Im sure you get the point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

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For more than 3 hours, 50 or more Azerbaijani servicemen have blocked the interstate road

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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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The United States Welcomes Azerbaijans Release of Armenian Detainees and Armenias Actions to Facilitate Demining

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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

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International election observers to Armenias early parliamentary elections held press conference

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The European Union in Armenia calls all parties to contribute to a peaceful Election Day to celebrate democracy

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PACE to observe the early parliamentary elections in ArmeniaLegitimacy of President to remain vague (video)

The election of Armen Sargsyan once again violated the RA Constitution, since the public did not receive guarantees in the matter of citizenship of the newly elected President, and was it right only the Parliament to elect him? "We again got the situation when a man, whose legitimacy is under a huge question, is going to sit down at the negotiating table," said linguist Narine Dilbaryan. According to the speaker, it is not clear why Armen Sargsyan agreed to become the President of the Republic of Armenia, what mission he will have, and which forces will take advantage of this, but it is clear that he is a diplomat of deep "Oriental style". Former deputy Minister of National Security Gurgen Yeghiazaryan believed that Armen Sargsyan is the most successful candidate for the post of the president of Armenia purely because of his external invulnerability - professional experience, intellect and internal character. "A terrible thing happened. We have not had a settled president. The question of his legitimacy will remain vague. Under this Constitution, we will have a president who is not responsible for anything, does not have to do anything. But you can make it so that at least it's legitimate," he said. The speaker also noted that being a good diplomat, Armen Sargsyan in his time did not defend Armenia's interests in the UK. "He brought Prince Charles to Armenia, but less than a year later, Charles went to the 100th anniversary of Gallipol. If there was such a close relationship with this royal family, as mentioned during his visit, then at least it should not be admitted that Charles went to Turkey on the 100th anniversary of the Genocide," said Gurgen Yeghiazaryan.David Harutyunyan presents changes in structure of Government (video)

Today, at the extraordinary session of the National Assembly convened by the Government, Justice Minister David Harutyunyan presented the changes taken place in the structure of the Government, noting that there would be three deputy ministers, 17 ministries, the Prime Minister would resign in case of losing citizenship, Government meetings would be held in private, despite the fact that the agenda on the previous day should be presented on the website of the executive body: "The bodies of state ceremony, control and defense were added to the structure of the Government." The deputy from the HHK (Republican Party of ARmenia) faction Samvel Farmanyan, addressing the question to him, noted that in the case of a member of the Constitutional Court, a member of the Supreme Court and many other cases, the oath ceremony would be removed "It is also pointless, I think, that by law, the ministerial statements are in tune with the policy of the Government, without the consent of the Prime Minister, ministers will not make statements, this should be assumed on the basis of political culture. Also, it is not necessary for each department head to send a message. This is a characteristic feature of the leader. " "While it has not yet become an element of political culture, it must be enshrined in law. Political consent will not be left to the political culture, but we will establish it by law, since we have coalitions," said David Harutyunyan. The MP from the Yelk (Way Out) Mane Tandilyan in her turn appealed to the closed meetings of the Government. "What is the purpose of this? Do not say that it implies democracy or discussion; on this logic we should close also the NA sittings. We also removed the Ministry of International Integration and Reforms, and the Ministry of Diaspora remained it. Why? It could only be management. " "There is a significant difference between legislative and executive bodies. The executive works on the principle of collective responsibility, this is due to closed doors. And this is considered democratic in the case of the executive body, in contrast to the National Assembly, in which case it would be anti-democratic. The change in the composition of ministries is a matter of political expediency, due to the way the Government represents its work in terms of more effective organization," said David Harutyunyan. Mane Tandilyan noted "Collective responsibility is formed before the meeting of the Government, meanwhile the meetings, hold in private, thus limit the transparency of the coverage and the work of the media." "Previously, the Government's meetings were more debatable and stormy than now," the Minister said. The question of the secretary of the Yelk faction Gevorg Gorgisyan related to the ceremonial service "Is not the ceremonial service of the National Assembly supposedly to be dissolved in this case? My other question is: if the Prime Minister betrays, how will the NSS and the Police, who are subordinate to the Prime Minister, behave in that case? " "You are right, yes, this is my omission, it is necessary to change this part of the National Assembly and dissolve it. As for the betrayal of the Prime Minister, the National Security Service and the Police are services, they are independent, do not participate in political decisions," replied the Minister.Tevan Poghosyan: If Armenia can properly negotiate, it will be able to avoid the impact of the stations (video)

A few days ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that any use of nuclear weapons against Russia and its allies would be considered a nuclear attack, followed immediately by an answer. "There is a pre-election period in Russia, and everyone should present their successes," said former MP Tevan Poghosyan. Commenting on this statement, he believed that the head of the Russian Federation had not recorded any serious successes in other areasand only focusing on the most powerful arms industry remained. According to Poghosyan, the tightening of sanctions against Russia would continue, and Vladimir Putin would try to seek allies in Europe, for example, in the person of Berlusconi: "If Armenia can properly negotiate, it will be able to avoid the impact of the stations," he said. Political scientist Suren Sargsyan was of the opinion that if, due to the acquisition of weapons from Russia, the US applied sanctions against Armenia, it would violate the balance of armed forces and weapons in the region, and that was an extremely dangerous phenomenon and was in the interests of Azerbaijan.Facebook rejects algorithm of dividing news

Facebook rejected the idea of creating two separate parts that would divide news. The management of the social network decided to cancel the new site algorithm, which was tested in 6 countries. In the list of these countries, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Bolivia, Guatemala and Serbia. Armenia was not on the list of these countries. To remind, the decision of the social network on the division of news into two separate parts raised a large wave of indignation among users. "During the interviews, people said that they were dissatisfied with the information they received on Facebook, and the new change did not help friendly communication," Adam Moser, newsman of the news on Facebook, told the "New York Times" the other day. He also noted that from the countries where the tests took place, received many critical letters that the new social network policy was the cause of misinformation. Even if Facebook did not test the new algorithm in Armenia, the information flow has been limited since January of this year. What damage caused the quantitative decrease in the availability of Facebook news, Samvel Martirosyan, media expert, tried to clarify. "The algorithm has started serious changes since January, therefore there is no updated data yet. The data will be in about two weeks. Of course, it can be seen that there is some traffic decline, but final conclusions are still difficult to make," the expert said. Commenting on this kind of Facebook policy, the latter stressed that that was done because news was boring people. "For this, they had two solutions. Divide the news into two parts, which did not help. Therefore, everything is going to reduce the news tape," added Samvel Martirosyan. Recall that in January, Facebook applied a new algorithm for the department "News", according to which, users on their wall see more publications of friends than news sites.Nikol Pashinyan: I do not want this to continue (video)

The head of the Yelk (Way Out) faction of the National Assembly Nikol Pashinyan is ready to be the leader of the people if they do not want Serzh Sargsyan to head the country since April as Prime Minister. In fact, Serzh Sargsyan will head the country for the third time, as Armenia moves to the parliamentary administration and powers pass to the Prime Minister. Will the citizens join Nikol Pashinyan? "I do not want this to continue, my nation is being destroyed, I do not want it to be worse than now, even if it happens, we will not lose anything, we will lose nothing, to tell the truth I do not believe in medicine, when they say go and take the medicine; I do not wantthis medicine, why should I drink it? Here it is the same," said one of the citizens. Being against Serzh Sargsyan becoming Prime Minister, many will not take part in the protests, because they are not sure of success. Optimists are also many. They will take part, because they want to see a positive change. Yesterday, at a meeting with civil activists, Nikol Pashinyan described the transfer of the Prime Minister's election from May 2 to April 17 as a clear hint from the party that it was Serzh Sargsyan who will be the head of the Republican faction. Nikol Pashinyan is convinced that it is possible to prevent Serzh Sargsyan from staying in power if people join their indignation, which will begin on April 9.Iran said Sunday that claims Bahrain had arrested a 116-member "terrorist cell" trained by Iran were "baseless".

(AhlulBayt News Agency) - Iran said Sunday that claims Bahrain had arrested a 116-member "terrorist cell" trained by Iran were "baseless".



"Pinning the blame on others and repeating outdated scenarios and baseless accusations against others will not help the Bahraini government resolve its problems with its citizens," said foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi on the ministry's website.



"We once again advise Bahraini officials to prepare the ground for engagement and dialogue with their own people instead of beefing up security and police arrangements," he added.



Bahrain's authorities claimed on Saturday that 116 people had been arrested on suspicion of links to Iran's Revolutionary Guards military force.



According to its official BNA news agency, the cell was accused of receiving training in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon.









/129The Iranian Cultural Center in Thailand plans to organize a new round of dialogue between Islam and Buddhism in the South East Asian country.

(AhlulBayt News Agency) - The Iranian Cultural Center in Thailand plans to organize a new round of dialogue between Islam and Buddhism in the South East Asian country.



According to the website of the Islamic Culture and Relation Organization (ICRO), scholars and thinkers from Thailand, Iran, Sri Lanka and Myanmar will take part in the program.



It will be held on March 15-16 in cooperation with the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.



The main themes of discussion at the event will include understanding, religious tolerance, and peaceful coexistence.



It is aimed at promoting awareness among religious leaders and scholars of the two sides about one anothers beliefs and moral values.



Irans ambassador to Thailand, the southeast Asian countrys deputy culture minister, representative of Thailands top Muslim cleric, and chancellor of Chulalongkorn University will be among the participants at this round of Islam-Buddhism dialogue.



The previous edition of the interfaith program was held in 2015 in Tehran.









/129Boycott Divestment Sanctions Campaign Thailand and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) Thailand are welcoming the decision by Kasetsart University in Bangkok and the International Center for Research and Development (ICRD) to end all ties with Israeli settlement university Ariel for the upcoming International Conference on Gender & Womens Studies.

(AhlulBayt News Agency) - The BDS (Boycott Divestment Sanctions) Campaign Thailand and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) Thailand are welcoming the decision by Kasetsart University in Bangkok and the International Center for Research and Development (ICRD) to end all ties with Israeli settlement university Ariel for the upcoming International Conference on Gender & Womens Studies.



BDS Campaign Thailand and PSC Thailand were informed a few weeks ago by some academics that Ariel University was a partner of the conference planned for 29th June to 30th June 2018 at the Kasetsart University.



In addition to this official partnership, Professor Mally Shechory-Bitton, Vice Rector, Head of the Criminology Department of Ariel University, was announced as the Academic Chair of the Conference and also as the main Keynote Speaker and a member of the International Scientific Committee of the conference.



With the support of the academics and the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), BDS Campaign Thailand and PSC Thailand contacted the Kasetsart University authorities and the International Center for Research and Development (ICRD) to ask them to withdraw from the Ariel University partnership and to revoke the invitation to Professor Mally Shechory-Bitton. The BDS movement targets institutions over their complicity in Israels oppression of Palestinians, not individuals. In the case of Professor Mally Shechory-Bitton, the call to withdraw her invitation was warranted due to her role as a representative of a settler-colonial college engaged in grave violations of international law.



BDS Campaign Thailand and PSC Thailand raised the fact that Ariel University is an Israeli University located in an illegal Israeli colonial settlement in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and hence built on stolen Palestinian land. According to international law, the transfer of population from the occupying state into the occupied territory and the creation of settlements constitute a war crime. Israeli settlements have repeatedly been declared illegal in international law by United Nations institutions such as the Security Council, the General Assembly and the International Court of Justice. Providing a venue to an event organized, even partly, by a settler university involved in war crimes would have implicated the Kasetsart University and the ICRD and deeply harmed their reputation.



After an exchange of emails and letters, Kasetsart University and ICRD have decided to cancel the Ariel University partnership and the invitation to Professor Mally Shechory-Bitton. This wise decision has been taken promptly and is in line with International Law and the position of the State of Thailand that has constantly voted for the UN resolutions declaring illegal the Israeli settlements and has recognized Palestine as a sovereign State.









/129A total of 91 Iraqi civilians were killed and another 208 injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in February 2018.

(AhlulBayt News Agency) - A total of 91 Iraqi civilians were killed and another 208 injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in February 2018, according to casualty figures recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).



The figures include ordinary civilians and others who can be considered civilian at the time of death or injury - police in non-combat function, civil defence, Personal Security Details, facilities protection police, and fire department personnel, a UNIC-Tehran press release reported on Tuesday.



Of the overall figures for February, the number of civilians killed (not including police) was 86, while the number of injured (not including police) was 202.



Baghdad was the worst affected Governorate, with 195 civilian casualties (49 killed, 146 injured). Anbar Governorate followed, with 14 killed and 37 injured, and Diyala had 12 killed and 11 injured.



UNAMI said it has been hindered in effectively verifying casualties in conflict areas; in some cases, UNAMI could only partially verify certain incidents.



For these reasons, the figures reported have to be considered as the absolute minimum, the UN agency said.









/129The family of Ahmed Attia reported that his health has been deteriorated since his deportation to Saudi Arabia, adding that he lost his memory due to torture, Bahrain's Lualua television network reported Tuesday.



(AhlulBayt News Agency) - Bahraini sources say an activist, who had been deported recently to Saudi Arabia, has lost his memory after he was subjected to torture in the kingdoms prisons.



The family of Ahmed Attia reported that his health has been deteriorated since his deportation to Saudi Arabia, adding that he lost his memory due to torture, Bahrain's Lualua television network reported Tuesday.



Sources in Attias family also expressed fears for his life after they met him on Sunday for the first time since his deportation and found that his health is getting worse.



The Bahraini regime had deported Attia to Saudi Arabia about two months ago after being charged in a political case. He was directly transferred to Saudi Arabia's notorious prison of Dammam.



Attia was born to a Saudi father, who is deceased, and a Bahraini mother. He lived his whole life in Bahrain where he got married and has a daughter, but the Bahraini authorities refused to grant him the nationality.



Thousands of anti-regime protesters have held demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the country in mid-February 2011.



They are demanding that the Al Khalifah regime relinquish power and allow a just system representing all Bahrainis to be established.



Manama has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any sign of dissent. On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to assist Bahrain in its crackdown.



Scores of people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries or got arrested as a result of the Al Khalifah regimes crackdown.







/257President Tran Dai Quang and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Source: VNA)



During his stay in India from March 2nd-4th, President Quang held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and met with Indias President Ram Nath Kovind.

He also had meetings with Speaker of the Lower House of India's Parliament Sumitra Mahajan, Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, and leaders of political parties and the Vietnam-India Friendship Association.

The President attended the Vietnam-India Business Forum and cut the ribbon to launch the Vietnamese cultural days in India programme.

He paid floral tribute to India's national hero Mahatma Gandhi at the Raj Ghat Memorial and visited the eastern Indianstate of Bihar.

President Quang also talked with nearly 300 Indian politicians, professors, researchers, scholars and students at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, President Quangs visit to Bangladesh from March 4th-6th took place at a time when the two countries were celebrating the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

While in Bangladesh, he held talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and met with Bangladeshs President Abdul Hamid.

He also had meetings with the Speaker of the Parliament of Bangladesh and the Chairman of the Bangladesh Workers' Party, and attended the opening ceremony of the Vietnamese cultural days in Bangladesh program./.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Photo taken on March 5, 2018 shows the scene of a plenary meeting of deputies from Liaoning Province at the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China. The meeting was opened to media on Monday. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]by Maria Spiliopoulou

ATHENS, March 5 Xinhua) -- Greeks queued at Herakleidon museum opposite the Acropolis hill in Athens this weekend to participate in a workshop aimed to introduce them to Chinese writing and culture.

"Let's write Chinese" read the museum's open invitation to the Greek audience and hundreds of people of all ages and professions expressed interest to pick up the brush and ink and try to structure Chinese characters on rice paper.

Professor of History Jing Ling, a Chinese living in Greece for many years who speaks fluently the Greek language, taught the participants some of the basic strokes and guided them through the history of the Chinese writing system and calligraphy, one of the quintessence of Chinese culture.

The goal of the educational workshop which was held for first time at Herakleidon museum free of charge on Saturday was to provide one more opportunity to Greeks to get to know a different way of thinking, another philosophy and culture and search for similarities between the two ancient civilizations, Jing Ling told Xinhua.

"It is the first time I am doing this kind of workshop. It is not to teach Greeks the art of calligraphy or give a Chinese language lesson. Through the Chinese characters and the brush I wanted to let people understand that the two countries are different, but there is fertile ground for communication," she explained.

As the interaction between the Chinese and Greek people is flourishing in recent years thanks to the deepening cooperation between the two governments and many enterprises in numerous sectors, more and more Greeks are intrigued to get acquainted with Chinese mentality, culture and life style.

The "students", teenagers and white-haired museum visitors alike, "bombarded" Jing Ling with questions, asking her to show them how to write in Chinese "man", "woman", "sun", "tiger", "beauty" and "love."

Stratos Diamantis, a musician, and Fani Kalogeropoulou, were initially discouraged by the complexity of some characters and writing with the brush, but by the end of the workshop they were eager to learn more.

"It was a great experience. It is the first time I am trying out something like this. It was very difficult trying to control the ink. It was exciting hearing about the symbolisms and the meanings behind the characters and ideograms," Diamantis told Xinhua.

"It was marvelous. We discovered another mentality. We realized how other people are seeing the world. It was very interesting," Kalogeropoulou said.

Loukia Konstantinou, a visual artist, was also among the participants in Saturday's event. Later in March she will assume the role of the "teacher" introducing in a similar workshop Greeks to Chinese painting.

"It was excellent. It was a unique experience as people were introduced to Chinese philosophy through the characters," she commented.

Herakleidon Museum, a privately-funded and non-profit organization, which has been bringing art, education, and culture to the Greek public since 2004, has organized a long series of similar events to introduce Greeks to Chinese culture this spring, according to Maria Romaniou, the museum's head of educational programs.

The activities are held as Herakleidon museum hosts from Sept. 23, 2017 running to April 29, 2018 an exhibition of ancient Chinese science and technology.

The exhibition "Ancient Chinese Science and Technology" is for the first time hosted in Greece as part of the Greece-China 2017 Year of Cultural Exchanges and Cooperation in Creative Industries.

2

1

[ Editor: meng ]ABUJA, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria will check the spread of Lassa fever across the country with a vaccine, health minister Isaac Adewole said on Monday.

Adewole said the vaccine will soon be received by Nigeria, but declined to give details of where it is coming from.

"We are doing everything possible to fight and address the outbreak of Lassa fever on all fronts," the minister told reporters in Abuja.

Nigeria's Lassa fever outbreak reached a record high last week, resulting in 72 deaths and 317 laboratory-confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The acute viral hemorrhagic fever has been reported in 18 states since the first case was detected on Jan. 1.

Three southern states, Edo, Ondo, and Ebonyi, have been the most affected, reporting 85 percent of the cases, the WHO said, quoting the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC).

Humans usually become infected with the Lassa virus from exposure to urine or feces of infected mastomys rats. Other than common preventive measures such as washing hands regularly, the WHO is also recommending keeping cats.

Lassa fever is endemic to several west African countries. Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone also reported cases in the past month.

Related News

Xinhuanet

Nigeria says to tackle Lassa fever outbreak with vaccine: official

Source: Xinhua2018-03-06 04:01:41

ABUJA, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria will check the spread of Lassa fever across the country with a vaccine, health minister Isaac Adewole said on Monday.

Adewole said the vaccine will soon be received by Nigeria, but declined to give details of where it is coming from.

"We are doing everything possible to fight and address the outbreak of Lassa fever on all fronts," the minister told reporters in Abuja.

Nigeria's Lassa fever outbreak reached a record high last week, resulting in 72 deaths and 317 laboratory-confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The acute viral hemorrhagic fever has been reported in 18 states since the first case was detected on Jan. 1.

Three southern states, Edo, Ondo, and Ebonyi, have been the most affected, reporting 85 percent of the cases, the WHO said, quoting the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC).

Humans usually become infected with the Lassa virus from exposure to urine or feces of infected mastomys rats. Other than common preventive measures such as washing hands regularly, the WHO is also recommending keeping cats.

Lassa fever is endemic to several west African countries. Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone also reported cases in the past month.

[ Editor: meng ]GENEVA, March 5 (Xinhua) -- A Swiss firm and a German-based company announced on Monday they would develop Europe's first national drone traffic management system in Switzerland.

Skyguide, the Swiss air navigation service provider, and AirMap, a German-based airspace management platform for drones, made the announcement in a joint release in Geneva.

"The system will be the first national deployment of U-space, Europe's vision for the digital infrastructure that will support safe and secure access to European skies for millions of drones," the companies said.

They said that much like the U.S. "Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM)" initiative, U-space is a collaborative effort to enable situational awareness, data exchange, and digital communication for the European drone ecosystem.

The pilot phase will start in June.

Skyguide and AirMap said they will also develop a roadmap for Swiss U-space that will set the stage for the deployment of a fully operational drone traffic management system in 2019.

The two companies said the AirMap platform provides national airspace rules for more than 20 countries and reaches more than 85 percent of the world's drones through its network.

Since 2013, drone flight requests at Skyguide have multiplied tenfold.

Switzerland is home to many drone companies and the world's first autonomous drone delivery network, located in Zurich, the press release said.

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Xinhuanet

Firms to develop Europe's 1st drone traffic control system in Switzerland

Source: Xinhua2018-03-06 03:06:29

GENEVA, March 5 (Xinhua) -- A Swiss firm and a German-based company announced on Monday they would develop Europe's first national drone traffic management system in Switzerland.

Skyguide, the Swiss air navigation service provider, and AirMap, a German-based airspace management platform for drones, made the announcement in a joint release in Geneva.

"The system will be the first national deployment of U-space, Europe's vision for the digital infrastructure that will support safe and secure access to European skies for millions of drones," the companies said.

They said that much like the U.S. "Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM)" initiative, U-space is a collaborative effort to enable situational awareness, data exchange, and digital communication for the European drone ecosystem.

The pilot phase will start in June.

Skyguide and AirMap said they will also develop a roadmap for Swiss U-space that will set the stage for the deployment of a fully operational drone traffic management system in 2019.

The two companies said the AirMap platform provides national airspace rules for more than 20 countries and reaches more than 85 percent of the world's drones through its network.

Since 2013, drone flight requests at Skyguide have multiplied tenfold.

Switzerland is home to many drone companies and the world's first autonomous drone delivery network, located in Zurich, the press release said.

[ Editor: meng ]PARIS, March 5 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron made mention of the rise of anti-establishment parties in Italy's legislative election at a press conference here on Monday, saying that he takes note of a "brutal context" of the election.

"I take note that, in the world we live in, you can fight for great ideas, but you can't do that without taking into account a brutal context," Macron said.

"It's undeniable that Italy has suffered for months and months under the pressure of migration. This very strong migration pressure is a context we should keep in mind," he added.

The French president said he remained prudent about the voting results, pending Italian President Sergio Mattarella's decision to form a government as required by the constitution.

He also reiterated France's commitment to defend "a Europe that protects" amid mounting populism across European countries.

Early results showed that anti-establishment Five Star Movement and far-right League party emerged the most popular parties in Europe's third main power, giving a blow to the mainstream in a punishment vote over alarming migrant flows, security, and economic recovery.

If confirmed, no party would reach the majority required to govern alone, raising prospects of the creation of a eurosceptic coalition that may challenge Macron's recipe for Europe.

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France takes note of "brutal context "of Italy's election: Macron

Source: Xinhua2018-03-06 00:25:58

PARIS, March 5 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron made mention of the rise of anti-establishment parties in Italy's legislative election at a press conference here on Monday, saying that he takes note of a "brutal context" of the election.

"I take note that, in the world we live in, you can fight for great ideas, but you can't do that without taking into account a brutal context," Macron said.

"It's undeniable that Italy has suffered for months and months under the pressure of migration. This very strong migration pressure is a context we should keep in mind," he added.

The French president said he remained prudent about the voting results, pending Italian President Sergio Mattarella's decision to form a government as required by the constitution.

He also reiterated France's commitment to defend "a Europe that protects" amid mounting populism across European countries.

Early results showed that anti-establishment Five Star Movement and far-right League party emerged the most popular parties in Europe's third main power, giving a blow to the mainstream in a punishment vote over alarming migrant flows, security, and economic recovery.

If confirmed, no party would reach the majority required to govern alone, raising prospects of the creation of a eurosceptic coalition that may challenge Macron's recipe for Europe.

[ Editor: meng ]KIEV, March 5 (Xinhua) -- The armed conflict, which has raged in eastern Ukraine for almost four years, has claimed the lives of 138 children, a senior Ukrainian parliament official said on Monday.

"Since the start of the conflict, 138 children were killed. They fell victims to the hostilities and to the landmines explosions," Iryna Gerashchenko, the First Vice Speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, told reporters during a briefing in Ukraine's southern city of Odessa.

The government also estimated that the violence in eastern Ukraine has directly affected more than 950,000 children, with more than half of them still residing in the conflict-torn territories.

In April 2014, the Ukrainian government started a military operation against rebel militants, who seized cities and towns in eastern Donbas region and declared independence from Kiev.

The confrontation has snowballed into the violent conflict, which has killed more than 10,000 people, including over 2,500 civilians.

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Xinhuanet

138 children killed since start of conflict in E. Ukraine: official

Source: Xinhua2018-03-06 01:01:08

KIEV, March 5 (Xinhua) -- The armed conflict, which has raged in eastern Ukraine for almost four years, has claimed the lives of 138 children, a senior Ukrainian parliament official said on Monday.

"Since the start of the conflict, 138 children were killed. They fell victims to the hostilities and to the landmines explosions," Iryna Gerashchenko, the First Vice Speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, told reporters during a briefing in Ukraine's southern city of Odessa.

The government also estimated that the violence in eastern Ukraine has directly affected more than 950,000 children, with more than half of them still residing in the conflict-torn territories.

In April 2014, the Ukrainian government started a military operation against rebel militants, who seized cities and towns in eastern Donbas region and declared independence from Kiev.

The confrontation has snowballed into the violent conflict, which has killed more than 10,000 people, including over 2,500 civilians.

[ Editor: meng ]Total investment in Ukrainian IT companies reached $265 million in 2017, which is a 3.3-fold increase from 2016, according to a report of AVentures Capital after the publication of the Dealbook of Ukraine drafted in partnership with the Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (UVCA), Ukrainian business angels network UAngels and Ukraine Digital News association.

According to the study, a total of 44 deals were signed in 2017, and for 90% of the deals were deals with foreign equity funds General Catalyst, IVP, Spark and Almaz Capital) but with participation of Ukrainian investors.

The foreign capital was 96% of total investment, while in 2016 and earlier foreign and local capital's shares were almost equal.

"The total amount of investments in Ukrainian IT companies over the past five years was $630 million, including with the participation of the world's leading investors, which indicates the development and sustainability of the industry in the conditions of the country's economic and political problems," AVentures Capital Managing Partner and co-author of the Dealbook Yevhen Sysoev said.

According to the study, in 2017, Ukrainian startups attracted investment primarily from venture funds (90%), as well as angels (6%) and crowdfunding platforms (3%).

The largest deals disclosed in 2017 were $110 million of investments in Grammarly (from General Catalyst, IVP and Spark Capital), $30 million in BitFurry (from Credit China Fintech Holdings), $10 million in Petcube (from Almaz Capital, Y Combinator, AVentures Capital, U.Ventures, Digital Future and others) and $7 million in People.ai (from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Index Ventures, Shasta Ventures, Y Combinator and SV Angel).Ukraine is grateful to Sweden for its readiness to participate in the UN peacekeeping mission in Donbas, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has said.

"We are very grateful to you not only for the decision to support this initiative of Ukraine, but also as a country that has a huge experience in peacekeeping around the world, for the decision and readiness to take direct part in this operation," Poroshenko said at a meeting with Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist in Kyiv on Monday.

The head of state noted that Ukraine appreciates the role of Sweden in ensuring peace and stability in Europe and Ukraine.

Earlier, at the talks with Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak, Hultqvist announced Sweden's readiness to participate in the UN peacekeeping mission in Donbas, to prevent the conflict from becoming the "frozen" conflict.Ceasefire in Donbas should be respected and stabilized by concrete steps  German Foreign Office

The German Federal Foreign Office calls on all parties to the conflict in Donbas to take further steps to implement the Minsk agreements.

"It is an important signal that the parties to the conflict in eastern Ukraine have agreed to renew the ceasefire," a spokesman for the Federal Foreign Office said in a statement on Monday, March 5.

The statement notes that civilians in the conflict zone have to endure great suffering, especially in the winter months, so it is necessary to immediately stop the fighting and ensure a sustainable ceasefire.

"What matters now is that the ceasefire be respected and stabilized by concrete steps. These include the withdrawal of heavy weapons, the disengagement of troops and the clearing of mines," the German Federal Foreign Office said.

"We urge all parties to comply with arrangements and take further steps to implement the Minsk agreements," the report says.Representatives of the police of Ukraine and Great Britain have discussed cooperation in the field of cybersecurity and the fight against organized crime in view of the surge in crimes.

This was discussed during the meeting in London of Head of the National Police Serhiy Kniazev and Head of International Relations at National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom (NCA) Steve Reynolds and Head of the British National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU) Oliver Gower, the press service of the National Police of Ukraine reported.

"Kniazev and Reynolds agreed to deepen cooperation between law enforcement agencies of the two countries and sign a Memorandum of cooperation, and also discussed cooperation in countering certain types of crimes," the Ukrainian law enforcement agency reported.

During the meeting with the head of the Ukrainian police, the British cybercrime department official stressed the importance of joint actions in counteracting such types of crimes.

"Recently, there has been an increase in the number of Russian-speaking criminal groups operating in cyberspace in the UK, and our task is to jointly counter such crimes," Gower said.

Kniazev noted that in a few years the cyberpolice will become the basis of the entire criminal police unit.AI calls on Ukraine to investigate use of force against demonstrators near Rada on March 3

Amnesty International (AI) has called on the Ukrainian leadership to conduct a prompt and impartial investigation into events during the destruction of a tent camp near the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, early on March 3, 2018.

In a statement posted on Amnesty International Ukraine's website on Tuesday, the organization calls on Ukraine "to assess the proportionality of the use of force against armed demonstrators and investigate reports of excessive, indiscriminate and arbitrary use of force against peaceful demonstrators and journalists by employees of the National Police and the National Guard."

The organization recalls that clashes broke out between police officers and protesters during investigative actions in the tent camp near the Verkhovna Rada on March 3. As a result, more than a hundred people were detained, and at least 19 people sustained head injuries due to police actions.

"Any use of force against peaceful demonstrators and journalists, as well as disproportionate use of force against armed demonstrators, is unacceptable," reads the statement.

Amnesty International drew attention to the fact that several journalists had complained about obstruction of their professional activities and use of force against them.

"In particular, tear gas was used against journalist Serhiy Nuzhnenko when he was filming the actions of the police outside the Verkhovna Rada. A police officer came up to Serhiy Nuzhnenko from behind his back and sprayed the contents of the tear gas canister into his face. As a result, the journalist sustained eye injury. Another journalist, Bohdan Kutepov, reported that a police officer had hit him in his leg and prevented him from performing his professional duties by leading him out of the perimeter of the tent camp," the organization said.

"We urge the leadership of the state to react to the situation without delay," Amnesty International said.The Starobilsk District Court of Luhansk region, which is hearing the case of Head of the Party of Regions faction in the Verkhovna Rada of the 7th convocation Oleksandr Yefremov, has extended his term of detention until May 3, 2018, inclusive.

The ruling was made by the court at a sitting on March 5, the Ukrainian Prosecutor's General Office reported.

As reported, Yefremov on July 30, 2016 was detained on suspicion of threatening Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty in an airport in Kyiv. He is also charged with supporting the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic and the illegal acquisition of property belonging to Luhanskvuhillia.

The Starobilsk District Court of Luhansk region is currently hearing the case on charges of Yefremov in complicity with terrorists, encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine and high treason.

Yefremov is suspected of organizing the seizure of the building of Luhansk Regional State Administration in the spring 2014, supporting a foreign organization to conduct disruptive activities against Ukraine and supporting and establishing a terrorist organization - the so-called "Luhansk People's Republic."Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara (December 24, 2012 through February 23, 2014) believes that the agreement between former President Viktor Yanukovych and representatives of the opposition on the settlement of the crisis, which was signed on February 21, 2014 with the mediation of European diplomats, could have helped resolve the crisis situation in the country at the time.

"Full and unconditional implementation of the agreement could have settled the crisis situation not only within Ukraine, but also the crisis situation of Ukraine at the international level," he said on Tuesday during his interrogation as a witness in the Yanukovych treason case in the Obolonsky District Court of Kyiv.

Kozhara noted that after his resignation on February 23, he could not check how international partners were contributing to the implementation of this agreement, but before that he had been in constant contact with the then foreign ministers of Germany and Poland, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Radoslaw Sikorski.

"On their part, I heard guarantees that the EU supports and insists on the full implementation of this agreement," he said.

According to him, each participant and signatory of the document, in accordance with established practice, received a separate authentic copy of the agreement.

Kozhara also said that in accordance with the law and the provision on the Foreign Ministry, all international treaties were kept in the ministry, but at the time of his resignation from the post such a document had not been received from the Presidential Administration.

In addition, he said that on February 21, he was in contact with Yanukovych, who had long talks with the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Poland and representatives of the opposition before lunch. Then, according to the schedule, the ex-president was supposed to leave for Kharkiv to participate in a "meeting of deputies of all levels."

At the same time, the witness noted that he had had contact with Yanukovych before 18.00 on February 21.

According to him, the Foreign Ministry was not then blocked due to protests on the Maidan and he could, albeit with problems, get to the ministry and fulfill his duties as minister.

Kozhara also said he knew nothing about threats to Yanukovych's life.KYIV. March 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Patients are asking to include medicines for the treatment of glaucoma in the Affordable Medicines program, representative of the Ukrainian Society of the Blind Yaroslav Savchuk has stated.

"Now, to drip drops every day, a person needs to spend about UAH 1,000 per month. Can our usual patient, who has glaucoma, spend UAH 1,000 per month? People get blind because they do not understand the need to be treated or because there is no money for daily treatment. If the state helps such persons by lowering prices, including these drugs in the Affordable Medicines program, they could drip these drops daily and won't become burden for the state," he said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine.

"The Ukrainian society of the blind twice appealed to higher state agencies for help to include glaucoma medications in the list of available medicines, but so far the problem has not been resolved," he stressed.

Marketing and Sales Director of PJSC Farmak Susanna Khalilova, in turn, noted that preparations for the treatment of glaucoma make up half of the company's ophthalmic portfolio. At the same time, its generic drugs are more affordable than the original medicines.

"We see the experience of European countries, for example, Poland, where the reimbursement program fully covers glaucoma treatment. The state should respond to the patients' request for including these drugs in the Affordable Medicines program," she said.

At the same time, the ophthalmology expert of the Ministry of Health, Professor Oksana Vitovska, noted that ophthalmologists jointly with the medical department of the Ministry of Health prepared relevant information materials for including glaucoma in the list of nosologies under the Affordable Medicines program.

"This work is underway. Of course, no one dies from glaucoma, but patients assess the quality of their life after losing vision closer to death," she said.

According to the expert, about 20,000 new cases of glaucoma are registered in Ukraine every year.

In general, about 200,000 people in Ukraine have glaucoma.Over the past 30 years, information technology has greatly changed how we live and work, and smartphones and mobile Internet have reshaped our lives. Over the next 30 years, information technology will enable businesses and the entire world to go digital, creating incredible market space.

Therefore, Huawei is committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. We plan to invest 15 to 20 billion US dollars in research and innovation each year to make key technological breakthroughs. We also plan to invest 10 to 20 billion US dollars to improve our marketing, sales, and service system, in order to better serve our customers and build a positive industry ecosystem.

In Central Asia, which is located in the heart of the Earth, the wave of digital economy is sweeping across industries. The implementation of digital technologies enhances the efficiency of the government and helps enterprises to achieve automation and agility in operations, the development of commercial applications based on the mobile Internet will be accelerated. The digital economy is becoming a new momentum of economic transformation and growth of all countries.

Huawei has been working in Central Asia for many years and built good partnerships with all main carriers, and has become a leading ICT solutions provider in the region. The products and services we provide in Central Asia include mobile broadband (2G, 3G, 4G, and 4.5G), fixed voice and broadband services (xDSL, FTTH, etc.), backbone transmission, core switch, IPTV, and value-added services.

In order to promote the digital transformation of Central Asian countries, bring digital life into every family in Central Asia and prepare for the arrival of the intelligent society in Central Asia, Huawei will work together with the government and operators to meet challenges and go beyond traditional boundaries.

First of all, we should widen the connection through national broadband construction and eliminate the digital divide. The penetration of home broadband and mobile broadband in the Central Asia is low. The average home broadband penetration of the region is only 34%, with that in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan lower than 10%. Advanced ICT infrastructure is a booster for economic growth and the foundation of an intelligent world. Huaweis GCI report shows that 20% increase in ICT infrastructure investment can lead to 1% growth in GDP and 20% increase in productivity.

Countries in Central Asia boast a high percentage of fixed phones, which is an advantage that can be leveraged. We should reuse the existing copper wire resources and deploy Huaweis innovative end-to-end Fast-to-the-Home solutions to accelerate fixed broadband construction. There is a huge room for deployment low-cost WTTx in remote areas which has high rates and low speed of Internet access.

For example, in Mongolia, land is privately owned and nomadic families live far and wide, which leads to high costs for optical fiber deployment and slow development of home broadband. Huaweis WTTx solution helped Mongolia implement fast home broadband coverage at a low price. 10,000 home broadband users were added each month and the countrys home broadband penetration grew by 7% in 2017.

Secondly is to work with the government to strengthen the top-level design of the ICT industry. The construction of ICT infrastructure is playing a crucial role in realizing social transformation, narrowing the digital divide, promoting innovation and enhancing national competitiveness. At present, 170 countries have released their national planning for ICT infrastructure. Huawei will participate in the formulation of ICT planning in Central Asian countries and contribute to improving national economy, people's livelihood and economic development. So far, Huawei has participated in development of national ICT plans in Turkey, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Belarus is one of the first countries in the Central Asia region to formulate ICT plan. According to the latest ICT Development Index released by ITU, Belarus ranks the highest at No.32 globally thanks to the Belarusian governments emphasis on ICT infrastructure construction. The Belarusian president has signed a decree on the development of the digital economy, which focuses on improving business environment to attract foreign investment in order to enhance national competitiveness, investing in the training of IT talent for future development and adopting latest financial tools and technologies to develop the digital economy and upgrade traditional industries.

Third, to break through the commercial boundaries and help operators achieve success. In recent years, operators' businesses were affected by the fluctuations in the market investment cycle but they still maintained a steady operation. Market volatility also allows Huawei to work more closely with its customers to explore and grasp the trend of network construction from "investment-driven" to "value-driven". In Central Asia, Huawei will build quality home broadband to tap the potential of existing network assets and provide the ultimate service for video, IoT and cloud communications to individuals, home users and enterprise users.

In Turkey, Huawei cooperated with Turkcell to deliver ultimate video experience to users in terms of content, O&M, package design and experience assurance, boosting ARPU and the number of video users. In Belarus, Huaweis OpenLife smart home solution helped Belarusian families build intelligent systems at home, which improve the comfort and safety for users through energy saving, automation, etc., bring digital to every home.

In the future, 5G will be a major opportunity for operators, which will greatly enrich the use of the network and serve more objects including people, things and industries. One physical network will promise millions of use cases. In Central Asia, we have started cooperation with local operators in area 5G. Huawei will not only help customers build 5G networks, but also work with industry partners to help customers achieve 5G business success and explore 5G innovation.

Finally, to build an open and win-win, and prosperous ecosystem. Building advanced ICT infrastructure cannot be done by a single company or an individual. We call for governments, businesses and the society as a whole to work shoulder to shoulder in terms of the policy, initiatives and funds (e.g., right of way acquisition and infrastructure sharing in home broadband construction, and spectrum neutrality, radiation control, and site licenses in mobile broadband construction).

Huawei is committed to working with local partners to promote the construction of ecosystem. Huawei focuses on ICT infrastructure and smart devices to provide a plot of 'rich soil' for the development of information, automation, and intelligence technologies. In this 'soil', partners can grow their content, applications, and cloud.

Building a smart society requires a great deal of talent. Huawei continuously contributes to the training of ICT talents in Central Asia and places social responsibility and business development in equally important positions. In 2017, the global ICT training program Seeds for the future had been implemented in Turkey, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan, cultivating over 500 talents in this region. We also cooperate with well-known universities in Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan to build local ICT talent cultivation bases via donating equipment, training teachers, and establishing classrooms in the framework Huawei Authorized Information and Network Academy (HAINA). So far the program has trained over 2,000 talents. We offered scholarships for students and donated teaching equipment to top universities in Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Kazakhstan.

With openness, collaboration, and shared success in mind, in 2018 we would like to work closely with government and partners to contribute even more to the digital transformation and economic development of all countries Central Asia.The total cost of the project is US$158 million, with US$101.7 million supplied by loans from the WB, while the remainder sourced from the Vietnamese Government, participating financial institutions, and industrial businesses.

Under the project, industrial firms will have access to a new line of credit to finance their purchase of energy-saving and production-optimisation technologies, thereby reducing energy consumption and production costs, whilst enhancing their overall competitiveness on the domestic and international markets.

According to Ousmane Dione, WB Country Director in Vietnam, Vietnams energy sector is facing multiple challenges due to limited domestic energy sources and the high power demand in service of economic growth.

In that context, the facilitation of investment in energy-efficient technologies will help to strengthen the competitiveness of Vietnams industrial sector, reduce greenhouse emissions, and reduce the need for new coal-fired power plants, he stated.

With support from the project, financial institutions and industrial companies will be able to establish and evaluate the energy saving projects. This will create a new business area for financial institutions, in providing loans to support investments in saving energy in industrial production, thereby expanding the lending scale to industrial businesses.>>> President Tran Dai Quang meets Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid

The Vietnamese leader and Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury stressed that the close relationship between the two countries people and the mutual support in the past struggle for independence of each nation are a precious foundation for the development of bilateral ties.

President Quang shared the hosts view on the need to strengthen parliamentary and people-to-people exchanges, whilst welcoming Bangladeshs establishment of the Bangladesh-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group.

President Tran Dai Quang and Chairman of the Workers Party of Bangladesh Rashed Khan Menon.

Chairman of the Workers Party of Bangladesh Rashed Khan Menon recalled the days when he went down streets to oppose the Vietnamese war and was jailed, voicing his wish to boost cooperation with the Communist Party of Vietnam in sharing theoretical and practical experience in Party building and national development.

He vowed to actively support the implementation of the high-level agreements reached by the two countries.

President Tran Dai Quang (right) and President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Shafiul Islam.

FBCCI President Shafiul Islam stated that his organisation is interested in economic, trade and investment cooperation with Vietnam.

The FBCCI has sent many delegations to Vietnam to research the market and seek business opportunities, he said, calling on big groups from Vietnam, like Viettel and the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), to increase investments in telecommunications, information technology, agriculture, and textile in Bangladesh.National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairman Phung Quoc Hien made the suggestion during a working session with the mountainous northern provinces leaders on March 6.

Pointing out a number of local shortcomings in terms of infrastructure and human resource quality, the NA leader suggested that Yen Bai renovates its economic thinking to adapt to the new conditions and promote training for high quality human resources.

He noted that Yen Bais agricultural sector should develop in the direction of producing high quality goods, while the industry needs to focus on small industrial and handicraft clusters, together with promoting auxiliary and hi-tech industries. As a locality with various cultural areas, it is necessary for Yen Bai to attach greater importance to the development of tourism, he added.

NA Vice Chairman Hien also urged the local authorities to upgrade its transportation facilities and complete the necessary procedures for the construction of a route connecting Yen Bais Tram Tau district with Bac Yen district in the neighbouring Son La province, in order to open trade and economic development opportunities for Yen Bai.

NA Vice Chairman Phung Quoc Hien urges Yen Bai to promote its advantages for economic development. (Photo: yenbai.gov.vn)



At the meeting, the Yen Bai leaders informed the NA working mission on the provinces two-year implementation of its socio-economic development plan and the post-disaster recovery following the deadly floods in 2017.

Yen Bai proposed that the NA reviews and removes any obstacles and inadequacies in allocating investment resources for Yen Bai. They also asked the NA to allow for the adjustment of the administrative boundaries of Nghia Lo town and upgrade Son Thinh commune in Van Chan district into a town.

During his working visit to the province, NA Vice Chairman Hien and his delegation presented a gift to a former leader in Tram Tau and paid a visit to teachers and students in Tram Tau districts ethnic boarding school.

NA Vice Chairman Phung Quoc Hien presents gifts to teachers and students in Tram Tau districts ethnic boarding school. (Photo: yenbai.gov.vn)Chairman of the Vietnamese NAs Council for Ethnic Affairs Chien lauded the Lao delegations visit after the success of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Solidarity Year 2017 with many important activities, including celebrations of the 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty on Amity and Cooperation.

Briefing the Lao officials on the achievements that the Vietnamese NA Ethnic Council has gained in implementing ethnic policies, he highlighted the experience and coordination mechanism between the council and the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

For her part, Chairwoman of the Lao NAs Committee for Ethnic Affairs Buaphoune Likhaida, who is leading the Lao delegation to Vietnam from March 5-11, thanked the Vietnamese side for the warm welcome. She said that Laos has paid great attention to ethnic affairs, thus ethnic groups of the country have showed strong solidarity in national construction.

Having pointing out similarities between the Vietnamese NAs Council for Ethnic Affairs and the Lao NAs Committee for Ethnic Affairs, she expressed her hope to continue learning from the Vietnamese sides experience on fostering coordination between the council and other organisations, including the Vietnam Fatherland Front and public organisations.

The Lao official also expected that the two agencies will work together to strengthen the cooperation and friendship between Laos and Vietnam.The signing ceremony for a strategic partnership agreement between the Russian Centre of Corporate Medicine (CCM) and Vietnams Dr. Binh Tele Clinic was held in Hanoi on March 5, marking a new milestone in providing management services and remote healthcare for individuals, households, and businesses in Vietnam.

Under the agreement, CCM will provide services in emergency first aid, remote health care, chronic disease management, and prevention of occupational and malignant diseases to international standards.

The cooperation is expected to provide high efficiency healthcare for labourers in enterprises, especially in the field of chronic disease management and prevention of malignant and occupational diseases due to toxic environments. The model also promises to make changes, particularly in the sense of "prevention rather than cure."

Professor Sergey Antipov, Director General of CCM, said that the application of telemedicine technology with the help of TeleHealth Centre 24/7  an online medical service centre, will help to maintain regular and timely healthcare in the home, while minimising costs and reducing the load for hospitals.

Dr. Vu Quoc Binh, Chairman of the Dr. Binh Tele Clinic said that the online medical centre TeleHealth 24/7 in Hanoi will be synchronously connected with the Central Call Centre in Russia, thus ensuring the connection and coordination among 43 medical facilities in six countries for the provision of professional health services, emergency medical rescue, and patient transfer at home and abroad.

CCM owns 42 medical examination and treatment facilities and five representative offices in Russia and other countries around the world. In Vietnam, it has set up clinics and offices in Nghi Son (Thanh Hoa province) and Vung Tau (Ba Ria-Vung Tau province). The Hanoi-based Dr. Binh Tele Clinic has pioneered the application of 4.0 technologies to facilitate its activities.The chefs are members of the World Association of Chefs' Societies (WACS) and come from numerous countries including Germany, Sweden, Russia, Portugal, Greece, the US, Malaysia, India and Vietnam.

They will cook many delicious dishes from the available local ingredients found in Hoi An and every night one of the chefs will introduce a typical dish at the Big dish area.

Foreign music bands will provide a wide variety of street programmes and there will be a culinary carnival, which is expected to attract a large amount of visitors.

Hoi An city was recognised by the WACS as Vietnam's food capital in 2017. The annual event aims to promote the image of the culture and tourism of the ancient city, to both domestic and foreign visitors.

The festival will offer an opportunity for local chefs to gain experience form leading global culinary experts.China will launch the Long March-5B carrier rocket into space in 2019, according to a spokesperson for the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO).

The rocket will help carry the core module and experiment modules to China's space station.

China will select the third batch of astronauts in the first half of this year for its manned space exploration plan. The new astronauts will include not only pilots, but also maintenance engineers. More manned and cargo spacecrafts have been scheduled for development.

The spokesperson also said the CMSEO would cooperate with the United Nations for Outer Space Affairs to offer opportunities on the application of the Chinese space station, with the European Space Agency on module development and with other countries on the lunar probe.

China initiated the manned space program in 1992. Designed as the country's strongest carrier rocket, the Long March-5 has a payload capacity of 25 tonnes to low Earth orbit, or 14 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit.

The Long March-5B carrier rocket will undergo testing in March in preparation for the first launch mission.[File photo]

It is the best of times. Ever since the era of 2G, ICT giants worldwide have never hesitated to add more Gs to their industrial lexicon, creating new connective solutions and inconceivable innovations. It is also the worst of times. As 5G is expected to roll out in most countries by 2020, the clock is ticking for ICT developers to increase internet speed and improve security.

In this turbulent yet challenging era, two cities have stood out as global leaders in the 5G sector. 7,600 kilometers away from Oulu, a snowy Finnish city that boasts a 50-year history in wireless technology sits Shenzhen, a palm-sheltered Chinese harbor which has become a rising star in mobile networking. These two cities have jumped onto the bandwagon showcasing ICT names like Nokia and Huawei respectively.

Nokia and Huawei are recognized globally as two major 5G developers. The two telecom giants have developed unique ways to lead the 5G industry by engaging in different areas of focus and integrating unique development strategies both as competitors and collaborators, said Dr. Bai Yang, a Marrie-Skiodowska Curie Research Fellow at Oulu University.

Conventionally recognized as the Big two in the 5G industry, Nokia and Huawei have been preparing for the upcoming tech era. According to a Reuters report, Nokia signed 31 Memorandums of Understanding with telecom operators to trail 5G equipment as of this February, while the number for Huawei stands at 25.

Rebirth of Nokia, emergence of Huawei

Nokia's engineer demonstrates advanced ICT equipment. Kou Jie/People's Daily

Once a globally unmatched mobile phone manufacturer, Nokia has seen it all: rise, epic fall and rebirth as a leading 5G promoter. By cutting its traditional business model and focusing exclusively on telecom network equipment the enterprise has become much leaner and is now considered an end-to-end telecom service provider covering all aspects of infrastructure.

Some people define 5G merely as a new radio interface, but at Nokia, we see more potential than that in the new technology: its about the utilization of data and doing things in a virtual environment; its about combining all the advanced technologies under the umbrella term 5G, Olli Liinamaa, 5G Test Network Project Lead at Nokia, told Peoples Daily Online.

According to Liinamaa, one of Nokias key 5G development strategies is to introduce the technologies into other sectors, including logistics, manufacturing and hospitals, while all industries should awaken and embrace the new change.

A real-life example of this is Nokias conscious factory in Oulu. It employs wireless robots to assemble and package its AirScale broadband base stations, running on a private LTE network that delivers the wireless connectivity and ultra-low latency needed to dramatically scale industrial automation.

Our 5G plan involves transforming the manufacturing industry into a wireless one, increasing the use of data and furthermore harvesting that in increasingly intelligent ways. In this way, such conscious factories may reshape the manufacturing industry and further promote greater productivity and efficiency, said Liinamaa.

Huawei, on the other hand, has adopted a more comprehensive strategy. The company has attached importance to both its consumer business group and carrier business group, maintaining a complete industrial chain that spans mobile device manufacturing and mobile network solutions.

[File photo]

According to the companys annual report, its smartphone shipments reached 153 million in 2017, achieving a 10-percent global market share and thereby becoming the third-largest player in the international smartphone sector. In February, Huawei unveiled the worlds first commercial chipset that meets 5G standards. The company is aiming to launch a 5G phone with the new chipset in the second half of this year.

In addition to making 5G mobile phones, Huawei upgraded its cloud business unit into a first-tier one in2017, making way for more business decision-making power.

The cloud is a cornerstone of the intelligent world. In the future. We predict there will be five major clouds in the world and Huawei will work with partners to build one of them, said Guo Ping, Huaweis rotating CEO in 2017.

Finland has been promoting the concept of smart cities even before the term 5G was known. Its understandable that Nokia would emphasize 5G wireless industrial management. While at the same time, Huawei has an edge in smartphone manufacturing, making great efforts in developing 5G chipsets for mobile phones. The different focuses demonstrate that the 5G industry is large enough for global cooperation, said Bai.

There are many different focuses in the 5G industry. We welcome Huawei phones to enter Nokia networks, of course this requires much testing and cooperation before we can finally enter a commercial phase, added Liinamaa.

Oulu mode vs. Shenzhen schema

[Oulu| File photo]

Oulu and Shenzhens talent policies might be a crucial reason for Nokia and Huaweis 5G success. Though the formers strategy focuses on cultivating educated and skilled personnel the latter plans to attract and keep them.

According to statistics provided by local authorities, Oulu is the most popular student city and the forerunner of innovative teaching philosophies in Finland with 34 percent of its population holding a university degree. It is considered one of Europes living labs, where students can freely experiment with new technologies on a communitywide scale.

The research atmosphere in Oulu is superb. For instance, students and researchers can apply for the TUTLI Fund, which helps them continue and deepen their research while the fund also allows them to more feasibly start their own companies. Such policies have freed researchers from teaching tasks, empowering them with more resources and time for research, said Bai.

The talents in Oulu have led to a regional business boom. Between 2014 and 2016, over 500 new startups were established in the city providing 18,500 high-tech jobs.

Meanwhile, Oulus deeply rooted culture of collaboration between public authorities, universities, research institutes as well as companies has also fortified itself in the aspect of research and development.

[Shenzhen|File photo]

Innovation is the core element of a companys development while turning research results into products is a goal of many scholars. Oulu has provided both students and entrepreneurs a chance to cooperate, which is good for innovation, Ville Niemela, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Oulu who took part in a 5G project used during the PyeongChong Winter Olympics this past February, told Peoples Daily Online.

Unlike Oulu, which has two top-tier universities as well as countless high-level research centers, Shenzhen has only a handful of lackluster institutions of higher learning. This drawback however does not stop top-talent acrossr China from flocking to the city, as Shenzhen offers a plethora of favorable policies to attract them.

Due to Chinas hukou system, or household-registration system, a migrant who cannot obtain a permanent residency in his or her working place will have trouble accessing local social services such as public schooling and healthcare. While some major Chinese cities including Beijing and Shanghai are spelling out strict residency rules for migrants, university graduates can easily register their hukou in Shenzhen and get one-off subsidies of $2366. Furthermore, scholars or CEOs who have documentation to prove they worked for any of the worlds top 500 enterprises can even receive subsidies of over $470,000 .

Unlike Beijing or Shanghai, Shenzhen doesnt discriminate against outsiders, while the employment contracts are more in favor of the employees. Many of my classmates have decided to leave Beijing and go to Shenzhen, Zhao Shuyao, a fresh graduate who holds a masters degree in computer science and now works in Shenzhen, told Peoples Daily Online.

Shenzhens policies in favor of talent have stimulated the citys economy. Between 1980 and 2016, Shenzhens GDP grew at an average annual rate of 22 percent in real terms, while the city spends over 4 percent of its tax revenue on research and development, which is double the mainland average.

Though different, Oulu and Shenzhens talent pools are a major factor catalyzing success for Nokia and Huawei. I believe the two cities can learn from each other and promote such experience nationwide, and even worldwide, Bai noted.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (R) speaks to the press with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 5, 2018. Michael Bloomberg has been appointed as special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for climate action, the UN press service said on Monday. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg has been appointed as special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for climate action, the UN press service said on Monday.

Bloomberg will support the UN chief's climate strategy and efforts toward the planned 2019 Climate Summit at UN Headquarters in New York, it said.

The 2019 Climate Summit will mobilize stronger and more ambitious action toward 2020 climate targets. Bloomberg will leverage efforts in key areas of the Climate Summit to encourage rapid and enhanced implementation of the Paris Agreement in the context of sustainable development, it added.

Guterres will be engaging and inviting leaders from governments, businesses, finance and civil society organizations with a view to bending the emissions curve by 2020 and accelerating the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The secretary-general and Bloomberg share the perspective that the emissions gap needs to be closed soon to limit global temperature increase to no more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, it said.

Bloomberg, founder of the Bloomberg financial news and information service, served as mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013.

He was appointed as UN special envoy on cities and climate change in January 2014 by the then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.Chinas annual political season is underway with the commencement of the two sessions as the first session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) convened on last Saturday, and the first session of the 13th National Peoples Congress (NPC) which begins on Monday.

A Peoples Daily journalist raises a question to spokesperson Wang Guoqing at the press conference of the first session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), March 2, 2018. (Photo by Lei Sheng from Peoples Daily)

The annual sessions of the top legislature and top political advisory body are among the most important political events for the country, during which major tasks for the year are arranged.

The Peoples Congress system is the fundamental political system of China. According to the Constitution, the National Peoples Congress and the local peoples congresses at various levels are the organs through which the people exercise state power.

The National Peoples Congress and the local peoples congresses at various levels are constituted through democratic elections. They are responsible to the people and subject to their supervision. This year, a total of 2,980 deputies to the 13th NPC were elected from 35 electoral units across the country.

The National Peoples Congress is the highest organ of state power. Its permanent body is the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress. The National Peoples Congress and its Standing Committee exercise the legislative power of the State.

The State Council is responsible to and reports its work to the National Peoples Congress or, when the National Peoples Congress is not in session, to its Standing Committee, Chinas Constitution states.

The CPPCC is an organization in the patriotic united front of the Chinese people, serving as an important organ for multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and an important means of promoting socialist democracy in China's political activities.

The main functions of the CPPCC are to conduct political consultation, exercise democratic supervision and participate in the discussion and the handling of state affairs. CPPCC members are selected through consultation and recommendation.

The system of the multi-party cooperation and political consultation led by the CPC will exist and develop for a long time to come, according to the Constitution.

Having a broad social basis, the CPPCC consists of representatives of the CPC and non-Communist parties, personages without party affiliation, and representatives of people's organizations, ethnic minorities and various social strata.

It also counts as members representatives of compatriots of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan, returned overseas Chinese, and specially invited people. The 13th CPPCC National Committee has 2,158 members coming from all walks of life.

The 19th National Congress of the CPC held last October set Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guiding thought that must be upheld long term by all Party members.

The Congress also drew a grand picture for securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and moving on to all-out efforts to build a great modern socialist country.

As 2018 is the first year to comprehensively implement the spirit of the 19th National Congress, this years annual two sessions are of great significance.

This year also marks the 40th anniversary of Chinas reform and opening up, and a key year to secure a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and carry forward the 13th Five-Year Plan, the country's economic and social roadmap for 2016 to 2020.

New leadership of state organizations and the CPPCC Central Committee will be elected during the two sessions. During the sessions of the 13th NPC, deputies will pledge allegiance to the Constitution, and new amendments to the Constitution will be discussed and reviewed at the first plenary session of the 13th NPC on March 5, providing strong constitutional support to a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The first plenary session of the 13th NPC will also discuss and review the draft of the National Supervision Law, realizing national anti-corruption legislation. In addition, reform of state institutions and goals for Chinas economic and social development are also important issues on the agenda of the two sessions.Photo shows a panoramic view of the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, where the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) will be held in November. (Photo from the website of the CIIE)

The first China International Import Expo (CIIE) is scheduled to open on November 5 in Shanghai and last for six days. A total of 165 countries and regions have so far designated 197 departments to coordinate the participation of their enterprises in the expo, the Peoples Daily has learned.

The CIIE, which is appealing to foreign business owners, is proceeding well. Up to now, more than 1,000 enterprises, including the Fortune Global 500 companies and industrial leaders from 120-plus countries and regions, have signed up for the expo.

Japan External Trade Organization, as Japans organizer authorized by the government, has asked the expo host to reserve a 10,000-square-meter exhibition area for Japanese enterprises and institutions during the expo.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May said that her country is very proud to be a guest of honor to the expo.

The Ukrainian government, in a statement issued recently, said that Ukraine will take part in the first CIIE and set up a national exhibition stand at the expo.

The expo will be a good chance for Ukrainian enterprises to fully demonstrate and promote their products, said the statement.

Photo shows the layout of the exhibition area. (Photo from the website of the CIIE)

The Singapore Business Federation, the only organizer designated by the Singaporean government, plans to recruit at least 100 enterprises for the expo, with the aim of promoting Singaporean products in the Chinese market.

Firms from Germany, the UK, the US, Australia, Belgium, Japan and other countries and regions will put on display their cutting-edge technologies and products in artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things, energy conservation, environmental protection, ecology, 3D printing and new energy equipment.

The CIIE is the first import-themed national expo in the world, said Yang Weiqun, deputy director of the department of Asian affairs at the Ministry of Commerce.

The expo is a manifestation of the Chinese governments firm adherence to the fundamental national policy of opening up and the promotion of a new round of high-level opening-up, as well as the concrete reflection of the Belt and Road initiative, Yang added.Chinas progress in advanced infrastructure over 100 times faster than US: Elon Musk

SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk last week praised the high efficiency of Chinese infrastructure construction, dubbing the nation 100 times faster than the US.

Screenshot of tweet by SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk (File photo)

Chinas progress in advanced infrastructure is more than 100 times faster than the US, Musk wrote on his personal Twitter account, attaching a news report depicting how some 1,500 Chinese workers managed to upgrade a railway station by installing a new railway junction in less than nine hours.

The miracle created by Chinese builders was also reported by British media including Daily Mail and the Independent.

As of last Saturday, the tweet was forwarded more than 7,000 times and liked by 30,000 readers more or less.

In his following tweets, the American entrepreneur blamed US failings in infrastructure.

After retweeting a San Francisco Chronicle editorial and a New York Times article about the unsatisfactory construction plans of the Bay Area Rapid Transit and Long Island Rail Road, he commented we are even worse than that in California and New York.

Screenshot of tweet by SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk (File photo)

Want to clarify that as individuals, the people responsible for the high costs & long timelines are almost all well-meaning, but the system of incentives is messed up, Musk pointed out. Higher safety & environmental requirements & labor costs explain only a small part of the difference. True root cause imo is an exponential growth in bureaucracy & a self-serving private sector consultant industry earning a% on project cost, incenting them to maximize cost, he wrote. His comments were echoed by many followers in the U.S.

Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson international airport was hit by a power outage last year, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and planes grounded.

Earlier this year a water main break at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York also resulted in delays and cancellation of flights caused by the cold wave.

The mess underlined the urgent need for the US to upgrade its sagging infrastructure.

Chinas infrastructure, by contrast, has seen rapid development in recent years. By the end of 2016, the total length of expressways and high-speed railways in China exceeded 130,000 kilometers and 22,000 kilometers respectively. The numbers, which already top the world, are still on the rise.

China has contracted infrastructure projects for other countries as facilities connectivity has been set as a guideline for international cooperation under the Belt and Road initiative.To share with friends and brethren The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (the Everlasting Gospel), and to prepare a people to stand when He returns to redeem His remnant. Also, to share relevant information of current events, and to show how they relate to prophecy; By means of articles, editorials, opinions, scripture readings, and poetry.

Disclaimer

Endrtimes does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article/video posted on this site. The information provided here is done so for personal edification; It's up to the reader to separate truth from error, and to examine everything (like the Bereans) from a Biblical perspective. Let the Holy Scriptures be you guide! - - - FAIR USE NOTICE: These pages/videos may contain copyrighted () material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, POLITICAL, HUMAN RIGHTS, economic, DEMOCRACY, scientific, MORAL, ETHICAL, and SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes.Egypt's Minister of Education Tarek Shawky said on Tuesday that schools nationwide will be closed for the three days of the upcoming presidential elections on 26-28 March, according to a statement by the ministry.

Egyptian schools will take the days off to facilitate the voting process, the ministry spokesperson Ahmed Khairy said.

Polling places are usually held in public schools during national elections in Egypt.

In late February, Egypt's National Elections Authority (NEA) approved President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Moussa Mostafa Moussa, the head of the Ghad Party, as the final candidates in the upcoming presidential elections.

Run-offs, if they are to take place, are set for 24-26 April. If no run-offs are necessary, the winner will be announced on 2 April.

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Sudans ambassador to Egypt returned to Cairo late on Monday, nearly two months after he was recalled to Khartoum due to an apparent heightening of tensions between the two nations.

In media statements, the Sudanese foreign ministry spokesman Gharib Allah Khidir said that Ambassador Abdel Mahmoud Abdel Halim is being returned to Cairo on the direct orders of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

The reinstatement comes two months after Abdel Halim was recalled early in January, a move that it offered no public explanation for at the time.

However, relations had been strained due to Sudans claims of sovereignty over Egypts southern Halayeb Triangle region, as well as the Sudanese stance in the talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

In January, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed that Egypt does not interfere in other countries affairs and has no intention of fighting its "brothers" in Sudan.

In February, a newly formed committee, comprised of the foreign ministers of Egypt and Sudan along with intelligence-agency heads, met in Cairo to "remove any flaws that could hamper this brotherly relationship, solidarity, and unified destiny in face of bilateral challenges."

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Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with with two US envoys on Monday for discussions on ways to resolve the nine-month diplomatic rift between Qatar and four Arab countries, including Egypt, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE severed diplomatic and transport links with Doha on 5 June, accusing the oil-rich state of supporting terrorism and meddling in their internal affairs, sparking the region's worst diplomatic dispute in years. Doha denies the charges leveled against it.

Timothy Lenderking, the US deputy assistant secretary of state for Gulf affairs, and General Anthony Zinni, a retired former head of U.S. Central Command, have been travelling between Middle East capitals in recent months to resolve the lingering diplomatic row and support mediation efforts by Kuwait.

During the talks on Monday, Shoukry expressed the concerns of Egypt and other boycotting states over Qatar's "continued negative role in sponsoring terrorism and extremism" by providing financial aid and refuge to militants.

Shoukry reiterated that Qatar should abide by 13 demands listed by the four countries, including shutting down the Al-Jazeera television channel and downgrading relations with Iran.

The four states have repeatedly said they are ready for dialogue to ease the dispute if Doha shows a willingness to deal with their demands and stop its "hostile" policies in the region.

The fresh US involvement comes ahead of a series of visits by leaders from fueding Arab states, including Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, who are expected to visit Washington in the coming weeks.

Shoukry said Qatar has yet to "prove goodwill" despite regional and international efforts to end the dispute.

The diplomatic rift is the worst dispute in decades between Arab states.



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Egypt and Saudi Arabia have signed an agreement allotting 1,000 square kilometres of land in South Sinai for a megacity project as part of the kingdoms mammoth NEOM project, Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman said on Monday evening during a meeting with several Egyptian media figures in Cairo.

Prominent Egyptian TV presenter Lamis El-Hadeedi said on the privately owned CBC satellite channel that Bin Salman spoke about everything, answering questions on democracy and reforms in the kingdom, NEOM, Jerusalem, Israel and Qatar.

Bin Salman said Saudi Arabia will be investing in the land in South Sinai through a fund agreement worth $10 billion signed on Sunday between the two countries.

The NEOM project, which involves the creation of a huge transnational city and economic zone, covers 26,500 square kilometres in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt.

NEOM is the latest and most ambitious in a slate of privatisation programmes in Saudi Arabia, led by the floatation of the Saudi oil company Aramco.

The $500 billion zone, which is adjacent to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba and near maritime trade routes that use the Suez Canal, will utilise the proposed King Salman Bridge, which will link Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

The Crown Prince said he was planning to establish a "Red Sea Riviera" with the new city.

Bin Salman also spoke about Saudi Arabia's relationship with Egypt, describing it as deep and historic.

There is a compatibility on viewpoints; we have the same allies and the same foes, Bin Salman said.

He also praised several national projects he toured with Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in the Suez Canal zone on Monday morning.

The projects I have seen portray positivity and optimism. This is the Pharaonic motivation, he said.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the 'triangle of evil'

Bin Salman said Egypt and Saudi Arabia's foes are represented in a "triangle of evil," which comprises Turkey, Iran and terrorist organisations.

He said Turkey and its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are trying to build a new "Ottoman caliphate," while Iran is attempting to export revolutions in the region.

We [Saudi Arabia] have managed to besiege Iran and its threats, including those in Yemen, and we were not dragged into war with Iran as it was trying to bait us, he said.

President El-Sisi has repeatedly said during a number of visits to the Gulf region and in press interviews that Gulf security is indivisible from Egypts own national security.

He said that he and his "brothers" in the Gulf and other Arab states can fight terrorism if they are united, adding that the "evil powers" who seek to target Egypt are the same powers that seek to target the whole region.

'Deal with Qatar like Cuba'

On Qatar, the Saudi prince said he does not personally consider the conflict with Qatar an important one to look at, adding that he does not review the issue on a periodical basis.

In June 2017, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE severed diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants and Iran, which Doha has denied.

Since then, the four countries have issued lists designating entities and individuals with links to Qatar as being involved in terrorist activities.

Qatar is only a stage and a treasury used by the Muslim Brotherhood, he said, adding that he rejects any foreign intervention, especially by the US, to resolve the crisis between the four Arab allies and Qatar, maintaining that it should be settled among the Arab states.

According to the Saudi Crown Prince, the Qatar situation could be handled similar to the way the US dealt with Cuba, which the US had isolated economically and diplomatically for decades.

No exchange of lands for 'deal of the century'

On Palestine, the Crown Prince dismissed any notion of an exchange of lands with Israel, including in Egypt, to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli crisis.

Our aim is to unify political Palestinian leadership, so when we are on the negotiation table there would be a unified leadership, he said.

The so-called "deal of the century"  a plan purportedly development by the US  allegedly excludes Jerusalem from a future Palestinian state as part of a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which many say has been significantly hampered by the US' recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel last December.

'I serve my country, religion through reforms'

The Saudi prince also spoke about the kingdom's crackdown on corruption in November 2017, where a number of prominent businessmen and Saudi officials were detained at the Ritz Carlton hotel in the Saudi capital.

They were later released from detention following monetary settlements with the Saudi government.

I was not worried because what I wanted was to avert corruption, hold those corruptors accountable, and achieve economic and national interests. And as I was following the law, I was not worried, he said.

On the ongoing reforms in Saudi Arabia, including restricting of the power and influence of the Saudi "virtue police" as well as allowing women to drive, Bin Salman said that he wanted to serve my country, religion and generation.

I faced a lot of obstacles, but I was persistent in achieving this openness, he said.

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Tayie affirmed in statements to Al-Ahram Arabic website that the Islamic religious discourse in the country before 2013 was controlled by several religiously-disguised groups such as the ultra-conservative Salafist group, Al-Gamaa Al-Islameya and the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as undercover charity and non-governmental Islamic organizations.

"The 30th of June revolution in 2013 paved the way for the complete control of the religious platforms throughout the media, lessons, seminars and forums", he said.

"The first decision issued by the Minister of Endowments Mokhtar Gomaa after assuming his role in 2013 was that mosque pulpits only be available to Al-Azhar Graduates after they undergo many tests to determine his ability to preach and sermonize as an imam."

Egypts Al-Azhar is the world's oldest institute of Sunni Islamic learning and considered the main institute of Islamic learning in the country.

According to Tayie, the standardization of Friday sermon across the country is one of the most important mechanisms in the strategy to control religious discourse in the country.

Tayie said the ministry has adopted measures to ensure the implementation of its strategy on religious discourse and is willing to cooperate with anyone who complies with its strategy and regulations in the country.

Egypts Ministry of Religious Endowments is one of the countrys top state religious bodies tasked with the administration of mosques and Islamic cultural institutes, as well as training religious preachers.

"Now, if an unqualified imam or preacher took any mosque's pulpit anywhere in the state and gave a sermon or speech in violation to the ministry's instructions on religious discourse, he will become a subject of criminal investigation for carrying out a job without a license," Tayie added.

Since 2014, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi frequently reiterated that reforming religious discourse is a key element in defeating terrorism.

The president said during an Al-Azhar ceremony in 2017 that renewing religious discourse, dealing with all terrorist groups equally, rebuilding regional state apparatuses, and cutting off funding to terrorist groups are key factors to the elimination of terrorism and extremist ideologies.

Authorities have maintained that many unofficial religious centers and small mosques have been used for decades by the Muslim Brotherhood and other radical Islamist groups against the country's national interest and security.

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Egypt's parliament passed on Tuesday legislative amendments imposing the death penalty for using explosive materials in terrorist operations.

Both opposition and majority MPs agreed that the amendments are necessary to help the state win its battle against terrorist movements  particularly in North Sinai.

The government-drafted amendments of Egypt's penal code (law no.58/1937) were approved first by parliament's Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee in a morning meeting.

Head of the committee Bahaaeddin Abu Shoqa said the amendments to Article 102 of the penal code go in line with the state's strategy to toughen penalties on terrorism-related crimes.

"The new amendments address a wave of new crimes; that is the use of explosive materials by terrorist groups to cause as much damage as possible," said Abu Shoqa.

The MP said that the amendments also aim to impose penalties on those who do not report the illegal possession of explosive materials before they are used in terrorist attacks. 

Abu Shoqa argued that the amendments come at a crucial time to serve the army and police's comprehensive campaign  dubbed Operation Sinai 2018  against terrorist groups in North Sinai.

"We know that terrorists in this part of Egypt were able to acquire huge quantities of highly explosive materials that have led to killing tens of army and police personnel," said Abu Shoqa.

The first paragraph of the amended Article 102 of the penal code now states that "those who acquire, possess, import or manufacture bombs or explosive materials or the like without getting a prior licence will be sentenced to life imprisonment, and are to face the death penalty if the bombs and explosive materials are used for terrorism-related purposes."

The article says that the "interior minister will issue a decree outlining the materials that could be used in manufacturing bombs or explosives."

Family indictment

The fourth paragraph of the article received mixed reactions from MPs. It states that anyone "who knows about those who acquired explosives or bombs illegally and fail to report this to the concerned authorities in advance will be sentenced to prison."

The government and the State Council decided to exempt spouses who fail to report these crimes. Leftist MPs including Diaaeddin Dawoud said that such a provision would cause familial divisions and great rifts within families.

Other MPs, however, insisted that the article should cover spouses.

"It will be very difficult for wives or husbands of terrorists to report the latter's criminal intentions to authorities," said Dawoud.

Abu Shoqa, however, said that since the main objective of the amendments is to toughen penalties on these types of crimes to prevent terrorist acts, it would be illogical to exempt spouses from punishment.

"I want to point out that all members of the legislative and constitutional affairs committee have agreed that the new tough penalties should cover all those who [fail to report these crimes]... even if they are wives and husbands of the criminals," said Abu Shoqa.

Independent MP Mohamed Abu Hamed said that "in many terrorist crimes that have caused great and wide-scale damage, wives and parents of those who committed these crimes claimed that they had not known of the intentions of their husbands or sons beforehand, but prosecutors later found out that they had known in advance but refused to report them."

Abu Hamed argued that "as a result, we should view this amendment as a deterrent that aims to prevent some young people who join extremist groups from carrying out terrorist crimes." 

Parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Al said that although "in some tribal communities, such as in Upper Egypt, this issue will be a very sensitive one," penalties should still be imposed on family members who knew of the crime.

"As we have seen in recent years, many have used explosives and bombs to cause wide-scale damage and kill as many people as possible, and we have seen that relatives of most of these terrorists and criminals played a role in covering up their crimes," said Abdel-Aal, "so as a deterrent measure I see that it will be important to stiffen penalties to include close relatives to force families to report these crimes and thwart such dreadful attacks."

Abu Shoqa said that "the last paragraph of the amended Article 102 gives authorities the right to sequestrate means of transport, tools, lands, and buildings or any other things used to carry out these crimes."

"This is another deterrent measure, because it was discovered that most terrorists and terrorist movements were using desert farms or secluded buildings to hide weapons, bombs and explosives," said Abu Shoqa.

Speaker Abdel-Aal said that it is good that both opposition and majority MPs have voted in favour of the amendments.

"It is good that when the matter comes to supreme national interests, all agree to put these interests above any partisan or political considerations," said Abdel-Aal.

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Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman inaugurated on Tuesday the completion of renovation work on Al-Azhar Mosque in old Islamic Cairo; the biggest in its 1,000-year history, the presidency said in a statement.

The three-year-old restoration of the mosque was initially funded by Saudi Arabia's late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and later sponsored by King Salman.

The project, the largest and most extensive renovation in the mosque's history, has been supervised by the country's Ministry of Antiquities.

Using materials similar to those used in Mecca's Grand Mosque, the project included replacing the building's floors and furniture, a complete upgrade of infrastructure, the lighting and sound systems, as well as water and ventilation networks.

Bin Salman concluded on Tuesday a three-day visit to Egypt; his first public foreign trip since becoming crown prince last year.

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Egypt and Saudi Arabia reiterated on Tuesday their rejection of interference by Iran and Qatar in the politics of Arab countries, while stressing that they are continuing to counter Doha's backing of terrorism.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman concluded his multi-day trip to Cairo earlier on Tuesday, during which he met with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in his first official foreign trip since becoming crown prince last year.

In a joint statement, Cairo and Riyadh affirmed that "strengthening Egyptian-Saudi cooperation is a fundamental pillar to protecting Arab national security and confronting foreign interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries, which has fueled tensions, conflicts and terrorist acts in Syria, Libya and Yemen."

The two countries stressed their "categorical rejection of Iranian interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries," the statement said.

They also affirmed their commitment to "combating Qatari support of terrorism and Qatar's blatant interference in the affairs of Arab states," according to the statement, which was published by El-Sisi's office and Saudi state news agency SPA.

In June 2017, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE severed diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar for what they said is Doha's support of terrorist groups and meddling in their internal affairs, which Qatar has denied.

The Saudi side also spoke about the Grand Renaissance Dam Ethiopia is building on the main tributary to the Egypt's River Nile, which Cairo fears could affect its share of Nile water.

"The kingdom affirmed its full respect for Egypt's rights and use of Nile water as the lifeblood of the Egyptian people, calling on all countries to take this into account and not to endanger Egyptian security," the statement read.

Egypt and Ethiopia are at odds over the $4 billion-hydroelectric dam project, which Cairo fears will reduce its supply of Nile water, on which it almost exclusively relies for drinking water and irrigation.

During the talks, El-Sisi and Bin Salman discussed bolstering bilateral cooperation in the political, security, military, trade and investment spheres. They also discussed counter-terrorism efforts in the Middle East.

The two sides discussed major regional issues, reiterating their support of the legitimate rights of Palestinians to establish an independent state and their backing of a political solution to the conflicts in Syria, Libya and Yemen.

Cairo, which supports Riyadh in its fight against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militants, stressed on Tuesday "its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia in the face of any threat to its security."

Saudi Arabia has been a key backer of President El-Sisi's government, pumping billions of dollars in aid and investment into Egypt to help prop up its ailing economy.

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The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey are set to meet in Kazakhstan next week as the three countries attempt to move forward with a plan to end nearly seven years of war in Syria.

Kazakhstan's foreign ministry said Tuesday that the top diplomats of regime allies Moscow and Tehran and rebel-backer Turkey would hold a March 16 meeting in the capital Astana "without observers or Syrian sides."

The statement also said that the United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura would be invited to the meeting.

The announcement comes as Syrian regime forces intensify bombardment of the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta, just outside Damascus.

The siege has been so intense that it even caused a UN aid convoy to cut short its mission to supply the besieged area at the beginning of the week.

Eastern Ghouta is one of four "de-escalation" zones that were devised in order to keep rebel and regime forces at arm's length as part of a plan thrashed out in Astana last year.

The United States on Monday accused the Syrian regime and its ally Russia of using "indiscriminate force" in the area in a strongly critical statement.

Talks on Syria in Astana, which have usually involved regime and opposition delegations, as well as the three guarantors, began in January 2017.

They run parallel to UN-led negotiations in Geneva and were credited with bringing about a reduction in hostilities between government and rebel forces after the agreement on the safe zones was reached.

But the government's bombardment in Eastern Ghouta that started on February 18 and killed nearly 800 in the space of 10 days, according to Medecins Sans Frontieres, appears to have reduced hopes of any peace settlement in the near future.

Assad's forces have seized over a quarter of the enclave on Damascus's eastern edges after two weeks of devastating bombardment, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor.

More than 340,000 people have been killed since Syria's war started in 2011. It has since spiralled into a complex conflict involving world powers.

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Kurdish-allied Syrian Arab militias are redeploying 1,700 fighters from frontlines with Islamic State to the Afrin region to help fend off a Turkish offensive against the northwestern region, their spokesperson told Reuters on Tuesday.

"We have taken out 1,700 fighters ... to defend Afrin against terrorism," said Abu Omar al-Edilbi, the spokesman for the militias that have been fighting Islamic State in eastern Syria as part of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

Speaking to Reuters in Raqqa after announcing the redeployment, he said that 700 of the fighters had already moved to Afrin.



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Related Catalan separatists keep up fight against Spanish government

Catalonia's parliament will convene on March 12 to appoint a new regional president, with jailed separatist Jordi Sanchez the only candidate, the assembly said Tuesday.

In a statement, the separatist-controlled parliament said its speaker Roger Torrent had on Tuesday morning officially convened the session.

Sanchez, the former head of the Catalan National Assembly, a powerful pro-independence civil group, is considered to have little chance of taking up the post since he is remanded in custody pending accusations of sedition over last year's secession bid.

His name was put forward after former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, who had initially been picked as candidate to lead the region again after December regional polls but is in exile in Belgium, pulled out last week.

On Tuesday, Sanchez's lawyers asked the Supreme Court, which is overseeing his case, to let him out of prison to go to parliament next week for the official appointment.

But even if a judge allows him out, he is not assured of getting enough votes to see him through.

He has the support of two separatist groupings which together have 66 lawmakers out of 135. The small, separatist CUP party, which has four seats, has refused to back him and will abstain.

Of the 66 though, Puigdemont and another separatist lawmaker are in Belgium, which means that in theory they cannot take part in parliamentary votes, reducing the number of lawmakers in support of Sanchez to 64.

The parties that are against independence, meanwhile, have a total of 65 lawmakers combined, which means they could block Sanchez's appointment.

The separatists' push for independence plunged Spain into political crisis last year.

The Spanish government imposed direct rule over the region on October 27 after the Catalan parliament unilaterally declared independence.

Direct rule is due to last until the region elects a new president. Madrid has vowed to resist any bid to break the region away from Spain.

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Egypt's Tourism Minister Rania El-Mashat will attend Germany's leading tourism trade show, ITB Berlin, from 7 to 11 March, seeking to boost interest in the country's tourism industry, the ministry said on Tuesday.

Egypt will have a large booth at the exhibition, involving 100 participants from the Egyptian tourism industry, including hotels, travel agencies, EgyptAir and the Egyptian Tourism Federation, the ministry statement said.

El-Mashat will attend several official meetings and media events on the sidelines of the ITB, seeking to raise Egypt's profile and encourage investment in the sector.

According to the ministry, the ITB provides an opportunity to promote Egypt as a touristic destination and reassert its significance on the world tourism map.

The ITB website describes the Berlin event as the foremost business platform for the global tourism industry.

It has been held in Berlin every year since 1966, focusing on the global travel industry. It is part of ITB Global, which also includes Asia and China.



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Related Dollar rate set at 17.5 Egyptian pounds in Egypt budget: government sources Sources at the Egyptian Ministry of Finance denied that the government has fixed the exchange rate for EGP to USD in the countrys fiscal year 2018/2019 budget.

Reuters previously quoted three senior officials as saying the Egyptian government set the exchange rate at EGP 17.5 to the US dollar in the budget of fiscal year 2018-2019, which begins on the first of July.

Unnamed official sources told Al-Ahram Arabic website that the draft budget for the new fiscal year is still being prepared.

The sources described raisingthe rate in the upcoming budget to EGP 17.5 from EGP 16 per 1 USD in the current budget as "unreasonable."

According to the sources, the ministry is aiming to reduce the budget deficit to below 9 percent of GDP in order to reach 8.5-8.8 percent of GDP in the upcoming fiscal year.

The ministry is targeting a primary surplus of 1.8-2 percent of GDP.

The figures of the new fiscal year budget will be announced before the end of March, the sources said.

Finance Minister Amr El-Garhy reportedly met with Prime Minister Sherif Ismail Monday to present an initial outline of next fiscal years budget, according to local media outlets.

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The Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) signed an agreement Tuesday with a consortium comprising Orascom Construction, Engie, and Toyota Tsusho Corporation to build a $400 million wind farm in the Gulf of Suezs Gabal El-Zeit, according to a Cabinet statement.

The agreement is under a build-own-operate framework to generate wind power at a capacity of 250 MW.

This represents a third of the total wind power currently generated in Egypt, according to the statement.

The wind farm will be linked to the national grid for trial operation by mid-2019, and will be fully linked by the end of 2019.

The consortium of companies had reached financial close for the project last December, with funding from Japan Bank for International Corporation, Nippon Export and Investment Insurance, SMBC and Societe Generale, according to a statement last December by Shalakany law firm, which acted as local counsel for the lenders.

Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker noted at the signing ceremony that all power-purchase agreements were finalised for the Benban solar power complex, which is set to be the largest solar installation in the world, with a capacity of 1,460 MW.

A 22 million multipurpose applications by thermodynamic solar (MATS) plant was also inaugurated last week in Borg El-Arab, Alexandria to produce over 3,000 MWh of electricity and about 8,900 MWh of thermal energy every year when it becomes fully operational.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker, Investment and International Cooperation Minister Sahar Nasr, and Finance Minister Amr El-Garhy.

Egypts national strategy looks to bring the contribution of electricity from renewable energy to 20 percent by 2022, to be increased to 42 percent by 2035.Egypt's House of Representatives discussed on Tuesday ways to alleviate the crisis at the state-owned National Cement Company, as a worker sit-in entered its seventh day.

At least 2,000 workers in the company have staged a sit-in at its factory in Helwan to protest a January reduction of monthly bonuses and the shutdown of some production lines due to recent company financial losses.

The House of Representatives' industry committee held a hearing session with a number of MPs, the CEO of the National Cement Company and a delegation of company workers.

Among the MPs at the hearing were parliamentary speaker Ali Abdel-Aal, head of the human rights committee Alaa Abed, head of the manpower committee Gabali El-Maraghi and Helwan MP Dina Abdel-Aziz.



Parliamentary speaker Ali Abdel-Aal said that he altogether rejects strikes and sit-ins under the current national circumstances and made it clear that "the age of twisting the state's arm is over."

"Getting rights through illegal ways is completely unacceptable," he said on Tuesday.

In his statement before parliament, head of the manpower committee El-Maraghi said that the National Cement Company was the last remaining state-owned cement company after all others had been privatised.

El-Maraghi also added that there had been attempts to get rid of factory workers through early pensions and to sell its assets to luxury guest resorts.

Helwan, a southern suburb of Cairo, was known for its hot springs resorts for the wealthy during the area's heyday in the 1930s.

In late 1950s, the suburb was gradually transformed into a major industrial city hosting factories of the Egyptian Steel Company and National Cement Company, among others.

MP Abed, head of parliament's human rights committee, said that the parliament would fulfill the legal demands of the workers.

In statements to the media over the past week, workers have demanded that the company be investigated by the Administrative Control Authority to determine the reasons behind the huge financial losses.

The workers are also demanding the formation of a committee to study how to reduce the factory's high production costs.

Financial Woes

In statement issued in February, the National Cement Co. announced its financial losses for the first half of fiscal year 2017-2018 reached 136.7 percent due to the floating of the Egyptian pound a year earlier.

The company, which was founded in 1956, announced EGP 496 million in losses by December 2017, compared to EGP 209.5 million in December 2016.

The company also recorded EGP 736 million as revenues in December 2017, compared to EGP 840.2 million in December 2016.

The statement attributed those huge losses to the floating of the Egyptian pound against other currencies, as the well the increase in the prices of gas and fuel.

In early February, Egypt's stock market delisted the National Cement Co. due to its financial crisis.

The majority of shares in the National Cement Co. is held by the state-owned Chemical Industries Company, while 5% were listed in the stock market and the rest owned by the Al-Awkaf authority.

In January 2018, the company decided to shut down two of the factory's four cement production lines due to inability to meet environmental conditions set by ministry of environment.

Within a month, the board of the Chemical Industries Company prepared a detailed feasibility study about transferring its factories outside the residential areas in Helwan to a land offered by the government.

Workers have expressed fears that the proposed move will lead to more layoffs.

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On Friday 7 March, Awtar Quartet will be joined by cellist Mohamed Ahmed in a concert that will include the 17th century works of Matteis, Vivaldi and Bach, in addition to those of 20th century composer Ravel, hence the event's thematic title, Baroque & Impressionist Music.

The concert will take place at the Bridges Cultural Centre at the All Saints' Cathedral in Cairo, and is free to the public.

Member of the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, Mohamed Ahmed, is the winner of the 2017 Nicolas Latif Strings Competition for violin and cello, which was held in Cairo's Osiris Cultural Centre.

The competition's page explains that Nicolas Latif, for whom the competition was named, was "an Egyptian patriot and businessman who left behind poetry writings, paintings, sculptures, and who was a wonderful oud player."

Awtar Quartet was established in December 2012 and consists of Cairo Conservatory graduates Yasser Ghoneim on first violin, Khaled Saleh on second violin, Essam Abdel-Hamid on viola and Mohamed Abdel-Fattah on cello.

The upcoming concert will include Yasser Ghoneim, Khaled Saleh, Mohamed Abdel-Fattah in addition to Mohamed Ahmed.

Since its founding, the Awtar Quartet has established itself as one of the most dynamic music ensembles in the Egyptian scene, providing a variety of music genres, from Arabic to easy listening compilations, as well as western classical gems, targeting audiences that represent different ages and social strata.

The ensemble also organised and participated in numerous events that aimed to bring classical music to young listeners and fuse storytelling with music.

The Awtar Quartet has cooperated with numerous Egyptian musicians and performed at many events and festivals.

The quartet also established the Osiris orchestra, a first-of-its-kind in Egypt ensemble consisting of amateur musicians who are trained by the Awtar's core members in the Osiris arts space.

The musicians are then given an opportunity to showcase their talent in a concert.

The Baroque & Impressionist Music concert will take place in the Bridges Cultural Centre, a cultural space established in 2013 which operates inside the All Saints' Cathedral.

Programme:

Friday 7 March, 7pm

Gusour Cultural Center, Michel Lotf Allah Street (inside All Saint's Cathedral), Zamalek, Cairo

Free entry

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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A team from the Egypt's Mummies Conservation Project has finished restoring a group of seven mummies in the El-Muzawaa necropolis in Dakhla oasis, completing the first phase of the project, Gharib Sonbol, head of Ancient Egyptian restoration projects at the Ministry of Antiquities, told Ahram Online.

The restoration of Al-Muzawaa necropolis mummies came within the framework of the project, which launched three years ago by the ministry to preserve and maintain all mummies stored in Egyptian storehouses.

Aymen Ashmawi, head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities sector at the ministry, explains that the project started with the conservation of mummies in the Mostafa Kamel gallery storehouses in Alexandria and at the Alexandria National Museum, as well as those in the Kom Ushim stores in Fayouom.

According to Sonbol, the second phase of the project will begin shortly and will involve the restoration of several more mummies.

He explained that during the recently completed work, the team noted that two mummies have "screaming" faces, a term used to describe mummies with open mouths. The hands of a third mummy were bound with rope.

This is not the typical form of mummification, but it indicates that those people were cursed by the god or the priests during their lifetime, Sonbol said.

He continued that the project offers a great opportunity for restorers to learn more about the death and life of those mummified people.

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The fifth Chinese peacekeeping police team to Liberia withdrew from the peacekeeping area on Wednesday 28 February this year after finishing their missions, marking the end of Chinas 14-year peacekeeping operations in Liberia.

Liberian President George Weah (second from left) shakes hands with a member of the fifth Chinese peacekeeping police team in Monrovia, capital of Liberia. (Photo by Zhao Xiaoxin from Peoples Daily)

The Chinese police force was presented with the National Award certificate of Liberia by the countrys President George Weah, who also expressed gratitude to the Chinese peacekeepers.

According to United Nations (UN) resolutions, the team shall withdraw from the area as the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) will end its term before March 30, 2018.

China has contributed the most peacekeepers among all permanent members of the UN Security Council. It has sent over 36,000 peacekeepers for 24 UN operations after it was first involved in such missions in 1990. As of now, 2,500 Chinese soldiers are still on peacekeeping fronts.

China remains the second largest contributor regarding financial support on UN peacekeeping undertakings following the US. Its expenditures account for 10.2 percent of the UNs budget on peacekeeping between 2016 and 2018.

Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that China would join the new UN peacekeeping capability readiness system by taking the lead to set up a permanent peacekeeping police squad and building a peacekeeping standby force of 8,000 troops, at the Leaders' Summit on Peacekeeping at the UN headquarters in September 2015.

The Chinese peacekeeping standby force registered at UN in September 2017. In the following month, the Peoples Liberation Army ground force started to set up 19 peacekeeping standby troops of 6 types, including infantry battalions, peacekeeping sapper units, transportation detachments, guard teams, quick response units and helicopter units.BEIJING, March. 6 (ChinaMil) -- The Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China (PRC) published the report on the central and local budget draft for 2018 at the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) on March 5, 2018. The report showed that in the general public expenditure of the central government the national defense budget increased by 8.1% to 1.11 trillion yuan ($175 billion).

"The increase in China's national defense budget will mainly be used to develop new weapons and equipment, improve training conditions, and guarantee military reform and benefits for officers and other personnel," said Major General Chen Zhou, a researcher with the Chinese PLA Academy of Military Sciences who had participated in the writing of previous China's National Defense White Papers.

According to Maj. Gen. Zhen Chou, the increase in China's national defense budget is reasonable, legal, appropriate and sustainable, given the profound changes in China's national strength, the security environment and the global strategic situation.

He said the national defense budget increase is based on "three requirements of the times" and "one realistic possibility".

The first requirement is strengthening the nation and the military. China vowed to become a socialist modern power by the middle of this century. To build a strong nation, China must have a strong military, so China should steadily and appropriately increase the national defense budget.

The second requirement is fulfilling mission. The world is in a period of massive development, reform and adjustment, and China is in a critical stage of growing from a big country to a strong country. The Chinese military must bear in mind the national security strategy in the new era, fulfill its new missions and tasks, and provide strategic support for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The third requirement is deepening the reform. In deepening the reform of national defense and the military, China's national defense budget will focus on optimizing the scale and structure of weapons and equipment and developing new ones.

The realistic possibility refers to the development of the national economy. The strategic demand for the national defense budget must be guaranteed by economic development. China has carried out reform and opening up for 40 years, during which the Chinese economy has grown rapidly, laying a solid material foundation for consolidating national defense and strengthening the military.

"Compared with other major powers in the world, China's national defense budget is still small either in terms of its proportion to GDP or the per capita amount of the whole population or of all soldiers," said Chen Zhou.

According to him, China's national defense budget is objective and transparent without any "hidden part".

Since China joined the UN military transparency mechanism in 2007, it has provided the basic military expenditures of the previous fiscal year to the UN, and reported the import and export of seven types of conventional arms to the UN Register of Conventional Arms.

"Whether a country poses a threat to other countries doesn't depend on the strength of its military, but on the internal and external policies it exercises," said Chen Zhou.

China will adhere to the path of peaceful development and a national defense policy that's defensive in nature, said Chen Zhou, adding that China's development doesn't threaten any other country. No matter how developed it becomes, China will never seek hegemony or expansion.BEIJING, March 6 (ChinaMil) -- "China raises 2018 military budget by 8.1 percent": some international media began to stir the "China threat" again as China released its annual national defense budget on Mar 5. Several Chinese experts interviewed by our reporters all said that as a major power it is only reasonable for China to increase its military budget to the second in the world.

China's defense spending ratio is not high

China's defense spending is the hottest topic in the opening sessions of the "two sessions" each year. This year's 8.1 percent growth rate is characterized as having a smooth nature as this is the third consecutive year that the growth has been in single digits. It is only slightly higher than that of 2017. The British media "Financial Times" reported that the ratio of China's defense spending to its GDP has been a fairly stable 1.3 percent over the years.

The figure is lower than that of the US, Russia, and India. The US defense budget for fiscal year 2018 accounted for 3.4 percent of its GDP, the highest since 2012. Indias defense budget for fiscal year 2018 increased by 7.81 percent compared with that of 2017 and accounted for 1.58 percent of its GDP. Russias defense budget for 2018 will be reduced by about 5.0 percent but it still accounted for 2.8 percent of its GDP. At the same time, the total national defense budget of Japan and South Korea in 2018 also reached record highs.

China's National People's Congress (NPC) Spokesman Zhang Yesui said that Chinas national defense investment level is lower than the worlds major countries in terms of the ratio of national defense budget to GDP, national fiscal expenditure, or on a per capita basis.

China has always adhered to the path of peaceful development and pursued a defensive national defense policy. Chinas development will not pose a threat to any country, Zhang said.

An observer who wished to be anonymous told our reporter on Mar. 5 that US President Trump substantially increased his military budget just as Russian President Putin released his latest list of weapons. The world seems to be caught in a new arms race among big countries. Under such circumstances, Chinas defense spending has continued to grow steadily, with the same increase as that of last year.

The observer believes that the steady growth indicates that the Chinese military continues to strengthen its own construction and improve its capability to safeguard the countrys sovereignty and security.

More importantly, China did not join the arms race. This shows that China continues to pursue a defensive national defense policy. It also shows that China has a lot of confidence in its own national defense construction, and it is free from external interference and influence, the observer said.

China does not have invisible military spending

American media CNN acknowledges that the USs defense budget is much higher than Chinas. However, it continued to use Western medias customary tone in a recent report and questioned Chinas invisible military spending, saying that although China's defense spending is less than other major countries, the figures released do not include numerous military-related costs typically included in the budgets of other nations."

A military source said on Mar. 5 that the question of Chinas invisible military spending is an old problem. However, all countries have complex military expenditure, especially for military and civilian integration projects.

For example, it is difficult to separate civilian or military projects in the US space programs. This source said: "As a big country, it is very reasonable that China's military budget ranks second in the world."

Major General Chen Zhou, a researcher at the PLA Academy of Military Sciences who has participated in the drafting of several China's defense white papers, emphasized in an interview that Chinas defense costs are objective and transparent and there is no hidden military expenditure.

He said that since 2007, China has participated in the UN Transparency in Armaments and submitted to the UN basic data of military expenditure in the previous fiscal year. China also resumed the provision of data regarding import and export of seven categories of conventional weapons to the UN Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA).

Purpose of newly increased military spending

Spokesman Zhang Yesui said that in recent years, China has appropriately increased its investment in national defense, a considerable part of which was used to make up for the deficiencies of the past. Weapons and equipment were updated and living conditions of military personnel were improved, as were training and living conditions for grass-roots units.

There is a slight difference between this statement and that of 2017. On Mar. 6, 2017, the Ministry of Finance said that the increase in defense spending for the 2017 budget was mainly used to support the deepening of national defense and military reforms, promote the development of civil-military integration, and improve the work, training and living conditions of grass-roots units.

This subtle difference in wording shows that the emphasis on the use of China's military spending in 2017 and 2018 varies from "supporting the deepening of national defense and military reform" to "updating weapons and equipment."

Premier Li Keqiang stated in the government work report of Mar. 5 that in the past five years, all parties worked together and basically accomplished the task of reducing the number of military personnel by 300,000. The modernization level of military equipment has been significantly improved.

China announced in September 2015 that it would reduce the number of its military personnel by 300,000 by the end of 2017. It is reasonable to conclude that defense spending was used to deepen the national defense and military reform during this period.

The improvement of combat effectiveness is inseparable from the development of equipment. A military expert who requested anonymity said on Mar. 5 that the current form of war is not the same as it was decades ago. Weapons, equipment, capabilities, and requirements are all different. Informatized weapons and equipment all require money. During the World War II, one fighter jet was only hundreds of thousands of dollars while at present, each US fighter jet is over 10 million dollars."

CNN cited achievements made by China in recent years including the construction of the domestic aircraft carrier, the commissioning of the J-20 stealth fighter jet, the imminent commissioning of the DF-41 intercontinental missile, and the launch of the Djibouti base. The report also notes actual combat training and concludes that with increases in domestic support and Chinas international influence, Chinas potential threat to peace will also increase.

CNN also reported that Chinese leaders may feel enabled to use military power to conduct excessive actions or trigger a crisis among neighboring countries.

The above-mentioned anonymous military sources stated that "CNN's evaluation is very unprofessional." The military of any country must continuously improve the level of training and actual combat, and upgrade its equipment. The US, as the worlds most powerful military power, has a very fast equipment update rate and a very high actual combat level.

The military sources concluded that From a professional point of view, it is right to develop equipment and raise the level of actual combat because military construction should be done in this way. China is a big country with a lot of people, and it is only reasonable to increase security measures.

The author is Guo Yuandan, reporter with the Global Times.Maurizio Martina, a minister in the outgoing government, said this is a very clear and evident defeat for the left.

As the results came during the night after the polls closed, it became immediately clear that no party or bloc would gain the 40 percent majority of seats needed in the Italian parliament to be able to govern the country. It was also clear from early on that the ruling center-left Democratic party was the big loser in these elections.

"Ungovernable Italy" headlined one daily newspaper as the results rolled in. Another one ran the headline: "Everything will change."

Regardless, Sunday's populist victory is not good news for migrants from Africa or those trying to enter Europe through Italy as winning factions have been clamoring for measures to stop migration and increase deportations.

The big winners in Italy's election are a rival pair of populist and stridently anti-European Union political forces: the Five Star Movement and The League. But neither gained enough support to govern the country alone, confirming that negotiations will not be easy to form a new government that can win a confidence vote in parliament.

The center-left failed to convince voters with its pro-European message of gradual economic recovery while the anti-immigrant and euro skeptic League party of Matteo Salvini gained huge ground.

Claudio Borghi, the League's economic adviser, spoke of a historic result and a turning-point because from today the League has become a national party and the center-right will be led by Matteo Salvini. These, Borghi said, are two very important results.

The League surpassed its coalition partner, the establishment Forza Italia party of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Observers noted how the results confirmed the defeat of the two main political forces that have dominated the Italian political landscape for decades -- Forza Italia and the Democratic Left.

As the results came in, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen celebrated, saying Europe was having a bad night. Celebrating the strong showing of Italy's League party, she tweeted: "The spectacular advance and top showing of the League coalition led by our ally and friend Matteo Salvini is a new stage in the awakening of the people!"

But the League was not the only major winner in these elections. The populist and anti-establishment Five Star Movement, which did not exist 10 years ago and is headed by the 31-year-old Luigi Di Maio, obtained the highest number of votes of any single party by far.

Alessandro Di Battista of the Five Star Movement, said: "Everyone is going to have to come and speak to us". He added that this will be for the best guarantee of transparency for the Italian people because the other political forces will have to come and speak with them about the proposals and solutions for the country, using their methods of transparency, correctness and credibility.

Former White House adviser Steve Bannon -- the man who helped Donald Trump ride a populist wave to the U.S. presidency -- characterized the Italian election as "pure populism." Bannon called a possible post-election deal between the Five Star Movement and the League "the ultimate dream."

The outcome of the vote, which effectively delivered a hung parliament, paves the way for a prolonged period of political instability. The Italian parliament will meet for the first time on March 23 and President Sergio Mattarella is not expected to open formal talks on forming a government until early April.U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. is not backing down on its decision to impose 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent tariffs on imported aluminum products.

Before a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump suggested Mexico and Canada could be exempted from the planned tariffs if a new and "fair" North American Free Trade Agreement is reached.

"For many years, NAFTA has been a disaster," Trump said. "We are renegotiating NAFTA as I said I would, and if we don't make a deal I will terminate NAFTA. But if I do make a deal which is fair to the workers and to the American people, that would be, I would imagine, one of the points that we'll negotiate. It will be tariffs on steel for Canada and for Mexico."

The three countries are currently working to revise NAFTA, with the latest round of talks wrapping up in Mexico City.

Trump's decision to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports has drawn strong condemnation from some in his own Republican party and from U.S. trading partners around the world. Analysts warned the tariffs will hurt many U.S. allies.

 Ryan 'Extremely Worried'

In a rare break with the White House, House Speaker Paul Ryan and other key Republican lawmakers are trying to convince Trump to change his mind and not impose the tariffs. Ryan and the others say the tariffs would hurt consumers because they could lead businesses to impose higher prices and undercut any positive effect the recent Republican-approved tax cuts would have on the U.S. economy.

The motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson is headquartered in Ryan's home state and is being targeted by Europe in retaliation for Trump's plan to impose steel and aluminum tariffs.

Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong said in a statement, "We are extremely worried about the consequences of a trade war and are urging the White House to not advance with this plan. The new tax reform law has boosted the economy and we certainly don't want to jeopardize those gains."

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the administration has a "great relationship" with speaker Ryan, but that doesn't mean we have to agree on everything." Sanders added, "the President has been committed and talked about this for many years, particularly on the campaign trail, and the people came out loud and clear and supported this president, therefore supporting the policies he campaigned on."

Sanders said the administration is still finalizing the details of the measure, and she did not want to provide more information on the decision ahead of the final announcement.

President Trump tweeted last Friday that "trade wars are good, and easy to win." When asked to elaborate, Sanders said "the President feels if we ended up in a trade war, the President is confident we will win, but that's not the goal, the goal is to get free, fair, and reciprocal trade, and hope other countries will join him."

Trump told reporters he does not believe his plan to impose the aluminum and steel tariffs will spark a trade war.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed former New York mayor and billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg as his special envoy for climate action.

Guterres said Bloomberg will support a planned UN Climate Summit next year to mobilize more ambitious action to implement the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement aimed at curbing production of greenhouse gases.

The proposal only sets a nuclear moratorium as the entry point for talks, drastically lowering the requirements from freezing the development program altogether.

The delegation proposed a three-stage plan starting with dialogue with the U.S. after halting nuclear and missile tests, followed by discussions to scrap its nuclear weapons and destroy relevant facilities.

Chung urged Kim to pursue dialogue with the U.S. about the scrapping of the North's nuclear weapons and delivered a personal letter from President Moon Jae-in about Kim's invitation to Pyongyang.

The dinner with the delegation headed by national security adviser Chung Eui-yong and National Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon lasted for about four hours at Workers Party headquarters. Kim's wife Ri Sol-ju was also present.

The two sides talked about holding an inter-Korean summit at some point in the future, in addition to resuming reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War and holding cross-border military talks.

The South Koreans also raised the release of three U.S. citizens who are incarcerated in the North.

The delegation left aboard a charter plane at around 2 p.m. on Monday and arrived in Pyongyang an hour later, where they headed to their accommodation in scenic Mount Kopang in Pyongyang, which overlooks an artificial lake and is used for rare VIP visitors.

They were greeted by Kim Yong-chol, head of the United Front Department, and Ri Son-gwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland. Both visited South Korea for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in February.

Before departing for North Korea, Chung vowed to convey Moon's "determination to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and create lasting peace."

But Kim Yong-chol and other North Korean officials refrained from responding directly to the proposal.

The delegation will return to Seoul on Tuesday afternoon and travel to the U.S. as early as this weekend to brief U.S. President Donald Trump about their meeting with Kim Jong-un.South Chungcheong Province Governor An Hee-jung abruptly announced his resignation on early Tuesday over allegations that he raped his secretary.

An, a rising star in the ruling Minjoo Party and "dark horse" presidential contender, initially issued a statement claiming that the sex was consensual, but later recanted and said he would stop all political activities.

Party officials said the stigma of the allegations would be too much to bear for him or the party. The party made an official apology, saying it would take steps to expel him.

An had just three months left of his tenure.

Harsh international sanctions are weakening the North Korean economy in an unprecedented way, according to economists.

"North Korean people's purchasing power and industrial production will dwindle significantly from the second half of this year," the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy predicted on Monday. And the Korea Development Institute said recently, "North Korea's exports are shrinking just like in a trade blockade."

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has launched a charm offensive toward South Korea in a bid to weaken the sanctions, but so far to little avail.

 Depleted Foreign Reserves

North Korea's exports to China were worth US$1.65 billion last year, down 37 percent on-year, according to the KIEP's review. Anthracite exports to China shrank more than 66 percent on-year to a mere $400 million. They made up 45 percent of the North's overall exports in 2016. Exports of seafood and clothing dwindled 16 percent and 22 percent.

But the North still imported roughly the same amount of goods from China as in previous years at $3.33 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of $1.68 billion with its communist ally. The North's foreign reserves have therefore plunged from an estimated $4-5 billion to $2-3 billion.

"It's likely that the North will exhaust a considerable portion of its foreign reserves, as the country is expected to post a similar trade deficit against China this year," the KIEP speculated. "If the North cuts down on imports from China to rein in its foreign reserve depletion, it will lead to economic slowdown, hobbling industrial production, emptying open-air markets, and damaging people's livelihoods."

The institute added the U.S. has put maximum pressure on China, which reluctantly joined international sanctions against the North, and the North's exports to China "fell sharply each time Beijing announced plans to implement sanctions against the North."

 Growing Desperation

As the situation worsens, the regime has been spurring agencies on to earn hard currency.

North Korean trading companies are frantically sending out staffers to China, Russia, Southeast Asia and Africa, Radio Free Asia reported Sunday in an apparent bid to make up for the shortage. In some cases, border guards who are supposed to prevent smugglers from crossing the North Korea-China border are instead encouraging them.

Cho Han-bum of the Korea Institute for National Unification said, "Rumors are circulating among moneyed people in Pyongyang that a catastrophe is coming."

The institute said it is "vital to maintain the current sanctions and pressure to bring the North to the dialogue table."

North Korea's state media on Monday urged South Korea to "reject foreign forces" and "discontinue joint South Korea-U.S. drills."

The comment appeared the same day a South Korean delegation visited Pyongyang. State media also denounced tougher U.S. sanctions as "daylight robbery."

"It's important to solve inter-Korean and reunification issues independently by rejecting foreign forces and joining efforts of both Koreas based on the principle of national self-reliance," the Uriminzokkiri website said.

Another North Korean propaganda outlet Meari (Echo), said, "Whether to maintain the current mood of dialogue and reconciliation or to turn back to the atmosphere of confrontation and tension is dependent totally upon whether to resume the joint [South Korea-U.S.] military exercises."

The comments seem part of a concerted propaganda effort to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington in a bid to weaken international sanctions.

The official Rodong Sinmun daily in its inimitable style slammed the U.S.' recent addition of 56 more North Korean companies and individuals to a sanctions blacklist.

"The Trump clique's latest sanctions are a brigandish act of high-handedness and an atrocious act of provocation aimed at blocking a sovereign country's legitimate trade activities," it thundered. "We regard Washington's sanctions and pressure as a declaration of war."

"Powerful responses will follow, if the U.S. and its followers infringe on our sovereignty even a little, while talking about launching a naval blockade or cutting off our financial sources," it added.

Cho Han-bum of the Korea Institute for National Unification said, "The ultimate goal of the North's charm offensive is to have joint South Korea-U.S. drills discontinued and international sanctions eased."The Chinese enclave in Daerim-dong in Seoul is a somewhat seedy area, but locals are clearly not short of money and were upset when a recent film portrayed their area as a hangout for criminals.

Expensive foreign cars throng the back alleys and streets around the market.

The Korean-Chinese population has soared since the government began issuing F-4 visas to ethnic Koreans in 2012 that permit them to do business here for up to three years. This has led to a boom, especially among restaurants and wholesale and retail businesses.

Soon Mercedes-Benz and BMW dealerships began opening here. One staffer with a foreign car dealership said, "We always have Chinese-speaking staff on standby."Senior leaders highlight Xi's core status in discussions with national legislators

From:ChinaDaily | 2018-03-06 00:55

BEIJING - Senior Chinese leaders on Monday joined deputies to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), the national legislature, in their panel discussions at the 13th NPC's first session, highlighting the core status of Xi Jinping.

The leaders included Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning and Zhao Leji, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

Joining deputies from Jiangxi province, Li Zhanshu stressed the important role the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core has played in leading development over the past five years. He said it will be essential to fully implement Xi's thought, especially his thought on economy, which is mainly based on a new vision for development, and the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress to ensure this year's economic and social development.

Joining deputies from Sichuan province, Wang Yang highlighted the firm leadership that the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core exercised in achieving historic changes in the causes of the Party and country, urging efforts to safeguard its authority and centralized, unified leadership and fully implement its decisions and policies.

Joining deputies from Hebei province, Wang Huning acknowledged the remarkable achievements made by the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core and urged his fellow deputies to well understand the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress and Xi's thought and lead the public to safeguard Xi's core status and keep in line with the central leadership.

Speaking to deputies from Heilongjiang province, Zhao Leji underscored the historic achievements China has made under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core and called for developing a modernized economy and pursuing high-quality growth to implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialist Economy with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.China starts issuing 10-year 'R' visas

From:Shine | 2018-03-06 01:29

JAPANESE scientist Nami Nakamori wrote on WeChat: Finally I got it! I will come!

The 31-year-old was delighted to have received a multiple-entry visa that allows her to visit China over the next 10 years without needing to apply for a visa each time.

She can stay up to 180 days on each visit.

Nakamori was one of the first batch of foreigners to get the R visa for top foreign professionals. R means rencai, or professionals in English.

She arrived in Shanghai on February 28 to begin her post-doctoral research on lead-free piezoelectric ceramic materials at the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics. The research is aimed at eliminating the negative effects of lead piezoelectric material on humans and promote sustainable development.

Yuan Xiaoyu, director of the institutes top talent recruitment program, said the new visa program helped Nakamori get her visa in five days.

When Yuan heard about the new visa, she submitted an application online for Nakamori. A letter confirming Nakamori as a top foreign talent eligible for the new visa was received the next day.

Nakamori took the letter to the Chinese Embassy in Japan on the morning of January 30 and had her visa by 4pm the same day.

Im very happy and surprised to get the visa in just one day because I had spent six months to get the visa for another country where I planned to study, Nakamori said.

Yuan said the new program saves time as it allows applicants, who can be top scientists, international entrepreneurs or leading figures in technology-intensive sectors, to sign a promise of authenticity of some information rather than submit documents. That can speed up the process.

Another beneficiary of the new visa program is Dale Sanders, director of the UKs John Innes Center, the worlds leading research institute in plant and microbial science.

He got his confirmation letter on January 15 and a 10-year multi-entry visa 11 days later. He is due to arrive in Shanghai on Thursday.

He visits Shanghai once or twice a year as his institute runs the Center of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science with the Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology.

The institute used to have to send him an invitation one to two months before each visit and the process involved many forms to fill. He said the new policy made it more attractive for him to visit Shanghai.

The visa program is being piloted in Shanghai and another eight provinces and cities in China this year to attract overseas professionals.

Since it took effect on January 1, Shanghai has issued confirmation letters to 52 experts invited by local universities, research institutes and R&D centers. Professionals can also apply for visas for their spouses and children. Visa fees are waived for R visas.Bloomberg appointed as UN envoy for climate action

From:Xinhua | 2018-03-06 02:56

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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (R) speaks to the press with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 5, 2018. Michael Bloomberg has been appointed as special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for climate action, the UN press service said on Monday. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg has been appointed as special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for climate action, the UN press service said on Monday.

Bloomberg will support the UN chief's climate strategy and efforts toward the planned 2019 Climate Summit at UN Headquarters in New York, it said.

The 2019 Climate Summit will mobilize stronger and more ambitious action toward 2020 climate targets. Bloomberg will leverage efforts in key areas of the Climate Summit to encourage rapid and enhanced implementation of the Paris Agreement in the context of sustainable development, it added.

Guterres will be engaging and inviting leaders from governments, businesses, finance and civil society organizations with a view to bending the emissions curve by 2020 and accelerating the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The secretary-general and Bloomberg share the perspective that the emissions gap needs to be closed soon to limit global temperature increase to no more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, it said.

Bloomberg, founder of the Bloomberg financial news and information service, served as mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013.

He was appointed as UN special envoy on cities and climate change in January 2014 by the then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (R) shakes hands with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 5, 2018. Michael Bloomberg has been appointed as special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for climate action, the UN press service said on Monday. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (R) talks with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 5, 2018. Michael Bloomberg has been appointed as special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for climate action, the UN press service said on Monday. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

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Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (L) talks with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 5, 2018. Michael Bloomberg has been appointed as special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for climate action, the UN press service said on Monday. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

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Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (L) talks with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 5, 2018. Michael Bloomberg has been appointed as special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for climate action, the UN press service said on Monday. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

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Journalists wait to attend the appointment of Michael Bloomberg as special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for climate action at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 5, 2018. Michael Bloomberg has been appointed as special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for climate action, the UN press service said on Monday. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Detailed action plan on schools' reopening soon: Minister V Sivankutty

The minister refuted allegations that his department was not consulted before the state government announced its decision to begin classes for schoolchildren from November 1.Maria Reed/Moving With The Military(FORT HOOD, Texas) -- An Army wife with an eye for design and a knack for decorating on a dime decided to put her talents to good use by starting a web series to help showcase how military families can make a temporary space feel like a forever home.



Maria Reed told ABC News that after five moves in 15 years with her husband Patrick Reed, who is an active duty E6-P (staff sergeant, promotable) in the Army, she has become a professional at packing up, moving and making a new space feel like their own.



"I realized Ive got this insider knowledge so I said, 'lets put this to use,'" Reed, who currently resides on base at Fort Hood, Texas, said. "I hate hearing military families say, 'they'll wait to do a home project until they get a forever home.' Whether its a year or however long that family will have memories in that place, so I want to make it as beautiful as possible for that time."



The computer science teacher and mother of two teens, 14-year-old Parker and 13-year-old Patrick, worked in television and film production for nearly 20 years before her husband enlisted in the military.



While binge-watching home makeover shows on Netflix, she said, she conceptualized a design series catering to local military families who often have to pick up and move every couple of years and are in need of design help. When she asked other military spouses what they thought of her concept, she said there was "a resounding 'yes, we need this.'"



"We all kind of have this like, this is our tribe mentality in a way," she said of fellow military families.

Reed said she gets "crafty" with design transformations.



"When you live in rental or military housing you cant always make permanent changes like painting the walls, so one of my favorite hacks is using removable wallpaper to create accent walls," she said. "Its so easy."



"A lot of times we will buy and refurbish stuff, it just depends what we're working on," she said.

"There are so many people in the community who want to help donate their time and materials when they can," she explained.



Now, Reed finds families through online submissions and nominations from the community to feature on her web series. After meeting with the family, she creates a design based on their lifestyle and gets to work.



"I get thousands of emails nominating families. I wish I could do it for everyone but I have to think of budget and logistics," she explained. "We hear about the families' stories and it's really difficult but we pick what we can do locally to make a difference right now."



She posts her design transformations on Facebook. The family is kept in the dark adding a "surprise element at the end is absolutely beautiful."

Reed was particularly proud of her most recent transformation for a military child's bedroom, which is an area she said can be easily forgotten about after a move.



Kimber Tremper, 27, met Reed through crafting when she first moved to Fort Hood and has helped Reed design materials for other home decor projects, but never got around to doing her own.



In one day, Reed transformed Tremper's 6-year-old daughter McKenzie's bedroom with neutral wallpaper, soft pastel accents and added simple functional storage and organization solutions.



"I love the simplicity of it all. It really made me take a step back to look at the rest of my house and it taught me to purge and get it on the level of my daughter's room," she said of Reed's influence on her home beyond the project. Tremper said her husband, who's currently deployed, was "blown away and incredibly grateful" after seeing the new space on FaceTime.



Tremper took away a key tip that she plans to utilize in this home and for any future moves. "Keeping things on a monochromatic scale with pops of pastel... white walls in the military is one of those dreaded things so Maria really made it embraceable," she said.



The reinvigorated crafty mother of one said McKenzie has never kept her room this clean, adding, "Every morning she makes her bed exactly the way Maria made it and this room has become her happy place. It's amazing."



Check out Reed's full list of top DIY tips for revamping a space.



-- Work with a neutral palette for paint and large furniture pieces.

-- Use removable wallpaper for an accent wall.

-- Add pops of color: throw pillows, small decorative accents.

-- Refurbish older furniture with chalk paint.

-- Add life and color with fresh or faux flowers.

-- Maximize storage with bins, baskets and decorative boxes.

-- Hang curtains almost to ceiling to raise your eye line.

-- Less is more, declutter, purge and organize.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Robotic endoscopic surgery offers new opportunities

VietNamNet Bridge - Three hospitals in Vietnam are using robots in endoscopic surgeries. Two of them  Binh Dan and Cho Ray in HCM City  are performing such surgeries on adult patients.









Three hospitals are using robots in surgeries





One year ago, Binh Dan Hospitals surgeons received a patient from Binh Dinh province, a 26-year-old girl with a tumor on the left hip area. She was brought to the hospital by her mother who had heard that Binh Dan Hospital was using robots in surgery.



The mother said she was from a poor family and could borrow only VND40 million, half of the total cost of one operation.



The surgeons decided to carry out the operation to remove the tumor on the left adrenal gland, just two days before Tet, for free. Dr Nguyen Phuc Cam Hoang, deputy director of the hospital, led the surgeons team.





Binh Dan began conducting robotic surgeries on adults in December 2016 with 4-arm robots, intelligent cameras and 3D images. Doctors at the hospital in August 2017 performed the countrys first robotic surgery on a liver cancer patient.

Binh Dan began conducting robotic surgeries on adults in December 2016 with 4-arm robots, intelligent cameras and 3D images. Doctors at the hospital in August 2017 performed the countrys first robotic surgery on a liver cancer patient.



Following Binh Dan, in October 2017, Cho Ray Hospital began robotic surgeries.



In March 2014, the National Hospital of Pediatrics set up the first robotic pediatric endoscopic surgery center in the country.



According to the director of Binh Dan Hospital, Tran Vinh Hung, after one year of implementation, 222 patients have undergone robotic surgeries, including 59 patients with prostate cancer and 54 people with colorectal cancer.



One of the first robotic surgery cases was conducted on a stomach cancer patient. The operation lasted four hours, after which 2/3 of the stomach and metastases were removed.



Robotic surgery can remove cancerous lymph nodes, reduce blood loss, and prevent the risk of metastases and recurrences.



Dr Nguyen Truong Son, director of Cho Ray Hospital, said that Cho Ray will conduct robotic endoscopic surgeries by treating many kinds of cancer.



Through a magnified 3D HD system, surgeons can better control surgery and direct the robots hands to bend and rotate 540 degrees, far more than a human hand can.



With strong advantages, robotic surgery is becoming more common in Vietnam. Only one hospital in Vietnam was equipped with surgical robots in 2014, but the figure had increased to four by the end of 2017.



Instead of going overseas, patients can now undergo surgeries in Vietnam with advanced technology and doctors who use global standards.





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#BTS BTS heads to New York for U.N. event as special presidential envoy K-pop sensation BTS flew to New York on Saturday to attend a United Nations event as a special presidential envoy. The chart-topping group is scheduled to attend the opening cer...Have a story idea or tip about something happening in the East Village? Or maybe a photo? Or several photos? Or video! We'd love to hear about it. Or see it. Or something. Please go here to submit a tip. :             

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 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crop Infrastructure Corp., formerly Fortify Resources Inc. (CSE:FTY) (the Company) announces the completion of its previously announced transaction (the Transaction) with DV Infrastructure Corp. (DVI), acquiring all of the issued and outstanding securities of DVI, constituting a fundamental change of the Company within the meaning of the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the Exchange). It is expected that the Companys common shares (the Common Shares) will resume trading on the Exchange under the symbol CROP once the Exchange provides final approval following the fundamental change, and all final conditions of the Exchange are satisfied such that the Exchange publishes a final bulletin to announce the resumption of trading of the Common Shares.



Transaction

On March 2, 2018 (the Closing Date), the Company completed the Transaction pursuant to an amalgamation agreement dated November 3, 2017 (the Amalgamation Agreement) among the Company, DVI and 1137129 B.C. Ltd. (Acquireco), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, whereby the Company acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares in the capital of DVI by way of a three-cornered amalgamation, pursuant to which Acquireco amalgamated with DVI and each DVI shareholder received one Common Share for each common share of DVI held for a total issuance of 64,565,200 Common Shares. In addition, all of the outstanding common share purchase warrants of DVI were exchanged for Common Share purchase warrants on a one-for-one basis and on the same economic terms and conditions as previously issued, for a total issuance of 26,076,100 Common Share purchase warrants. Following the completion of the Transaction DVI is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. The Company will conduct the principal business of DVI, as described in brief below and in greater detail in the Listing Statement (hereinafter defined).

Effective upon the closing of the Transaction, as a result of the reverse takeover of the Company by the shareholders of DVI and to align the financial years of the Company to that of DVI, the financial year end of the Company has been changed from February 28 of each year to December 31 of each year.

A listing statement describing the Company and DVI, as well as the terms of the Transaction, prepared in accordance with the policies of the Exchange, will be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com (the Listing Statement) once the Company receives final approval of the Transaction from the Exchange. The summary information set out herein is qualified in its entirety by reference to the relevant descriptions in the Listing Statement.

Name Change

In connection with the Transaction, the Company changed its name from Fortify Resources Inc. to Crop Infrastructure Corp..

Private Placement

In connection with Transaction, pursuant to the Amalgamation Agreement, DVI completed a non-brokered private placement (the Private Placement) for aggregate gross proceeds of $4,956,520, consisting of 49,565,200 units at a price of $0.10 per unit (Placement Units), each such Placement Unit consisting of one common share of DVI and one-half of one transferable common share purchase warrant of DVI, with each whole such common share purchase warrant entitling the holder to purchase, for a period of 24 months from the date of issue, one additional common share of DVI at an exercise price of $0.20 per share. The common share purchase warrants are subject to an acceleration clause whereby if the common shares of DVI trade equal to or greater than $0.40 for a period of five consecutive trading days, then DVI may, at its discretion, give notice to the holders of the warrants that the expiry time of the warrants has been accelerated and the warrants will expire on a date that is not less than thirty days after notice is given. For finders services in connection with the Private Placement, DVI granted 1,293,500 common share purchase warrants of DVI on the same terms as those issued as part of the Placement Units. Proceeds from the Private Placement will be used as set out in the Listing Statement.

Outstanding Share Capital and Escrow

The Company currently has a total of 67,592,388 Common Shares and 27,810,342 Common Share purchase warrants outstanding. No incentive stock options to purchase Common Shares are outstanding. As of the Closing Date, 13,967,000 Common Shares are subject to escrow, to be released as to 10% on closing of the Transaction and an additional 15% every six months thereafter over 36 months. 45,022,000 of the Common Shares issued in exchange for common shares of DVI previously issued under the Private Placement are subject to a voluntary hold period of four months from the date on which the Common Shares resume trading following final approval of the Transaction.

New Board and Management

Effective on the closing of the Transaction, Robert Horsley resigned as director of the Company and was replaced by Michael Yorke, with Christine Mah and Nigel Alexander Horsley remaining as directors of the Company. Michael Yorke was also appointed as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Robert Horsley who resigned that role, and Abbey Abdiye remains as the Companys Chief Financial Officer.

About the Companys Business

Crop Infrastructure is engaged in the business of investing, constructing, owning and leasing mega greenhouse projects to provide turn-key real estate solutions for lease to licensed cannabis producers and processors who have best in class operations and brands. The Companys first project and its core asset is its greenhouse project currently being constructed in Moses Lake, Washington.

For further information, please contact:

Crop Infrastructure Corp.

Michael Yorke, CEO

Tel: 604.484.4206

E-mail: info@cropcorp.com

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein in the United States. The securities described herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), or any state securities law and may not be offered or sold in the United States, as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act, unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, nor approved the contents of this news release.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the Listing Statement, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction and related transactions may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon.

The securities of the Company are considered highly speculative due to the nature of the Companys business. The Company is indirectly involved through its business in both the medical and recreational cannabis industry in the United State where local state law permits such activities. As a result of the conflicting views between state legislatures and the federal government regarding cannabis, investments in cannabis businesses in the United States are subject to inconsistent legislation and regulation and therefore there are risks of federal government enforcement. Marijuana-related practices or activities, including the cultivation, possession or distribution of marijuana, are illegal under U.S. federal law.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which include regulatory approvals, use of proceeds, the business of the Company and other matters. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding looking wording such as may, expect, estimate, anticipate, intend, believe and continue or the negative thereof or similar variations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur. Forward-looking statement are necessarily based upon a number of factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performances or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements express or implied by such statements.

Forward-looking statement are necessarily based upon a number of factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performances or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements express or implied by such statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, anticipated costs and the ability to achieve goals, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that the U.S. federal government will not prosecute people and companies who are involved directly or indirectly in the legal state cannabis industry, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, and that third party contractors, equipment and supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct the Companys business will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks.

These assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, among other things, including, but not limited to: regulatory and political risks, in particular those of the United States; change in laws, regulations and guidelines; limited operating history; competition; risks inherit ant in an agricultural business; vulnerability to rising energy costs; environmental and employee health and safety regulations; lack of demand of the Companys services; dependence on suppliers and skilled labour; reliance on key inputs; operating risk and lack of initial insurance coverage; unfavourable publicity or consumer perception; operation permits and authorizations; risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with loaned money; financial projections may prove materially inaccurate or incorrect; management of growth; difficulty implementing business strategy; costs of maintaining a public listing; conflicts of interest; litigation; share price fluctuations; limited market for securities; lack of dividends; environmental laws and regulations; economic environment; global economy risk; going-concern risk; and financial risk exposures

While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks.

Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, failure to obtain regulatory approvals, increase in construction and operating costs, government regulations, changes in laws and the enforcement of such laws, in particular the laws of the Unites States, lack of tenants at the Companys joint-venture facilities, loss of key employees and consultants, the continued availability of capital and financing, general economic conditions, competition, litigation, market or business conditions.

The Company may not actually achieve its plans, projections, or expectations.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.COVINGTON, KY, March 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ohio-based marketing firm, Hagler and Associates, volunteered Wednesday February 28, 2018, at Crayons to Computers. Crayons to Computers is a non-profit organization that provides schools and teachers with school supplies that allow their students to grow in their education. The organization is gifted with donations from stores like Kroger and Staples that volunteers can help organize to make it easier for teacher to find.



Early on Wednesday morning, the team met up with the volunteer coordinator, Dave Hicks. From there, the team got a tour of the facility and met the rest of the staff. During the volunteer time, Hagler and Associates helped sort items that had been donated to Crayons to Computers all while learning what the organization offers to the close-knit community. Volunteers who help sort the newly delivered items provide easier access to the necessary items teachers may need while shopping in their free store.

It was a really good feeling seeing what they [Crayons to Computers] do for the kids and the schools around the Greater Cincinnati area. Chukwumaobim Onubogu said, I will definitely continue volunteering due to this enlightening experience..

Hagler and Associates prides themselves on giving back in any way they can to the community that supports them endlessly. Community involvement is part of the foundation the company is established upon since it creates a leadership mentality and team building attitude through each humbling experience.



Sellbyville, Delaware, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



Global Dicyclopentadiene Market is expected to reach USD 800 million by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. Over the recent years, dicyclopentadiene market has witnessed a notable progression across the globe owing to the rapid industrialization, significant FDI investment, R&D activities and several factors driving the automotive industry. The constructive growth in automobile sector due to the change in lifestyle, increase in income level will in turn boost the dicyclopentadiene market demand in coming years.

Extensive usage of the product as a key raw material to manufacture the polyester and polymer resins which are further used to produce the parts and shell of vehicle and boats. It is also used to produce the high purity resins which are used in high performance films, optical disks, lenses and other specialty electronic products. This will spur the entire dicyclopentadiene market growth throughout the forecast timeframe. Asian countries are on the top of the list for the notable production and consumption of the UPR owing to presence of several manufacturing units and industries. Hence, will positively influence the industry growth by 2024.

Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2424

Presence of substitute products in the market will hinder the industry growth in future. For an instance, phthalic anhydride can replace dicyclopentadiene in UPR and hydrocarbon resins production. Shifting trends towards the usage of renewable products will be another restraining factor for dicyclopentadiene market growth. As the product is used to produce the various types of resins which are non-renewable, thus, this factor will restrict the dicyclopentadiene industry growth by 2024.

Dicyclopentadiene market has been divided on the basis of grade, application and region. The major grade segment includes hydrocarbon resins, high purity and polyester grade. The minor grades include low purity grade, polymer grade, etc. Among these, hydrocarbon resins and polyester grade will collectively hold over half of the entire DCPD market share throughout the forecast spell. These grades are less expensive than high purity and also find their usage to produce PSA tapes & labels, specialty wax, adhesives and other products due to viscoelastic, heat & corrosion resistance and other mechanical properties.

Based on application, the dicyclopentadiene market is segmented into unsaturated polyester resin, hydrocarbon resins, EPDM elastomers, COC & COP and poly-DCPD. The other minor applications include pesticides, flame retardants, etc. In terms of revenue, hydrocarbon resins will likely generate more than USD 190 million in 2024. This is all due to wide acceptance of the product as an ingredient to manufacture the non-woven products in various end-use industries owing to the excellent mechanical and physical properties.

Browse key industry insights spread across 250 pages with 306 market data tables & 25 figures & charts from this 2018 report Dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) Market in detail along with the table of contents:

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/dicyclopentadiene-dcpd-market

Europe and North Americas dicyclopentadiene market will be the notable markets with over 40% of the overall industry in coming years. Asia Pacific will account for over USD 400 million growing with the significant CAGR by 2024. Substantial UPR production in China and Japan, low labor cost coupled with mature automotive and other manufacturing units in this region will promote the Asia Pacific dicyclopentadiene industry growth over the forecast timeframe which in turn will fuel the global DCPD market growth. Positive demand from end-user industries will bolster the industry growth in North America and in terms of revenue the region will account for more than USD 200 million in future.

The major producers in the DCPD market includes NOVA Chemicals, The Dow Chemical, LyondellBasell, Cymetech, Chevron Phillips, Braskem, Zibo Luhua Hongjin, China Petrochemical, Texmark, Shell Chemicals, Maruzen Petrochemical, Nanjing Yuangang, etc.

Make an Inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2424





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About Global Market Insights

Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.

Contact Us:Wakefield, MA, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ApacheCon, the official conference series of The Apache Software Foundation (ASF), announced today the Geospatial Track, organized by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), who will be supporting ApacheCon as a Community Partner. The track will be held at ApacheCon North America, 24-27 September 2018 in Montreal; the Call for Presentations is open through 30 March 2018.



ApacheCon showcases the latest breakthroughs from ubiquitous Apache projects and upcoming innovations in the Apache Incubator, as well as Open Source development and leading community-driven projects "The Apache Way". Building upon the success of the 2016 Geospatial Track, ApacheCon North America 2018 will once again provide participants the opportunity to learn about leveraging Apache projects for the development, implementation, and processing of geospatial information.

"ApacheCon is unique in that its content is directly created by Apache project user and developer communities," said Rich Bowen, Vice President of Conferences at the ASF. "We are pleased to see the geospatial community's commitment to Apache software and look forward to extending our collaboration with the Open Geospatial Consortium in future events."

Apache projects used in geospatial computation include Accumulo, Flink, Hadoop, Ignite, Jena, Kafka, Lucene/Solr, MapReduce, Marmotta, Mesos, SDAP (Science Data Analytics Platform), SIS (Spatial Information System), Spark, and more.

"Two years ago, the first dedicated Geospatial Track held at ApacheCon led to two workshops that helped shape OGC's Big Geospatial Data white paper," said George Percivall, CTO and Chief Engineer at OGC. "Collaborating with the Apache community gives us the opportunity to connect with the people behind some of the most widely used projects in Open Source. We welcome proposals for presentations, and invite organizations to sponsor the Track."

Key details on ApacheCon:

Geospatial Track - contact George Percivall at gpercivall@opengeospatial.org

Call for Participation - visit http://apachecon.com/acna18/schedule.html --submittors must include Geospatial Track in their abstract. CFP closes 30 March 2018.

Sponsorship - contact Kevin A. McGrail at kmcgrail@apache.org

Registration - http://apachecon.com/ Sign up by 21 July for early registration incentives.

About the Open Geospatial Consortium

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is an international consortium of more than 525 companies, government agencies, research organizations, and universities participating in a consensus process to develop publicly available geospatial standards. OGC standards support interoperable solutions that geo-enable the Web, wireless and location-based services, and mainstream IT. OGC standards empower technology developers to make geospatial information and services accessible and useful within any application that needs to be geospatially enabled. Visit the OGC Website at http://www.opengeospatial.org/ .

About ApacheCon

ApacheCon is the official global conference series of The Apache Software Foundation. Since 2000 ApacheCon has been drawing participants at all levels to explore "Tomorrow's Technology Today" across 300+ Apache projects and their diverse communities. ApacheCon showcases the latest developments in ubiquitous Apache projects and emerging innovations through hands-on sessions, keynotes, real-world case studies, trainings, hackathons, community events, and more. For more information, visit http://apachecon.com/ and https://twitter.com/ApacheCon .

# # #DogHouse Hotel(COLUMBUS, Ohio) -- This is not a drill.

The "world's first crowd-funded craft beer hotel," as it's being billed, is slated to open in Columbus, Ohio, this summer. And, yes, there will be a tap in every overnight room.

BrewDog, the company behind The DogHouse, as the hotel is called, is a craft brewery that originated in North East Scotland. It's first U.S. brewery launched in 2017 in Columbus, Ohio, and is connected to the site of the soon-to-be-opened hotel.

The actual opening date has not yet been announced, but the company said it will be this summer. A similar hotel is set to open in Scotland in 2019.

Crowdfunding for The DogHouse came from an Indigogo campaign that's raised almost $330,000.

"DogHouse will have craft beer at its core. We have already started work developing some craft beer spa treatments, with bespoke hop oils (to emulate your favorite beers) and malted barley massages, as well as a 'hoppy feet' pedicure to put a spring in your step before a brewery tour!" according to the campaign. "Fully immerse yourself in the world of craft beer during your stay, enjoy craft beer infused breakfasts, lunches and dinners, with beers paired to every course."

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.SEATTLE, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Revenue Management Systems, an Accelya Group Company (RMS), is proud to announce that it has been selected to provide Cebu Pacific with its state-of-the-art revenue management, inventory control, and reporting tools. airRM will enable Cebu Pacific to identify sales opportunities, maximize passenger revenues, closely control pricing, and analyze performance.



airRM is a continually evolving airline revenue management system with ground-breaking tools that integrate and display a wealth of critical information from multiple sources, enabling airlines to make better and more profitable decisions. The solution is currently used by more than 90 of the most successful carriers in the world.

Cebu Pacific is the largest and most successful airline of The Philippines. Experiencing rapid growth in the last decade Cebu Pacific now operates a fleet of over 75 Airbus aircraft, said Andrew Millar, Vice President of Sales & Support  Asia Pacific at RMS. It is a tremendous endorsement of the capabilities of airRM that a highly successful airline in Cebu Pacific has chosen to change to our flagship revenue management system. We look forward to partnering with Cebu Pacific in utilizing airRMs innovative technology which will allow the airline to maximize revenue opportunities and achieve future growth plans. We are elated to welcome Cebu Pacific, a major airline of South East Asia, to the growing number of carriers using airRM.

About Cebu Pacific

More information about Cebu Pacific may be found at www.cebupacificair.com.

About RMS

Revenue Management Systems (RMS), an Accelya Group Company, is a global leader in revenue management solutions for the aviation, rail, and cargo industries. Our software helps more than 90 airlines, rail operators, and cargo carriers worldwide make faster, smarter and more profitable decisions, driven by innovation and foresight. RMS is headquartered in Seattle, Washington (USA) with offices in Australia, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Spain, and Singapore. More information about airRM and RMS may be found at www.revenuemanagement.com.

About Accelya

Accelya is a leading provider of financial, commercial and analytics solutions to the airline and travel industry. Accelya helps airlines integrate and simplify their financial processes; to better manage costs, risks, revenue leakages, cash flows, profitability and overall business performance. Accelya partners with airlines right from the time a ticket or an air waybill is issued, all the way through its entire financial lifecycle and until the data is converted to actionable intelligence.

Accelyas commercial solutions help airlines steer sales and strengthen their business relationship with travel agents. It provides insights on airline sales performance, agent performance, route performance and instantly identifies potential for growth. It also helps airlines manage agent incentive program for higher agent satisfaction. Backed by solid data, Accelyas analytics and consulting services enable airlines to take informed decisions by forecasting market trends, identifying revenue opportunities and optimizing costs.

With over 250 airline customers, Accelyas operations are spread across 19 countries and employ over 3000 professionals worldwide For more information please visit www.accelya.com.

Contacts

Martin Kaduc at +1 206 518 5198 / mkaduc@revenuemanagement.com.NEW YORK, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ChemioCare USA Inc. (ChemioCare) today announced it will be leveraging novel transdermal patch technology for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. CINV is a therapeutic area with significant unmet medical needs, most notably in the delayed emesis segment. Patients in this segment suffer from poor quality of life and broad patient compliance issues related to IV and oral dosing. ChemioCare transdermal patch technology could potentially improve treatment outcomes and improve patient compliance.



The company is founded by industry-executive Pedro Lichtinger who will serve as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and by Dr. Fotios Plakogiannis, who operates a development laboratory in Long Island City. Pedro Lichtinger said about the strategy for ChemioCare, We have multiple shots on goal with a low technical and clinical risk and a fast path to market. We are reformulating well known generic drugs with the objective of achieving on label meaningful improvements. Our development programs are designed to follow the 505(b)2 pathway and require a relatively low financial investment. I am excited to leverage my experience and our proprietary patch formulations to impact patient outcomes and quality of life while creating significant value for our shareholders.

ChemioCare plans to reformulate four standard-of-care and guideline-recommended generic anti-emetics. Each patch has a target of 2-3 key differentiators from the current oral and IV formulations. The expectation is that at least one of the differentiators will be on label, intended to address patient outcomes and quality of life. In addition, the company plans to design combination patches aimed at improving guideline adherence and improving patient outcomes and has the long-term option of expanding labels of each patch to other indications.

The chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting market was valued at US$1.50 Bn globally in 2015 and is forecasted to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 5-7%. Despite improvements in chemotherapy agents for the treatment of cancer, and the concomitant use of multiple genericized anti-emetic medicines, nausea and vomiting remains a major problem  up to 28% of patients on highly or moderately-emetogenic chemotherapy regimens do not respond to standard of care anti-emetic combination treatments and continue to experience nausea and vomiting. The medicines currently used to control CINV are used at high doses that result in many medically important side effects, impacting quality of life and outcomes for chemotherapy patients. The company believes that patch technology could offer potentially improved product profiles as well as guideline and patient adherence in a cost-effective way.

ChemioCare transdermal formulations are being developed through an exclusive partnership with the experienced researchers and scientists at Transdermal Research Pharm Laboratories, LLC (TRPL) in Long Island City, New York. TRPL is a full-service research facility led by Dr. Fotios Plakogiannis, who has over 40 years of experience in transdermal drug delivery and pharmaceutical development and owns patents covering novel technologies, formulations, and delivery methods. Transdermal technology has significantly evolved in the last 10-15 years and there are novel approaches that allow for the successful development of patches that were not feasible in the past. The company expects to have broad patent coverage with 3-5 Orange Book listable patents for each patch. Initial provisional licenses have been filed.

Altogether, the company has clinically differentiated product candidates that leverage broadly used, well-known proven generic medicines that allow for leveraging 505(b)2 regulatory paths and fixed combination registrations.

ChemioCare Founding Members

Pedro Lichtinger

Pedro Lichtinger is an industry executive with a 37-year career in biotechnology and a proven track record of developing turnaround and financing strategies, executing strategic alliances, and building commercial and R&D capabilities. Former President and CEO of Asterias Biotherapeutics and Optimer Pharmaceuticals with 16 years experience at Pfizer Inc as President of Global Primary Care and President of Europe. He currently serves on Private and Public Boards for companies including, Gemphire Therapeutics, and Sanfer de Mexico. He holds an MBA degree from Wharton School of Business and an engineering degree from the National University of Mexico.

Fotios Plakogiannis

Fotios Plakogiannis served as a Professor at the A & M Schwartz College of Pharmacy, LIU, and for 25 years was the Director of the Division of Pharmaceutical Science of the College. He was instrumental in establishing the Graduate Division in Pharmaceutical Science (MS and Ph.D.). In addition, he was the recipient of the TASA Award for Lifetime Achievement at LIU, and the recipient of Founders Award. Authored more than 90 research papers with the majority in the area of Transdermal Drug Delivery. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors of the ALMA BANK, a NY Community Bank.

Fotios Plakogiannis added: Advances in patch technology today allow for multi-day patches with improved bioavailability and reliability to the benefit of patients and providers. We have the opportunity to transform the treatment of chemotherapy induced emesis through novel patentable technologies.

To learn more, visit www.chemio.care

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results of the business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, plans and objectives. In some cases, you may identify forward-looking statements by words such as "may," "should," "plan," "intend," "potential," "continue," "believe," "expect," "predict," "anticipate" and "estimate," the negative of these words or other comparable words. These statements are only predictions. One should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are qualified by their terms and/or important factors, many of which are outside the company's control, involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from the statements made. The forward-looking statements are based on the company's beliefs, assumptions and expectations of future performance, taking into account information currently available to the company. Neither the company, nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of these statements. Information in this press release will be updated only to the extent required under applicable laws. If a change occurs, business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations may vary materially for from those expressed in the aforementioned forward-looking statements.

Contact Investor Relations:

investors@chemio.care

+1 800 449 5405 Ext. 701ATLANTA, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NFANT Labs has been named a finalist in the South by Southwest (SXSW) Impact Pediatric Health competition that will be held March 9th in Austin, TX.

Created four years ago by eight of the top U.S. News & World Report Best Childrens Hospitals, Impact Pediatric Health is a one-of-a-kind pitch competition to help showcase and support the best pediatric health care innovations. Representatives from all eight hospitals, as well as venture capitalists and industry leaders, will hear pitches from all of the finalists in order to choose an overall winner. This select group of companies will also have the opportunity to meet with hospitals one-on-one in order to foster relationships and implement solutions to solve real world problems.

NFANT Labs is uniquely suited for Impacts area of focus this year: prematurity, digital health and medtech. NFANT Labs developed nfant Feeding Solution, the first FDA cleared IoT device for the NICU and most recently, nfant Analytics, a Machine Learning and reporting platform aimed at leveraging objective IoT data to help infants struggling to feed.

Its an honor to be chosen as a finalist for this prestigious award, said Lou Malice, NFANTs CEO. With our products already implemented into hospitals across the country, NFANT is poised to make a large and immediate impact in the lives of these infants and their families. We are excited for the opportunity to work with these top-notch childrens hospitals to make predictive analytics a reality in neonatal feeding care.

Participating hospitals include Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta, Boston Childrens Hospital, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, Seattle Childrens Hospital, Stanford Childrens Health and Texas Childrens Hospital.

About NFANT Labs

NFANT Labs is an emerging digital health and medical device company based in Atlanta, Georgia, dedicated to infant feeding. nfant Feeding Solution, the first FDA-cleared "Internet of Things" (IoT) medical device for the NICU, and nfant Analytics, a Machine Learning and reporting platform, give clinicians, hospital providers and payers insight to infant progress and path to discharge. Improving the standard of feeding care by collecting objective data and tracking feeding progression has the potential to shorten NICU stays, reduce readmissions and deliver substantial savings. For more information about NFANT Labs and all of its products please visit www.nfant.com.Fairfield, NJ, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Associa Community Management Corporation  New Jersey (CMC-NJ) was recently honored at the Community Associations Institute- New Jersey Chapter 2018 Annual Awards dinner held at The Imperia Banquet Center.



The ceremony recognizes industry leaders who have exceled in their respected expertise throughout the year. The dinner and professional networking event also gives attendees the opportunity to mingle among respected colleagues and management professionals.



The award winners included:



Jackie Thermidor, Associa CMC-NJ vice president - Candice Bladt Manager of the Year Award



Jeff Cirkus, Associa CMC-NJ vice president - Chair of the CAI-NJ Managers Committee; Committee of the Year Award



Several CMC-NJ community managers were also recognized for receiving their CMCA designations in 2017: Lois Montgomery, Bob Boyles, Katie Zsamba and Nicole Martone.



It is a great honor to be recognized by the Community Association Institute, stated Mike Pesce, Associa Community Management Corporation  New Jersey president. We could not be more proud of Jackie and Jeff for receiving these prestigious industry awards. The Candice Bladt award has a special meaning for Jackie and our company, as it is named after Candice Bladt, who was a portfolio manager with Community Management when she died tragically eleven years ago. Candice was also a colleague and friend of Jackie. Associa CMC-NJ takes great pride in the continued education of our managers and we were delighted they were recognized at the event.



The New Jersey chapter of CAI (CAI-NJ) is dedicated to enhancing the quality of community association living, through education, legislative advocacy and professional development. CAI-NJ provides continuous education and resources to help our members stay abreast of the current news, laws and issues affecting community associations in the State of New Jersey.



With more than 180 branch offices across North America, Associa delivers unsurpassed management and lifestyle services to nearly five million residents worldwide. Our 10,000+ team members lead the industry with unrivaled education, expertise and trailblazing innovation. For more than 40 years, Associa has provided solutions designed to help communities achieve their vision. To learn more, visit www.associaonline.com.



Stay Connected

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associa

Subscribe to the Blog: https://hub.associaonline.com/

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Attachment:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/00ccf10e-b331-406b-b2e4-6ddd5042c673English German

Sika AG today has received an agenda item request for the Annual General Meeting of April 17, 2018 from the shareholder group Cascade Investment, L.L.C., Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, Fidelity Worldwide Investment and Threadneedle Investments (the Shareholder Group). The Shareholder Group requests that the term of office of the Special Experts appointed pursuant to Article 731a of the Swiss Code of Obligations, Peter Montagnon, Jorg Walther and Jorg Riboni, be extended until the end of the Annual General Meeting to be held in 2022 and that the advance payment to cover the costs of the Special Expert Committee be increased to CHF 5 million.

Sika AG further has received an agenda item request for the upcoming Annual General Meeting from Schenker-Winkler Holding AG (SWH). SWH requests that with Jacques Bischoff another representative of SWH be elected to the Board of Directors and as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sika AG. In addition, SWH requests that a special audit be conducted on various questions relating to Monika Ribar's position on the board of directors of Capoinvest Ltd. with regard to her mandate as a member of the Board of Directors of Sika AG and to the benefits paid to the members of the Board of Directors in 2015-2017.

The Board of Directors will examine these requests and proposals and will comment in due course.

CONTACT

Dominik Slappnig

Corporate Communications &

Investor Relations

+41 58 436 68 21

slappnig.dominik@ch.sika.com

SIKA CORPORATE PROFILE

Sika is a specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing and protecting in the building sector and motor vehicle industry. Sika has subsidiaries in 100 countries around the world and manufactures in over 200 factories. Its more than 18,000 employees generated annual sales of CHF 6.25 billion in 2017.

The media release can be downloaded from the following link:LAKEWOOD, Colo., March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Solera National Bancorp, Inc. (OTC Pink:SLRK), a bank holding company for Solera National Bank (the Company), announced today that it has commenced a rights offering ("Rights Offering") to raise gross proceeds of up to approximately $9.9 million.



The Rights Offering will be made through the distribution of non-transferable subscription rights to purchase shares of the Companys common stock. Stockholders of record at the close of business on January 29, 2018 will receive one subscription right for every two shares of common stock held. Each whole subscription right will entitle a stockholder to purchase one share of the Companys common stock at a subscription price equal to $7.25 per share. In addition, stockholders will receive an oversubscription privilege, allowing them the opportunity to subscribe for shares that are not purchased by other stockholders in the Rights Offering. The Company is offering for sale up to 1,365,656 shares of its common stock. The Rights Offering will terminate on May 31, 2018, unless otherwise extended or terminated earlier.

Martin P. May, President and CEO, commented: Weve worked hard over the past several years to establish a strong foundation for the Company. We have grown our customer base and earning assets, while delivering solid financial results. We believe this incremental capital will enable us to continue our trajectory of growth and execute our strategic plan.

THIS PRESS RELEASE SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY THE SECURITIES. THE FULL DETAILS OF THE CAPITAL RAISE AND THE COMPANYS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE INCLUDED IN THE OFFERING CIRCULAR, WHICH WAS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION AND IS AVAILABLE ON THE COMPANYS WEBSITE AT HTTP://IR.SOLERABANKONLINE.COM/OFFERING .

About Solera National Bancorp, Inc.

Solera National Bancorp, Inc. was incorporated in 2006 to organize and serve as the holding company for Solera National Bank, which opened for business in September 2007. Solera National Bank is a community bank serving emerging businesses primarily in the Front Range of Colorado. At the core of Solera National Bank is welcoming, inclusive and respectful customer service, a focus on supporting a growing and diverse Colorado economy, and a passion to serve our community through service, education and volunteerism. For more information, please visit http://www.SoleraBank.com.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains statements that may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statements contained in this release, which are not historical facts and that relate to future plans or projected results of Solera National Bancorp, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Solera National Bank, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated or implied. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. Readers of this release are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Contact: Martin P. May, President & CEO (303) 937-6422 or Melissa K. Larkin, EVP & CFO (303) 937-6423CANTON, Ohio, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Concrete Leveling Systems (OTC Pink:CLEV) announced today that its casino gaming and hospitality division Jericho Associates, Inc.  (Jericho) is welcoming Byron Georgiou to its team of professionals. He has extensive experience as a practicing attorney, successful businessman, and entrepreneur.



Byron Georgiou has had a long career in the private and public sectors in business, law and government service. From 2009 to 2011 he served as one of ten bipartisan nationwide members on the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, which conducted Americas official inquiry into the causes of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression and reported its results to the President and Congress. FCIC.law.stanford.edu

Byron currently oversees wide-ranging interests, including as Chair, President, CEO and controlling shareholder of Xtreme Green Electric Vehicles Inc, www.XGEV.com, manufacturer of all-electric niche vehicles distributed worldwide; lead investor in, and from 2010 to 2016 director of, Health Fusion, www.HealthFusion.com, director since 2017 of Foresee Medical, Inc., www.ForeseeMedical.com, co-founder in 2005 of, and continuing advisor to, Corinthian Capital Group, www.CorinthianCap.com, a middle market private equity fund; director since 2014 of Genelux, a biopharmaceutical company, www.Genelux.com; director since 2016 of NIPD Genetics, a Cyprus-based biotechnology company, www.NIPD.com; over 30 year director of InfoplaceUSA, www.InfoplaceUSA.com; former director of Group Aero; and former director of Mortgage Resolution Partners.

Byron has served since 2005 on the advisory board of the Harvard Law School Program on Corporate Governance, www.Law.Harvard.Edu/programs/corp_gov. From 2000 to 2011, he was Of Counsel to Robbins, Geller, Rudman & Dowd, www.RGRDlaw.com, and its predecessor law firms, the worlds largest plaintiffs securities practice, investigating and civilly prosecuting financial fraud, with leadership roles in the historic litigations on behalf of victimized institutional investors at Enron, WorldCom, Dynegy, AOL/Time Warner and UnitedHealth.

In 1994, Byron co-founded American Partners Capital Group with Dale Hanson, then CEO of the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), the nations largest pension fund, to meet the needs of institutional investors and investment managers with capital formation in a variety of alternative asset categories.

During the second of Jerry Browns four terms as California Governor, Byron served as Legal Affairs Secretary.

Byron attended Stanford University on a full Alfred P. Sloan academic scholarship, graduating with Great Distinction with an A.B. in Political Science, as a participant in the Honors Program in Social Thought and Institutions, and received his J.D. Magna Cum Laude from Harvard Law School.

Contact:

Edward A,. Barth

ebarth@neo.rr.com

Source: Concrete Leveling Systems Inc.BOWLING GREEN, K.Y., March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Chemico Group of Southfield, Mich., recently celebrated the grand opening of their 33,000 square-foot paint stripping facility in Bowling Green. Chemico is a veteran and minority-owned company that operates three business lines providing chemical management services, coatings removal, paint maintenance and industrial supply solutions. Chemico is an industry leader in production aid cleaning and coating removal services. The company owns three paint stripping facilities in North America and provides a full array of processes to support industrial paint stripping with a special emphasis on automotive indirect production parts. Operations began in June 2017 at the Bowling Green facility.



At Chemico, our mission is to add value to our customer's supply chain, add value to the lives of our employees and add value to the communities in which we operate. As South Central Kentucky is the nation's third largest air-cargo shipping hub, located at the center of a 34-state distribution area, the decision to expand our paint stripping business in the Bowling Green area was easy. Were happy to call Bowling Green our newest home, said Paul Sinko, Executive Vice President, Chemico Group.

The Chemico Group supports many Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs like GM, Ford and Toyota, said Chamber President and CEO Ron Bunch. This new Bowling Green facility allows Chemico to expand their service offerings and better serve their Kentucky and Tennessee customers that are in close proximity to South Central Kentucky. We are confident their new location here will contribute to their future success.

The Chemico Group has provided valuable supply chain services to many companies like those we have in Bowling Green while positively impacting communities all over North America. On behalf of the city of Bowling Green, I welcome Chemico to our community and look forward to their success, said Bowling Green Mayor Bruce Wilkerson.

The Chemico Group is a very valuable addition to Warren County as a service supplier to companies like GM here in Bowling Green, said Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon. We look forward to Chemicos growth as they work to fill the gap for paint stripping services throughout our area.

The Chemico Group has been honored with numerous awards from organizations and companies such as Crains Detroit Business; Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Jones Lang LaSalle. The company received a Superior Award for Distributors from Toyota Motor North America in 2017 and was named a General Motors Supplier of the Year Award consecutively from 2009 - 2016.

The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce has announced two economic development projects totaling $5.05 million in capital investment and 72 new jobs for 2018. Last year, the Chamber announced over $270 million in capital investment and 852 jobs. Warren County experienced the fourth largest number of announced jobs and third largest capital investment amount in the last decade in 2017, representing five percent of all capital investment and 9.5 percent of job growth in Kentucky.

For available job opportunities and additional information about The Chemico Group, visit www.thechemicogroup.com .

About The Chemico Group:

Founded in 1989, the Chemico Group is a veteran and minority-owned company that has three business lines providing chemical management services, coatings removal and paint maintenance and industrial supply solutions. Chemico generates more than $100 million in annual sales and has experienced growth every year since inception. Its customers span across a variety of industries including automotive, aerospace, electronics and healthcare. With more than 300 employees and 11 facilities in North America, Chemico is expanding services (globally). For more information, visit www.thechemicogroup.com.

About the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce:

Incorporated in 1935, the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce is a 5-Star Accredited Chamber by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and was named the 2009 Chamber of the Year by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives. As the fourth largest chamber in Kentucky, the Chamber serves as a premier business advocate for its more than 1,300 partners and is the driving force for economic development in South Central Kentucky. Its primary goals are to promote growth and success in the business community, reaching its small business partners and those in large industries alike. With leadership programs, governmental relations projects, educational initiatives and involvement opportunities, the Chamber aims to support the community and its neighbors in order to enhance the business climate and continue to grow the region.COLWICH, KS, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

(Colwich, Kan.  March 6, 2018)  ICM, Inc., a global leading biofuels process technology provider, and The Andersons, Inc., a publicly-traded company with diverse interests encompassing a variety of agribusinesses, announced today that they are partnering to own and construct ELEMENT, LLC, a 70 MGY bio-refinery located in Colwich, Kansas. This strategic collaboration will build and operate the most advanced ethanol plant in the world featuring ICMs cutting edge technologies. The combination of ICMs next-generation technologies, the merchandising, risk management and logistics expertise of The Andersons, and the demonstrated operational excellence of both companies will result in the production of the highest yielding, most profitable, and lowest carbon ethanol gallon in the United States ethanol industry today.

Utilizing ICMs Advanced Gasification Technology, ELEMENT will use waste wood to drive a combined heat and power generator that will offset more than 70% of the natural gas requirements and as much as 80% of the electrical demand.

Beyond this breakthrough technology, ELEMENT will include the latest versions, primarily manufactured in ICMs world-class manufacturing facilities, of ICMs proven proprietary technologies for corn ethanol, Selective Milling Technology V2 (SMT V2) and Fiber Separation Technology Next Gen (FST Next Gen). ICMs patented SMT V2 is an innovative grind system designed to maximize ethanol and distillers corn oil production. ICMs patented FST Next Gen enables higher corn ethanol production, increases distillers corn oil yield, and separates the fiber from the process.

The separated fiber provides the feedstock for the patent-pending Generation 1.5 Grain Fiber to Cellulosic Ethanol Technology (Gen 1.5). The ICM Gen 1.5 cellulosic process will produce more than 5 MGPY of cellulosic ethanol which is expected to be the largest corn fiber to cellulosic ethanol plant in the world. ELEMENT will also produce unique high valued animal feed products which will bring significant value to ELEMENT and to customers.

These technologies will result in ethanol yields that exceed 3.10 gallons per bushel. The carbon index of both the corn and cellulosic ethanol will be industry leading and demonstrates both ICMs and The Andersons commitment to environmental sustainability. The ethanol produced by ELEMENT will be sold primarily in California under the states progressive Low Carbon Fuel Standard and will position ELEMENT to participate in other emerging low-carbon markets.

ICM began preparing the plant site in late fall 2016. Construction and manufacturing will begin in early 2018 with the first phase of start-up scheduled for spring 2019. ELEMENT is expected to be fully operational by year end 2019.

Chris Mitchell, ICM President said, The Andersons and ICM share a common vision. We strive to utilize our combined experience and expertise to build and grow businesses that operate in the top percentile of their industries. By positioning ELEMENT in such a way to take advantage of what both companies do best, we expect that this company will be the leader in the ethanol industry well into the future.

Dave VanderGriend, ICM founder and CEO concluded, This collaboration brings two leading players in the corn-ethanol industry together. At the core, we have similar values, similar expectations of excellence, and the same relentless drive to improve our businesses, our people, and our communities.

This investment executes on several of our stated strategic priorities, such as operating highly efficient and profitable ethanol production facilities, increasing capacity under management, developing new technologies with higher value co-products and expanding our fee based services offering. said Pat Bowe, CEO of The Andersons.

About ICM, Inc.

Established in 1995 and headquartered in Colwich, Kan., with a regional office in Brazil, ICM, Inc. provides innovative technologies, solutions, and services to sustain agriculture and to advance renewable energy, including ethanol and feed technologies that will increase the supply of world protein. By providing proprietary process technologies to over 100 facilities globally with a combined production capacity of approximately 8.8 billion gallons of annual ethanol production and 25 million tons of annual distillers grains, ICM has become a world leader in bio-refining technologies. For additional information, please visit www.icminc.com.

About The Andersons, Inc.

Founded in Maumee, Ohio, in 1947, The Andersons is a diversified company rooted in agriculture, conducting business across North America in the grain, ethanol, plant nutrient and rail sectors. The Andersons Ethanol Group operates ethanol plants in Albion, Mich.; Clymers, Ind.; Greenville, Ohio; and Denison, Iowa. The four plants

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/50c6d3d7-ff32-4d42-b21b-f50036379914

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/81afdce0-da79-42f8-ab22-8402d2655669NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN

TORONTO, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ring the Bell Capital Corp. (TSXV:RTB.P) (the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it has completed an initial public offering of 8,000,000 common shares of the Corporation (the Common Shares) at a price of $0.10 per Common Share for gross proceeds of $800,000 (the "Offering").

Following the closing of the Offering, a total of 12,700,020 Common Shares are issued and outstanding, of which 4,700,020 are currently held in escrow pursuant to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange").

The current directors and officers of the Corporation are Chris Tate, Chief Executive Officer and a Director, Shaun Heinrichs, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary, Kevin Reid, Director, Blair Schultz, Director and Conor Dooley, Director. The net proceeds of the Offering, together with proceeds from prior sales of Common Shares will be used by the Corporation to identify and evaluate assets or businesses for acquisition with a view to completing a "Qualifying Transaction" under the capital pool company program of the Exchange.

Richardson GMP Limited (the "Agent") acted as agent for the Offering. In connection with the Offering, the Corporation granted to the Agent, and a sub-agent, non-transferable warrants to acquire up to an aggregate of 800,000 Common Shares at a price of $0.10 per Common Share at any time until March 6, 2020. The Agent also received a cash commission equal to 10% of the aggregate gross proceeds from the sale of the Common Shares under the Offering.

Upon the closing of the Offering, the Corporation also granted stock options to the directors and officers of the Corporation exercisable to acquire up to an aggregate of 1,000,000 Common Shares at any time until March 6, 2023 at a price of $0.10 per Common Share.

The Common Shares are expected to commence trading on the Exchange on Friday March 9, 2018, under the stock symbol "RTB.P", subject to receipt by the Exchange of acceptable documentation regarding completion of the Offering.

For further information please see the final prospectus of the Corporation dated January 24, 2018 filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

For further information please contact:

Chris Tate

Chief Executive Officer

(647) 403-3797

Cautionary Notes

The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Corporation to complete a qualifying transaction. Any number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as well as future results. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in forward looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Corporation disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward looking statements or otherwise.

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.Washington, D.C., March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As enthusiasm builds for the 2018 All Members Conference, ARCS Foundation is pleased to welcome Lockheed Martin as the presenting sponsor of the event. The annual AMC will be held April 25-28 at the historic Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The companys on-going support of ARCS Foundation is an important part of its quest to foster the future of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in the United States.

As we look out at the challenges before us in the 21st century, it is clear that educating students in science, technology, engineering, and math is more important than ever for the future, said Marillyn A. Hewson, Lockheed Martins Chairman, President and CEO. Lockheed Martin is committed to working with policy makers, educators, non-profit groups, and the business community to educate and inspire todays youth to become tomorrows leaders through STEM.

Lockheed Martins presenting sponsorship of the AMC will include significant visibility, a large contingent from the company in attendance at the event, recognition on ARCS Foundations website and social media channels and a welcome and introduction of keynote speaker Deborah Wince-Smith at the events opening ceremony.

Sponsorship of the AMC is just one way in which Lockheed Martin continues to display its commitment to ARCS Foundation and the future of American STEM education, and we are thankful for its continued support and generosity, said Andi Purple, National President of ARCS Foundation. We look forward to their involvement in this renowned event.

For registration information and an AMC schedule of events, please visit the conference website.

# # #

About ARCS Foundation: ARCS Foundation is a national nonprofit volunteer womens organization that promotes American competitiveness by supporting talented U.S. citizens working to complete degrees in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and health disciplines at 50 of the nations leading research universities. Since 1958, the organization has awarded more than $100 million to more than 10,000 students. ARCS Foundation Scholars have produced thousands of research publications and patents, secured billions in grant funding, started science related companies, and played a significant role in teaching and mentoring young people in the STEM pipeline. More information is available by visiting www.arcsfoundation.org.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8c5aac13-c3e5-4c9d-87b2-18293074ecc9

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/34ec0a14-dffd-45aa-a237-cf25dec7ecf0

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1742c44c-7cf1-4b7b-b9cd-bdbcbb289e09DENVER, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RLH Corporation (NYSE:RLH) announced today the sale of Red Lion Hotels in Boise, Idaho; and Pasco and Richland, Washington for $29.9 million. The three hotels are in addition to the sale of two hotels in California announced last week for $17.4 million. All buyers signed franchise license agreements to retain the Red Lion Hotels brand.



RLH Corporations total gain on the sales is expected to be approximately $8.0 million, and $22.8 million of the proceeds of the sales were used for debt repayment at the closing.

We are pleased to announce the close on the sale of the next three of the 11 hotels we have listed, said RLH Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Greg Mount. The sale of these five properties over the last week is a major step in becoming an asset light company. This effort requires less capital to grow and will provide higher profit margins.

Together with the Redding and Eureka Red Lion Hotels announced last week, the five properties accounted for $26.6 million combined revenue on an annual basis for 2017. The hotels combined adjusted EBITDA on consolidated reporting was $4.7 million and RLH Corporations share of the adjusted EBITDA was approximately $2.6 million for 2017. This impact does not take into account the previously announced corporate overhead adjustments to reduce operating costs.

To learn more about franchising with RLH Corporation, visit franchise.rlhco.com. We dont wait for the future. We create it.

About RLH Corporation

Red Lion Hotels Corporation is an innovative hotel company doing business as RLH Corporation and focuses on the franchising, management and ownership of upscale, midscale and economy hotels. The company focuses on maximizing return on invested capital for hotel owners across North America through relevant brands, industry-leading technology and forward-thinking services. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.rlhco.com.

Social Media:

www.Facebook.com/myhellorewards

www.Twitter.com/myhellorewards

www.Instagram.com/myhellorewards

www.Linkedin.com/company/rlhco

Investor Relations Contact:

Amy Koch

O: 509-777-6417

C: 917-579-5012

investorrelations@rlhco.com

Media Contact:

Dan Schacter

Director, Social Engagement and Public Relations

509-777-6222

dan.schacter@rlhco.comBOCA RATON, Fla., March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ADT Inc. (NYSE:ADT), the leading provider of monitored security and interactive home and business automation solutions in the United States and Canada, today announced the appointment of Matt Winter as the newest member of the companys Board of Directors.



Mr. Winter most recently served as the president of The Allstate Corporation and CEO of Allstate Life Insurance Company. Before joining Allstate, Winter held numerous senior executive positions at large financial institutions and insurance providers. He served as vice chairman of American International Group, where he was responsible for a number of business units with global reach. He served as president and CEO for AIG's American General domestic life companies, AIG's expansive North American life insurance operations. Winter also spent more than 12 years on active duty with the U.S. Army and nine years in the U.S. Army Reserves. He currently serves on the board of H&R Block, Inc., as well as on the board of Feeding America, the nation's leading hunger-relief charity. Matt has also been a loyal ADT customer for more than 20 years.

We are thrilled that Matt Winter has agreed to join ADTs Board of Directors as our newest member," said Timothy J. Whall, ADT Chief Executive Officer. "Matts vast operational experience and leadership within a leading services-based business, will serve as an invaluable asset to our Board of Directors as we continue to redefine the security market.

ADT is the most recognizable name in security, and there is energy and momentum for strategic growth through innovative products and partnerships, operational excellence, and laser focus on the customer, said Mr. Winter. I am honored for the opportunity to serve on the ADT Board of Directors, and I look forward to working alongside this talented team as the next chapter of the ADT story unfolds.

Winter earned his bachelor of science from the University of Michigan, his juris doctor from the Albany Law School of Union University and a master of laws from the University of Virginia School of Law. He is also a graduate of Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program.

About ADT

ADT is a leading provider of security and automation solutions for homes and businesses in the United States and Canada, people on-the-go and their networks. Making security more accessible than ever before, and backed by 24/7 customer support, ADT is committed to providing superior customer service with a focus on speed and quality of responsiveness, helping customers feel more safe and empowered. ADT is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida and employs more than 18,000 people in the United States and Canada.

Media Relations

Jason Shockley

tel: +1 561.322.7325

jshockley@adt.comEnglish Danish

COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT NO. 15/2018  6 MARCH 2018

As mentioned in the Annual Report for 2017, the Board of Directors of Royal Unibrew A/S has decided to initiate a share buy-back of up to DKK 400 million.

Objective

The objective of the share buy-back is to adjust the capital structure of Royal Unibrew A/S in accordance with the target of this. The Board of Directors expects to recommend to the AGM in 2019 that the shares bought back be cancelled.

Authorisation

The share buy-back programme is initiated within the authorisation granted to the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting of the Company on 27 April 2017, which will enable the Company to buy back shares for up to 10, recognising that the Companys total holding of treasury shares following the acquisition cannot exceed 10 per cent of the share capital. The Share Buy-back Programme will be executed in accordance with Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on Market Abuse and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016 (the Safe Harbour Regulation).

Share buy-back programme

The share buy-back programme is expected to be realised in the period from 7 March 2018 through 22 February 2019.

The maximum total share buy-back in the period will represent a market value of DKK 400 million. Based on the share price at 6 March 2018, this will correspond to approx. 1.1 million shares of DKK 2 each at a total nominal value of DKK 2.2 million, corresponding to approx 2.0% of the share capital. Royal Unibrew has entered into an agreement with Nordea Denmark, branch of Nordea Bank AB (publ), Sweden for Nordea to handle the share buy-back as Lead Manager on behalf of Royal Unibrew. Nordea will make all trading decisions independently of and without involving Royal Unibrew. The shares bought back on each trading day will not exceed 25% of the daily average trading volumes over the 20 trading days preceding the date of purchase.

No shares will be bought back under the share buy-back programme at a price exceeding the higher of the two following prices:

the price of the latest independent transaction; and

the highest independent bid on Nasdaq Copenhagen A/S.

Royal Unibrew will be entitled to suspend the share buy-back programme in the event of material changes to the Companys circumstances or in the market. Should the programme be suspended, Royal Unibrew will announce this in a Company Announcement, and Nordea will stop buying back shares in the market.

Royal Unibrew will announce the number of shares bought back and their value in separate weekly Company Announcements in a detailed and summarized form.

Please direct any queries to me at tel. +45 29 23 00 44.

Yours sincerely

Royal Unibrew A/S

Lars Jensen

CFO

The Announcement has been prepared in Danish and English. In case of discrepancy, the Danish text shall prevail.Madison, Wisconsin, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SmithGroupJJR, one of the nation's largest integrated design firms, will now offer architecture services at its Madison, Wisconsin office for the first time in the companys history.

With 12 offices in the U.S. and China, SmithGroupJJR has provided a full range of professional services for large and complex projects across markets. The decision to offer architecture services in Madisonwhich has historically focused its practice on providing award-winning site design, landscape architecture, civil and coastal engineering expertise for a range of master planning, urban design and waterfront project typessupports strategic initiatives to expand SmithGroupJJRs steady growth and positions the firm to better service clients and building owners that are increasingly opting to use multi-disciplinary firms to solve project challenges.

Having a myriad of servicesfrom master planning and architecture, to multiple engineering disciplines, landscape architecture and moreprovided by a single, integrated firm allows owners to benefit from the creativity and heightened quality that such collaboration brings. By expanding our service offerings to include architectural talent in Madison, were underscoring our commitment to become increasingly multi-disciplined and fully integrated, said SmithGroupJJR Managing Partner Troy Thompson.

This office has earned a long-standing reputation for delivering award-winning urban design, campus and waterfront projects, added Bill Patek, director of the firms Madison office. Expanding our portfolio to provide clients access to a broader range of design expertise will create exciting new opportunities for both parties.

At the Aiya Napa Marina & Resort, situated on the southeastern coast of Cyprus, SmithGroupJJR was commissioned by M.M. Makronisos Marina, Ltd, part of the Caramondani Group, to provide integrated planning, design and engineering services for a 70-acre mixed-use development, including a 600-slip mega-yacht marina, private villas, a working waterfront and boatyard, two contemporary high-rise condominium towers, a community event center, retail spaces, and luxury resort amenities. The initial stage of construction, planned to complete in June 2019, focuses on creating the marinas robust infrastructure. Phase Two will focus on residential and commercial spaces and is scheduled for completion in October 2021.

Other notable multidisciplinary projects completed by SmithGroupJJR include:

 Chesapeake Bay Foundations Brock Environmental Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia  This net-zero energy, Living Building Challenge Certified facility has been lauded as a pinnacle of sustainability and resilience for its many design and engineering accomplishments.

 University of Pennsylvanias Stephen A. Levin Building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  This classroom and laboratory project brings together the universitys psychology, biology and behavioral sciences programs into an iconic facility and creates a gateway for the schools newly-defined life sciences precinct.

 DPR Constructions Phoenix Regional Office, Phoenix, Arizona  Once an adult-themed boutique, this high-performance workplace is a living laboratory of green design and Arizona's first commercial net-zero-energy office building.

SmithGroupJJR (www.smithgroupjjr.com) is one of the worlds preeminent integrated design firms. Working across a network of 12 offices in the U.S. and China, a team of 1,300 experts is committed to excellence in strategy, design and delivery. The scale of the firms thinking and organization produces partnerships with forward-looking clients that maximize opportunities, minimize risk and solve their most complex problems. SmithGroupJJR creates exceptional design solutions for healthcare, science and technology organizations, higher education and cultural institutions, urban environments, diverse workplaces, mixed-use and waterfront developments, and parks and open spaces.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e98d169f-27e8-4181-af72-10085e02600f

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9d93f9fb-c48a-4f14-ba58-20efc36cfcaf

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b206048f-a9dc-4d15-a30c-1ec6fc09ae2fVANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wealth Minerals Ltd. (the Company or Wealth) - (TSXV:WML) (OTCQB:WMLLF) (SSE:WMLCL) (Frankfurt:EJZ), announces that, pursuant to the Companys 2004 Incentive Stock Option Plan, the Company has granted incentive stock options directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company to purchase up to 800,000 common shares in the capital stock of the Company. The options are exercisable on or before March 6, 2020 at a price of $1.60 per share.



About Wealth Minerals Ltd.

Wealth is a mineral resource company with interests in Canada, Mexico, Peru and Chile. The Company's main focus is the acquisition of lithium projects in South America. To date, the Company has positioned itself to develop the Aguas Calientes Norte and Quisquiro Salars in Chile (the Trinity Project), as well as to work alongside existing producers in the prolific Atacama Salar, in addition to the Laguna Verde lithium project acquisition. The Company has also positioned itself to play a role in asset consolidation in Chile with the Five Salars Project.

The Company is transitioning from an asset acquisition phase to developing its current high potential portfolio. Lithium market dynamics and a rapidly increasing metal price are the result of profound structural issues with the industry meeting anticipated future demand. Wealth is positioning itself to be a major beneficiary of this future mismatch of supply and demand. The Company also maintains and continues to evaluate a portfolio of precious and base metal exploration-stage projects.

For further details on the Company readers are referred to the Company's website (www.wealthminerals.com) and its Canadian regulatory filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of

WEALTH MINERALS LTD.

"Hendrik van Alphen"

Hendrik van Alphen

Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact: Marla Ritchie

Phone: 604-331-0096 Ext. 3886 or 604-638-3886

E-mail: info@wealthminerals.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.



Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated content, commencement, timing and cost of exploration programs in respect of the Project and otherwise, anticipated exploration program results from exploration activities, the Companys expectation that it will be able to enter into agreements to acquire interests in additional mineral properties, the successful negotiation and execution of a definitive Option Agreement for the Project, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves on the Project, the closing and amount of the Placement, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, issues raised during the Company's due diligence on the Project, operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development activities, actual results of exploration activities, the estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the timing and amount of estimated future production, the costs of production, capital expenditures, the costs and timing of the development of new deposits, requirements for additional capital, future prices of lithium and precious metals, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, lack of investor interest in the Placement, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, title disputes, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including TSX-V acceptance, for the Property acquisition, the Placement and other planned activities, the timing and possible outcome of any pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, and risks related to joint venture operations, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Companys latest interim Management Discussion and Analysis and filed with certain securities commissions in Canada. All of the Companys Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Companys mineral properties.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law.OKLAHOMA CITY, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Federman & Sherwood announces that on February 9, 2018, a class action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia against Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL). The complaint alleges violations of federal securities laws, Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5, including allegations of issuing a series of material or false misrepresentations to the market which had the effect of artificially inflating the market price during the Class Period, which is February 27, 2013 through January 11, 2018.



Plaintiff seeks to recover damages on behalf of all Aflac Incorporated shareholders who purchased common stock during the Class Period and are therefore a member of the Class as described above. You may move the Court no later than Monday, April 16, 2018 to serve as a lead plaintiff for the entire Class. However, in order to do so, you must meet certain legal requirements pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

If you wish to discuss this action, obtain further information and participate in this or any other securities litigation, or should you have any questions or concerns regarding this notice or preservation of your rights, please contact:

Robin Hester

FEDERMAN & SHERWOOD

10205 North Pennsylvania Avenue

Oklahoma City, OK 73120

Email to: rkh@federmanlaw.com

Or, visit the firms website at www.federmanlaw.comAlbuquerque, NM, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

T riCore Contact :

Dr. Nick Dayan

Chief Administrative Officer

(505) 938-8991

Nicholas.Dayan@tricore.org

TriCore Announces Dr. Michael Crossey as Chief Executive Officer & President

For Immediate Release (Albuquerque, New Mexico) - March 6, 2018  TriCore Reference Laboratories is pleased to announce that the board of directors has appointed Michael Crossey, MD, PhD, to the position of CEO and president, effective immediately.

Dr. Crosseys appointment is a clear reflection of the companys current state: Ready to take on the future! Robin Divine, chair of TriCores board of directors, stated: Enormous opportunity for TriCore lies ahead. We couldnt be happier with Dr. Crossey accepting this position and moving us down the path of continued success.

For the past 20 years since TriCores inception, Dr. Crossey has served the organization in various capacities, from pathologist to chief medical officer to interim chief executive officer. He brings decades of experience and internationally recognized expertise in clinical laboratory medicine to the company.

Says Dr. Crossey of his new position: I'm honored, and I'm grateful to the board for the opportunity to lead this exceptional organization of creative, dedicated and talented professionals."

###

TriCore Reference Laboratories is an independent, not-for-profit, clinical reference laboratory founded and headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, co-sponsored by Presbyterian Healthcare Services and University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. TriCore provides over 2,900, full-service, state-of-the-art laboratory tests to healthcare professionals and their patients. TriCore also provides analytics and research services, supporting healthcare and scientific organizations worldwide.

For more information, visit tricore.org.

Attachment:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/68207f80-51fb-4664-84de-80bee403f3fc27-year-old Hamlet Mazmanyan, resident of Lernavan village in Armenias Lori Province, could serve as a role model for many young people in Armenia.

Working abroad for several years, he finally decided to start his own poultry farming business so that he could in his native village with his family. Despite the difficulties, Hamlet is sure that working in the village can be successful.

Unfortunately, not many in Lernavan are following his example. When we arrive in the village, we notice groups of men idly standing by. When we ask the young man escorting us to Hamlets house if they have anything to do, he says theres nothing to do in the village and all the men are preparing to leave for work abroad.

We soon hear the cackling of chickens. Hamlet and his mother exit the chicken shed They look tired, hot and sweaty from working.

There are around 1,000 birds on the farm. The whole process of raising and selling chicken is managed by the family members - Hamlet, his wife and parents.

"I had been leaving for Russia like everyone else for four years. I was already sick and tired of it. Four years were enough to realize that there was no future and no prospect there," Hamlet says.

His fathers experience also affected his decision, since he grew up seeing his father only a few months a year.

"My father went to work abroad before and after getting married. Hes not the only one. Its already a tradition that youngsters should leave for Russia once they finish school," says Hamlet.

Many of those who left to work abroad did not return, and some of them took their families with them.

"If we go out now, Ill show you the empty houses one by one. Its terrible. All the houses are empty in that direction, " says Hamlet and names the ones who have left the village.

The decision to raise chickens was taken after years of field study. Despite the theoretical knowledge, he has had many failures in practice.

"At first, there were only failures. While I was trying to analyze the reasons of the first failure, I failed the second time, and so on. At the beginning, all the chickens were dying, " Hamlet jokes.

Hamlet says he went to other poultry farmers for help, but they provided facts he already knew, keeping the most important details a secret. Hamlet learnt about the decisive nuances due to his own failures and experiences, and he says hes now ready to help anyone who wants to get engaged in this sphere.

Hamlet believes that the lack of knowledge of farmers ultimately determines the lack, or slowness, of progress in various branches of agriculture.

"Villagers have little knowledge of agriculture, farming, livestock and poultry farming. People do as they can. They need to be educated. There are many young people who do not know what to do and where to start. There is no government plan or assistance to guide the village youth, says Hamlet.

I ask if fertilizers and seeds subsidized by the state are not assistance.

"Actually, I dont think these prices are subsidized. They increase the prices, then lower them to normal, calling it a subsidy. A bag of nitrogen fertilizer is said to be subsidized when its being sold for 7,000 drams. If this is a subsidy, then I do not know what a subsidy is. As for agricultural loans, their rates are high, and farmers must pay them back in a very short time. The amount of subsidized loans is very small. Once you learn about them, theyre over.

Hamlet is constantly learning, trying to maintain the best conditions for raising poultry.

"Corn, wheat, barley, green peas, soya, oil residues, sunflower seeds, fish powder, stock powder, yogurt, kefir- thats the main food of my chicken. The only complaint mentioned by buyers is the small weight of the chickens - 1.0-1.3 kg each. Its because I have too many orders and I cant afford to raise them for a longer period. I also dont want to make them bigger artificially, says Hamlet.

Hes sure that sooner or later consumers will start valuing the local, high-quality products without additives.

"The sooner people realize they need healthy nutrition, the quicker the state of agriculture will improve in the country. The sooner we realize that by supporting the local producer we are contributing to creating new jobs, the better, Hamlet concludes.Springfield fire chief Barry Helmerichs will retire effective next month.

Helmerichs declined comment, but Mayor Jim Langfelder confirmed that the chief, who joined the fire department in 1991 as a firefighter, will retire in April.





"He just felt the time was right," Langfelder said. "He left the department in a better spot than he found it."





In addition, Robert Marfell, division chief in charge of training, retired effective today. Battalion chief Raymond Gillespie retired last week, and sources say that at least one more battalion chief is about to retire.

Its the largest exodus of command-level staff in the fire department in recent history. Sources said the retirements may be intended to help make room for entry-level firefighters now in training. Due to budget constraints, the city has considered laying off firefighters, and under collective bargaining contracts, the last hired must be the first to be laid off if the city makes staffing cuts in the fire department.





The departure of Helmerichs, as well as other top-level fire officials, caught aldermen by surprise.





"I've never heard of that many people leaving the fire department," said Ward 9 Ald. Jim Donelan. "My goodness. And I was not aware of these (retirements) until you informed me."





Langfelder appointed Helmerichs fire chief in 2015. It was the second time Helmerichs, 58, had gotten the top job at the fire department. Helmerichs was named chief by former Mayor Tim Davlin in 2010, but he was replaced after Mike Houston became mayor in 2011.





During Helmerichs' second tenure as chief, the fire department achieved a Class 1rating, the highest possible, from the Insurance Services Office, a private entity that rates fire departments. The ratings are used by the insurance industry to set premiums. The department had a Class 3 rating when Langfelder appointed Helmerichs. The department's rating rose to Class 2 last year, and Helmerichs in January received accolades from aldermen when he announced that the department had achieved the Class 1 rating.





"He did what he set out to do, which was to get a Class 1 rating," Langfelder said. "He did it without additional staff, or additional money."





Langfelder said that he hopes to have a replacement named who can take over immediately upon Helmerichs' departure.





"By the time he leaves, hopefully, we'll have someone in place," the mayor said.

Contact Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.comThe leading conference for MSPs in the telecom space announces it will accept speaking proposals for second event in 2018.

Trumbull, CT  March 6, 2018  TMC today announced it has opened the call for speakers for MSP Expo held May 16-17, 2018 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. MSP Expo brings together telecom MSP professionals and thought leaders to network and explore the latest innovations and business practices. MSP Expo is collocated with ITEX, the largest and most extensive national trade show connecting vendors and resellers in the office technology space.

The opportunity for MSPs to increase revenue is seemingly endless, however, keeping up with the latest trends and technologies can be a daunting task, said Rich Tehrani, TMC CEO and conference chairman. MSP Expo attendees rely on our speakers to manage their recurring revenue business, cross-sell, up sell and generate more profit while keeping customers happy. Being a part of this event offers speakers the opportunity to be seen as industry leaders.

MSP Expo conference organizers are looking for speakers and panelists to discuss the following topics:

To Cloud or Not to Cloud

Competing with cloud providers to reclaim market value

Five mistakes you may be making with your managed services business

Adding telecom/UC/Collaboration/Video to your existing managed offerings

Addressing security as an MSP

Backup as an easy revenue stream for MSPs

How automation can help build your managed services business?

To submit a proposal, interested speakers should complete the online form by March 8, 2018 here: http://www.mspexpo.com/west/call-for-speakers.aspx#form . Speakers must adhere 100% to TMCs no commercialism policy. If speakers cannot avoid commercialism, please do not submit a proposal.

Questions regarding speaking opportunities at MSP Expo should be sent to Dave Rodriguez at 203-852-6800 x146 or Erik Linask at 203-852-6800 x284.

For more information, email events@tmcnet.com. For media inquiries, contact Jessica Seabrook. Companies interested in exhibiting, sponsorship or advertising packages for ITEXPO should contact TMC's Joe Fabiano at 203-852-6800 x132 or Maureen Gambino at 203-852-6800 x109.

For the latest MSP Expo news, updates and information follow the event on Twitter at @MSPExpo.

About TMC

Global buyers rely on TMCs content-driven marketplaces to make purchase decisions and navigate markets. This presents branding, thought leadership and lead generation opportunities for vendors/sellers.

TMCs Marketplaces:

Unique, turnkey Online Communities boost search results, establish market validation, elevate brands and thought leadership, while minimizing ad-blocking.

Custom Lead Programs uncover sales opportunities and build databases.

In-Person and Online Events boost brands, enhance thought leadership and generate leads.

Publications, Display Advertising and Newsletters bolster brand reputations.

Custom Content provides expertly ghost-crafted blogs, press releases, articles and marketing collateral to help with SEO, branding, and

overall marketing efforts.

overall marketing efforts. Comprehensive Event and Road Show Management Services help companies meet potential clients and generate leads face-to-face.



For more information about TMC and to learn how we can help you reach your marketing goals, please visit www.tmcnet.com.

Media and Analyst Contact:

Jessica Seabrook

Marketing Director

TMC

203-852-6800 x 170

jseabrook@tmcnet.com

Share this Page

Edited by Mandi NowitzMatt Baron/ShutterstockWhile we still don't know if Donald Trump's presidential campaign knowingly colluded with Russia, Elton John openly admits to doing it...for a good cause.

Speaking to the New York Daily News, Elton revealed that he's been having talks with Russian officials in an attempt to promote equality in that country, where laws specifically ban "gay propaganda" and hate crimes against gay citizens have reportedly doubled in the last five years.

"We met with the Russian health minister in Moscow in December, and it's all about taking just a little step at a time," Elton explained. He also says he's willing to continue a conversation with Russian president Vladimir Putin that first began in 2015.

"I am just a pop star, but I have a foundation and he is a president -- and one of the most powerful presidents in the world," said Elton. "[Putin] phoned me up and I know they want dialogue, but it is one foot at a time."

You may recall that Putin first called Elton in 2015 to apologize after some Russian pranksters posing as him called the legendary musician. Elton described his current discussions with Russia as "very nice and cordial."

Elton, who'll celebrate his 71st birthday later this month, will kick off his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour on September 8 in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.MUZAFFARABAD

.

Farooq Rehmani expressed grave concern over the continued illegal detention of party General Secretary, Muhammad Ramzan Khan,in occupied Kashmir.

: The Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Freedom League (JKPFL), Muhammad Farooq Rehmani has said that India should be severely reprimanded before the International Court of Justice for her unabated terror and horror against youth and women across Jammu and Kashmir to suppress the movement for the fundamental rights and the right of self-determination.Muhammad Farooq Rehmani in a statement issued in Muzaffarabad strongly condemned the indiscriminate firing by Indian forces on youth in Shopian, killing 6 people on spot.He said that it was a planned and systematic move in the corridors of the Modi-led regime in India to wipe out the Muslim population of Jammu and Kashmir to thwart the final resolution of Kashmir according to the right to self-determination. He urged Pakistan to institute a case of targeted killings of youth against India in the International Court of Justice (ICJ)

Muhammad Farooq Rehmani expressed grave concern over the continued illegal detention of party General Secretary, Muhammad Ramzan Khan,in occupied Kashmir despite the fact that he suffered from a severe attack of Asthma. Muhammad Ramzan Khan was not released although the court had quashed his detention order last month, he added.

The JKPFL Chairman said that the concerned court should take cognizance of such violations by the authorities in occupied Kashmir. Simultaneously, he castigated India for shifting the political detainees from the Kashmir Valley to jails in Jammu and taking harsh revengeful measures against the journalists especially a photojournalist Kamran with ulterior motives to escalate tension and insecurity among the people associated with media in occupied Kashmir.31 killed as wedding party truck plunges into drain in Gujarat

A truck carrying wedding party guests plunged into a dry river bed in western India on Tuesday, killing at least 31 people and injuring dozens, including children.Candidacy registration for prez election on Wednesday

The registration of candidacy for the election to the post of President is taking place on Wednesday.China Three Gorges seeks guaranteed return of 17 percent

China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC), the developer of the West Seti Hydropower Project, has asked the government to guarantee a 17 percent return besides issuing a sovereign guarantee.Consultancy operator held for illegally sending workers abroad

The Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) has arrested an education consultancy operator on charges of sending workers abroad and leaving them stranded in the foreign country.Contempt of court case against Kantipur referred to SC full bench

The contempt of court case against Kantipur Publications has been referred to a five-member full bench of Supreme Court.Course in diplomacy

In the multipolar world that emerged after the end of the Cold War, rivalries have been shaped by diplomatic initiatives to protect and promote national interests.Demand for heavy duty vehicles up in Province 7

Province 7 is lately seeing an outburst in development activities, driving up demand for heavy duty vehicles.Fed parliament in session

Three months after elections, the first meeting of the federal parliament commenced on Monday with both the Houses endorsing their interim rules of procedure.India admits to building makeshift bridges, track in Nepal sans permit

Officials from Nepal and India have held talks on the issue of Indian authorities constructing four makeshift bridges over the Mahakali river, a track and a foot trail in Nepali territory without the consent of the Nepali government.India, China should be a blessing for Nepal: Dahal

CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has remarked that Nepals geographical location should be a blessing, not a curse, to be in between China and India.Indian man held with Rs 4.5 million from Biratnagar

An Indian man has been arrested in possession of Rs 4.5 million from Biratnagar on Tuesday.Anup Ojha is a reporter for The Kathmandu Post primarily covering social issues and human interest stories. Before moving to the social beat, Ojha covered arts and culture for the Post for four years.Anil Giri is a reporter covering diplomacy, international relations and national politics for The Kathmandu Post. Giri has been working as a journalist for a decade-and-a-half, contributing to numerous national and international media outlets.Nepals Chyangra Pashmina logo okayed by 47 countries

Chyangra Pashmina, the collective trademark of Nepali pashmina products, has been approved by four more countries, bringing the total number of countries approving the brand to 47.NRA drops plan to convert ancient palaces into hotels

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has dropped the plan of operating ancient palaces in Kathmandu as hotels following the change in its leadership, officials at the authority said.Achyut Wagle holds PhD in economics and is currently a professor at the Kathmandu University School of Management. He is an econo-political analyst, writing for The Kathmandu Post for many years.Police arrest fugitive wildlife smuggler

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police on Monday arrested Lodu Dime, a notorious wildlife smuggler involved in illegal trading and trafficking of wildlife parts.Review of Silwal case on: AGs office

Amid criticism that Nawaraj Silwal was sworn in as a House of Representatives member on Sunday despite charges of document forgery against him, the Attorney Generals Office has said the case is being reviewed.RJP-N: PM Olis proposal to join govt positive

The Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) has said a formal request by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, inviting it to join the government as a positive move.Russian military plane crash in Syria kills 32: Agencies

A Russian military transport plane crashed in Syria on Tuesday, killing all 32 people on board, Russian news agencies quoted the Defence Ministry as saying, an incident that sharply raises the death toll from the Kremlins Syria operation.SC directs Dr KC to appear before court within 3 days

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Dr Govinda KC to appear before the court in person within three days.Step on it

Three years and three CEOs later, the performance of the Nepal Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has been, at best, lacklustre or, at worse, an utter failure. A huge number of quake victims are still living in makeshift accomodations, showing that the work of the apex reconstruction agency has been far from satisfactory.Stolen statues on display in NYCs museum to be returned to Nepal

Nepal has signed an agreement with Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to return stolen statues of Uma Maheshwor and Lord Buddha to the country.Ward chairs who fund marriages of poor families

The ward chairpersons of Sarawal Rural Municipality-6 and 7 in Nawalparasi district have been donating part of their salary to help poor families conduct the marriage of their daughters in their constituencies.1. Yes. Several other districts factor them in. It would provide a more complete picture.

2. Yes. Theyre not as accurate, but they can be useful in spotting a trend in infections.

3. No. The district is keeping tabs on those numbers, so the public doesnt need to.

4. No. As long as the public health district is aware of those stats, thats all that matters.

5. Unsure. The district isnt obligated to include them, but it might be helpful.

Vote

View ResultsKings County Air Sheriffs Support(SEATTLE) -- On Saturday, an avalanche in the mountains of Washington state killed two snowmobile riders and left a third seriously injured.



A search and rescue team responded to the area and retrieved all the victims from the mountain, according to a statement released by the Kittitas County Police.



Zach Roundtree, 27, and James Larson, 41, were killed after the avalanche fully buried them in the snow. Kyle Ottwell, 26, was also buried in the snow, but survived.



Ottwell was air-lifted flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with serious injuries and was listed in satisfactory condition according to ABC affiliate KOMO-TV in Seattle.



A fourth snowmobile rider, Ryan Journey, 27, was partially buried, but said he was able to free himself. He suffered minor injuries.



Roundtrees father, Curt, said his son loved the freedom of being on a dirt bike or a snowmobile.



"Zachary was a kind, gentle, loving, caring young man. You know, he'd give you the shirt off his back. He's just a great kid," his father told KOMO-TV. "Hes going to be greatly missed."



The other victim killed, Larson, was a 14-year veteran of the Bonny Lake police department. On Sunday, a memorial was held outside the station for him, according to KOMO-TV.



The avalanche happened near Esmeralda Peak, about an hour-and-a-half east of Seattle.

Avalanche dangers remain high in the area. Five avalanche deaths have been listed in the last seven days, KOMO-TV reported.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.BY TOM BRIAN ANGURINI.

A twelve year old boy from Bushenyi district Given Kayondo has made a radio that transmits information from the classroom to other schools classrooms.

The radios microphone is given to a teacher parental care primary schools which performs well in PLE with 98 percent first grade yearly during lesson hours and then the signal transmitted to seed B or UPE schools which perform poorly.

The UPE schools then come with their own radio cassettes in class so that they can listen to the teacher from Parental care primary school during lesson hours.

According to Kayondo, he conceived the idea of building a radio from his uncle who is a radio mechanic in Bushenyi municipality.

He says by building the radio, he wanted to help his fellow pupils in UPE schools to improve on their education standards since his school has better teachers.

The radio is made of a circuit board, capacitor, resisters, dry cells, laptop battery and an old robot.Blog Archive Sep 18 (4) Sep 17 (4) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (3) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (5) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (4) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (5) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (3) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (2) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (3) Jul 16 (3) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (5) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (3) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 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(6) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (10) Apr 07 (6) Apr 06 (6) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (4) Apr 03 (5) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (6) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (8) Mar 27 (7) Mar 26 (9) Mar 25 (11) Mar 24 (10) Mar 23 (6) Mar 22 (8) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (2) Mar 18 (9) Mar 17 (7) Mar 16 (6) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (6) Mar 13 (6) Mar 12 (10) Mar 11 (7) Mar 10 (8) Mar 09 (6) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (6) Mar 06 (7) Mar 05 (6) Mar 04 (10) Mar 03 (2) Mar 02 (8) Mar 01 (9) Feb 29 (11) Feb 28 (8) Feb 27 (6) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (8) Feb 24 (9) Feb 23 (12) Feb 22 (10) Feb 21 (11) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (5) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (9) Feb 16 (10) Feb 15 (8) Feb 14 (9) Feb 13 (8) Feb 12 (9) Feb 11 (7) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (7) Feb 08 (9) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (10) Feb 05 (10) Feb 04 (6) Feb 03 (8) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (6) Jan 31 (10) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (9) Jan 27 (7) Jan 26 (8) Jan 25 (8) Jan 24 (7) Jan 23 (6) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (6) Jan 20 (10) Jan 19 (8) Jan 18 (6) Jan 17 (7) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (8) Jan 13 (8) Jan 12 (6) 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(2) Apr 13 (2) Apr 12 (2) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (2) Apr 08 (2) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (2) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (2) Apr 03 (2) Apr 02 (2) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (1) Mar 30 (1) Mar 29 (2) Mar 28 (2) Mar 27 (2) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (2) Mar 23 (2) Mar 22 (1) Mar 21 (1) Mar 20 (2) Mar 19 (2) Mar 18 (2) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (2) Mar 14 (2) Mar 13 (2) Mar 12 (2) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (3) Mar 08 (2) Mar 07 (1) Mar 06 (2) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (8) Mar 02 (2) Mar 01 (1) Feb 28 (2) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (1) Feb 25 (1) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (2) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (2) Feb 20 (2) Feb 19 (2) Feb 18 (2) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (2) Feb 15 (1) Feb 14 (1) Feb 13 (1) Feb 12 (2) Feb 11 (1) Feb 10 (2) Feb 09 (1) Feb 08 (1) Feb 07 (1) Feb 06 (1) Feb 05 (5) Feb 03 (1) Feb 02 (1) Feb 01 (1) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (5) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (3) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (2) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (5) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (4) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (1) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (5) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (4) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (6) Dec 14 (4) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (5) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (4) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (5) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (5) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (4) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (5) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (4) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (3) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (4) Nov 06 (4) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (2) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (4) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (3) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (6) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (4) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (3) Sep 26 (5) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (4) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (5) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (6) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (5) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (2) Aug 07 (2) Aug 06 (2) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (2) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (2) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (6) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (4) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (5) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (2) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (2) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (1) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (2) Jun 06 (2) Jun 05 (2) Jun 04 (2) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (5) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (2) May 23 (4) May 22 (4) May 21 (5) May 20 (6) May 19 (4) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (6) May 14 (4) May 13 (9) May 12 (4) May 11 (5) May 10 (5) May 09 (4) May 08 (3) May 07 (5) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (5) May 03 (1) May 02 (5) May 01 (7) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (5) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (1) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (3) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (3) Apr 14 (4) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (6) Apr 10 (1) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (1) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (4) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (4) Mar 26 (2) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (6) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (2) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (4) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (4) Feb 20 (4) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (4) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (4) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 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We have not received any confirmation. We have only submitted our request for a flight. We have yet to receive anything from the authorities, Air India spokesman Praveen Bhatnagar told The Times of Israel.

The denial came few hours after the Israeli leader Monday in Washington told reporters that Air India clinched an agreement with Saudi authorities.

Air India signed an agreement today to fly to Israel over Saudi Arabia, the Israeli premier said.

Saudi authorities have not commented on the Monday claims but already in February dismissed similar reports.

The Indian carrier currently operates flights between capital New Delhi and Tel Aviv, using a longer route with a detour over the Red Sea and around the Arabian peninsula.

A shortcut through Saudi Arabia would help flights gain hours on the journey. If granted approval, the flight duration will be five and a half hours.

The approval will mark a significant detente between Saudi Arabia and Israel. There are no official ties between the two counties and Saudi Arabia has imposed a 70-year ban on Israeli aircrafts.

Israeli officials have recently spoken about warming of ties with the Saudi kingdom and other Arab countries, which opted for getting closer to Israel in their struggle to counter Iran; Saudi Arabias staunch rival in the region.The Omani government has arrested and deported 138 expat workers for violating labor law at the time the state embarks on the Omanization of the work sector.

According to press reports, 82 of the deportees are accused by the ministry of Manpower of not being legally part of a private businesss workforce. The other 56 workers are charged for violating the labor law.

The move coincides with the governments plans to make more place for national skills.

In January, the ministry issued a temporary six-month ban on hiring foreign expats in 10 private sectors.

The targeted sectors are information systems, sales, marketing, administration, human resources, insurance, media, airports, engineering and technical professions.

The ban was meant to correct the attitude of companies, which are more inclined to hire foreign skills.

The governments decision and the new visa rules dealt a blow to some sectors such as real estate, as rent prices dropped.Visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman met Monday with head of Egypts Christian church in an historic visit, which translates the kingdoms separation with radical Islam.

The young royal and heir to the throne met with Pope Tawadros in St Marks Cathedral late Monday.

The visit to the Christian religious place by a Saudi top official is the first ever in history.

Mohamed bin Salman kicked off Sunday a three-day visit to Egypt, first leg of his first international tour since becoming Crown Prince in June last year. The young heir is leading seismic reforms seeking to polish the largest Sunni countrys image of exporter of radical Islam and a country opposed to women empowerment.

The Crown Prince invited the Pope and all Coptic Christians to visit the Sunni kingdom, reports say.

Several decrees in favor of women have been issued and a significant number of clerics, deemed radical, have been banned or arrested.

Egypt has been facing a surge in radicalism and terrorism. Coptic Christians have become targets of terror attacks in urban places and in the restive Sinai Peninsula. An Islamic State group bombing attack near St Marks cathedral killed at least 25 people, in December in capital Cairo.Preventing violent conflict in Africa could save lives and save an average of $70 billion a year, according to a study released Monday by the World Bank and the United Nations entitled Pathways for Peace: Inclusive Approaches to Preventing Violent Conflict.

The resurgence of violent conflict in recent years has caused immense human suffering, at enormous social and economic costs. In the new report, the World Bank and the United Nations call on the international community to focus more on preventing violence in order to bring about peace.

The report said since 2005, deaths related to conflicts have multiplied by ten with a record in 2015. Between 2010 and 2016, in just six years, the number of civilian casualties has doubled, the report said.

It is estimated that violent conflict could cost up to $13.6 trillion a year, equivalent to 13.3% of global GDP, with post-conflict recovery lasting for several generations. Yet, prevention spending is currently only a tiny fraction of crisis response and reconstruction efforts.

The report also finds that the countries that are doing best are those that manage to mobilize civil society, womens rights groups, faith-based organizations, and the private sector to manage tensions and to involve each in the quest for lasting peace.

Last Month, the UN Security Council said majority of the 815 million people affected by hunger worldwide live in conflict zones and their situation continues to worsen. The UN Secretary General said agricultural and livestock productivity in Africa was under threat, largely due to conflict.Togos President and chair of the regional ECOWAS bloc, Faure Gnassingbe, and Nigers President Mahamadou Issoufou on Monday vowed to help Burkina Faso fight and defeat militant groups.

The presidents of neighboring Niger and Togo traveled to Burkina Faso on Tuesday (March 6) to assess the aftermath of the terror attacks, which killed 8 people last week.

An Al Qaeda affiliate claimed responsibility on Saturday for the attacks on the army headquarters and French embassy in Ouagadougou.

The G5-Sahel permanent council, chaired by Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou, also met in Ouagadougou. Although Togo is not member of the G5 Sahel group, Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe attended the meeting.

According to Issoufou, terrorists seek to undo our alliance  They say our allies are foreign troops. For us they are not foreign troops, they are allies fighting for the same cause.

The aim of the G5 Sahel, mustering Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, is to drive out terrorist groups, smugglers and organized criminal gangs that are taking advantage of the weakness of the state in certain areas of the region.

An international high-level conference on the Sahel held in Brussels recently raised 414 million to support the G5 Sahel Force.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has recently warned that the Sahel region was descending into all-out violence and called on the world body to help the region confront the threat from Islamist militants.Voters in Sierra Leone will head to the polls on Wednesday to choose a replacement for President Ernest Bai Koroma, who is stepping down after 10 years as president, and to elect a new parliament.

Sixteen candidates are contesting the presidential elections while 789 candidates are competing for the 144 seats of the parliament. Voters will also elect Councilors.

It is Sierra Leones first election where several key issues were discussed in a live television debate, in which six of the 16 candidates faced off last month.

The ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) party and the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) have always dominated politics since Sierra Leone gained independence from Britain in 1961.

The ruling APC has nominated former Foreign Minister Samura Camara for the election whiles SLPP rallies behind Julius Maada Bio, who briefly ruled as head of a military junta in 1996. He also challenged Koroma in the 2012 poll on a Sierra Leone Peoples Party ticket.

The elections will be held while Sierra Leone is facing economic meltdown. The IMF has recently suspended their $240 million loan to the Koroma government, after the government failed to meet its loan repayment condition and a massive decline in revenue generation.ex-Zimbabwean Veteran leader Robert Mugabe has offered his backing to a retired general to challenge President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the polls later this year, the party said on Monday.

Ambrose Mutinhiri, a retired general and acolyte of ex-president Robert Mugabe, resigned from the ruling ZANU-PF party and gave up his parliamentary seat last Friday. He created the New Patriotic Front (NFP) party and met Mugabe on Sunday to brief him about the latest developments, an NPF statement said.

The NPF said it was formed by ZANU-PF members and Zimbabweans outraged by the unconstitutional and humiliating manner in which President Mugabe was criminally ousted from leadership.

In January, Mnangagwa, who took office in November after a shock military takeover led to Mugabes ousting, promised to hold a fair vote and respect the result if the opposition won.

Since 1980, Zimbabwean elections were marred by vote-rigging, intimidation and violent suppression of the opposition.

The opposition has often accused Zanu PF and its former leader, ex-President Robert Mugabe, of unleashing the military into rural areas to instill fear and force citizens to rally behind the ruling party.

The southern African nations main opposition last week named a former youth activist, Nelson Chamisa, as its candidate for the upcoming presidential polls.

Chamisa, 40, becomes the electoral champion of the Movement for Democratic Change after veteran leader Morgan Tsvangirai died of cancer last month.

This years vote expected in late July or August will elect the countrys president and both houses of parliament.Nineteen people died of cholera in the past weeks in Malawi as the southern African nation continues the ballet against the outbreak, the Ministry of Health said Monday.

In a statement, the ministry said the number of cases has risen from 546 recorded in January to 718 in 13 of Malawis 28 districts and a total of 19 deaths.

The Ministry of Health recently attributed the rise in numbers of deaths to peoples delay to seek medical help in public hospitals.

The Malawian government is tirelessly working with international organizations like United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) to curb the disease, the statement said. UNICEF is using drones to map out Cholera-prone areas in the capital so that targeted measures can be taken.

A vaccination campaign is underway in cholera hotspots especially fish camps like Ngara, a development, which gives hope as a lasting solution to the annual epidemic, local media reported.

Malawis government has also embarked on a nationwide campaign to remind people to wash their hands with soap, especially after using the toilet and before eating any food.

As a reminder, Malawi suffered its worst cholera outbreak in 2009, when 82 people died and more than 3,000 people were infected.Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus O.Kravchenko meets the Head of the Representative Office of the International Organization for Migration in Belarus

06-03-2018

On March 6, 2018 the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Oleg Kravchenko, met with the Head of the Representative Office of the International Organization for Migration in the Republic of Belarus, Zeynal Hajiyev.

During the meeting, the sides discussed prospects for cooperation in the field of migration, including the collaboration on the projects funded by the European Union.

   

print versionAmbassador of Belarus S.Aleinik meets the Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the UN of the UK FCO

06-03-2018

On March 5, 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 Commonwealth and United Nations of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom, Lord Ahmad.

During the meeting, the sides discussed the interaction of Belarus and the UK in the framework of international organizations, as well as the current UN agenda. Special attention was paid to the coordination of international efforts to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the light of the Minsk regional forum of SDG coordinators.

S.Aleinik thanked the British side for the humanitarian assistance to the Republic of Belarus in connection with the elimination of the consequences of the Chernobyl accident.

   

print versionDeputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus O.Kravchenko meets the Honorary Consuls of European countries in Belarus

06-03-2018

On March 6, 2018 the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Oleg Kravchenko, met with the Honorary Consuls that represent European countries in Belarus.

The meeting was attended by the Honorary Consuls of Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Iceland, Portugal and the Deputy Honorary Consul of Slovakia in Brest.

During the meeting, the sides discussed current bilateral relations with the relevant states, as well as prospects for further cooperation and the activity of Honorary Consuls in our country.

print version